If you’re a beginner to the world of training or exercises, there are chances that you have started your fitness career with a generic workout routine. So, here is an effective push pull legs 3 day split workout routine to improve strength and gain muscle mass.
However, if you’re beginner or pro, if you work out three times a week then this 3-day PPL split workout routine may be helpful for you. The 3-day push pull legs split is one of the most effective training sessions; many of the strongest or biggest athletes used this training split throughout their training career.
So, below are two push pull legs 3 day split workout routine (with PDF) to build strength and muscle mass. One workout routine is for beginners and another one for intermediate and pros. So, read the article till the end.
Table of Contents
What is Push Pull legs (PPL)?
The push pull legs (PPL) is a split workout program where you will work out for 3 days in a week. You have to workout push exercises one day, pull exercises another day and leg exercises on 3rd day.
When you push the weight downward or upward during a workout is a push exercise. For example: overhead press, bench press, push up, and pushdown.
When you pull or curl the weight towards you during the workout is a pull exercise. For example: deadlift, pullup, seated rowing and pulldown.
Generally, the shoulder, chest, triceps are the muscles built during the push exercises, and the back, wrists, and biceps are built during the pull exercises.
The leg training includes both push and pull exercises.
Benefits of the PPL Training Program
There are many benefits of doing a PPL training program, it is one of the fantastic routes to go when programming a workout routine. Below are some main benefits of the PPL training program.
- Less Time in Gym: the 3-day push pull legs split workout routine is less time consuming. You only have to be in the gym for three days out of seven days of week.
- Increased Rest Days: the 3 days push pull legs workout routine only has to exercise for 3 days and leaving you 4 days to rest which greatly reduces soreness. To increase in muscle size and get stronger you need to give them enough time to recover – exercising causes tears in your muscle fiber which are usually repaired when you rest.
- Compound Exercises: this training program usually contains a lot of compound exercises like bench press, deadlift and squat. so, compound exercises are more effective when it comes to hitting several muscle groups at the same time.
- It reduces overlap between different muscle groups.
- Creates Muscle Balance: the 3-day push pull legs workout routine targets all the major muscle groups just once a week, which make sure that no muscle group is being under or over exercised which will definitely create a more balanced physique.
Summary – 3 Day Push Pull Legs Split Program
- Purpose: the primary goal of this training routine is to build muscles, strength, mass or even to maintain your developed muscles.
- Training Program Duration: to build muscles will take time so you need to workout at least four to five months consistently to see the visible results.
- Per Session Duration: You can workout at least 75-90 minutes to feel satisfied after the workout.
- Rest Between the Sets: take 90-120 seconds of rest in-between the sets, which will allow you to perform the repetitions effectively.
- Warm-up: the warm up is very important to do before starting a workout routine, because it can help you to perform better during the strength training, and it also increases heart rate and blood flow that help oxygen supply efficiently. You can do some exercises for warm up: run on the treadmill, push ups, pull ups, stationary bicycling, and more.
How to Choose a 3 Day PPL Split Workout Routine
You can choose 3 workout days in a week, like one day push exercises, another day pull exercises and another day legs exercises. The 3-day push pull legs split workout routine will give you enough recovery time, and this is an effective routine if you want to build muscles or maintain strength and muscle you have already got.
Example: 3-day PPL Workout Split:
| Monday | Push |
| Tuesday | Off (Rest) |
| Wednesday | Pull |
| Thursday | Off (Rest) |
| Friday | Legs |
| Saturday | Off (Rest) |
| Sunday | Off (Rest) |
Push Pull Legs 3 Day Split for Beginner
- Day 1 (Monday) – Push Workout – Shoulder, Chest and Triceps
- Day 2 (Wednesday) – Pull Workout – Biceps, Back, Rear Delt and core
- Day 3 (Friday) – Legs Workout – Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes and Calves
Day 1 – Push Workout – Shoulder, Chest and Triceps
| Push Exercises | Muscles Worked | Sets & Reps |
| Incline Dumbbell Press | Chest | 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps |
| Machine Fly | Chest | 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps |
| Flat Bench Press | Chest | 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps |
| DB Front Raises | Shoulder | 3 sets of 8to 12 reps |
| Bent Over Lateral Raises | Shoulder | 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps |
| Overhead Press | Shoulder | 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps |
| Triceps Pushdown | Triceps | 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps |
Day 2 – Pull Workout – Biceps, Back, Rear Delt and Core
| Pull Exercises | Muscles Worked | Sets & Reps |
| Pulldown | Back | 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps |
| Seated Rowing | Back | 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps |
| Deadlift | Back & Legs | 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps |
| Face Pull | Back & Rear Delt | 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps |
| Pullup/Assisted PU | Back & Biceps | 3 sets of 10 to 14 reps |
| Barbell Curl | Biceps | 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps |
| Plank | Core | 2 times of 60 sec |
| Side Plank | Core | 2 times of 45-60 sec |
| Reverse Crunches | Core | 3 sets of 10 to 14 reps |
Day 3 – Legs Workout – Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes and Calves
| leg Exercises | Muscles Worked | Sets& Reps |
| Barbell Back Squat | Quadriceps | 3 sets of 10 to 16 reps |
| Machine Leg Press | Quadriceps | 3 sets of 10 to 16 reps |
