4 Day Push Pull Workout Routine for Strength & Muscle w/ PDF

In a series of free workout routines, I’ve added a 4 day push pull workout routine to help you build strength and mass and improve your shape.

This 4-day Push/Pull workout split is a simple and effective way to train your entire body without spending six days a week in the gym.

This program involves performing push and pull exercises on alternate days.

Instead of using a traditional Push/Pull/Legs split, I’ve divided the lower body exercises between Push and Pull days.

The push days focus on Chest, shoulders, triceps, and quadriceps.

The pull days focus on Back, biceps, rear delts, hamstrings, and glutes.

This setup allows you to train most major muscle groups about twice per week while still having three non-training days for recovery.

I’ve included two versions of the 4-day Push/Pull routine in this article:

• Plan A: A balanced muscle and strength routine for beginner to intermediate lifters.
• Plan B: A strength-focused variation for intermediate lifters to develop lifting ability

Follow either program for 8-12 weeks, track your performance, and progress systematically to get noticeable results.

4-Day Push Pull Workout Program Overview

Program Details	Recommendation
Training Goal	Muscle and Strength
Training Level	Beginner to Intermediate
Training Sessions	4 Days per Week
Program Duration	8-12 Weeks
Workout Duration	About 60-75 minutes
Training Split	Push/Pull
Rep Range	Mostly 6-15 Reps
Effort	Mostly 1-3 RIR
Progression	Double Progression
Rest Between Sets	1-3 Minutes
Suitable For	Men and Women
Program A PDF	4-day Push Pull Hypertrophy
Program B PDF	4-day Push Pull Strength

Rest Between Sets: Heavy compounds: 2-3 minutes; moderate compounds: 90 seconds-2 minutes; isolation exercises: 60-90 seconds. Longer rest periods can help you maintain training performance, especially during demanding compound exercises.¹ Singer A, Wolf M, Generoso L, Arias E, Delcastillo K, Echevarria E, Martinez A, Androulakis Korakakis P, Refalo MC, Swinton PA, Schoenfeld BJ. Give it a rest: a systematic review with Bayesian meta-analysis on the effect of inter-set rest interval duration on muscle hypertrophy. Front Sports Act Living. 2024 Aug 14;6:1429789. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2024.1429789. PMID: 39205815; PMCID: PMC11349676.

Weekly Push/Pull Schedule

Here is one of the easiest ways to organize the four workouts:

Day	Workout
Monday	Push A
Tuesday	Pull A
Wednesday	Rest
Thursday	Push B
Friday	Pull B
Saturday	Rest
Sunday	Rest

You don’t have to follow these exact days.

The important thing is to avoid performing all four workouts consecutively. A two-days-on, one-day-off, two-days-on setup works well for most people.

How the Push/Pull Split Works

Most people think of Push/Pull training as an upper-body split.

Push exercises usually include movements such as:

• Bench presses
• Shoulder presses
• Push-ups
• Dips
• Triceps extensions

Pull exercises usually include:

• Pull-ups
• Pulldowns
• Rows
• Face pulls
• Biceps curls

However, you can also divide the lower body workouts according to movement pattern.

Exercises such as squats, leg presses, Bulgarian split squats, and leg extensions mainly involve knee extension and fit naturally into the Push sessions.

Romanian deadlifts, conventional deadlifts, leg curls, hip thrusts, and glute-ham raises work well in the Pull sessions because they emphasize the hamstrings, glutes, and posterior chain.

This allows you to train your whole body with only two workout categories, twice per week.

Training a muscle twice a week can make it easier to spread your weekly sets across multiple sessions. It allows your muscles to recover between workouts while promoting hypertrophy.² Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Krieger J. How many times per week should a muscle be trained to maximize muscle hypertrophy? A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining the effects of resistance training frequency. J Sports Sci. 2019 Jun;37(11):1286-1295. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2018.1555906. Epub 2018 Dec 17. PMID: 30558493.

