Push/Pull/Legs for Busy People
A push/pull/legs split trains your pushing muscles, your pulling muscles, and your legs on separate days. This version runs on six short sessions a week when you have the time, and still works on three when you don't. This page is a complete plan you can start this week: the exercises, sets, rep ranges, rest times, and how close to failure to take every lift. It is free to use and you do not need an account.
Who this plan is for
- Your schedule changes from week to week and you want one plan that works on 3, 4, 5, or 6 days.
- You prefer shorter sessions, around 45 to 60 minutes, over fewer long ones.
- You have lifted consistently for a few months and are comfortable with the squat, bench press, row, and Romanian deadlift.
- You have a barbell, rack, bench, dumbbells, and either a cable stack or a few machines.
Who should pick something else
- You are brand new to lifting. A 3-day full-body routine gives you more practice on the main lifts with less volume to recover from.
- You will train exactly four days every week. A 4-day upper/lower split trains each muscle twice in four sessions.
- You can only ever train two days a week. Two full-body sessions fit that schedule better than any split.
- You only have bodyweight or a pair of light dumbbells. Most of this plan needs a loadable barbell, cables, or machines.
- You have pain with any of these lifts. Get advice from a clinician or qualified coach before using any template.
How the six days fit into a week
The plan has six sessions: Push A, Pull A, Legs A, Push B, Pull B, and Legs B. Push days train chest, shoulders, and triceps. Pull days train back, rear delts, and biceps. Legs days train quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves, plus a little ab work. The A sessions are the heavier ones, with 5 to 10 reps on the main lifts and longer rests. The B sessions use 8 to 20 reps with dumbbells, cables, and machines, so you are not grinding heavy barbell sets twice a week.
Each session is five or six exercises, which keeps it short. On six days, every muscle is trained twice a week. The standard layout is Monday to Saturday with Sunday off, but what matters is the order of the sessions, not the weekday. If you would rather train four longer days, the 4-day upper/lower split is built the same way.
| Day | Session |
|---|---|
| Monday | Push A: Heavier bench and overhead press |
| Tuesday | Pull A: Heavier pull-ups and rows |
| Wednesday | Legs A: Heavy squat and hinge |
| Thursday | Push B: Higher reps, dumbbells and cables |
| Friday | Pull B: Higher reps, machines and cables |
| Saturday | Legs B: Higher reps, single-leg and machine work |
| Sunday | Rest, or catch up on a missed session |
Running it on 3, 4, or 5 days
Follow the order of the sessions, not the calendar. The six sessions are a rotation, and each training day you do the next one in the list. On a busy week you simply get through fewer of them. You never skip ahead and you never restart the week.
On three days a week, such as Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, that works out to one push, one pull, and one legs day each week, alternating A and B weeks. Each muscle is trained about once a week instead of twice, so expect slower progress, but every lift keeps moving. On four or five days, the rotation slides across the weeks:
| Week | 3 days | 4 days | 5 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Push A, Pull A, Legs A | Push A, Pull A, Legs A, Push B | Push A, Pull A, Legs A, Push B, Pull B |
| 2 | Push B, Pull B, Legs B | Pull B, Legs B, Push A, Pull A | Legs B, Push A, Pull A, Legs A, Push B |
| 3 | Push A, Pull A, Legs A | Legs A, Push B, Pull B, Legs B | Pull B, Legs B, Push A, Pull A, Legs A |
You can mix these freely. Six days one week and three the next is fine, because you always pick up at the next session in the list.
What to do when you miss a session
- Missed one session: do it on your next training day and push everything else back by one. If you miss Tuesday's Pull A, do it Wednesday and carry on from there. Sunday is the spare day if you want to catch up within the week.
- Missed two or more: do the next session in the order on your next training day. Resume where you stopped rather than jumping to whatever the calendar says, so no session type gets dropped for weeks.
- Short on time: do the first three exercises of the session and skip the rest. The compound lifts at the top are worth more than a skipped session.
- Never double up: two sessions squeezed into one day means you do the second one tired. Move on to the next session instead.
- A week or more off: restart with the session you were due and the weights from your last time doing it. After two or three weeks away, start about 5 to 10 percent lighter and let the first week rebuild.
The six workouts
Do the exercises in the order listed, with compound lifts first while you are fresh. Reps in reserve (RIR) is how many more good reps you could have done when you stopped the set, and RPE (shown under each RIR) is 10 minus RIR. Use the RPE and RIR chart if the scale is new to you. Warm-up sets are not listed and do not count toward the working sets below.
Push A: strength focus
Chest, shoulders, and triceps, starting with the two presses you are trying to get stronger at. 5 exercises, 13 working sets.
| Exercise | Sets × reps | RIR | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Barbell bench pressDumbbell or machine chest press if you have no spotter or safeties. | 3 × 5-8 | 1-2RPE 8-9 | 3 min |
| 2. Standing overhead pressSeated dumbbell press is a fine substitute. | 3 × 6-10 | 2RPE 8 | 2-3 min |
| 3. Incline dumbbell pressBench angle of about 30 degrees. | 2 × 8-12 | 1-2RPE 8-9 | 2 min |
| 4. Dumbbell lateral raise | 3 × 12-20 | 1RPE 9 | 60-90 sec |
| 5. Overhead triceps extensionCable or a single dumbbell. | 2 × 10-15 | 1RPE 9 | 90 sec |
Pull A: strength focus
Back and biceps, with a vertical pull and a heavy row first while you are fresh. 5 exercises, 14 working sets.
| Exercise | Sets × reps | RIR | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Pull-up or lat pulldownAdd weight once you can do 10 clean pull-ups. Assisted pull-ups count too. | 3 × 6-10 | 1-2RPE 8-9 | 2-3 min |
| 2. Barbell rowA chest-supported row machine works if your lower back is tired. | 3 × 6-10 | 2RPE 8 | 2-3 min |
| 3. Seated cable row | 2 × 10-12 | 1-2RPE 8-9 | 2 min |
| 4. Face pullRear delts and upper back. Keep the weight light enough to pause each rep. | 3 × 12-20 | 1-2RPE 8-9 | 60-90 sec |
| 5. Incline dumbbell curl | 3 × 8-12 | 1RPE 9 | 90 sec |
Legs A: strength focus
A heavy squat and a heavy hinge, then machine work to add leg volume without more barbell fatigue. 6 exercises, 15 working sets.
| Exercise | Sets × reps | RIR | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Back squatSafety bar squat or leg press if the barbell squat bothers you. | 3 × 5-8 | 2RPE 8 | 3-4 min |
| 2. Romanian deadliftLower until your hamstrings stop you, back flat. | 3 × 6-10 | 2RPE 8 | 2-3 min |
| 3. Leg press | 2 × 10-15 | 1-2RPE 8-9 | 2 min |
| 4. Lying leg curl | 2 × 10-15 | 1RPE 9 | 90 sec |
| 5. Standing calf raisePause at the bottom of each rep. | 3 × 8-12 | 1RPE 9 | 90 sec |
| 6. Cable crunch | 2 × 10-15 | 1-2RPE 8-9 | 60-90 sec |
Push B: volume focus
Moderate weights and higher reps. Dumbbells and cables let you train hard without a second heavy barbell day. 5 exercises, 14 working sets.
| Exercise | Sets × reps | RIR | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Dumbbell bench pressMachine chest press works too. | 3 × 8-12 | 1-2RPE 8-9 | 2 min |
| 2. Seated dumbbell shoulder press | 3 × 8-12 | 1-2RPE 8-9 | 2 min |
| 3. Cable fly or pec deck | 2 × 12-15 | 1RPE 9 | 60-90 sec |
| 4. Cable lateral raiseDumbbell version works too. | 3 × 12-20 | 1RPE 9 | 60-90 sec |
| 5. Triceps pushdown | 3 × 10-15 | 1RPE 9 | 60-90 sec |
Pull B: volume focus
Higher reps and supported rows that are easy on your lower back. Superset the rear delt fly and hammer curl if you are short on time. 5 exercises, 13 working sets.
