Resistance training programs come in a variety of different forms, whether your training split includes stacking two or three muscle groups per day, or you split between upper and lower body exercises, the main goal of any resistance training program is to build more lean muscle mass and strength. With a push/pull/legs routine instead of splitting between muscle groups, you are simply splitting your training into a three-day workout routine with exercises that require pushing weight, pulling weight, and leg exercises.

In this ultimate guide, we are going to explore, explain the benefits, and lay out your workouts and exercises, for your push pull day workout splits.

What Are Push-Pull Workouts?

Push-pull workouts are a structured training split based on movement patterns—pushing and pulling—designed to optimize muscle hypertrophy, increase training frequency, and break through plateaus. This approach organizes workouts by grouping muscles that perform similar actions, promoting balanced development and recovery (Schoenfeld et al., 2016).

A 3-day push-pull-legs split is one of the most common and effective formats, enabling each muscle group to be trained twice per week, a frequency shown to maximize hypertrophy and strength adaptations. However, variations of push-pull programs can be adapted into 2-day splits or 4-5 day programs, depending on your training goals, recovery needs, and weekly schedule.

Why the Push-Pull-Legs Split Works: Science-Backed Benefits of the Most Popular Training Program

If you’ve ever dipped your toes into strength training, you’ve likely heard of the Push-Pull-Legs (PPL) split. It’s not just bro-science or a trend you find on Reddit—it’s one of the most efficient and effective ways to build strength, muscle, and performance. This time-tested method has earned its reputation for a reason.

Let’s break down the benefits and back them with research so you understand why the PPL split might just be the smartest way to structure your training.

1. Balanced Muscle Development

By splitting your workouts into push (chest, shoulders, triceps), pull (back, biceps), and legs (quads, hamstrings, glutes), you’re giving each muscle group the attention it deserves—without overlap or burnout.

"Training muscle groups with adequate recovery time allows for greater performance improvements and muscle hypertrophy, especially when using a split routine with volume distributed across multiple sessions."
— Schoenfeld, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research

2. Increased Training Frequency (Without Overtraining)

With a PPL split, you can train each muscle group 2x per week, which research shows is more effective for muscle growth than once-a-week bro splits.

"Meta-analyses show that training each muscle group at least twice per week promotes greater hypertrophic gains than once-weekly training."
— Schoenfeld et al., Sports Medicine

This means you can stack volume intelligently—get more reps, more sets, and more growth without frying your CNS or lifting sore.

3. Efficient Recovery and Progression

Unlike full-body workouts that can drain you or leave certain muscles constantly sore, PPL gives you a smart rotation. After a push day, your pushing muscles rest while you work on pulls. Then legs. Then repeat.

This balance allows your muscles to recover properly, so you're progressing—not plateauing or risking injury.

"Recovery between sessions is critical for maximizing strength adaptations and avoiding overreaching, particularly in trained individuals."
— Grgic et al., European Journal of Sport Science

4. Flexibility for Any Schedule

Got 3 days to train? PPL works.
Got 6 days? PPL works even better.

You can run PPL once per week (3-day split) or double it up (6-day split) depending on your goals and recovery. It adapts to your lifestyle and commitment, not the other way around.

This modular setup makes it ideal for beginners, intermediates, and even advanced lifters who want to structure volume, intensity, and frequency around real life.

5. Promotes Compound Lifting and Functional Strength

PPL encourages you to build your sessions around compound movements like deadlifts, squats, presses, and rows. These lifts train multiple muscle groups at once, torch more calories, and mimic real-life movement patterns.

"Compound exercises stimulate higher testosterone release and engage more motor units, making them foundational for muscle and strength development."
— Kraemer & Ratamess, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise

6. Mental Clarity and Focused Sessions

There’s something powerful about walking into the gym knowing exactly what you're training. No guesswork, no wandering. You’re dialed in with a clear purpose.

PPL splits give your workouts structure, direction, and efficiency. Each session targets a movement pattern, keeping your brain and body aligned for maximum results.

Should You Use a Push-Pull-Legs Split?

If your goal is to build lean muscle, improve strength, and train smart without wasting time, the push-pull-legs split is one of the most proven, effective strategies out there.

It’s simple to follow, easy to customize, and backed by years of both anecdotal and scientific evidence. Whether you’re training for aesthetics, performance, or general wellness—PPL can work for you.

What Are Push Exercises?