Push and Pull Exercises List

Here is a list of all exercises you can integrate while creating a 4 day push/pull workout program.

Push Workout	Pull Workout
Bench Press	Deadlift
Overhead Press	Pulldown
Leg Press	Leg Curl
Push up	Pull up
Bar Dips	Chin-up
Chair Dips	Inverted Row
Pike Push-ups	Face Pull
Front Raise	Upright Row
Lateral Raises	Bicep Curl
Rope Pushdown	DB/Barbell Row
Overhead Extension	Dumbbell Pullover
Cable Flyes	Cable Crunch
Squat	Leg Raise
Leg Extension	Rear Delt Fly

Warm-Up Before Training

Keep your warm-up simple. The goal is to prepare your body for lifting, not tire yourself out before the workout begins.

Start with 5 minutes of light cardio, such as walking, cycling, or easy rowing. Then perform a few dynamic movements related to the muscles you’re about to train.

Before your first heavy compound exercise, perform 2-4 lighter warm-up sets, gradually increasing the weight.

For example, before a heavy bench press:

• Empty bar × 10-15 reps
• Light weight × 6-8 reps
• Moderate weight × 3-5 reps
• Then begin your working sets

Warm-up sets should feel easy and do not count toward your working sets.

Plan A: 4-Day Push Pull Workout Routine for Muscle Gain

I’ve designed this version for beginner to intermediate lifters who want to build muscle, improve strength, and train each major muscle group twice a week without making the workouts overly demanding.

It includes moderate rep ranges, manageable volume, and a simple progression method, making it a good choice if you want a balanced routine that is easy to follow and recover from.

Day 1 – Push A

Exercise	Sets × Reps	Rest	RIR	Target Muscle
Barbell or Smith Machine Squat	3 × 6-10	2-3 min	2-3	Quads & Glutes
Flat Barbell Bench Press	3 × 6-10	2-3 min	2	Chest & Triceps
Machine Leg Press	3 × 10-15	2-3 min	1-2	Quads & Glutes
Incline Dumbbell Bench Press	3 × 8-12	2 min	1-2	Chest & Delts
Dumbbell Lateral Raise	3 × 12-15	60-90 sec	1-2	Side Deltoids
Rope Triceps Pushdown	3 × 10-15	60-90 sec	1-2	Triceps

Trainer’s Notes for Day 1

Start with the squat while you’re fresh because it requires more coordination and overall effort than the isolation exercises.

The bench press is your primary upper-body compound movement for the session, while the incline dumbbell press provides additional chest and anterior-delt work.

The leg press adds quad volume without requiring as much stabilization as another squat variation.

Finish with lateral raises and triceps pushdowns to directly train the side delts and triceps.

Day 2 – Pull A

Exercise	Sets × Reps	Rest	RIR	Target Muscles
Romanian Deadlift	3 × 6-10	2-3 min	2-3	Hamstrings & Lower Back
Lat Pulldown	3 × 6-10	2 min	1-2	Latissimus Dorsi
Seated Cable Row	3 × 8-12	2 min	1-2	Lats, Rhomboids & Trapezius
Face Pull	3 × 12-15	60-90 sec	1-2	Rear Delts & Upper Back
Bayesian Cable Curl	3 × 8-12	60-90 sec	1-2	Biceps
Incline DB Curl	2 × 10-15	60-90 sec	1-2	Biceps & Forearms

Trainer’s Notes for Day 2

The Romanian deadlift trains the hamstrings, glutes, and other muscles involved in hip extension.

Perform it early in the workout while your grip and lower back are relatively fresh.

Pulldowns provide vertical pulling work, while seated cable rows train the back from a horizontal pulling position.

Face pulls add rear-delt and upper-back work before finishing with two biceps variations.

