Whether you’re a beginner or pro, If you work out three times a week, then this 3 day PPL split may be helpful for you. I will share a couple of 3 day push pull legs split (with PDF) to build strength and mass in this article.
The first “3 Day Push Pull Workout Routine” will be for beginners to build strength and mass.
While the second “3 day PPL Routine” is for intermediate and pro who have been working for a year and two but not getting the results.
I’ve already created various workout routines for all fitness levels and goals, but this “push pull legs” split is especially for those who work out 3 days a week.
Please read the QnA part at the bottom because I hope that info can help you in your fitness journey.
Related: 3 Day Full Body Workout At Home (With PDF)
What is Push Pull Legs (PPL)?
The Push Pull Legs (PPL) is a split workout program where you have to work out push exercises on day 1; pull exercises on day two or the next workout day; and leg workouts on day 3.
When you push the weight upward or downward during a workout is a “push workout.” And when you pull or curl the weight towards you is a “pull workout.”
Bench press, overhead press, triceps pushdown, and pushup are some examples of push exercises. While pullup, deadlift, pulldown, and seated rowing are some of the samples of pull exercises.
Usually, the chest, shoulder, and triceps are the primary muscles built during the push exercise; and the back, biceps, and wrists activate during the pull exercises.
Legs training includes both pull and push exercises.
Is “Push Pull Legs” Good for Mass?
Yes, the PPL workout schedule is one of the best split programs to beef up muscle mass.
The split training boosts more muscle growth in amateur, resistance-trained men than full-body workout split – demonstrated in a comparative study published on the National Institute of Health (NIH) website.
The most obvious reason is that the PPL split allows you to train a couple of body parts at once instead of training only one muscle or entire body.
You should mostly do compound “push pull and leg” exercises with some isolation workouts to gain muscles.
Compound workouts allow you to build multiple muscles at once, while isolation workouts work on a specific muscle at a time.
You can also save: 30 Day Muscle Building Workout Plan With PDF
Summary About 3-Day Split Program
Routines
- Push Pull Legs 3 Day Split Beginner
- 3 Day Push Pull Legs Workout Routine (Intermediate)
Goal/Purpose
The primary goal of this 3 day split push pull legs workout schedule is to build muscles, strength, and mass. However, you can also do this program to maintain your already developed muscles.
Program Duration
12-16 weeks! Muscle building takes time. That’s why you need to work out at least three to four months consistently to see the visible changes.
Related: How Long Does It Take To Build Noticeable Muscle?
One Session Duration
60 to 90 minutes! Sixty minutes is an optimal duration to spend a day in the workout to build muscles. However, you can push yourself to ninety minutes to feel satisfied after the workout.
Ideal Interval Time Between Sets
2 to 3 minutes intervals between sets would be suitable if you want to build mass.
Allowing your working muscles to rest for more than a couple of minutes between the sets enables you to perform the following sets effectively.
If you want to know what research has to say about interval time between sets, you can check out this research.
Warm-up
The warming up helps you do better during the strength training. Warm-up exercises increase heart rate and blood flow that help oxygen supply efficiently.
You can run on the treadmill, do stationary bicycling, or jump rope for three to five minutes to warm up your body.
Okay, let’s quickly see the 3 day push pull legs split workout routine; you can download the PDF if you like it.
