Push pull legs: the split, in three-day and six-day versions

How the split works

The logic is mechanical. Pressing movements use the same muscles together: a bench press loads the chest, the front of the shoulders and the triceps. Pulling movements share the back and the biceps. Grouping them means each session fatigues one set of muscles while the others recover.

• Push: chest, shoulders (front and side), triceps.
• Pull: upper and mid back, lats, rear shoulders, biceps, forearms.
• Legs: quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, calves, often with core work.

The ACSM recommends that exercises for large muscle groups come before small ones, and multi-joint exercises before single-joint ones. Each session below follows that order.

The three sessions

Push (about 50 to 60 minutes)

1. Bench press or dumbbell press: 4 sets of 6 to 10, rest 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Seated overhead press: 3 sets of 8 to 10, rest 2 minutes.
3. Incline dumbbell press: 3 sets of 8 to 12, rest 90 seconds.
4. Lateral raise: 3 sets of 12 to 15, rest 60 seconds.
5. Triceps pushdown or overhead extension: 3 sets of 10 to 15, rest 60 seconds.

Pull (about 50 to 60 minutes)

1. Pull-up or lat pulldown: 4 sets of 6 to 10, rest 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Barbell or chest-supported row: 3 sets of 8 to 10, rest 2 minutes.
3. Seated cable row: 3 sets of 10 to 12, rest 90 seconds.
4. Face pull or reverse fly: 3 sets of 12 to 15, rest 60 seconds.
5. Dumbbell curl: 3 sets of 10 to 12, rest 60 seconds.

Legs (about 50 to 60 minutes)

1. Back squat or leg press: 4 sets of 6 to 10, rest 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Romanian deadlift: 3 sets of 8 to 10, rest 2 minutes.
3. Walking lunge or split squat: 3 sets of 10 to 12 per leg, rest 90 seconds.
4. Leg curl: 3 sets of 10 to 15, rest 60 to 90 seconds.
5. Standing calf raise: 3 sets of 10 to 15, rest 60 seconds.
6. Plank or hanging knee raise: 2 to 3 sets.

End most sets with one to three repetitions in reserve. The pull-ups and squat form guides cover the technique of two key lifts.

Three days or six?

Three days (Monday push, Wednesday pull, Friday legs). Each muscle group is trained once a week. Per muscle, that gives about 9 to 13 sets in a single session. The meta-analysis by Schoenfeld, Grgic and Krieger found no meaningful difference in growth between training a muscle once or more often when weekly volume is the same, so this works. The weakness is fragility: miss leg day and your legs go two weeks without training.

Six days (push, pull, legs, push, pull, legs, one rest day). Each muscle is trained twice a week, and you can split the weekly volume into two shorter sessions per muscle. A 2026 series of meta-regressions by Pelland and colleagues found that higher frequency tended to improve strength gains, while its effect on muscle size was negligible once volume was accounted for. Six sessions is above the four to five days the ACSM suggests for advanced lifters, so reserve it for people who recover well and have the time.

A middle path: five days. Push, pull, legs, then an upper-body and a lower-body session. Each muscle is trained about twice a week with one day fewer.

Who push pull legs suits

• Suits: lifters with six months or more of regular training, a stable schedule, and either three or six reliable slots in the week.
• Less suited: beginners, who learn faster with full-body sessions that repeat each movement two or three times a week (see full body workout).
• Less suited: people whose weeks are unpredictable. Two full-body sessions are easier to protect than a fixed rotation.

Volume and progression

The meta-analysis by Schoenfeld, Ogborn and Krieger found a dose-response relationship between weekly sets per muscle and growth. The plan above gives roughly 10 to 15 direct sets per major muscle per week in the three-day version, and up to twice that in the six-day version, which is a lot. In the six-day version, start each session with two or three sets per exercise rather than four, and add sets only if you recover well.

To progress, use double progression: when every set reaches the top of the range, add weight. The ACSM recommends increases of 2 to 10% when you can complete one or two repetitions beyond your target. Details in progressive overload and rest between sets.

About the calculator

The calculator on this page counts the slots you have and checks your week against the World Health Organization's activity minimum. The WHO sets two separate targets: 150 to 300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity, and muscle strengthening on at least two days. A push pull legs week covers the second target easily. Unless your sessions are run as fast circuits, plan some walking or cycling to cover the first.

If you have a heart condition, high blood pressure or a joint injury, ask your doctor before moving to six weekly sessions of heavy training.

Run your split with Never Skip Club

A split only works if the rotation holds. Create your free account, launch a guided session for the upper body or the legs when you are away from your usual gym, and log your series. Set up a crew with friends at three, four or six sessions a week: the leaderboard measures the share of planned sessions you completed, not extra ones. For a technique check on your heavy lifts, book a coach from our network, or sign in to plan the week.