Push Pull Legs Split: 3-Day and 6-Day Plans

Updated 24 October 2026

Short answer

Push/pull/legs (PPL) splits training into pushing muscles (chest, shoulders, triceps), pulling muscles (back, biceps) and legs. Run it three days a week if you are newer, or six days (each session twice) if you are experienced and recover well. Training each muscle about twice a week tends to grow more muscle than once a week when weekly sets are similar.

A 6-day PPL week

Day	Session	Example exercises (3 sets each)
1	Push	Bench press 5–8, overhead press 6–10, incline dumbbell press 8–12, lateral raise 12–15, triceps pushdown 10–15
2	Pull	Pull-ups or pulldown 6–10, barbell or cable row 8–12, face pull 12–15, biceps curl 10–15
3	Legs	Squat 5–8, Romanian deadlift 6–10, leg press 10–12, leg curl 10–15, calf raise 10–15
4–6	Repeat	Same order, or swap in variations
7	Rest

Three days or six?

Three days (push, pull, legs once each) trains each muscle once a week. A meta-analysis by Schoenfeld and colleagues found training a muscle at least twice a week gave more growth than once, when total weekly volume was not matched; with volume matched, frequency mattered less. So three-day PPL works best if you can fit enough sets into each session.

Six days suits people who enjoy training often and recover well. If you have four or five days, an upper/lower split or a full-body plan usually fits better.

Frequently asked questions

Is PPL good for beginners?

It can work, but most beginners do better with three full-body sessions a week: you practise each lift more often and it is easier to recover.

How many sets per muscle per week?

About 10 or more hard sets per muscle a week is a common target for muscle growth, built up gradually.