Push exercises target the muscles responsible for pushing or pressing movements, typically located on the anterior (front) side of the body. These include:

• Chest

• Shoulders

• Triceps

• Quadriceps

Common push exercises include:

• Overhead Press

• Bench Press

• Squats

• Dips

• Dumbbell Shoulder Press

• Bulgarian Split Squat

💡 Note: The biceps, despite being on the front of the body, are classified as pull muscles due to their function during flexion and pulling movements.

What Are Pull Exercises?

Pull exercises target muscles that perform pulling motions, primarily located in the posterior chain, including:

• Back

• Biceps

• Rear Delts

• Hamstrings

• Glutes

Examples of pull exercises include:

• Lat Pulldown

• Deadlifts

• Barbell Rows

• Dumbbell Rows

• Shrugs

• Romanian Deadlifts

These movements emphasize back and hamstring engagement, crucial for both strength and aesthetic balance.

The 6 Best Pull Exercises: How to Do Them, Tips, and Science-Backed Insights

Pull exercises are essential for developing strength, stability, and symmetry across the back side of the body. These moves improve posture, enhance pulling power, and prevent muscle imbalances—especially if your training is push-heavy. From deadlifts to curls, here are six of the best pull exercises you can include in your program.

1. Hex Bar Deadlift

A beginner-friendly deadlift variation that maximizes pulling power while reducing stress on the lower back.

How to Do It:

1. Step into the center of a loaded hex bar with feet hip-width apart.

2. Hinge at the hips and grip the handles, keeping your back flat and chest tall.

3. Drive through your heels to stand up, locking out your hips at the top.

4. Lower the bar with control by pushing your hips back and bending the knees.

Tips:

• Keep your shins vertical and avoid letting the knees cave inward.

• Brace your core hard before pulling.

• Squeeze your glutes at the top, not your lower back.

"The hex bar deadlift allows for a more upright torso and reduces lumbar spine stress compared to the barbell deadlift, making it a safer alternative for many lifters."
— Swinton et al., Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research

2. Banded Hamstring Curl

An accessible isolation movement that targets the hamstrings through constant tension and joint-friendly resistance.

How to Do It:

1. Anchor a resistance band to a stable surface and loop it around your ankles while lying face down.

2. Flex your knees to curl your heels toward your glutes.

3. Pause at the top and slowly return to the starting position.

Tips:

• Don’t let your hips lift—keep your pelvis in contact with the floor.

• Squeeze your hamstrings at the top of each rep.

• Perform slow eccentrics to enhance muscle growth.

"Using bands in resistance training provides variable resistance and has shown to effectively target the hamstrings with minimal joint stress."
— Anderson et al., Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research

3. Incline Dumbbell Biceps Curl

A long-range biceps curl that maximizes stretch and muscle fiber recruitment through an extended arm angle.

How to Do It:

1. Sit back on an incline bench set to 45–60 degrees, holding dumbbells at your sides with palms facing forward.

2. Keeping your upper arms pinned back, curl the weights toward your shoulders.

3. Slowly lower the dumbbells to the starting position.

Tips:

• Don’t swing or use momentum—keep tension on the biceps.

• Let your arms fully extend to emphasize the stretch.

• Use a lighter weight to avoid shoulder compensation.

"Incline curls increase muscle activation by placing the biceps in a pre-stretched position, enhancing mechanical tension and hypertrophic response."
— Oliveira et al., Journal of Sports Science & Medicine

4. Zottman Curl

A curl variation that targets both the biceps and forearms in a single, efficient movement.

How to Do It:

1. Stand holding dumbbells at your sides, palms facing forward.

2. Curl the weights up with a standard supinated grip.

3. At the top, rotate your wrists so your palms face down, then lower the weights slowly.

4. At the bottom, rotate palms back to the starting position.

Tips:

• Emphasize control on the eccentric (lowering) phase.

• Keep elbows tight to your sides throughout.

• Perfect for grip and forearm development.

"The Zottman curl offers the unique benefit of training the biceps concentrically and the forearm extensors eccentrically, maximizing arm development."
— T-Nation

5. Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift (Dumbbell)

A powerful posterior chain builder that improves balance, hip stability, and unilateral strength.

