If you work out five times a week to build muscles and strength, you can save and download the 5 Day Push Pull Legs (PPL) split workout routine PDF from this article.
I hope you know that in the PPL program, you’ll have to perform push exercises that work on the chest, shoulder, and triceps on day 1 of workout; pull exercises for back, biceps, and wrists on day two; and legs workouts for quads, hams, glutes and calves on day three.
If you want to strengthen your abdominal muscles, you can incorporate core exercises, either on push, pull, or legs day – depending on when suits you the most.
The five days PPL allows you to train major muscles effectively and twice a week.
Working out large muscles twice a week builds up strength and hypertrophy more than working out once a week. 1Effects of Resistance Training Frequency on Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis – Sports Medicine Auckland (N.Z)
If you follow a 6-day PPL split, you can train your muscles two times every week. However, in a 5-day workout plan, you’ll do push and pull workouts twice a week in your first week while legs only once. So, in the next week, you’ll start with leg workouts.
If you’re not ready for the five days workout, you can save or download the following routine:
Now, let’s see a brief outline of the workout program.
Summary of 5 day Push/Pull/Legs (pPL) routine
| Routine Type | Push, Pull, Legs (PPL) |
| Program Goal | Increase Strength and Mass |
| Workout Type | Weight Training |
| Frequency | Five Days a Week |
| Program Duration | Three Months |
| Daily Session | 60-75 Minutes |
| Best Time to Workout | Afternoon and Evening |
| Suitable for | Beginners and Intermediate |
Types of Exercises:
I’ve combined the best compound and isolation exercises in this program.
Compound exercises work on multiple muscles simultaneously, while isolation workouts allow you to build one muscle more specifically at a time. Combining them will help you beef up the mass at a fast pace.
Rest:
The rest between sets would be two to three minutes.
You can take a rest day on any of the days you like. However, taking a rest after three days will be suitable.
Weights:
You can lift as heavy as possible until you maintain proper form through the workout.
For example, When you have to do ten repetitions, lift those weights, which are challenging but within your strength limit.
You must feel the contraction during the exercises – whether you do five repetitions with heavier weights or fifteen reps with lighter weights.
Push Pull Legs 5 Day Split Workout For Bodybuilding
- Monday: Push Workouts
- Tuesday: Pull Workouts
- Wednesday: Leg Workouts
- Thursday: Rest
- Friday: Push Workouts
- Saturday: Pull Workouts
- Sunday: Rest
- Mon: Legs Workouts
- Continue…
Day 1 – Push Workouts (A)
| Workout | Muscles Worked | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Flat Barbell Bench Press | Chest | 12, 10, 8, 6 |
| Incline Dumbbell Bench Press | Chest | 12, 10, 8 |
| Machine/Bench/Cable Fly | Chest | 12, 10, 8 |
| Military Press | Shoulders | 12, 10, 8 |
| Lateral Raise | Shoulders | 10, 8, 6 |
| Skull Crusher | Triceps | 10, 8, 6 |
| Triceps Pushdown | Triceps | 10, 8, 6 |
Other push exercises you can add or replace: Dumbbell Squeeze Press, Incline Machine Press, Barbell Front Raises, Bent-arm Lateral Raises, and Lying Cable Overhead Extension.
Day 2 – Pull Workouts (A)
| Workout | Muscles | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Pullup/Assisted PU | Back | AMRAP x 3 |
| Lat Pulldown | Back | 12, 10, 8, 6 |
| Bent-over Rowing | Back | 12, 10, 8, 6 |
| Seated Cable Rowing | Back | 12, 10, 8, 6 |
| Face pull | Back & Rear Delt | 10, 8, 6 |
| Barbell Curl | Biceps | 10, 8, 6 |
| Concentration Curl | Biceps | 10 x 2 |
| Wrist Curl | Wrists | 10 x 2 |
More pull workouts you can include or alternate: Inverted Rows, Chest Supported Row, Cable Pulldown, Barbell T rowing, and Dumbbell Pullover.
Day 3 – Leg Workouts (A)
| Workout | Muscle | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Back Squat | Quads | 15, 10, 8, 6 |
| Machine Leg Press | Quadriceps | 12, 10, 8 |
| Hamstring Curl | Hamstrings | 10, 8, 6 |
| Barbell RDL | Hamstrings | 8, 6, 4 |
| Barbell Hip Thrust | Glutes | 10, 8, 6 |
| Calf Raises | Calves | 15, 12, 10 |
Alternate exercises for the lower body: Barbell Front Squat, Leg Extension, Landmine Squat, Dumbbell Lunges, Hex-bar Deadlift, and Dumbbell Lateral Squat.
