PPL groups movements by function. Push day covers chest, shoulders and triceps; pull day covers back, rear delts and biceps; legs day takes quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves.
Run one cycle over three days for a classic 3-day week, or run it twice (PPL×2) for a 6-day week when recovery and schedule allow. Rest days go wherever life needs them — the rotation just continues.
It suits lifters past the beginner stage: enough volume per muscle to grow, enough rest between repeats of the same day.
Push day
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Bench Press | 3–4 × 8–12 | 90s |
| Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 3–4 × 8–12 | 90s |
| Barbell Incline Bench Press | 3–4 × 8–12 | 90s |
| Cable Lateral Raise | 3–4 × 10–15 | 75s |
| Triceps Pushdown (Rope) | 3–4 × 8–12 | 75s |
Pull day
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Lat Pulldown | 3–4 × 8–12 | 90s |
| Barbell Bent Over Row | 3–4 × 8–12 | 90s |
| Dumbbell Rear Delt Flye | 3–4 × 10–15 | 75s |
| Hammer Curl | 3–4 × 8–12 | 75s |
| Hanging Leg Raise | 3–4 × 8–15 | 75s |
Legs day
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Back Squat | 3–4 × 8–12 | 90s |
| Conventional Deadlift | 3–4 × 6–8 | 120s |
| Leg Press | 3–4 × 8–12 | 90s |
| Romanian Deadlift | 3–4 × 8–12 | 90s |
| Seated Calf Raise | 3–5 × 8–15 | 75s |
Progress by double progression: work within the rep range, and when you hit its top on all sets, add the smallest increment and start again. Details in the progressive overload guide. →
Can a beginner run PPL?
You can, but a full-body plan progresses beginners faster — each muscle gets trained 3× a week instead of 1–2×. Switch to PPL once weekly full-body progress stalls.
3 days or 6 days?
Start with 3. The 6-day version doubles weekly volume, which pays off only if sleep, food and recovery keep up — otherwise it just doubles fatigue.