Push/Pull Workout for Balanced Muscle Growth

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of ways to organize your workouts. From simple full-body training plans to complicated split routines, each one is designed to produce a specific result, typically to build muscle, increase strength, improve endurance, develop fitness, or improve your health.

With so many programs to choose from, picking the right one can be a daunting prospect. This often leads to paralysis by analysis, where you are so confused by all the options available that you cannot decide where to begin. Needless to say, time spent researching programs when you should be training will not help you reach your goals.

Access to too many training plans can also lead to program hopping, where you flit from one workout to another. Exercisers are often searching for the perfect workout that will unlock their gains. It’s like they believe there is a secret to building muscle and getting strong, and they’ll only discover it by trying every available program!

The good news is that both of these concerns are unfounded. That’s because almost any workout will produce results if you train hard and consistently. This doesn’t mean there aren’t bad programs out there – there are. However, even poorly designed workouts can produce results when executed with sufficient consistency and intensity.

The trick to productive training is finding a workout that matches your goals and abilities and that you enjoy. Then, as invariably happens, when it stops producing results, you move into another workout plan. Train, eat, sleep, repeat – that’s the key to success!

In this article, we share a brand-new Push/Pull Workout designed to build balanced strength and muscle mass. Is it the BEST program? Absolutely not! However, it’s one of many you can use to reach your training goals.

The Problem with Conventional Push/Pull Workouts

Most exercisers are familiar with push/pull programs. With this workout method, exercises are grouped into a “push” workout, training the chest, shoulders, triceps, and quadriceps, and a “pull” workout that trains the back, traps, biceps, and hamstrings.

For example:

Push Workout

1. Squat
2. Leg extension
3. Bench press
4. Incline dumbbell press
5. Pec deck
6. Shoulder press
7. Lateral raises
8. Skull crusher
9. Triceps pushdown

Pull Workout

1. Deadlifts
2. Leg curls
3. Pull-up
4. Seated row
5. Trap bar shrug
6. Reverse fly
7. EZ biceps curl
8. Preacher curl

Some variations of the push/pull training method involve training your legs separately, making them push/pull/leg workouts. This can be advantageous as it’ll make your workouts somewhat shorter and more manageable.

There is no denying that push/pull (and push/pull/legs) workouts can be effective. However, they’re not without drawbacks, especially for less experienced exercisers.

The biggest problem with most conventional push/pull workouts is that they involve a lot of muscular overlap, meaning similar muscle groups are trained many times in a row. For example, almost every upper body exercise you perform on push day will engage your triceps. As such, as you near the end of the program, your triceps may be too fatigued to work the agonist muscle you want to target. The same is true for the biceps on back day.

That’s why, for our Push/Pull Workout, we’ll be arranging the exercises differently from the conventional format.

Push/Pull Workout for Balanced Muscle Growth – Program Overview

This training plan is designed to build muscle size and strength. It’s aimed at intermediate exercisers who have at least a couple of years of consistent training under their weightlifting belts. That said, beginners and more experienced lifters can also follow this plan, provided they adapt it according to their abilities and needs.

For our Push/Pull Workout, you will be performing your push/pull exercises in an alternating fashion. This will a) avoid overloading any one specific muscle and b) ensure that all muscles are trained evenly, helping to create a balanced, functional, and aesthetic physique.  

This push/pull format also means you can combine opposing exercises into opposing supersets, which is a great way to save time as you essentially halve the amount of time you spend resting. You’ll find more information on how to do this toward the end of this article.

There are two workouts, each of which should be performed twice to give four training sessions per week. Studies suggest that training muscles more than once per week, as is typical with “bodybuilding bro splits,” produces better strength and muscle-building results in less time (1).

In addition, unlike many push/pull workouts, you’ll be training your upper body one day and your lower body the next. This is usually less fatiguing than training your entire body each session.

As such, your training week should look something like this:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
Workout 1 Upper Body	Workout 2 Lower Body	Rest	Workout 1 Upper Body	Rest	Workout 2 Lower Body	Rest

Of course, before you begin any of these workouts, you should first prepare your body with a thorough warm-up. Begin with 5-10 minutes of cardio followed by dynamic mobility and flexibility exercises for the muscles and joints you are about to train. Finish your warm-up with a couple of sets of your first push-and-pull exercises.

