Program Guide

The Push Pull Legs Routine

Push Pull Legs is the most popular hypertrophy split in lifting — and one of the easiest to run badly. Here's how to structure each day, how many days a week to train, how to keep progressing, and how to run a built-in PPL program free in LiftHero.

By Meitar Lazimi · Updated June 2026

In short: Push Pull Legs (PPL) is a strength-training split that groups your week into three workout types — pushing muscles (chest, shoulders, triceps), pulling muscles (back, biceps), and legs — run three to six days a week. LiftHero includes a built-in Push Pull Legs program you can start free, with unlimited workout logging, supersets, warm-up and drop-set tracking, and automatic personal-record detection — no routine caps and no interruptive ads. For lifters who want a ready-made template plus deep logging, LiftHero, Boostcamp, and Hevy are the three PPL apps worth comparing.

MTWTFSS PushPullLegsPushPullLegs rest
The 6-day PPL week — each pattern trained twice. Run it 3 days (once through) if you have less time.

What is a Push Pull Legs split?

A Push Pull Legs split organizes training into three day types — push (chest, shoulders, triceps), pull (back, biceps, rear delts), and legs (quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves) — grouped by movement pattern. The logic is simple: muscles that work together get trained together, so while you're hammering pull day, your pushing muscles are recovering, and vice versa.

That grouping is what makes PPL a volume machine. Because each muscle group only shows up on its own day, you can stack more hard sets per session without the overlap you get in a full-body routine — which is exactly why intermediates reach for it when full-body stops adding weight every session.

How many days a week should you run PPL?

PPL runs from 3 days (each workout once weekly) up to 6 days (each workout twice weekly). The 6-day PPL — push, pull, legs, repeat — is the classic hypertrophy version, hitting every muscle group twice a week, which research on training frequency tends to favour for growth when weekly volume is matched. The 3-day PPL trains each day once a week and suits busier lifters or those easing in.

SetupFrequencyBest for
3-day PPLEach day once a weekNewer or time-crunched lifters; more recovery per session
6-day PPLEach day twice a weekThe classic high-volume hypertrophy build; demands real recovery, sleep and food
5-day rolling PPLSix workouts on a rolling 7-day windowLifters who want twice-ish frequency but flexible training days

What exercises go in each PPL day?

Each day leads with one or two compounds, then fills in with isolation work. A clean template looks like this:

Push dayPull dayLegs day
Barbell or DB bench pressDeadlift or barbell rowBack squat
Overhead pressPull-up or lat pulldownRomanian deadlift
Incline pressSeated cable rowLeg press or hack squat
Lateral raisesFace pulls / rear deltsLeg curl
Triceps pushdownBiceps curlCalf raise
This is a starting point, not gospel — swap movements for what your gym has and what your joints like. The split is the framework; the exercise choices are yours.

What's the best app for a PPL routine?

LiftHero, Boostcamp, Hevy, and Strong all handle a PPL split — the difference is whether a ready-made PPL program is included free, and how deep the logging goes. Here's the honest breakdown:

 LiftHeroBoostcampHevyStrong
Built-in PPL programYes — Intermediate PPL (6-day)Yes — free templatesCommunity routinesBuild your own
Free routine capNone — unlimitedGenerous free tier4 routines on free3 templates on free
Supersets, warm-ups, drop sets, tempoAll fourBasicSupersets (free)Supersets (paid)
Automatic PR trackingYesYesYesYes
Interruptive adsNoneNoneNoneNone

If you want a preloaded PPL template plus deep, no-cap logging in one free app, LiftHero and Boostcamp are the two to start with; Hevy and Strong are excellent loggers but lean on you to build (or import) the split yourself, and cap routines on their free tiers.

Does LiftHero have a built-in Push Pull Legs program?

Yes. LiftHero ships an Intermediate PPL — 6-day program you can start in a couple of taps, adapted from the standard Push/Pull/Legs convention and credited on the Program Credits page. It logs the full vocabulary of serious training — supersets, warm-up sets, drop sets, tempo — and detects personal records automatically, so every push, pull and legs day stacks into a progress trend you can actually see. It's free on iOS, with no routine caps and no interruptive ads (a 14-day Hero trial unlocks the extras).