How to Do It:

1. Hold a dumbbell in the opposite hand of the working leg.

2. Hinge at the hips and lower the dumbbell toward the floor while extending the non-working leg behind you.

3. Keep a slight bend in the standing leg as you reach hip height with the rear leg.

4. Return to standing by driving through the heel and engaging your hamstring and glute.

Tips:

• Keep your hips square—don’t let one side rotate.

• Focus on control and balance, not weight.

• Use a mirror or wall for feedback on symmetry.

"Unilateral RDLs target the glutes and hamstrings while improving proprioception and correcting muscle imbalances."
— Behm et al., Sports Medicine

6. Bent-Over Rear Delt Dumbbell Fly

A key exercise for shoulder health, posture, and building the often-neglected rear delts.

How to Do It:

1. Hold light dumbbells and hinge at the hips until your torso is nearly parallel to the ground.

2. With a slight bend in the elbows, raise the dumbbells out to your sides.

3. Squeeze your shoulder blades at the top, then return to start under control.

Tips:

• Keep your head neutral and avoid shrugging your shoulders.

• Don’t swing—use strict form with light to moderate weight.

• Pause briefly at the top for peak rear delt engagement.

"Rear delt flys improve scapular stability and help counterbalance dominant anterior shoulder development, reducing the risk of injury."
— Boettcher et al., Clinical Biomechanics

The 7 Best Push Exercises with Dumbbells and Barbells

How to Do Them, Tips for Better Form, and Science-Backed Benefits

Push exercises are the foundation of upper body strength and hypertrophy. They target your chest, shoulders, triceps—and even your legs when you bring in big barbell lifts. Whether you're chasing aesthetics, strength, or performance, these seven push movements deserve a spot in your training rotation.

1. Dumbbell Bench Press

A classic upper-body builder that promotes balanced strength and size in the chest, shoulders, and triceps.

How to Do It:

1. Lie flat on a bench, dumbbells in hand, palms forward.

2. Begin with the dumbbells over your chest, elbows bent at 90 degrees.

3. Press the weights upward until your arms are fully extended.

4. Lower the dumbbells with control to the starting position.

Tips:

• Keep your feet flat and glutes on the bench.

• Angle your elbows at 45 degrees to protect your shoulders.

• Don’t bounce the weights off your chest—control the eccentric.

"The dumbbell bench press produces higher activation of the pectoralis major and stabilizing muscles than the barbell press due to the independent nature of each arm."
— Schoenfeld, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research

2. Dumbbell Pullover

An old-school favorite that hits the chest and lats while also stretching the rib cage for improved breathing mechanics.

How to Do It:

1. Lie flat on a bench holding one dumbbell above your chest with both hands.

2. Lower the dumbbell in an arc behind your head while keeping your elbows slightly bent.

3. Pull it back up over your chest, squeezing through your pecs.

Tips:

• Avoid arching your back—brace your core.

• Lower only as far as your shoulder mobility safely allows.

• Think about pulling from the chest, not the arms.

"Pullovers engage both the chest and lats, providing unique benefits not offered by presses or rows alone."
— Quinn, ACE Fitness

3. Hex Press

A high-tension chest exercise that combines pressing with adduction to maximize pec engagement.

How to Do It:

1. Lie on a bench holding two dumbbells together, palms facing in.

2. Squeeze the dumbbells tightly together and press from your chest to full extension.

3. Lower slowly while maintaining that inward squeeze.

Tips:

• Keep constant tension by pressing the dumbbells together the entire time.

• Focus on the inner chest contraction at the top.

• Go lighter than your normal press weight—tension matters more than load here.

"The hex press forces isometric contraction of the pecs throughout the movement, increasing time under tension and inner chest activation."
— Men’s Health

4. Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press

A strict overhead movement that builds powerful, round shoulders and targets all three heads of the deltoids.

How to Do It:

1. Sit upright on a bench with back support, dumbbells at shoulder height, palms forward.

2. Press both dumbbells overhead until arms are fully extended.

3. Lower with control back to the starting position.

Tips:

• Don’t let your lower back overarch—keep your ribs down.

• Press in a straight line, not forward or backward.

• If your wrists feel strained, try a neutral grip.

"Overhead pressing improves shoulder strength and stability while demanding core engagement for postural support."
— Schoenfeld & Contreras, Strength and Conditioning Journal

5. Dumbbell Chest Fly

A sculpting movement that emphasizes stretch and isolation of the pecs more than traditional pressing.