| DB Lunges | Quads & Hams | 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps |
| Romanian Deadlifts | Glutes & Hamstrings | 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps |
| Hamstring Curl | Hamstrings | 3 sets of 10 to 14 reps |
| Barbell RDL | Hamstrings & LB | 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps |
| Standing Calf Raises | Calves | 3 sets of 10 to 18 reps |
| Seated Calf Raises | Calves | 3 sets of 10 to 18 reps |
| Barbell Hip Thrust | Calves | 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps |
The above training program is for the first week, you can also do the same training program in next weeks. However, you can also replace some exercises with other exercises in the second, third and fourth weeks. Below are some exercises you can replace:
| Muscles | Exercises | |
| Push | Shoulder | Barbell Front Raise Shoulder Shrug Arnold press |
| Push | Chest | Landmine press Dips Incline Barbell Bench press |
| Push | Triceps | Diamond Push Skull Crusher Narrow Grip Bench Press |
| Pull | Back | V grip Lat Pulldown Face pull Barbell Bent Over Row Single Dumbbell Rowing |
| Pull | Biceps | Preacher Curl Incline Dumbbell Curl Chin-ups |
| Leg | Legs | Sumo Squat Glute Bridges Barbell Lunges Bulgarian Split Squat Hack Squat Sumo Deadlift |
Push Pull Legs 3 Day Split for Intermediate
- Day 1 (Monday) – Push Workout – Shoulder, Chest and Triceps
- Day 2 (Wednesday) – Pull Workout – Biceps, Back, Rear Delt and core
- Day 3 (Friday) – Legs Workout – Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes and Calves
Day 1 – Push Workout – Shoulder, Chest and Triceps
| Pull Exercises | Muscles Worked | Sets & Reps |
| Incline Dumbbell Press | Chest | 4 sets of 10 to 14 reps |
| Flat Bench Press | Chest | 4 sets of 8 to 14 reps |
| Bent-Over Cable Crossover | Chest | 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps |
| Bar Dips | Chest & Tricep | 3 sets of 6 to 12 reps |
| Diamond Push Ups | Tricep & Chest | 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps |
| Rope Pushdown | Triceps | 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps |
| DB Front Raises | Shoulder | 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps |
| Barbell Overhead Press | Shoulder | 4 sets of 8 to 14 reps |
| Bent-Over Lateral Raises | Shoulder | 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps |
Day 2 – Pull Workout – Biceps, Back, Rear Delt and Core
| Pull Exercises | Muscles Worked | Sets & Reps |
| Seated Rowing | Back | 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps |
| Bent-over Rowing | Back | 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps |
| Pulldown | Back | 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps |
| Deadlift | Back & Legs | 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps |
| Face Pull | Back & Rear Delt | 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps |
| Pull-Up | Back & Biceps | 3 sets of 10 to 14 reps |
| Chin-Ups | Biceps & Back | 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps |
| Barbell Curl | Biceps | 3 sets of 10 to 14 reps |
| Reverse Crunches | Core | 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps |
| Hanging Knee Raise | Core | 2 sets of 10 to 12 reps |
| Plank | Core | 2 Times of 60 sec |
Day 3 – Legs Workout – Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes and Calves
| Pull Exercises | Muscles Worked | Sets & Reps |
| Machine Leg Press | Quadriceps | 4 sets of 8 to 14 reps |
| Barbell Back Squat | Quadriceps | 4 sets of 10 to 12 reps |
| DB Lunges | Quads & Hamstrings | 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps |
| Barbell RDL | Hamstrings & LB | 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps |
| Hamstring Curl | Hamstrings | 4 sets of 8 to 14 reps |
| Barbell Hip Thrust | Glutes | 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps |
| Romanian Deadlifts | Glutes & Hamstrings | 3 sets of 8to 12 reps |
The above training program is for the first week, you can also do the same training program in next weeks. However, you can also replace some exercises with other exercises depending on your fitness level. Below are some exercises you can replace:
| Push | Pull | Legs |
| Weighted Push-Ups | Barbell T Rowing | Sumo Deadlifts |
| Landmine Press | Dumbbell Pullover | Barbell Jammer |
| Dumbbell Squeeze Press | Single Arm Dumbbell Rowing | Glute Bridges |
If you want to strengthen your core, then you can checkout some of the bet exercises: 21 Best Ab Workouts with Weights and Core Exercises.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Is 3 Day Push pull Legs Split Workout Routine Enough to Build Muscle?
The short answer is YES, you can build muscle with a 3-day PPL split workout routine. But you need to be consistent throughout the months or even years.
Generally, it takes about four to five months to see noticeable results, so you will have to be patient and eat healthy foods.
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When You Should Change the Workout Routine?
You can follow a 3-day PPL training program for at least 3 to 4 months, then if you feel you can train four to five days a week, you should change the workout routine. However, training muscles a couple of times a week gives you better results than training only once a week.
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How Effective is Push Pull Legs Workout?
The PPL split is the most effective workout split because all the related muscle groups are trained in the same workout. Means that you get the maximum overlap of movements within the same workout and muscle groups being trained get an overall benefit from this overlap.
Conclusion
If you’re a beginner to the fitness industry, then we suggest you try a 3 day push pull legs split workout routine as it is bound to work exceedingly well for your fitness goals.
Above, there are two 3 day PPL split workout routines – one is for beginners and another one is for intermediate. So, download the training program PDF and follow the workout routine for 4-5 weeks to see noticeable results.
Hopefully, you like this article, if you have any questions and suggestions kindly put them in the comment box below.