Read more about warming up for strength training here.

Workout 1: Upper Body

Let’s kick off your training week with an upper-body workout encompassing your chest, back, shoulders, and arms. After all, Monday IS National Chest Training Day, right?

#	Exercise	Sets	Reps	Recovery
1	Incline dumbbell bench press	3-4	8-15	1-2 minutes
2	Chest-supported dumbbell row	3-4	8-15	1-2 minutes
3	Paused barbell bench press	3-4	8-15	1-2 minutes
4	Single-arm dumbbell row	3-4	8-15	1-2 minutes
5	Top-down alternating dumbbell press	3-4	8-15	1-2 minutes
6	Three-way grip pull-up	3-4	8-15	1-2 minutes
7	Triceps dip	3-4	8-15	1-2 minutes
8	Alternating dumbbell curl	3-4	8-15	1-2 minutes

Workout 2: Lower Body

A lot of workouts feature more training volume for the upper body than the lower body. This is a mistake. Your legs deserve the same attention as your arms, chest, back, etc., as they comprise a similar volume of muscle mass. So, don’t shortchange your legs! Lower body training is invariably challenging, but it’s also supremely rewarding and has the power to transform your entire physique.

#	Exercise	Sets	Reps	Recovery
1	Heels elevated goblet squat	3-4	8-15	1-2 minutes
2	2:1 leg curl	3-4	8-15	1-2 minutes
3	Leg press	3-4	8-15	1-2 minutes
4	Kang squat	3-4	8-15	1-2 minutes
5	2:1 leg extension	3-4	8-15	1-2 minutes
6	Barbell hip thrust	3-4	8-15	1-2 minutes
7	Explosive calf raise	3-4	8-15	1-2 minutes
8	Tibialis raise	3-4	8-15	1-2 minutes

Now you know what our Push-Pull Workout entails, continue to the next section to learn how to do the various exercises.

Push/Pull Exercise Instructions

Your exercise form or technique can have a big impact on the productivity of your workouts. As such, you should always endeavor to perform each movement as correctly as possible. Poor form can lead to injuries, so that’s another reason for always practicing good technique. Follow these step-by-step instructions for the best workout results!

1. Incline dumbbell bench press

Muscles trained: Pectoralis major, anterior deltoids, triceps.

The incline dumbbell bench press is one of the biggest bang for your buck chest exercises around. It targets the upper chest, which is often underdeveloped, and using dumbbells allows for a larger range of motion, increasing pec fiber recruitment. The barbell bench press might be more famous, but this exercise is arguably more effective.

Steps:

1. Adjust your bench to a 20 to 30-degree angle.
2. Lie on the bench with your feet flat on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms straight and weights held over your shoulders. Turn your palms so they face down your body.
3. Brace your core and press your upper back into the bench.
4. Bend your elbows and lower the weights to the outside of your shoulders. Get a good stretch in your chest, taking care not to hyperextend your joints.
5. Press the weights up to arm’s length and repeat.

Tips:

• Lower the weights more slowly than you raise them to maximize pec engagement.
• Do this exercise with a neutral or palms-turned-in grip if you prefer, which may be more shoulder-friendly.
• Wear wrist wraps to support your joints if required.

2. Chest-supported dumbbell row

Muscles trained: Latissimus dorsi, trapezius, rhomboids, posterior deltoids, biceps.

This exercise utilizes the same bench and potentially the same weights as incline dumbbell bench presses, making it ideal for supersets. It’s very lower back-friendly, so you are free to focus on pushing your muscles to their limit in relative safety.

Steps:

1. With a dumbbell in each hand, lie face down on a bench set to between 20-30 degrees. Your head should be uppermost.
2. Let your arms hang straight down, palms facing inward.
3. Pull your shoulders down and back, and brace your core.
4. Bend your arms and pull the weights up and into your lower ribs.
5. Extend your arms and repeat.

Tips:

• Raise the bench on blocks or bumper plates if your dumbbells touch the floor.
• You can also do this exercise with a barbell.
• Use a horizontal bench if preferred. This is called a seal row.

3. Paused barbell bench press

Muscles trained: Pectoralis major, anterior deltoids, triceps.