Day 4 – Push Workouts (B)
| Workout | Muscles | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Flat Barbell Bench Press | Chest | 10, 8, 6, 4 |
| Incline Barbell Bench Press | Chest | 8, 8, 6 |
| Decline Dumbbell Bench Press | Chest | 8, 8, 6 |
| Dumbbell Overhead Tricep Extension | Triceps | 8 x 2 |
| Triceps Kickback | Triceps | 8 x 2 |
| Dumbbell Overhead Press | Shoulder | 12, 10, 8 |
| Dumbbell Front Raises | Shoulder | 10, 8, 6 |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raises | Shoulder | 10, 8, 6 |
Workouts to add or alternate on your push day: Bar Dips, Bench Dips, Incline Machine Press, Triceps pushdown, Floor Press, and Triangle Pushup.
Day 5 – Pull Workouts (B)
| Workout | Muscles | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Deadlift | Back | 6, 4, 2 |
| Front Lat Pulldown | Back | 12, 10, 8 |
| Seated Cable Rowing | Back | 10, 8, 8 |
| Single-arm Dumbbell Rowing | Back | 10 x 2 |
| Barbell High Pull | Back | 10 x 2 |
| Barbell Curl | Biceps | 10 x 2 |
| Preacher Curl | Biceps | 10 x 2 |
| Cable Curl | Biceps | 10 x 2 |
Alternate Workouts: V handle Lat Pulldown, Barbell Rowing, Standing Rope Pulldown, Dumbbell Incline Curl, Hammer Curl
Week 2 – Day 1 – Leg Workouts
| Workout | Muscle | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Back Squat | Quads | 12, 8, 6, 4 |
| Dumbbell Lunges | Quads | 10, 8, 6 |
| Machine Leg Extension | Quads | 10, 8, 6 |
| Barbell Good Morning | Hams | 8, 6, 6 |
| Dumbbell Step-up | Glutes | 10, 8, 6 |
| Standing Calf Raises | Calves | 12, 10, 8 |
Alternate Workouts: Hack Squat, Dumbbell Sumo Squat, Sumo Deadlift, Barbell Jammer, Weighted Glute Bridge, and Leg Curl.
Continue the above pattern till the time you follow the routine.
You can replace some workouts in the following days.
Push Pull Legs 5 Day Split PDF
You could download the portable file for future use if you like the above program.
And do check out the FAQ section, it would be helpful for you.
5-Day Push/Pull/Legs Split – FAQs
You can have some questions before starting the workout schedule. I’ve shared some of the typical ones that I hope will be helpful for you.
How long does it take to see results?
You’ll start seeing results after a couple of months. However, it will take more than that for some people.
Some of your muscles will respond more than others. For example, you may see more gains in your chest and legs or back and chest – depending on how your body responds.
Can I modify the workout plan?
Yes, you can make changes according to your need. For example, you can replace some exercises in the coming weeks of the workout schedule.
Doing all exercises in just one week of schedule isn’t possible. That’s why I’ve handed out some alternate workouts so you can utilize them throughout the twelve months of training.
When and what core workouts should I do?
If you want to do abdominal exercises to strengthen your core, you can do the below workouts on any day you like or feel to do.
Should I Workout 6 Days a week after this routine?
Once you feel you’re ready to lift six times a week, you should definitely do. But make sure you give your trained muscles proper rest and get a sound sleep – if you want to maximize growth.
I’ve also published 6-day PPL for strength and hypertrophy; you can check it out.
What are alternatives plans do you have?
I’ve already created a couple of alternatives to the 5-day PPL split that you may like.
1. 5 Day Compound Workout Routine,
2. 5 Day Gym Workout Schedule.
The program seems fine! But what about the diet?
Eating nutritious and healthy foods is as crucial as lifting weights. Diet is an essential part of the muscle-building program; you can’t increase mass unless you feed your muscles the required amount of protein, carbs, fats, and other nutrients.
According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition, Here is the diet recommendation for natural bodybuilding.2 Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation – Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
For example, if you’re a 60 kg (132 lbs) weighted person.
| Protein | Carbs | Fats |
|---|---|---|
| 145-190 g | 400-500 | 50-60 |
| 580-760 calories | 1600-2000 calories | 400-480 calories |
You can consume the above nutrients in three to six meals per day, with a meal containing 0.4-0.5 g/kg body weight of protein pre and post workout.
Depending on how many calories you burn throughout the day, you can increase or decrease consumption.
You can also check out recommended whey isolate protein and high calories protein foods.
Since you’re here, you may like some of the related articles:
References
- 1Effects of Resistance Training Frequency on Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis – Sports Medicine Auckland (N.Z)
- 2Evidence-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding contest preparation: nutrition and supplementation – Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition
