Push, Pull, Legs: How to Organise Your Workout
GYMDONE editorial team
A push, pull, legs split groups strength exercises by their main role. Push days focus on pressing, pull days on pulling, and leg days on lower-body work. The structure can make exercise selection easier, but it does not make a program effective by itself. Weekly workload and consistency still matter.
What goes on each day?
| Session | Main movements | Possible accessories |
|---|---|---|
| Push | Bench press or chest press; overhead press | Lateral raise; triceps extension |
| Pull | Row; pulldown or assisted pull-up | Rear-delt movement; biceps curl |
| Legs | Squat or leg press; hip-hinge movement | Leg curl; calf raise |
You do not need every listed exercise. Select a manageable number, practise the setup and record working sets. A hip hinge also involves the back, so consider the demands of your pull day when placing heavy hinges on a leg day.
Three days and six days are different commitments
Training push on Monday, pull on Wednesday and legs on Friday covers each session once a week. It is a simple three-day schedule, but each main muscle group receives fewer dedicated sessions than in a three-day full-body routine. If you are new or can only visit three times, compare it with our full-body plan.
A six-day version repeats push, pull and legs twice, then takes an easier day. It distributes more frequent training across the week, but is a much larger calendar commitment. Do not automatically double the work from your three-day plan. More visits can mean shorter sessions, rather than twice as many hard sets.
Start with workload you can repeat
As an example, choose two main exercises and one or two accessories per session, using a modest number of working sets. Keep some controlled repetitions in reserve and see how you recover. The exact sets and repetitions should match your experience and goals.
ACSM's current guidance recommends training the major muscle groups regularly and individualising the program. The name of a split is less important than how much useful work it lets you repeat. Our training-volume guide explains how to count that work.
Review exercise overlap
Pressing already trains the triceps; rows and pulldowns involve the biceps. Accessory work adds to those demands. If elbows, shoulders or performance are struggling, review the whole week before adding more exercises. Keep the same core movements long enough to compare sessions.
Common questions
Is push, pull, legs best for beginners?
It can work, but a full-body routine may fit two or three weekly visits more simply. Choose the schedule you can actually maintain.
What if I miss one day?
Continue with the next planned session when practical. Avoid squeezing two demanding workouts into one day merely to preserve the calendar.
Sources
ACSM 2026 resistance-training guidance; Training frequency and muscle growth: systematic review.
If this split fits your week, you can try recording your push, pull and leg sessions in GYMDONE and adjust the workload from your own results.