| Exercise | Sets × reps | RIR | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Neutral-grip pulldown | 3 × 8-12 | 1-2RPE 8-9 | 2 min |
| 2. Chest-supported rowMachine or incline-bench dumbbell row. | 3 × 8-12 | 1-2RPE 8-9 | 2 min |
| 3. Single-arm dumbbell rowOr a single-arm cable row. | 2 × 10-12per arm | 1-2RPE 8-9 | 90 sec |
| 4. Reverse pec deck or rear delt fly | 2 × 12-20 | 1RPE 9 | 60-90 sec |
| 5. Hammer curl | 3 × 10-15 | 1RPE 9 | 60-90 sec |
Legs B: volume focus
Moderate reps, single-leg work, and isolation lifts. Nothing here is a max-effort barbell lift, so it should feel easier on your back than Legs A. 6 exercises, 16 working sets.
| Exercise | Sets × reps | RIR | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Hack squatFront squat or a second leg press variation if there is no hack squat. | 3 × 8-12 | 1-2RPE 8-9 | 2-3 min |
| 2. Hip thrustBarbell, machine, or a glute bridge with a dumbbell. | 3 × 8-12 | 1-2RPE 8-9 | 2 min |
| 3. Bulgarian split squatDumbbells in hand, rear foot on a bench. Do the harder leg first. | 2 × 8-12per leg | 1-2RPE 8-9 | 2 min |
| 4. Seated leg curl | 3 × 10-15 | 1RPE 9 | 90 sec |
| 5. Seated calf raise | 3 × 10-15 | 1RPE 9 | 60-90 sec |
| 6. Hanging leg raiseKnee raises are fine until you can control the full version. | 2 × 10-15 | 1-2RPE 8-9 | 60-90 sec |
Weekly sets per muscle
Counted from the tables above. A set counts toward a muscle when that muscle is a prime mover in the lift, so a squat set counts for both quads and glutes. Arms and shoulders also get indirect work from every press and row, which is why their direct totals are lower.
| Muscle | Sets per week |
|---|---|
| Chest | 10 |
| Back (lats and upper back) | 16 |
| Shoulders (overhead, side, and rear delts) | 17 |
| Biceps | 6 |
| Triceps | 5 |
| Quads | 10 |
| Hamstrings | 8 |
| Glutes | 11 |
| Calves | 6 |
| Abs | 4 |
Warming up and picking starting weights
Warm up the first lift of each session with a few ramp-up sets of fewer reps at heavier weights, and use one or two lighter sets before the next heavy exercise. The warm-up calculator builds the ramp for you, and the plate calculator shows what to load on each side. Machine and cable work needs no more than a single light set.
For week one, choose weights you can lift for the bottom of the rep range with two or three reps in reserve. If you know a recent set, the one rep max calculator and the RPE chart can turn it into a working weight for a given rep range and effort. Expect to guess low on some lifts and high on others. Fix it the next time that session comes around.
How to progress: double progression
Every exercise has a rep range. Stay at the same weight until you reach the top of the range on every set while still hitting the target RIR. Then add weight and start again near the bottom of the range. You are progressing on reps first and load second, which makes small, steady gains easy to see.
Progress is counted per session, not per week. On six days you do Push A once a week. On three days you do it every other week, so the same steps simply take longer. Here is the barbell bench press from Push A at 3 × 5-8 and RIR 1-2. The numbers are an illustration, not a forecast. Yours may move faster or slower.
| Push A | Weight | Reps, sets 1 to 3 | Next time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 155 lb | 6, 6, 5 | Same weight |
| 2 | 155 lb | 7, 6, 6 | Same weight |
| 3 | 155 lb | 8, 7, 7 | Same weight |
| 4 | 155 lb | 8, 8, 8 | Top of the range on every set, so add 5 lb |
| 5 | 160 lb | 6, 6, 5 | Back near the bottom of the range |
In kilograms the same idea is 70 kg for sessions 1 to 4, then 72.5 kg in session 5.
- How much to add: the smallest jump you can load. That is usually 5 lb (2.5 kg) on upper-body barbell lifts, 5 to 10 lb (2.5 to 5 kg) on squats, Romanian deadlifts, and the leg press, the next dumbbell up on dumbbell lifts, and one pin on machines.
- Count only clean reps: if you reached the top of the range but the set was closer to RIR 0 than your target, repeat the weight instead of adding. The same goes for reps with a bounce or a shortened range of motion.
- If reps drop below the range: lower the weight by 5 to 10 percent and work back up.
