3-Day Push Pull Legs for Beginners
Your introduction to one of the most proven training splits in strength training. Three focused sessions per week, each targeting a distinct movement pattern and muscle group.
Program Overview
Push Pull Legs (PPL) is one of the most popular and well-structured training splits in existence. Rather than training by body part or doing full body sessions, PPL groups muscles by how they function together. On a 3-day schedule each muscle group is trained once per week, which can work well for beginners who want more structure after a full body plan. A 6-day PPL trains each group twice per week and is a natural progression once you have built a solid foundation. Push day trains your chest, shoulders, and triceps. Pull day trains your back and biceps. Legs day trains your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. This beginner version runs three days per week, giving you a full rest day between each session. Each phase introduces new exercise variations and increases the volume and loading so you keep adapting throughout all 8 weeks.
Muscles that work together get trained together. This means less fatigue overlap between sessions, better recovery, and more focused training on each movement pattern. PPL is one of the most efficient ways to train when you can only get to the gym three times a week.
Who Is This For?
This program suits anyone who wants more structure and focus than a general full body program, without the complexity of a 4 or 5 day split. This plan is right for you if:
- You have completed 4 to 8 weeks of beginner training and want more structure
- You enjoy the idea of dedicated pushing, pulling, and leg sessions
- You have access to a full gym with a barbell, dumbbells, and cable machines
- You can train three non-consecutive days per week
- You want to build strength on the bench press, deadlift, and squat simultaneously
If you have never followed a structured program before, start with one of our other beginner programs to build the movement foundation this one assumes.
Weekly Schedule
Phase 1: Learn the Split (Weeks 1-4)
The first four weeks are about understanding how each day feels and finding working weights you can progress from. Do not push for maximum effort yet. Build the habit of the structure first.
Choose weights that feel challenging but allow you to complete every rep with clean form. Add weight the next session whenever you hit the top of the rep range on all sets. Upper body lifts: add 2.5kg. Lower body lifts: add 5kg.
Lie flat on a bench, grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width. Pinch your shoulder blades together, lower the bar to your mid-chest, then press back to lockout.
Set the bench to around 30 degrees. Press dumbbells from chest height straight up, targeting the upper chest. Lower with full control.
Sit or stand with dumbbells at shoulder height, palms facing forward. Press both overhead to full extension, then lower with control.
Hold light dumbbells at your sides with a slight elbow bend. Raise both arms out to shoulder height, pause briefly, then lower with control.
Stand at a high cable with a rope attachment. Elbows pinned to your sides, push the rope down to full extension. Spread the ends of the rope apart at the bottom.
Hold one dumbbell overhead with both hands, arms fully extended. Lower it behind your head by bending at the elbows, then extend back to the start.
Bar over mid-foot, hip-width stance. Grip outside your knees, flatten your back, then drive your feet through the floor and extend hips and knees together to stand. Lower with control.
Hinge forward to roughly 45 degrees, bar at arm's length. Pull it to your lower chest leading with your elbows, squeezing your back at the top. Lower under control.
Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder width. Pull it down to your upper chest driving your elbows toward your hips. Control the return to full extension.
Stand tall with dumbbells at your sides, palms forward. Curl one up to your shoulder without swinging your body, then lower slowly and repeat on the other side.
Same movement as a dumbbell curl but with palms facing inward throughout. This targets the brachialis and adds thickness to the upper arm.
Bar on your upper traps, feet shoulder-width apart. Sit down between your heels to at least parallel, then drive back up through the floor. Keep your chest up throughout.
Stand holding the bar at hip height. Push your hips back with a soft knee bend, lowering the bar along your shins until you feel a strong hamstring stretch. Drive hips forward to return.
Rear foot on a bench, dumbbells at your sides. Lower your back knee toward the floor, then push through your front heel to return to the start.
Stand with the balls of your feet on an elevated surface. Lower your heels as far as possible, then rise up onto your toes as high as you can. Pause briefly at the top.
Phase 2: Push the Load (Weeks 5-8)
Phase 2 increases loading across the program, lowers the rep range on the primary barbell lifts, and adds volume to most secondary and accessory exercises. The session structure stays the same.
Hit all reps on all sets with good form? Add weight next session. Missed reps? Repeat the same weight. If you miss the same weight two sessions in a row, drop back 10% and build back up. Progress on PPL is measured in weeks, not days.
Same movement, heavier weight. At lower rep ranges, every technical detail matters more. Stay tight, control the descent, and drive hard.
One extra set with heavier dumbbells. The incline press is one of the best upper chest builders. Load it seriously in Phase 2.
One extra set. Shoulder strength improves relatively slowly for most beginners. Stay patient and keep adding small increments.
Same sets, slightly heavier dumbbells. Side delts respond to consistent volume over time. Keep the form strict and resist the urge to swing the weight up.
Same sets, slightly more weight. Your triceps do a significant amount of work on push day. Give them the volume they deserve.
One extra set. The overhead position stretches the long head of the tricep fully. The overhead stretch puts the long head of the tricep under load in a way most other tricep exercises do not.
One extra set at a heavier weight. The deadlift should feel completely controlled before you add load. One shaky rep is a signal to stop, not push through.
One extra set with more weight. The bent over row complements the deadlift well as a heavy pulling movement. Load it with the same respect.
An extra set. If you can do 5 or more strict pull-ups by Phase 2, consider substituting them here for an excellent progression.
Same sets, slightly heavier dumbbells. Fully supinate your wrist at the top of each rep to maximise the contraction.
One extra set. Hammer curls and standard curls hit slightly different parts of the arm. Using both in the same session gives you complete bicep development.
Heavier loading at a slightly lower rep range. The squat responds well to progressive loading across a lower rep range.
One extra set with heavier loading. The RDL is the primary hamstring builder in this program. Load it with the same seriousness as the squat.
One extra set with heavier dumbbells. Your balance and coordination should be noticeably better than Week 1. Take advantage of it.
One extra set. Calves respond best to high volume and full range of motion. Take every rep from a full stretch to a full contraction.
Nutrition Guidance
Even on a 3-day split, recovery and nutrition play a major role in progress. Getting your calories and protein right is what allows your body to actually adapt to the training. Start by understanding your total daily energy expenditure. Our guide to TDEE explains exactly how to calculate how many calories your body needs.
The Basics
- Protein: 1.6 to 2.2g per kg of bodyweight daily. Protein is the building material for every adaptation this program creates.
- Calories: Eat at maintenance or a small surplus of 200 to 300 calories to support muscle building. Use our free macro calculator to find your starting point.
- Carbohydrates: Do not fear them. Carbs fuel your training sessions directly. Eating enough carbohydrates around your workouts will improve your performance and recovery.
- Consistency: Hitting your nutrition targets most days over 8 weeks produces far better results than two weeks of perfection followed by weeks of chaos.
Both are possible as a beginner, but they require different caloric approaches. Our complete guide to bulking and cutting breaks down how to set your calories depending on your goal.
