Push Pull Legs: how good is PPL really?
The Push Pull Legs split (PPL) divides training into push, pull and legs. At 6 sessions per week each muscle group is trained twice, at 3 sessions once. At equal weekly volume, meta-analyses show no meaningful difference in muscle growth between the two.
What Push Pull Legs means
The PPL split groups exercises by movement pattern into three training days:
- Push: pressing movements — chest, front delts, triceps
- Pull: pulling movements — back, rear delts, biceps
- Legs: quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves — often plus abs
PPL and training frequency
An early meta-analysis by Schoenfeld et al. (2016) favoured training each muscle group at least twice per week. The larger follow-up with 25 studies, however, found that frequency does not significantly or meaningfully affect muscle growth when volume is equated (Schoenfeld et al., 2019). For maximal strength, Pelland et al. (2026) find a positive effect of higher frequency, albeit with diminishing returns. More on this: Push pull legs: 3 or 6 days a week?
PPL variants compared
| Variant | Frequency per muscle group |
|---|---|
| PPL 3x per week | 1x / week |
| PPL 6x per week | 2x / week |
| PPL 5x on an 8-day cycle | ~1.8x / week |
Who should use PPL?
PPL at 6 sessions per week mainly suits lifters with plenty of time who want to spread a high training volume over shorter sessions. In 2009 the ACSM gave 2 to 3 training days per week for novices, 3 to 4 for intermediates and 4 to 5 for advanced lifters as a guideline — six days goes beyond that. With less time, you can also run PPL on 3 days, as long as each muscle gets enough sets.
Strengths and weaknesses
Strengths. Grouping by movement pattern keeps overlap between sessions low and allows focused specialization each day. Your heavy compound lifts always meet fresh muscle groups.
Weaknesses. At only 3 sessions per week, a muscle's entire weekly volume has to fit into a single session, which makes workouts longer. The rear delts also only get direct work on pull day while the front delts work on push day too; over time that imbalance is worth correcting with face pulls or reverse flys on pull day.
Alternatives to PPL
For three to four training days a week, an upper/lower split or full-body training are common alternatives. There is no direct study comparing them with PPL; at equal volume, research shows no advantage for any particular split type (PPL or upper/lower?). With five weekly sessions, a hybrid of upper/lower plus a dedicated weak-point day can work well.
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- Schoenfeld, B. J., Ogborn, D. & Krieger, J. W. (2016). Effects of Resistance Training Frequency on Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine, 46(11), 1689–1697. PubMed
- Schoenfeld, B. J., Grgic, J. & Krieger, J. (2019). 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. Journal of Sports Sciences, 37(11), 1286–1295. PubMed
- Pelland, J. C., Remmert, J. F., Robinson, Z. P., Hinson, S. R. & Zourdos, M. C. (2026). The Resistance Training Dose Response: Meta-Regressions Exploring the Effects of Weekly Volume and Frequency on Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Gains. Sports Medicine, 56(2), 481–505. PubMed
- American College of Sports Medicine (2009). Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 41(3), 687–708. PubMed
- Currier, B. S., et al. (American College of Sports Medicine) (2026). Resistance Training Prescription for Muscle Function, Hypertrophy, and Physical Performance in Healthy Adults: An Overview of Reviews. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 58(4), 851–872. PubMed
- Ramos-Campo, D. J., Benito-Peinado, P. J., Andreu-Caravaca, L., et al. (2024). Efficacy of Split Versus Full-Body Resistance Training on Strength and Muscle Growth: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 38(7), 1330–1340. PubMed
- Baz-Valle, E., Balsalobre-Fernández, C., Alix-Fages, C. & Santos-Concejero, J. (2022). A Systematic Review of The Effects of Different Resistance Training Volumes on Muscle Hypertrophy. Journal of Human Kinetics, 81, 199–210. PubMed