Day 3 – Push B

Exercise	Sets × Reps	Rest	RIR	Target Muscles
Incline Machine Chest Press	3 × 8-12	2 min	1-2	Chest & Shoulders
Bulgarian Split Squat	3 × 8-12/leg	2 min	2	Quads & Glutes
Barbell or DB Overhead Press	3 × 6-10	2-3 min	2	Shoulders
Leg Extension	3 × 10-15	60-90 sec	1-2	Quadriceps
Dumbbell Lateral Raise	3 × 12-20	60-90 sec	1-2	Side Deltoids
Overhead Triceps Extension	2–3 × 10-15	60-90 sec	1-2	Triceps
Standing Calf Raise	3 × 10-15	60-90 sec	1-2	Calves

Trainer’s Notes for Day 3

Push B uses different exercises and rep ranges than Push A.

The incline machine chest press emphasizes the upper portion of the chest, while Bulgarian split squats provide unilateral quad and glute training.

The overhead press gives your shoulders a heavier compound movement.

Leg extensions, lateral raises, triceps extensions, and calf raises then provide targeted work without adding excessive systemic fatigue.

Day 4 – Pull B

Exercise	Sets × Reps	Rest	RIR	Target Muscles
Bent-Over Barbell Row	3 × 6-10	2-3 min	2	Back
Machine Leg Curl	3 × 8-12	90-120 sec	1-2	Hamstrings
Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown	3 × 8-12	2 min	1-2	Back
Chest-Supported Row	3 × 8-12	2 min	1-2	Back
Rear Delt Fly	3 × 12-20	60-90 sec	1-2	Rear Delts & Back
EZ-Bar or Dumbbell Curl	3 × 8-12	60-90 sec	1-2	Biceps
Hanging Knee Raise	2–3 × 10-20	60-90 sec	1-2	Abdominals

Trainer’s Notes for Day 4

The second Pull workout emphasizes rowing while still including vertical pulling.

The leg curl provides direct hamstring work without repeating the hip-hinge pattern used on Pull A.

Rear-delt flyes help round out shoulder development, while curls and hanging knee raises finish the workout.

Plan B: Strength-Focused Push Pull Routine

This is an alternate version that I’ve created for experienced gym-goers who want to improve strength while building muscle. It combines lower-rep strength work with moderate-to-high-rep accessory exercises.

Day 1 – Push A

Exercise	Sets × Reps	Rest	RIR	Target Muscles
Barbell Back Squat	4 × 4-6	2-4 min	2-3	Quads, Glutes
Barbell Bench Press	4 × 4-6	2-4 min	2-3	Chest, Triceps, Front Delts
Incline Dumbbell Press	3 × 8-12	2 min	1-2	Upper Chest, Front Delts, Triceps
Overhead Barbell Press	3 × 5-8	2-3 min	2-3	Shoulders, Triceps
Dumbbell Lateral Raise	3 × 12-15	60-90 sec	1-2	Side Delts
Triceps Dip	2-3 × 8-12	90 sec	1-2	Triceps, Chest

Trainer’s Notes for Day 1

Keep the squat, bench press, and overhead press slightly short of failure to maintain good technique and recover well. You can push a little harder during the isolation exercises, such as lateral raises.

Day 2 – Pull A

Exercise	Sets × Reps	Rest	RIR	Target Muscles
Barbell Deadlift	3 × 3-5	3-4 min	3	Glutes, Hamstrings, Back
Lat Pulldown	3 × 6-10	2 min	1-2	Lats, Biceps
Chest-Supported Row	3 × 8-12	2 min	1–2	Mid Back, Lats, Rear Delts
Seated or Lying Leg Curl	3 × 8-12	90-120 sec	1–2	Hamstrings
Barbell or Dumbbell Curl	3 × 8-12	60-90 sec	1–2	Biceps
Face Pull	2-3 × 12-15	60–90 sec	1–2	Rear Delts, Upper Back

Trainer’s Notes for Day 2

The deadlift is the main strength lift, so avoid grinding reps. Using a chest-supported row instead of a bent-over row also reduces unnecessary lower-back fatigue after deadlifts.