While the bench press is a very popular exercise, it might not be the best chest builder. That is until you add a mid-rep pause. Paused reps increase time under tension and also reduce the stretch-shortening reflex, making each rep more effective. However, you’ll need to use less weight, as paused bench presses are far more demanding than the regular version.

Steps:

1. Set up for bench presses as usual. Hold the bar with an overhand, slightly wider than shoulder-width grip. Unrack the bar and hold it over your chest.
2. Bend your arms and smoothly lower the barbell to your sternum.
3. Pause with the weight lightly touching your chest for 2-3 seconds.
4. Drive the bar back up to arm’s length, and repeat.

Tips:

• Try to lift the weight as explosively as possible to maximize pec engagement.
• You can also do this exercise with dumbbells.
• Stay tight during the pause – do not relax.

4. Single-arm dumbbell row 

Muscles trained: Latissimus dorsi, trapezius, rhomboids, posterior deltoids, biceps.

It’s normal to have one arm stronger than the other, but if that strength imbalance is too great, it can affect your posture, function, and performance. It could even cause injuries. As such, it pays to include at least a couple of unilateral or single-limb exercises in most upper and lower-body workouts.

Steps:

1. Hold a dumbbell in one hand. Lean forward and place your other hand on a sturdy bench. Bend your knees slightly, brace your core, and let the weight hang down from your shoulder, palm turned inward.
2. Leading with your elbow, bend your arm and pull the weight up into your lower ribs.
3. Extend your arm, let your shoulder roll forward, shrug it back again, and repeat.

Tips:

• Do not round your lower back, as doing so can lead to severe injury.
• Use lifting straps to reinforce your grip if needed.
• You can also place one knee on the bench, like this:

5. Top-down alternating dumbbell press 

Muscles trained: Deltoids, triceps.

You’ve already trained your deltoids, albeit indirectly, in the previous chest and back movements. However, more muscular shoulders can add a lot to your physique, so it’s usually worth including an exercise or two to train them more directly. Overhead pressing is one of the most efficient ways to beef up your shoulders.

Steps:

1. Press and hold two dumbbells overhead. Brace your core and pull your shoulders back and down.
2. Keeping one arm still, lower a dumbbell to your shoulder and then press it back up.
3. Switch sides and repeat.
4. Continue alternating arms for the prescribed number of reps.

Tips:

• Do this exercise seated or standing as preferred.
• Use a neutral or palms-front grip for comfort.
• A slightly lower back arch is fine, hyperextension is not, so keep your core braced throughout.

6. Three-way grip pull-up 

Muscles trained: Latissimus dorsi, trapezius, rhomboids, posterior deltoids, biceps.

Pull-ups and chin-ups are great back exercises, but most programs force you to choose between one or the other. That’s a shame because, as back builders go, both pull-ups and chin-ups are hard to beat. This exercise combines three different grips, so you no longer have to choose between them.

Steps:

1. Hold your pull-up bar with an overhand, slightly wider than shoulder-width grip, and hang with your arms straight and feet off the floor. Pull your shoulders down and back, and brace your core.
2. Bend your arms and pull your chin up to the bar.
3. Lower yourself down and repeat to within 1-2 reps of failure.
4. Rest 10 seconds, switch to an underhand grip, and continue to within 1-2 reps of failure.
5. Rest a final 10 seconds, adopt a neutral grip, and rep out to failure one more time.
6. Rest for 2-3 minutes, and then repeat the entire three-move sequence again.

Tips:

• Wear a weighted vest to make this exercise more challenging.
• Use lifting chalk to dry your palms and stop your hands from slipping.
• Not strong enough for this exercise? Try omni-grip lat pulldowns, instead.

7. Triceps dip

Muscles trained: Triceps, pectoralis major, anterior deltoids.

Dips are often considered to be a chest exercise – which they are. But, by keeping your torso more upright, they’re also a fantastic triceps builder that also hits your lower pecs. That means dips are a great addition to any upper-body pushing workout. Done at the end of your session, this exercise will finish off all your major pushing muscles.  

Steps:

1. Grip your dip bars with your palms facing inward.
2. Support your weight on your hands with your arms straight, shoulders down and back, and core braced.
3. Keeping your torso upright, bend your arms and descend until your elbows are bent to at least 90 degrees. Imagine you are pushing your elbows backward.
4. Push yourself back up so your arms are almost straight, and repeat.