Push Pull Legs 3 Day Split Beginner
- Day 1 – Push workout – Chest, Shoulder, and Triceps
- Day 2 – Pull workout – Back, Rear Delt, Biceps and Core
- Day 3 – Legs – Quads, Hamstrings, Calves and Glutes
Day 1 – Chest, Shoulder, and Triceps
| Push Workout | Muscles | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Flat Bench Press | Chest | 12, 10, 8 |
| Incline Dumbbell Press | Chest | 10, 8, 6 |
| Machine Fly | Chest | 12, 10, 8 |
| Overhead Press | Shoulder | 12, 10, 8 |
| DB Front Raises | Shoulder | 10, 8, 6 |
| Bent Over Lateral Raises | Shoulder | 10, 8, 6 |
| Triceps Pushdown | Tricep | 10, 8, 6 |
Day 2 – Back, Rear Delt, Biceps, and Core
| Pull Exercises | Muscles | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Pullup/Assisted PU | Back & Biceps | AMRAP x 3 |
| Deadlift | Back & Legs | 6, 4, 2 |
| Pulldown | Back | 12, 10, 8 |
| Seated Rowing | Back | 10, 8, 8 |
| Single DB Rowing | Back | 10 x 2 |
| Face pull | Back & Rear Delt | 10 x 2 |
| Barbell Curl | Biceps | 10 x 2 |
| Plank | Core | 45-60 sec |
| Side Plank | Core | 20-30 sec |
| Reverse Crunches | Core | AMRAP x 2 |
Day 3 – Quads, Hamstrings, Calves, and Glutes
| Legs Workout | Muscles | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| DB Lunges | Quads & Hams | 10 x 2 |
| Barbell Back Squat | Quadriceps | 15, 12, 10 |
| Machine Leg Press | Quadriceps | 10 x 2 |
| Barbell RDL | Hamstrings & LB | 8, 6, 4 |
| Hamstring Curl | Hamstrings | 10, 8, 6 |
| Barbell Hip Thrust | Glutes | 10, 8, 6 |
| Calf Raises | Calves | 15, 12, 10 |
What do in the next weeks?
The above 3 Day PPL split for the first week. However, you can replace some exercises with other exercises in the second, third, and fourth weeks.
Here’s a quick view of exercises you can add or replace in the following weeks of the workout program.
- Chest
- Incline Barbell Bench press,
- DB squeeze press,
- Dips, and
- Landmine press.
- Shoulder
- Arnold Press,
- Shoulder Shrug,
- Barbell Front Raise,
- Leaning DB Lateral Raises
- Legs
- Barbell Jammers,
- Hack Squat,
- Sumo Squat,
- Bulgarian Split Squat,
- The Sumo Deadlift,
- Glute Bridges, and
- Barbell Lunges.
- Back (17 Exercises)
- Barbell Bent Over Row
- V Grip Lat Pulldown
- Facepull
- Barbell T Rowing
- Australian Pullup
- Triceps
- Skull Crusher
- Narrow Grip Bench Press
- Diamond Pushup
- Biceps
- Chinups
- Incline DB Curl
- Preacher Curl
3 Day Push Pull Legs Workout Routine (Intermediate)
- Day 1 – Chest, Shoulder and Ticeps – Push exercises
- Day 2 – Back, Rear Delt, Biceps and Core – Pull exercises
- Day 3 – Quads, Hamstrings, Calves and Glutes – Legs workouts
Day 1 – Chest, Shoulder, and Triceps
| Push Workout | Muscles | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Flat Bench Press | Chest | 12, 10, 8, 4 |
| Incline Dumbbell Press | Chest | 10, 8, 6, 4 |
| Bent-Over Cable Crossover | Chest | 12, 10, 8 |
| Barbell Overhead Press | Shoulder | 12, 10, 8, 6 |
| DB Front Raises | Shoulder | 10, 8, 6 |
| Bent-Over Lateral Raises | Shoulder | 10, 8, 6 |
| Bar Dips | Chest, Tricep | AMRAP x 3 |
| Rope Pushdown | Triceps | 10, 8, 6 |
Day 2 – Back, Rear Delt, Biceps, and Core
| Pull Exercises | Muscles | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Pullup | Back & Biceps | AMRAP x 3 |
| Deadlift | Back & Legs | 6, 4, 2, 1 |
| Pulldown | Back | 12, 10, 8 |
| Seated Rowing | Back | 12, 10, 8 |
| Bent-over Rowing | Back | 10 x 2 |
| Face pull | Back & Rear Delt | 10 x 2 |
| Barbell Curl | Biceps | 10 x 2 |
| Chinups | Biceps & Back | AMRAP x 2 |
| Plank | Core | 45-60 sec |
| Side Plank | Core | 20-30 sec |
| Reverse Crunches | Core | AMRAP x 2 |
| Hanging Knee Raise | Core | Ten reps |
Day 3 – Quads, Hamstrings, Calves, and Glutes
| Legs Workout | Muscles | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| DB Lunges | Quads & Hams | 10 x 2 |
| Barbell Back Squat | Quadriceps | 15, 12, 10, 8 |
| Machine Leg Press | Quadriceps | 15, 12, 10, 8 |
| Barbell RDL | Hamstrings & LB | 8, 6, 4 |
| Hamstring Curl | Hamstrings | 12, 10, 8 |
| Barbell Hip Thrust | Glutes | 10, 8, 6 |
| Calf Raises | Calves | 15, 12, 10 |
That’s the 3 push/pull legs split for the first week. After that, you can include, exclude, or replace some exercises depending on your fitness level in the coming weeks.