Day 3 – Push B

Exercise	Sets × Reps	Rest	RIR	Target Muscles
Incline Barbell Bench Press	4 × 6–8	2–3 min	2	Chest, Front Delts, Triceps
Leg Press	3 × 8–12	2–3 min	1–2	Quads, Glutes
Dumbbell Shoulder Press	3 × 8–12	2 min	1–2	Shoulders, Triceps
Bulgarian Split Squat	3 × 8–12/leg	2 min	2	Quads, Glutes
Overhead Triceps Extension	3 × 10–15	60–90 sec	1–2	Triceps
Cable Lateral Raise	2–3 × 12–20	60–90 sec	1–2	Side Delts
Standing Calf Raise	3 × 10–15	60–90 sec	1–2	Calves

Trainer’s Notes for Day 3

This session is more hypertrophy-oriented than Push A. Use controlled reps and focus on muscle tension rather than trying to turn every exercise into a strength test.

Day 4 – Pull B

Exercise	Sets × Reps	Rest	RIR	Target Muscles
Romanian Deadlift	3 × 6-10	2-3 min	2-3	Hamstrings, Glutes
Weighted Chin-Up	3 × 6-10	2-3 min	2	Lats, Biceps
Chest-Supported Row	3 × 8-12	2 min	1-2	Mid Back, Lats, Rear Delts
Glute-Ham Raise	3 × 8-12	90–120 sec	1-2	Hamstrings, Glutes
Hammer Curl	3 × 10-12	60–90 sec	1-2	Biceps, Brachialis, Forearms
Hip Thrust	3 × 8-12	2 min	1-2	Glutes, Hamstrings
Hanging Knee Raise	3 × 10-15	60–90 sec	1-2	Abs, Hip Flexors

Trainer’s Notes for Day 4

The Romanian deadlift provides the heavier posterior-chain work on this day, while the glute-ham raise and hip thrust add more direct hamstring and glute volume.

Keep the first exercise controlled and avoid pushing it to failure.

Which Version Should You Follow?

Choose Plan A if you:

• Are relatively new to structured training
• Want to build muscle and strength
• Prefer moderate rep ranges
• Want slightly easier recovery
• Want a simple progression system

I recommend Plan B for those:

• Already have experience with compound lifts
• Enjoy heavier training
• Want to improve strength while building muscle
• Can recover from lower-rep squat, bench, deadlift, and overhead press work
• Have good lifting technique

You don’t need to perform both routines at the same time.

Follow one for 8-12 weeks, track your progress, and switch only when you have a reason to change.

Download The PDF

Download the following complete 4-Day Push Pull Workout Routine PDF and use it at the gym.

The PDF can include:

• Weekly schedule
• Balanced Push/Pull routine
• Strength-focused variation
• Sets and rep ranges
• Rest periods
• RIR targets
• Progression system
• Exercise substitutions
• Important training notes
  Download the 4-Day Push Pull Workout Routine PDF

---

How Hard Should You Train?

You don’t need to take every set to complete failure to build muscle or get stronger.³ Refalo MC, Helms ER, Trexler ET, Hamilton DL, Fyfe JJ. Influence of Resistance Training Proximity-to-Failure on Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2023 Mar;53(3):649-665. doi: 10.1007/s40279-022-01784-y. Epub 2022 Nov 5. PMID: 36334240; PMCID: PMC9935748

For most exercises in this program, finish the set when you feel you could still perform 1-3 clean reps with good form. This is called reps in reserve (RIR).

A simple way to judge it:

• 3 RIR: You could do about 3 more reps
• 2 RIR: About 2 more reps
• 1 RIR: About 1 more rep
• 0 RIR: No more clean reps left

For heavy exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, and overhead presses, I suggest staying around 2-3 RIR.

For curls, lateral raises, leg extensions, and other isolation exercises, you can usually train a little closer to failure at around 1–2 RIR.

The goal is to train hard, maintain good form, recover well, and gradually improve your performance over time.

How to Progress

The simplest way to progress is to add reps first, then increase the weight.

