To do a Push Pull Legs (PPL) split, you organize your weekly workouts by grouping exercises based on their movement patterns, typically training six days a week following a specific sequence of "Push," "Pull," and "Legs" days.
Understanding the Push Pull Legs (PPL) Methodology
The PPL split is a popular and effective training method for building muscle and strength. It divides the body into three primary workout days:
- Push Day: Focuses on movements where you push weight away from your body. This targets muscles like the chest, shoulders, and triceps.
- Pull Day: Concentrates on movements where you pull weight towards your body. This works muscles such as the back, traps, and biceps.
- Legs Day: Dedicated to your lower body and core. This includes exercises for the quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and abs.
This structure allows for high training frequency for each muscle group while providing adequate recovery time between sessions for the same muscle groups.
Implementing a 6-Day Push Pull Legs Split
Based on the common and effective structure, a 6-day PPL split involves training each muscle group twice per week. This ensures consistent stimulus for growth and strength development.
Here is a detailed breakdown of a typical 6-day PPL schedule:
- Day #1, Push:
- Muscle Groups: Chest, shoulders, triceps.
- Typical Exercises: Barbell Bench Press, Dumbbell Incline Press, Overhead Press, Lateral Raises, Triceps Pushdowns, Overhead Triceps Extensions.
- Day #2, Pull:
- Muscle Groups: Back, traps, biceps.
- Typical Exercises: Deadlifts, Barbell Rows, Pull-ups or Lat Pulldowns, Face Pulls, Bicep Curls, Hammer Curls.
- Day #3, Legs:
- Muscle Groups: Legs, glutes and abs.
- Typical Exercises: Barbell Squats, Leg Press, Romanian Deadlifts, Leg Extensions, Leg Curls, Plank, Crunches.
- Day #4, Push:
- Muscle Groups: Chest, shoulders, triceps.
- Typical Exercises: Dumbbell Bench Press, Machine Shoulder Press, Front Raises, Dips, Close-Grip Bench Press.
- Day #5, Pull:
- Muscle Groups: Back, traps, biceps.
- Typical Exercises: T-Bar Rows, Seated Cable Rows, Chin-ups, Shrugs, Preacher Curls, Reverse Flyes.
- Day #6, Legs:
- Muscle Groups: Legs, glutes and abs.
- Typical Exercises: Lunges, Hack Squats, Glute Bridges, Calf Raises, Hanging Leg Raises, Russian Twists.
- Day #7: Rest day, allowing for full recovery before starting the cycle again.
Weekly PPL Schedule Overview
To help visualize the split, here's a table summarizing the week:
Day | Focus | Muscle Groups Trained |
---|---|---|
Day 1 | Push | Chest, Shoulders, Triceps |
Day 2 | Pull | Back, Traps, Biceps |
Day 3 | Legs | Legs, Glutes, Abs |
Day 4 | Push | Chest, Shoulders, Triceps |
Day 5 | Pull | Back, Traps, Biceps |
Day 6 | Legs | Legs, Glutes, Abs |
Day 7 | Rest | Full Body Recovery |
Key Considerations for Your PPL Split
- Progressive Overload: To continue making progress, consistently aim to increase the weight, reps, or sets over time.
- Exercise Selection: Choose compound movements (like squats, deadlifts, presses, and rows) as the foundation of your workouts, then add isolation exercises.
- Volume and Intensity: Adjust the number of sets and repetitions based on your goals (e.g., higher volume for hypertrophy, higher intensity for strength).
- Nutrition and Recovery: Proper nutrition and adequate sleep are crucial for muscle repair and growth, especially with a 6-day training schedule.
- Warm-up and Cool-down: Always begin with a dynamic warm-up and end with static stretching to improve flexibility and prevent injury.
By adhering to this structure, you can effectively target major muscle groups twice a week, promoting consistent growth and strength gains.