Tips:

• Use an assisted dip station if necessary. Alternatively, you can use resistance bands to offset some of your body weight.
• Hang a dumbbell around your waist to make this exercise harder.
• You can also do dips using a TRX or gymnastic rings.

8. Alternating dumbbell curl

Muscles trained: Biceps, forearms.

The great thing about alternating dumbbell curls is that they allow you to really focus on one arm at a time. Invariably, this means you’ll be able to lift more weight or do more reps compared to the bilateral version. In addition, rotating your wrists, which is a movement called supination, further increases biceps recruitment.

Steps:

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms by your sides, and palms facing your legs. Pull your shoulders down and back, and brace your core.
2. Bend one arm and curl the weight up. Rotate your wrist so your palm faces upward as you break 90 degrees. Raise the weight to shoulder height.
3. Reverse the motion and lower the dumbbell back to your thigh.
4. Switch arms and repeat.
5. Continue until you have done the required number of reps on both sides.

Tips:

• Do this exercise seated or standing as preferred.
• Do not use your legs and back to help you lift the weight, as this takes tension off the working muscles.
• Lower the dumbbells more slowly than you lift them to make this exercise even more effective.

9. Heels elevated goblet squat 

Muscles trained: Quadriceps, gluteus maximus, hamstrings, core.

While squats are often described as the king of exercises, there are actually a lot of squat variations to choose from. Heels elevated goblet squats, also known as the cyclist squat, is a very quads-centric squat exercise that’s also remarkably lower back-friendly. Also, you don’t need a squat rack to do them, so they’re a good option for home workouts.

Steps:

1. Stand with your heels raised on small denomination weight plates or a wooden plank. Your feet should be between shoulder and hip-width apart.
2. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in front of your chest.
3. Brace your core and pull your shoulders back and down.
4. Keeping your torso upright, bend your legs and squat down until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor.
5. Drive your feet into the floor and stand up.

Tips:

• Squat as deep as you can without rounding your lower back.
• Stop just short of fully extending your legs to keep your legs under tension.
• Contrary to popular belief, it’s okay to let your knees travel forward of your toes. In fact, doing so will increase quads engagement.

10. 2:1 leg curl 

Muscles trained: Hamstrings.

You are stronger eccentrically than you are concentrically. In other words, you can lower more weight than you can lift. This unique exercise makes the most of this phenomenon so you can push your hamstrings to their limit in complete safety.

Steps:

1. Set up for leg curls as normal, adjusting the machine for comfort and safety.
2. Use both legs to raise the weight, and then lower the load with one.
3. Lift the weight again using both, and lower it with your other leg.
4. Continue this two-up, one-down motion until you have completed the prescribed number of reps with both legs.

Tips:

• Ensure you lower the weight slowly and with control to maximize muscle engagement.
• You can do seated or supine leg extensions as preferred.
• Point your toes to relax your calves and remove them from this exercise to emphasize your hamstrings.

11. Leg press

Muscles trained: Quadriceps, gluteus maximus, hamstrings.

Some trainers like to criticize the leg press, stating that it’s not functional. And while that may be true, it’s not necessarily a bad thing when training for hypertrophy. The back support and guided motion means you are free to focus 100% on pushing your muscles to failure, which could be dangerous with more functional exercises such as barbell back squats.

Steps:

1. Climb aboard the press and press your back and butt into the seat. Place your feet on the footrest so they’re between shoulder and hip-width apart.
2. Straighten your legs and unlatch the weight.
3. Bend your legs and lower your knees toward your chest.
4. Push the weight back up and repeat.
5. Reengage the weight latches and then exit the machine.

Tips:

• Avoid bending your knees so far that your lower back starts to round. This increases your risk of injury.
• Experiment with the width of your feet to find what feels most comfortable and effective.
• Stop just short of locking your legs to keep the tension on your muscles.

12. Kang squat   

Muscles trained: Quadriceps, gluteus maximus, hamstrings, core.

The Kang squat provides a unique lower-body workout. Combining squats with good mornings, it hits your quads, glutes, and hamstrings relatively equally. This is a challenging exercise, so don’t go too heavy too soon. Perfect your technique before adding weight.