Here are some exercises you can incorporate into your 3 day push pull legs workout routine.
| Push | Pull | Legs |
|---|---|---|
| Incline Bench press | Single DB Rowing | Barbell Jammer |
| DB squeeze press | Barbell T Rowing | Hack Squat, |
| Weighted Pushups | Australian Pullup | Sumo Deadlift |
| Barbell Skull Crusher | Upright Row | Glute Bridges |
| Landmine Press | DB Pullover | Bulgarian Split Squat |
| Barbell Front Raises | Barbell Drag Curl | DB Step-up |
If you strengthen your core specifically, you can check out some of the valuable resources. – The 25 Best Ab Workouts you can do at the gym.
General Questions and Answers (Q&A)
Is a 3 Day PPL Split enough to build muscle?
Yes, you can build muscle with a 3 Day Push Pull Legs workout schedule.
However, you have to be consistent throughout the months and year.
Usually, it takes three months to see noticeable results. So you’ll have to keep patience, lift heavy, and eat appropriate foods.
How much weights should you lift to build mass?
Dong higher load and low load training to failure can significantly beef up muscle among well-trained young men.
However, training with heavier weights will produce better results in maximizing strength and gain – suggested in a study published by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.
So you should have to lift as heavy (weights) as possible as long as you maintain proper form during the workouts if you want to increase mass.
When should you change the workout routine?
Making progress in a workout routine depends on you. If you feel you can work out four to five days a week, you should do that.
Training muscles a couple of times a week provides better results than training only once a week.
I’ve already created several workout routines. When you increase the number of training days, you can follow one of them.
- 4 Day Push Pull Workout Routine (With PDF)
- 5 Day Gym Workout Schedule With PDF
- Push Pull Legs 6 Day Split For Strength And Hypertrophy
When should you work out to build muscles?
Anytime that suits you the most. But whenever you work out, make sure you feel charged up, motivated, and stronger at that time.
I said earlier, to gain muscles, you’ll have to lift heavier. And you can lift heavy only when you’ve taken your meal before a couple of hours of workout.
That’s why I prefer the afternoon and evening are the best time to workouts to build muscles.
What should you eat to gain mass?
The National Institute of Health (NIH) database has a great article on nutrition recommendations which you can check out.
Here, I’m only sharing the recommended amount of protein, carbs, and fat you can consume to build muscles.
Protein – 1.6–2.2 g/kg/day. You can take it into various meals throughout the day, including pre and post-workout meals.
Carbohydrates: 3–5 g/kg/day. The carbs convert into energy and help you perform well during resistance training.
Fats – 1–2 g/kg/day. You can also consume fats along with carbs and protein throughout the day.
Push Pull Legs 3 Day Split Pdf
I hope you liked this post. You can download PDF and share this push pull legs 3 Day split program with your other gym friends.
