Push Pull Legs: Optimal Exercise Volume, Selection, and Workout Structure

How many exercises should I do for push pull legs?

For an effective Push Pull Legs (PPL) split, you should generally aim for 4 to 7 exercises per training session, carefully balancing compound movements that target multiple muscle groups with isolation exercises that focus on specific muscles.

Understanding the Push Pull Legs (PPL) Split

The Push Pull Legs (PPL) training split is a highly popular and effective method for organizing your workouts. It divides your body into three primary movement patterns: "Push" muscles (chest, shoulders, triceps), "Pull" muscles (back, biceps, rear deltoids), and "Legs" muscles (quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, calves). This allows for high training frequency for each muscle group (often twice per week) while providing adequate recovery time between sessions for the same muscle groups. Its structured approach makes it excellent for progressive overload and consistent gains in strength and hypertrophy.

Key Factors Influencing Exercise Volume

The optimal number of exercises isn't a fixed universal rule; it depends on several critical variables:

• Training Experience:
  • Beginners (0-1 year): Require less volume to stimulate growth and adaptation. Too much volume can hinder recovery and technique mastery. Aim for the lower end of the range (e.g., 4-5 exercises).
  • Intermediate (1-3 years): Can handle moderate volume and benefit from a wider range of exercises to challenge muscles in different ways. Typically 5-6 exercises.
  • Advanced (3+ years): May require higher volumes or more complex variations to continue progressing. Can manage 6-7+ exercises, but must be mindful of recovery.
• Training Goals:
  • Hypertrophy (Muscle Growth): Requires sufficient training volume (sets x reps x load) to stimulate muscle protein synthesis. A moderate number of exercises (5-7) with appropriate sets and reps is common.
  • Strength: Often prioritizes intensity over sheer volume. Fewer exercises (4-6) with heavier loads and lower reps per set might be more effective.
  • Endurance: Focuses on higher repetitions and potentially more exercises with lighter loads, though PPL is less commonly optimized purely for muscular endurance.
• Recovery Capacity: Your ability to recover from training is paramount. Factors like sleep quality, nutrition, stress levels, and age significantly impact recovery. If you're consistently sore, fatigued, or seeing performance drops, your volume (number of exercises, sets, or total work) might be too high.
• Training Frequency: If you run a 6-day PPL split (e.g., Push, Pull, Legs, Push, Pull, Legs), your per-session volume might be slightly lower than if you only hit each muscle group once a week, as the total weekly volume accumulates over more sessions.

General Guidelines for Exercise Selection

When choosing exercises for your PPL split, prioritize effectiveness and balance.

• Compound vs. Isolation Exercises:
  • Compound movements (e.g., squats, deadlifts, bench press, rows, overhead press) should form the foundation of your workout. They engage multiple joints and muscle groups simultaneously, allowing you to lift heavier weights and provide a significant stimulus for overall strength and muscle growth. Aim for 2-3 compound exercises per session.
  • Isolation exercises (e.g., bicep curls, tricep extensions, lateral raises, leg extensions) target a single muscle group or joint. They are excellent for specific muscle development, addressing weaknesses, or increasing overall training volume for a particular muscle without overly taxing the central nervous system. Include 2-4 isolation exercises per session.
• Movement Patterns: Ensure you cover all primary movement patterns for each day:
  • Push Day: Horizontal push (chest press), vertical push (overhead press).
  • Pull Day: Vertical pull (pull-ups/lat pulldowns), horizontal pull (rows).
  • Leg Day: Knee-dominant (squats, lunges), hip-dominant (deadlifts, RDLs).

