Push pull legs (Reddit PPL) guide and free spreadsheet
Beginner · 6 days a week · Until your lifts stall · Strength and size, six days a week
A six-day split that hits every muscle twice a week, with one rule on the big five lifts: add weight when you make your reps.
Free. The spreadsheet needs no account.
How Push pull legs works
The Reddit push pull legs routine, posted by the user Metallicadpa on r/Fitness, splits training into three types of day. Pull days are rows, pulldowns and curls. Push days are chest, shoulders and triceps. Leg days are squats, hip hinges and calves. You run the three days, then run them again, which gives six training days and one rest day.
Each day has one main compound lift worked heavy and a handful of accessories worked for reps. The main lifts rotate: deadlift on the first pull day, barbell row on the second, bench press on the first push day, overhead press on the second, and squat on both leg days. The main lift finishes with one open-ended set (5 or more reps), and that set tells you whether to add weight.
Progression is linear. Squat and deadlift jump 10 lb when you hit your reps, and the upper body lifts jump 5 lb. Because each main lift is trained about once a week, those jumps are weekly, and they add up fast early on. Accessories follow double progression: add reps to the top of the range, then add weight.
The sheet on this page calculates the main lifts for you. Accessories are listed below because they depend on the gym and on your own 5-rep weights, so choose their load by feel: the last reps hard, form intact.
The schedule
Train on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or any other days with rest between. Every set uses the same weight, the one you can lift for the written reps.
Pull 1: deadlift
| Lift | Sets and reps |
|---|---|
| Deadlift | 1 x 5+ |
Push 1: bench press
| Lift | Sets and reps |
|---|---|
| Bench press | 4 x 5, 1 x 5+ |
Legs 1: squat
| Lift | Sets and reps |
|---|---|
| Squat | 2 x 5, 1 x 5+ |
Pull 2: barbell row
| Lift | Sets and reps |
|---|---|
| Barbell row | 4 x 5, 1 x 5+ |
Push 2: overhead press
| Lift | Sets and reps |
|---|---|
| Overhead press | 4 x 5, 1 x 5+ |
Legs 2: squat
| Lift | Sets and reps |
|---|---|
| Squat | 2 x 5, 1 x 5+ |
Progression and stall rules
Main lifts add weight when every rep is made
Each main lift ends with one open-ended set where you do as many good reps as you can, with a floor of 5. If you reach 5 or more on that set and made every earlier rep, add weight next time. Squat and deadlift go up 10 lb (about 5 kg); bench goes up 5 lb (about 2.5 kg). The sheet uses 5 lb for overhead press and rows as well, which is the usual small jump for upper body lifts.
Accessories add reps first
Pulldowns, cable rows, curls, leg press and the rest sit in a rep range, usually 8 to 12 or 15 to 20. Stay at one weight until you hit the top of the range on every set, then add weight and start near the bottom again.
A missed set means a short reset
If you cannot get the prescribed reps on the main lift, drop the weight by about 10% and build back up. Two or three weeks of climbing usually gets you past the old number.
One open-ended set per day
Do not take open-ended sets on bench and overhead press in the same session. Each day has one main lift, so this only bites if you rearrange the week.
Weekly volume
Work sets per lift, counted from the schedule above (warm-ups not included).
| Lift | Sets per week |
|---|---|
| Deadlift | 1 |
| Bench press | 5 |
| Squat | 6 |
| Barbell row | 5 |
| Overhead press | 5 |
Who it suits
A good fit
- Beginners and early intermediates who want to gain size and strength and enjoy training most days of the week.
- Lifters with six days free who like short, focused sessions of 45 to 70 minutes.
- People who want a clear rule for when to add weight without learning percentages.
- Anyone coming off a full-body program who wants more volume per muscle.
Look elsewhere if
- Lifters who can only train three or four days a week. A three-day or four-day split such as upper lower fits better.
- True beginners who are still learning the squat, bench and deadlift. A lower-volume program such as StrongLifts 5x5 builds technique with less fatigue.
- Anyone who sleeps poorly or eats too little. Six days a week with weekly jumps on squat and deadlift runs out of road quickly without recovery.
Common mistakes
Chasing the open-ended set to failure
That set is 'as many good reps as you can', not a grind to failure. Stop when form slips. A ruined set costs you a week of progress.
Adding weight to accessories too soon
Accessories are for reps and muscle, not for ego. Move up only after you reach the top of the rep range on every set.
Skipping the warm-up ramp
Squat, deadlift, bench and press need a ramp before the work sets. A common one is the bare bar for 10, then about half the work weight for 10, about three quarters for 5 and about 90% for 3.
Running legs light
Leg days are the easy ones to cut short. Do not. Squatting twice a week is a main reason the program works.
Never resetting
Weekly 10 lb jumps on squat and deadlift stop eventually. When you miss reps, drop the weight about 10% and rebuild instead of grinding at a stuck number.
Your sample week
For each lift, enter: Weight you can lift for 5 reps today. The weights below update as you type. Your numbers stay in your browser and are not saved. The numbers shown are an example lifter.