LiftHero built-in Push Pull Legs program — push, pull and legs day in the app
A built-in Push Pull Legs program — free in LiftHero.

How do you progress on a PPL split?

The split doesn't make you bigger — progression does. The cleanest method on PPL is double progression: pick a rep range (say 8–12), add reps each week until you hit the top of the range on every set, then add weight and drop back to the bottom. Repeat. Alongside that, watch your weekly volume per muscle group (hard sets per week) and nudge it up over a training block rather than all at once.

Many lifters also log RPE on their top sets to gauge how close to failure they're training and to autoregulate when fatigue creeps in. LiftHero tracks sets, reps, RPE and personal records on every exercise, so the progression isn't guesswork — it's in the charts.

PPL vs Upper/Lower vs Bro Split

PPL isn't the only way to organize a week. The right split is mostly a function of how many days you can train:

SplitDays/weekBest for
Push Pull Legs3–6Frequency + volume; intermediates who can train 5–6 days
Upper / Lower4Balanced frequency on a 4-day week
Bro Split5One muscle group per day; isolation focus, lower frequency

If you can train 5–6 days, PPL gives you the most quality volume per muscle group. On four days, Upper/Lower is the cleaner fit. Want to run a structured strength program instead? See the 5/3/1 program, also built into LiftHero.

Run a Push Pull Legs program in LiftHero

  1. Get LiftHero free on iOS and open the Programs section.
  2. Pick the Intermediate PPL — 6-day template, or build your own push / pull / legs days.
  3. Train each session straight from the app — it walks you through sets, supersets and rest, and logs your reps and RPE.
  4. Use double progression: add reps to the top of your range, then add weight.
  5. Watch your working weights, volume, and personal records climb over months in your progress charts.

Run Push Pull Legs free

The Intermediate PPL program — plus 5/3/1, Starting Strength, Texas Method and more — built into LiftHero.

Download on theApp Store

Free to start · No interruptive ads · 14-day Hero trial

Frequently asked questions

What is a Push Pull Legs routine?

It's a training split that groups workouts into push (chest, shoulders, triceps), pull (back, biceps), and legs days, run 3–6 days a week. Grouping by movement pattern lets each muscle group recover while you train another, so you can hit higher weekly volume.

Is PPL good for beginners?

A 3-day PPL works for late-beginners, but most true beginners progress fastest on full-body training three times a week. PPL shines for intermediates who want more volume per muscle group.

How many days a week is PPL?

Anywhere from 3 (each day once weekly) to 6 (each day twice weekly). The 6-day version is the classic hypertrophy setup; 3-day suits busier or newer lifters.

What's the best free app for a PPL routine?

LiftHero runs a built-in PPL program free on iOS with unlimited logging, supersets, and PR tracking, and no interruptive ads. Boostcamp also hosts free PPL templates.

Does LiftHero have a Push Pull Legs program built in?

Yes — LiftHero includes a ready-made Intermediate PPL (6-day) program you can start free, alongside 5/3/1, Starting Strength and more. Every built-in program is credited on the Program Credits page.

Can I build my own custom PPL template?

Yes — LiftHero lets you build custom routines with supersets, warm-up sets, drop sets, and tempo, with no routine cap on the free tier.

How do you progress on PPL?

Use double progression — add reps within a target range, then add weight — and track weekly volume per muscle group so each day trends upward over time.

PPL or Upper/Lower?

PPL gives more per-session volume per muscle group; Upper/Lower spreads frequency across fewer day types. Pick by how many days a week you can train — PPL for 5–6, Upper/Lower for 3–4.

Push Pull Legs is a widely used training-split convention, not a proprietary program. LiftHero's built-in Intermediate PPL is an independent template adapted from the standard split and credited on the Program Credits page. This guide is educational and not medical advice — consult a qualified professional before starting any program.

By Meitar Lazimi, founder of LiftHero · Last updated June 29, 2026.