Recommended Exercise Volume for PPL

Based on the factors above, here's a general guideline for the number of exercises per PPL session, along with examples:

Total Exercises Per Session: 4-7

Push Day (Chest, Shoulders, Triceps)

• Compound Chest Movement: 1 (e.g., Barbell Bench Press, Dumbbell Bench Press, Incline Press)
• Compound Shoulder/Overhead Movement: 1 (e.g., Overhead Press, Seated Dumbbell Press)
• Isolation Chest/Shoulder Movement: 1-2 (e.g., Dumbbell Flyes, Cable Crossovers, Lateral Raises, Front Raises)
• Triceps Isolation Movement: 1-2 (e.g., Triceps Pushdowns, Overhead Triceps Extension, Skullcrushers)
• Total: 4-6 exercises

Pull Day (Back, Biceps, Rear Deltoids)

• Compound Vertical Pull Movement: 1 (e.g., Pull-ups, Lat Pulldowns)
• Compound Horizontal Pull Movement: 1 (e.g., Barbell Rows, Dumbbell Rows, Seated Cable Rows)
• Isolation Back/Rear Delt Movement: 1-2 (e.g., Face Pulls, Reverse Flyes, Shrugs)
• Biceps Isolation Movement: 1-2 (e.g., Bicep Curls, Hammer Curls, Preacher Curls)
• Total: 4-6 exercises

Leg Day (Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Glutes, Calves)

• Compound Knee-Dominant Movement: 1 (e.g., Barbell Squats, Leg Press, Lunges)
• Compound Hip-Dominant Movement: 1 (e.g., Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs), Glute-Ham Raise, Good Mornings)
• Isolation Quadriceps Movement: 1 (e.g., Leg Extensions)
• Isolation Hamstring Movement: 1 (e.g., Leg Curls, Glute Bridges)
• Calf Isolation Movement: 1 (e.g., Calf Raises)
• Total: 4-6 exercises (Deadlifts are often integrated as a primary compound on a Pull or Leg day, or as a dedicated session. If you include conventional deadlifts, they might count as one of your primary leg/pull compounds and potentially reduce other exercises due to their systemic fatigue.)

Structuring Your PPL Workout: Sets and Reps

While the number of exercises is important, the total volume (sets x reps x load) for each muscle group over the week is what truly drives adaptation. For hypertrophy, aim for 10-20 effective sets per major muscle group per week.

• For compound exercises, typically perform 3-5 sets of 4-10 repetitions.
• For isolation exercises, typically perform 2-4 sets of 8-15 repetitions.

Distribute these sets across your 2 weekly sessions for each muscle group. For example, if you aim for 12 sets for the chest, you might do 6 sets on your first Push day and 6 sets on your second.

Progressive Overload and Exercise Variation

The most critical principle for continued progress is progressive overload – consistently increasing the demands placed on your muscles over time. This can be achieved by:

• Increasing the weight lifted.
• Performing more repetitions with the same weight.
• Doing more sets.
• Improving exercise technique.
• Decreasing rest times.

While having a consistent set of exercises is beneficial for tracking progress, don't be afraid to strategically vary 1-2 exercises every 4-8 weeks to introduce new stimuli and prevent plateaus. This doesn't mean changing your entire routine every week; rather, swap out one isolation movement or use a different compound variation (e.g., incline bench instead of flat bench for a cycle).

Listening to Your Body and Individualization

These guidelines are a starting point. Your body's response is the ultimate feedback mechanism.

• Monitor your recovery: Are you consistently sore or fatigued? Reduce volume.
• Track your performance: Are you getting stronger or building muscle? If not, evaluate your volume, intensity, and nutrition.
• Adjust as needed: Some individuals thrive on higher volumes, others on lower. Experiment safely and intelligently to find what works best for you.

Conclusion

For a well-rounded and effective Push Pull Legs routine, aim for 4 to 7 exercises per session, prioritizing 2-3 compound movements and supplementing with 2-4 isolation exercises. This approach ensures comprehensive muscle stimulation, allows for adequate recovery, and provides ample opportunity for progressive overload, driving consistent gains in strength and muscle mass. Always remember that the exact number is less important than the quality of your training, your consistency, and your ability to progressively challenge your muscles over time.