- If a lift stalls for three sessions in a row: check that you are stopping at the target RIR and taking the full rest first, then drop the weight by about 10 percent and rebuild.
- Easier week: every six to eight weeks, or when several lifts stall at once, keep the exercises and do about half the sets, stopping with three or more reps in reserve.
Swapping exercises
Keep the movement pattern, the rep range, and the set count when you swap something. The notes under each exercise list easy substitutes. With only dumbbells, use dumbbell presses and rows, goblet or Bulgarian split squats, and dumbbell Romanian deadlifts. If a substitute lets you move much more or less weight than the original, let the rep range and RIR guide you, not the number on the bar.
Using this plan in Gainr
The plan above works in any notebook or tracker. Gainr logs the weight, reps, and reps in reserve of every set, lets you mark sets as warm-up or working, shows plates per side for barbell lifts, and keeps your full workout history and progress charts on the free plan.
Gainr's Coach is a different thing from this template. It builds a weekly plan from your goals, schedule, session length, equipment, and recent training, so it will not copy this exact list. What it does for a plan like this one is adapt to the week you actually have. If you miss a session, tell Coach in chat. It records the missed workout and rebuilds the rest of that week around it, instead of leaving you to work out where to slide everything. You can also ask it to move, swap, or skip a session. Gainr's program generator offers a push/pull/legs split too, with 3 to 6 sessions a week, and free accounts get 2 AI generations.
Coach is free for a 14-day preview. After that it is part of Pro, which is $3.99 a month or $29.99 a year in the US. If you would rather keep logging in another app, see how Gainr compares with Hevy, Fitbod, and Strong.
Frequently asked questions
Is push/pull/legs good for beginners?+
It can work, but six sessions a week is more time and volume than most people need in their first few months. A 3-day full-body routine gives you more practice on the main lifts with less to recover from. If you are new and want to use this plan anyway, run it three days a week as described above, do one fewer set on each exercise for the first two weeks, and leave an extra rep or two in reserve.
How long does each session take?+
Plan on roughly 45 to 60 minutes including warm-up if you rest as listed. Each session has five or six exercises, which is shorter than a typical upper/lower day because the work is spread over more days. To save more time, superset two exercises that use different muscles, or do only the first three exercises on a short day.
Is three days a week enough on this plan?+
Three days a week works, with a trade-off. You still do every session in order, so each muscle gets trained about once a week instead of twice, and progress will usually be slower than on the full six days. That is a fair deal for a busy stretch. If three days is your normal schedule rather than a busy patch, a full-body plan or a 4-day upper/lower split trains each muscle more often in the same time.
What if some weeks I can train six days and other weeks only three?+
That is what this plan is built for. Keep going through the six sessions in the same order and do as many as your week allows. A six-day week finishes a full rotation, a three-day week finishes half of one, and nothing gets skipped because you always pick up at the next session.
Can I use different days than Monday to Saturday?+
Yes. Keep the order Push A, Pull A, Legs A, Push B, Pull B, Legs B and put your rest day wherever it fits. Some people rest after Legs A instead of on Sunday. The weekday does not matter, the order does.
Do I need to train to failure?+
No. Most sets here stop one or two reps short of failure (RIR 1 to 2). Leave at least two reps in reserve on heavy barbell lifts like squats, Romanian deadlifts, and overhead presses. Taking the last set of a machine or cable exercise to failure now and then is fine.
How does push/pull/legs compare with an upper/lower split?+
Both train each muscle about twice a week when run as written. Upper/lower does it in four longer sessions, and push/pull/legs does it in six shorter ones. If you like short sessions and your schedule changes from week to week, push/pull/legs is easier to fit in. If you can reliably train four days, upper/lower is the simpler choice.
Can I run this plan at home?+
A close version works with adjustable dumbbells, a bench, and a pull-up bar: dumbbell presses and rows, pull-ups, split squats, dumbbell Romanian deadlifts, and hip thrusts or glute bridges. Keep the set counts, rep ranges, and RIR targets the same and swap only the equipment.
How long should I stay on this plan?+
Long enough to add weight a few times on each main lift, which is usually two to three months. Take an easier week every six to eight weeks, or sooner if several lifts stall together.
Let Gainr adapt this to your week
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