Intermediate routine

Push pull legs routine.

Split your training by movement pattern: push, pull and legs. It is one of the most popular routines for building muscle once you have the basics down.

Days per week: 3 or 6
Session length: 60-75 min
Level: Intermediate

What a push pull legs routine is

Each session focuses on one type of movement. Push day trains chest, shoulders and triceps; pull day, back and biceps; and leg day, quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves.

Grouping muscles that work together lets you do more volume per muscle in each session and recover while you train the others.

3 days (Mon-Wed-Fri): each group once a week. Ideal if you are short on time or coming from a full body routine.
6 days (PPL-PPL-rest): each group twice a week. More volume and better results if you can recover.

The three days of the routine

Tap any exercise to see its technique and common mistakes.

Push

Chest, shoulders and triceps

Pull

Back and biceps

Legs

Quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves

How to organise the week

3-day option: Monday push · Wednesday pull · Friday legs
6-day option: Push · Pull · Legs · Push · Pull · Legs · Rest
5-day option: Push · Pull · Legs · Upper · Lower (rotating)

If you choose 6 days, you can use variations in the second round of the week (for example incline barbell press instead of bench press).

Progression and rest

On the main lifts (bench press, pull-ups, squat) try to add weight or reps every week while keeping good form. Rest 2-3 minutes on them and 60-90 seconds on accessories.

Every 6-8 weeks, if fatigue builds up, take a deload week by cutting the sets in half.

Frequently asked questions

Is push pull legs good for beginners?

It can work, but in the first months a 3-day full body routine is usually better because you repeat each exercise more often and learn technique sooner. Move to PPL once you progress steadily.

Is it better to run push pull legs 3 or 6 days?

With 6 days you train each muscle twice a week, which usually gives better results for muscle growth. If you can only go 3 days, the 3-day version works, but consider an upper/lower or full body routine to keep that frequency.

Where do I train abs?

Add 2-3 sets of a core exercise (plank, ab wheel or cable crunch) at the end of 2 or 3 sessions per week.

Save your PPL routine in Nuvana.

Build the three days in the app, log every set and see how your strength evolves week by week.