How to Do It:

1. Lie on a flat bench with dumbbells held above your chest, palms facing in.

2. With a slight bend in your elbows, lower your arms out wide in a wide arc.

3. When your chest is fully stretched, bring the dumbbells back together at the top.

Tips:

• Control is key—go slow on the descent to avoid shoulder strain.

• Think of hugging a tree to guide your arm path.

• Don’t go so low that your shoulders lose stability.

"Fly movements emphasize eccentric control and fiber stretch, which may contribute to muscle hypertrophy via mechanical tension and metabolic stress."
— Brad Schoenfeld, Sports Medicine

6. Z Press

An advanced overhead press variation that challenges core stability, thoracic mobility, and shoulder strength all at once.

How to Do It:

1. Sit on the floor with your legs extended straight and a barbell or dumbbells in front rack position.

2. Press the weight directly overhead until arms are locked out.

3. Lower the weight slowly back to the start.

Tips:

• Keep your torso tall and resist leaning back.

• Engage your core and hip flexors to stay upright.

• Start light—this is significantly more difficult than a standard overhead press.

"The Z press improves shoulder mobility and demands greater core strength by eliminating leg drive and back support."
— T-Nation

7. Barbell Back Squat

The king of lower body exercises and a cornerstone of total-body strength and muscle development.

How to Do It:

1. Stand under a barbell resting across your upper traps, feet shoulder-width apart.

2. Unrack the bar, brace your core, and lower your hips back and down until thighs are at least parallel to the floor.

3. Drive through your heels to return to standing.

Tips:

• Keep your chest up and knees tracking over your toes.

• Avoid collapsing forward—maintain a neutral spine.

• Don’t rush the descent—control and depth matter more than load.

"The back squat recruits more muscle mass than nearly any other exercise, making it one of the most effective lifts for strength and hypertrophy."
— Escamilla, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research

3-Day Push/Pull/Legs Workout

This 3-day push/pull/legs split allows for full recovery and twice-per-week muscle stimulation. Each session lasts around 45–60 minutes, ideal for most intermediate to advanced lifters.

Weekly Split Example:

• Day 1: Push

• Day 2: Pull

• Day 3: Legs

• Day 4: Rest

• Day 5: Push

• Day 6: Pull

• Day 7: Legs or Rest

💪 Exercise Modifications: Advanced lifts like the front squat and kettlebell snatch can be substituted for more accessible options like goblet squats, landmine squats, devil’s press, or shoulder plate raises, depending on your experience level.

Progressive Overload Is Key

Your training load should be heavy enough to challenge you, but not so heavy that form is compromised. If you’re breezing through sets without fatigue, it’s time to increase the weight.

For optimal results, follow this routine consistently for 8–12 weeks to allow for progressive overload and muscle adaptation (Kraemer & Ratamess, 2004).

Push/Pull/Legs Keys to Success: Nutrition & Supplementation

Nutrition Drives Results

Training is only one part of the puzzle. Nutrition is the foundation of muscle gain, fat loss, and recovery. A proper training program without the right fuel is like trying to build a house without bricks.

To support your goals, ensure you’re consuming:

• High-quality lean proteins (e.g., chicken, fish, eggs, whey protein)

• Complex carbohydrates (e.g., oats, brown rice, sweet potatoes)

• Healthy fats (e.g., avocado, olive oil, nuts)

If you're unsure about what to eat, how much, or when, working with a certified nutrition coach from The Swole Kitchen can help you eliminate guesswork and achieve results faster.

“Nutrition can make or break your fitness journey. If your diet is misaligned with your goals, no amount of training can compensate.” — Alan Aragon, MS, Nutrition Researcher & Educator

Supplements for Push-Pull Performance

Supplements are tools, not magic pills. When your training and nutrition are dialed in, supplements can enhance performance, accelerate recovery, and support muscle protein synthesis.

Recommended supplements for push/pull training include:

• Kre-Alkalyn Creatine – buffered creatine for strength & power

• Whey Protein Isolate – fast-absorbing post-workout recovery

• Citrulline Malate – improves blood flow and endurance

• Pre-Workout – for energy, focus, and intensity

These supplements are backed by evidence for their role in improving training volume, muscle recovery, and overall athletic output.

3-Day Split Push/Pull/Legs Workout Program

Push Pull Workout: Day 1 - Push [Chest, Shoulders, Triceps]

Push Pull Workout: Day 2 - Pull [Back, Biceps]

Push Pull Workout: Day 3 - Legs 

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