Pull 1: deadlift
| Set | Reps | Weight (lb) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5+ | 225 |
Push 1: bench press
| Set | Reps | Weight (lb) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 135 |
| 2 | 5 | 135 |
| 3 | 5 | 135 |
| 4 | 5 | 135 |
| 5 | 5+ | 135 |
Legs 1: squat
| Set | Reps | Weight (lb) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 185 |
| 2 | 5 | 185 |
| 3 | 5+ | 185 |
Pull 2: barbell row
| Set | Reps | Weight (lb) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 115 |
| 2 | 5 | 115 |
| 3 | 5 | 115 |
| 4 | 5 | 115 |
| 5 | 5+ | 115 |
Push 2: overhead press
| Set | Reps | Weight (lb) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 85 |
| 2 | 5 | 85 |
| 3 | 5 | 85 |
| 4 | 5 | 85 |
| 5 | 5+ | 85 |
Legs 2: squat
| Set | Reps | Weight (lb) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | 185 |
| 2 | 5 | 185 |
| 3 | 5+ | 185 |
The spreadsheet
The file has three sheets: your numbers, the full week with every weight as a formula, and a progress table that carries the weights forward. It opens in Excel, Numbers and LibreOffice. The weights in the link below use the numbers you typed above.
Open it in Google Sheets
- Download the .xlsx file above.
- Go to Google Drive and choose New, then File upload, and pick the file.
- Double-click the uploaded file and choose Open with Google Sheets.
- Choose File, then Save as Google Sheets so you can edit it.
Want the weights to follow you into the gym? Create a free account and the program loads into Train for you.
How it compares
Push pull legs vs Upper lower split
Upper lower splits train each muscle twice a week in four sessions, not six. They suit lifters who want the same frequency with two fewer days in the gym, at the cost of longer sessions. Read the Upper lower split guide.
Push pull legs vs StrongLifts 5x5
StrongLifts is three full-body days with five sets of five on a handful of lifts. It is simpler and easier to recover from, which makes it a better first program. PPL adds more variety and more volume per muscle. Read the StrongLifts 5x5 guide.
Push pull legs vs Arnold split
The Arnold split pairs chest with back and shoulders with arms across six days, with much higher volume and little focus on adding weight each week. PPL is more strength-oriented and easier to track. Read the Arnold split guide.
Push pull legs vs Push day workout
The push day workout page writes out two full push sessions, one led by the bench press and one by the overhead press, with every exercise, set and rep. They are the Push A and Push B workouts in Train. Read it if you want a complete push session to follow. Use this guide for the Reddit routine's full six-day week. Read the Push day workout guide.
Load Push pull legs into Train and log each session against the plan.
Start it in Symmetric StrengthThe Push, Pull and Legs workouts in Train are a general push pull legs split, not the Reddit routine (Metallicadpa's). Their rep counts and accessories differ. Use the schedule on this page for the Reddit main lift sets.
Common questions
What is the Reddit PPL program?
It is a six-day push pull legs routine posted on r/Fitness by the user Metallicadpa. Each cycle has two pull days, two push days and two leg days, with a linear progression on the main lifts. Many other PPL programs exist; this guide covers the Reddit version.
What does a typical week look like?
Pull, push, legs, pull, push, legs, then a rest day. A common layout is Monday to Saturday with Sunday off. Day one is pull with deadlifts, day two is push with bench, day three is legs with squats, and the second half of the week repeats with rows, overhead press and squats.
How much weight should I add each week?
On the main lifts, add 10 lb to squat and deadlift and 5 lb to bench, press and rows each time you make your reps. If you miss, repeat the weight, and after repeated misses drop about 10% and climb again.
Is PPL good for beginners?
It works well for beginners who can handle six sessions a week. It is a lot of volume for someone brand new, so if you are still learning the lifts or recovering slowly, start with a three-day full-body program and move to PPL later.
Can I run PPL three or four days a week?
Yes. Run pull, push, legs once each over three days, and one cycle takes a full week. That halves the weekly volume per muscle, so progress is slower, but it is a sound choice when time is short.
Why does the in-app template look different?
They are a general push pull legs split, not the Reddit routine. The schedule on this page holds the Reddit main lift structure, and the spreadsheet works out those weights from your numbers.
What should I do for accessories?
Follow the usual pairs: pulldowns or pull-ups and cable rows with face pulls and curls on pull days, overhead or incline pressing with triceps and lateral raises on push days, and Romanian deadlifts, leg press, leg curls and calves on leg days. Use sets of 8 to 12 for most, and 15 to 20 for lateral raises and face pulls.
Know where you stand
Before you start, check how your lifts compare on the strength standards, estimate a max with the one-rep max calculator, or score your total with the DOTS calculator.
Sources and credit
The Reddit push pull legs routine was posted on r/Fitness by the user Metallicadpa. This guide describes the program in our own words from the public write-ups listed under sources; versions differ slightly in accessory sets and reps, so check the original thread for the exact version.
Checked . Symmetric Strength is not affiliated with Metallicadpa or the r/Fitness community. Program names are used only to identify the programs.