For example, if an exercise is programmed for 3 sets of 8-12 reps, keep the same weight until you can perform 12 reps on all three sets with good form and the recommended RIR.

Your progress might look like this:

• 10, 9, 8 reps
• 11, 10, 9 reps
• 12, 11, 10 reps
• 12, 12, 12 reps

Once you reach the top of the rep range on every set, increase the weight slightly and build your reps up again.

You don’t need to add weight every workout. If you can perform more clean reps, improve your technique, or complete the same reps with better control, you’re still progressing.

The goal is steady improvement over time, not forcing heavier weights before you’re ready.

Exercise Substitutions

Main Exercise	Alternative
Back Squat	Smith Squat, Hack Squat
Bench Press	Dumbbell Press, Machine Press
Bulgarian Split Squat	Reverse Lunge
Romanian Deadlift	Dumbbell RDL
Pull-Up	Lat Pulldown
Chest-Supported Row	Seated Cable Row
Leg Curl	Seated or Lying Leg Curl
Overhead Press	Machine Shoulder Press

Try to keep your main exercises consistent for several weeks.

Avoid changing exercises too often, because consistency makes progress easier to track.

Nutrition and Recovery

You can have a well-designed training program and still struggle to make progress if your recovery is poor. If you want to see decent results over time, focus on nutrition and recovery equally.

Trainer’s tip for nutrition & recovery:

• Eating enough calories for your goal
• Consuming enough protein
• Staying hydrated
• Sleeping consistently
• Managing additional training volume
• Giving sore muscles enough time to recover

A daily protein intake around 1.6 g/kg of body weight is a reasonable target for many resistance-trained people, although individual needs can vary.⁴ Iraki, Juma et al. “Nutrition Recommendations for Bodybuilders in the Off-Season: A Narrative Review.” Sports (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 7,7 154. 26 Jun. 2019, doi:10.3390/sports7070154⁵

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

A 4-day Push/Pull routine is a simple way to train your entire body without following a high-frequency six-day schedule.

The split allows you to train:

• Push: Chest, shoulders, triceps, and quads
• Pull: Back, biceps, hamstrings, glutes, and rear delts

If you’re relatively new to structured training, start with the balanced Push/Pull routine.

If you’re already comfortable with heavy squats, bench presses, deadlifts, and overhead presses, you can use the strength-and-hypertrophy variation.

Whichever version you choose, focus on the fundamentals:

• Maintain good exercise form.
• Keep most sets around 1-3 RIR.
• Add reps before adding weight.
• Progress gradually.
• Train consistently.
• Eat enough protein.
• Sleep and recover properly.
• Track your workouts.

Follow the routine for 8-12 weeks, record your lifts, and continue as long as you’re making progress.

Once you feel ready to increase the frequency, follow this 5-day push/pull/legs (PPL) schedule.

References

• 1
  Singer A, Wolf M, Generoso L, Arias E, Delcastillo K, Echevarria E, Martinez A, Androulakis Korakakis P, Refalo MC, Swinton PA, Schoenfeld BJ. Give it a rest: a systematic review with Bayesian meta-analysis on the effect of inter-set rest interval duration on muscle hypertrophy. Front Sports Act Living. 2024 Aug 14;6:1429789. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2024.1429789. PMID: 39205815; PMCID: PMC11349676. ↩︎
• 2
  Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Krieger J. How many times per week should a muscle be trained to maximize muscle hypertrophy? A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining the effects of resistance training frequency. J Sports Sci. 2019 Jun;37(11):1286-1295. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2018.1555906. Epub 2018 Dec 17. PMID: 30558493. ↩︎
• 3
  Refalo MC, Helms ER, Trexler ET, Hamilton DL, Fyfe JJ. Influence of Resistance Training Proximity-to-Failure on Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2023 Mar;53(3):649-665. doi: 10.1007/s40279-022-01784-y. Epub 2022 Nov 5. PMID: 36334240; PMCID: PMC9935748 ↩︎
• 4
  ↩︎
• 5
  ↩︎