The Best Push Pull Legs Routine for Muscle Growth
Looking for a push pull legs routine that actually builds muscle? Here's the complete PPL split serious lifters run — with the exact exercises, sets, reps, and the progression rules that drive real growth.
A push pull legs routine is the most efficient split for hitting every muscle group twice per week with manageable per-session volume. It's why most intermediate-to-advanced lifters end up running PPL.
I'm Pasha, founder of 1RM.fit. This is the push pull legs routine I've seen consistently work across thousands of users in our database — exact exercises, sets, reps, and the progression rules that drive real muscle growth.
What a Real Push Pull Legs Routine Looks Like
The push pull legs split groups exercises by movement pattern:
- Push: chest, shoulders, triceps
- Pull: back, biceps, rear delts
- Legs: quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, core
You run the cycle twice in 6 days: Push / Pull / Legs / Push / Pull / Legs / Rest. Each muscle is trained twice per week with one full rest day.
Push Day — Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
- Barbell Bench Press — 4 sets × 6-8 reps
- Incline Dumbbell Press — 3 sets × 8-10 reps
- Seated Overhead Press — 3 sets × 8-10 reps
- Cable Lateral Raise — 4 sets × 12-15 reps
- Triceps Pushdown — 3 sets × 10-12 reps
- Overhead Triceps Extension — 3 sets × 10-12 reps
Rest: 2-3 minutes on bench and OHP. 90 seconds on accessories.
Pull Day — Back, Biceps, Rear Delts
- Barbell Row (or Pendlay Row) — 4 sets × 6-8 reps
- Pull-Ups (weighted if possible) — 4 sets × 8-10 reps
- Seated Cable Row — 3 sets × 10-12 reps
- Face Pulls — 3 sets × 15-20 reps
- Barbell Curl — 4 sets × 8-10 reps
- Hammer Curl — 3 sets × 10-12 reps
Leg Day — Quads, Hams, Glutes, Calves
- Back Squat — 4 sets × 6-8 reps
- Romanian Deadlift — 4 sets × 8-10 reps
- Leg Press — 3 sets × 10-12 reps
- Walking Lunges — 3 sets × 10 reps per leg
- Leg Curl — 3 sets × 12-15 reps
- Standing Calf Raise — 4 sets × 12-15 reps
The Second PPL Cycle — Slightly Different
Push 2, Pull 2, and Legs 2 use different rep ranges to avoid stagnation. Same movement patterns, lower weights, higher reps:
- Push 2: Bench in the 10-12 rep range, hypertrophy focus
- Pull 2: Higher-rep rows + curls (12-15)
- Legs 2: Front squat or hack squat, higher reps (10-12)
Progression Rules for PPL
- Compound lifts (6-8 reps): Add 2.5 kg when you hit the top of the range across all sets. Then drop back to the bottom and climb again.
- Accessory lifts (8-12 reps): Add 1 rep per set per week. Add weight when you cap the range.
- Deload every 6-8 weeks. Drop loads to 60-70%, do one full PPL cycle, then start a new block.
The best push pull legs routine is the one you run for 12 weeks straight without changing exercises. Most lifters fail at PPL not because the routine is wrong — because they switch exercises every 3 weeks.
Who PPL Is For (And Who It's Not)
Great for:
- Intermediate to advanced lifters (1+ year of consistent training)
- People who can train 6 days a week with full recovery
- Lifters chasing hypertrophy specifically
Not for:
- True beginners (full body is faster gains in year 1)
- Anyone who can't train 5+ days/week consistently
- People with high-stress jobs and poor sleep (PPL recovery demand is real)
Track Your Push Pull Legs Routine Automatically
Download 1RM.fit free and import this push pull legs routine as a saved program. Auto-fill from last session, automatic PR detection on every lift, rest timer between sets, and progression graphs for each muscle group.
Not sure PPL is right for you? Read our workout plans to build muscle comparison covering PPL vs Upper/Lower vs Full Body — and the bodybuilding workout plan guide for the hypertrophy version.
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