Build Muscle · Workout Plan
Push / Pull / Legs (PPL) Workout
Push/Pull/Legs groups your training by movement pattern: pushing muscles (chest, shoulders, triceps), pulling muscles (back, rear delts, biceps), and legs. Run twice through the week, it hits each muscle group roughly twice — the frequency the evidence favours for growth (Schoenfeld et al., 2016) — while keeping every session focused and recoverable. Short on time? Run it once through as a 3-day split.
●6 days/week (or 3)●Intermediate●Push · Pull · Legs ×2
Push A
Chest focus — chest, shoulders, triceps| Exercise | Sets | Reps | RIR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell Bench Press | 4 | 6–8 | 1–2 |
| Incline Dumbbell Press | 3 | 8–10 | 1–2 |
| Seated Overhead Press | 3 | 8–10 | 1–2 |
| Cable Lateral Raise | 3 | 12–15 | 0–1 |
| Triceps Rope Pushdown | 3 | 10–12 | 0–1 |
| Overhead Triceps Extension | 2 | 12–15 | 0–1 |
Pull A
Back thickness — back, rear delts, biceps| Exercise | Sets | Reps | RIR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell Row | 4 | 6–8 | 1–2 |
| Lat Pulldown (or Pull-Up) | 3 | 8–10 | 1–2 |
| Seated Cable Row | 3 | 10–12 | 1–2 |
| Face Pull | 3 | 15–20 | 0–1 |
| Incline Dumbbell Curl | 3 | 10–12 | 0–1 |
| Hammer Curl | 2 | 12–15 | 0–1 |
Legs A
Quad focus — quads, hamstrings, calves| Exercise | Sets | Reps | RIR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back Squat | 4 | 6–8 | 1–2 |
| Leg Press | 3 | 10–12 | 1–2 |
| Romanian Deadlift | 3 | 8–10 | 1–2 |
| Lying Leg Curl | 3 | 10–12 | 0–1 |
| Standing Calf Raise | 4 | 10–15 | 0–1 |
Push B
Shoulder focus — shoulders, chest, triceps| Exercise | Sets | Reps | RIR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seated Overhead Press | 4 | 6–8 | 1–2 |
| Flat Dumbbell Press | 3 | 8–10 | 1–2 |
| Incline Cable Fly | 3 | 12–15 | 0–1 |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 4 | 12–15 | 0–1 |
| Dips | 3 | 8–12 | 1–2 |
| Triceps Pushdown | 3 | 12–15 | 0–1 |
Pull B
Back width — lats, rear delts, biceps| Exercise | Sets | Reps | RIR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lat Pulldown | 4 | 8–10 | 1–2 |
| Chest-Supported Row | 3 | 10–12 | 1–2 |
| Straight-Arm Pulldown | 3 | 12–15 | 0–1 |
| Rear-Delt Fly | 3 | 15–20 | 0–1 |
| Barbell Curl | 3 | 8–10 | 1–2 |
| Cable Curl | 2 | 12–15 | 0–1 |
Legs B
Posterior focus — hamstrings, glutes, calves| Exercise | Sets | Reps | RIR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Romanian Deadlift | 4 | 6–8 | 1–2 |
| Hack Squat (or Front Squat) | 3 | 8–10 | 1–2 |
| Walking Lunge | 2 | 10–12 | 1–2 |
| Leg Extension | 3 | 12–15 | 0–1 |
| Seated Calf Raise | 4 | 12–15 | 0–1 |
How to run it
- RIR = reps in reserve. Stop each set 1–2 reps short of failure on compounds, 0–1 on isolations — same growth, far less fatigue.
- Progress by adding a rep or a little load each week within the rep range. When you hit the top of the range on all sets, add weight and drop back to the bottom.
- Rest 2–3 min on compounds, 60–90 s on isolations. Run 8–12 weeks, then take a deload week.
- 3-day version: run Push A / Pull A / Legs A one week, the B sessions the next — or just alternate every session.
Evidence base: Schoenfeld, Ogborn & Krieger (2017) · Schoenfeld et al. (2016)
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