Push Pull Legs Split: How to Set It Up for Real Muscle Growth

A push pull legs split divides your training into three workout types: push (chest, shoulders, triceps), pull (back, biceps, rear delts) and legs (quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves). You can run it three days a week, once through, or six days a week, twice through. For most people who already have six months or more of lifting behind them, the six day version is one of the most effective ways to hit each muscle twice a week with enough volume.

It works because the muscles that train together actually move together. Pressing uses chest, front delts and triceps at the same time, so grouping them means less overlap and better recovery between sessions. Here's how to build it, what a real week looks like, and the mistakes that stall people on it.

Which muscles go on each day

Push day covers anything where you press weight away from your body: bench press, overhead press, dips, lateral raises and triceps work. Pull day is everything you pull toward you: rows, pull-ups, pulldowns, face pulls and curls. Leg day is squats, hinges, lunges and calf raises.

Some people move abs to leg day, others add a few sets at the end of each session. Both are fine. Rear delts usually sit on pull day because rows and face pulls already hit them.

Hamstrings can go either way. Most people train them on leg day with Romanian deadlifts and leg curls, but some move one hamstring exercise to pull day so leg sessions don't run too long. Either works as long as each muscle gets its sets across the week.

3 day or 6 day: which version to run

The 3 day version (Monday push, Wednesday pull, Friday legs) hits each muscle once a week. That's enough for beginners and for people with busy schedules, but each session has to carry a full week of volume for those muscles, so workouts get long.

The 6 day version (push, pull, legs, push, pull, legs, rest) hits everything twice. Splitting weekly volume across two sessions keeps each workout to about 60-75 minutes and tends to give better results per set. If six days is too much, a 4 or 5 day rolling version works: just run the next workout in order whenever you train, and the cycle drifts across the week.

Sample 6 day push pull legs week

Use heavier compound work on the first round and slightly higher reps on the second. Pick weights that leave 1-3 reps in the tank on most sets.

• Push A: bench press 4x6-8, overhead press 3x8-10, incline dumbbell press 3x10-12, lateral raise 3x12-15, triceps pushdown 3x10-12.
• Pull A: pull-ups or pulldown 4x6-10, barbell row 3x8-10, cable row 3x10-12, face pull 3x15, barbell curl 3x8-10.
• Legs A: back squat 4x5-8, Romanian deadlift 3x8-10, leg press 3x10-12, leg curl 3x10-12, standing calf raise 4x10-15.
• Push B: incline barbell press 4x8-10, dumbbell shoulder press 3x10-12, cable fly 3x12-15, lateral raise 4x15-20, overhead triceps extension 3x12.
• Pull B: chest-supported row 4x8-12, single-arm pulldown 3x10-12, rear delt fly 3x15-20, incline dumbbell curl 3x10-12, hammer curl 2x12.
• Legs B: front squat or hack squat 4x8-10, hip thrust 3x8-12, walking lunge 3x10 per leg, leg extension 3x12-15, seated calf raise 4x12-20.

How much volume each muscle gets

On the sample week, chest gets roughly 13-14 hard sets, back around 17, side delts 7 direct plus overlap from pressing, and quads about 14. That lands inside the 10-20 sets per muscle per week range most lifters grow well on. Our guide on how many sets per muscle per week explains how to adjust that number up or down.

If one area is lagging, add 2-4 sets for it, ideally on both rounds. Arms are a common example: an extra curl and triceps movement each week often does more than a whole separate arm day. The bigger arms guide has more on that.

How to progress on push pull legs

Use double progression. Pick a rep range like 8-10. When you hit 10 on every set with good form, add weight next time: about 5 lb (2.5 kg) on upper body barbell lifts and 10 lb (5 kg) on squats and deadlifts. Then build back up to 10. That's the core of progressive overload, and it works on this split as well as any.

Log every session. On a six day plan it's easy to forget what you did on Push A when you see it again five days later.

Common push pull legs mistakes

The biggest one is cramming too much in. Ten exercises on push day means the last five are junk volume done in a tired state. Five or six movements is plenty. The second is skipping rest: big compound sets need 2-3 minutes, and rushing them costs reps. See how long to rest between sets for the details.

The third is ignoring recovery. Six days of lifting needs real sleep and enough food. If your lifts drop for two weeks straight, take an easier week or move to a 4 day rotation.

Is push pull legs right for you?

It suits people who can train at least four days a week, like having a clear focus each session, and have learned the main lifts. It's also easy to customize: if your chest lags, push days get an extra incline press, and nothing else in the week has to change. If chest is your priority, the chest editor can give you a picture of the goal before you start.

It suits you less if your schedule is unpredictable. Missing a leg day on a 3 day version means legs go two weeks without training. In that case, full body three times a week is more forgiving, because every session covers everything.

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