Steps:

1. Rack and hold a barbell across your upper back.
2. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, toes turned slightly outward. Brace your core and lift your chest.
3. Bend your knees slightly, push your hips to the rear, and hinge forward to perform a good morning. Lean over as far as you can without rounding your lower back.
4. Next, bend your knees, bring your hips forward and down, and descend into a squat. Keep your knees apart by contracting your hip abductors.
5. Drive your feet into the floor and lift your hips up. Keep your upper body parallel to the floor.
6. Finish your rep by pushing your hips forward and standing up.
7. That’s one rep – keep going!

Tips:

• Make sure the bar rests on your upper traps and not your neck. Hold the bar in place, as you don’t want it to move during your set.
• Experiment with your stance width. Some people find this exercise more comfortable with a wider or narrower than shoulder-width stance.
• Stop your set if your lower back begins to round.

13. 2:1 leg extension

Muscles trained: Quadriceps.

Remember those 2:1 leg curls from earlier? It’s time to apply the same methodology to leg extensions. This exercise will fire up your quads and leave your thighs shaking and burning. Be brave and push past the pain to build the biggest, most muscular quads you can imagine!

Steps:

1. Sit on the leg extension machine so your knees are in line with the pivot point, and the leg pad rests against your lower shins. Hold the handles to keep your butt in the seat.
2. Raise the weight with two legs and then lower it with one.
3. Raise the weight again using two legs and lower it with the other.
4. Continue in this alternating fashion until you have done all the prescribed reps on both legs.

Tips:

• Do not let the weight touch down between reps, as doing so takes tension off the target muscles.
• Lower the weight slowly, making the most of your eccentric strength.
• It’s okay to use momentum to help you lift the weight. The focus of this exercise is on the lowering phase.

14. Barbell hip thrust

Muscles trained: Gluteus maximus, hamstrings, core.

The barbell hip thrust is a popular exercise with booty-girl fitness influencers and elite athletes alike, and for good reason. This lower back-friendly exercise really hammers your glutes and hamstrings in a safe, comfortable, and effective way. If too many deadlifts and hyperextensions bother your back, you’ll really appreciate this low-stress but high-effect posterior chain builder.

Steps:

1. Sit on the floor with your legs extended and your back resting against a sturdy bench. Roll a barbell up your legs so it’s across your hips. Bend your legs and plant your feet firmly on the floor. Grip the bar so it doesn’t roll off your hips.
2. Drive your feet into the floor and lift your hips up until they form a straight line with your knees and shoulders. Pause for 2-3 seconds.
3. Lower your hips back to the floor and repeat.

Tips:

• Put a cushion or a folded gym mat between the bar and your hips for comfort.
• Drive down through your heels to maximize glute and hamstring engagement.
• You can also do this exercise with your back resting against a stability ball or lying flat on the floor.

15. Explosive calf raise

Muscles trained: Gastrocnemius, soleus.

There is nothing wrong with regular calf raises, but you can have too much of a good thing. Do them often enough, and not only can they become boring, but they may lose some of their effectiveness. This exercise is explosive and also increases the load you can train with. This double whammy could help unlock new growth in your calves.

Steps:

1. Rest and hold a barbell across your upper back. Hold it firmly in place. Brace your core and pull your shoulders back and down. Stand with your feet roughly hip-width apart.
2. When ready, bend your knees about a quarter of the way down and then explosively extend your legs. Use this momentum to help you drive up onto your tiptoes.
3. Lower your heels slowly to the floor and repeat.

Tips:

• You can also do this exercise using a standing calf raise machine.
• Use a bar pad if you are lifting heavy weights. Otherwise, you may bruise your upper back.
• Work your forearms, traps, and calves by doing this exercise with a heavy trap bar or dumbbells in each hand.

16. Tibialis raise

Muscles trained: Tibialis anterior.

As this is a push/pull workout, it’s only fitting that we include an exercise for the pulling muscles of the lower leg, i.e., the tibialis anterior muscle of the shin. While you can’t really build this muscle like your calves, stronger TA is good for ankle stability, and that may help you lift more weight during calf raises. Training this muscle can also help ward off the dreaded shin splints.

Steps:

1. Sit on an exercise bench with your legs straight and together. Shuffle back so only your feet and lower legs hang off the bench.
2. Clamp a dumbbell between your feet.
3. Keeping your knees straight and stationary, extend your ankles and then pull them up toward your shins.
4. Continue for the desired number of reps.

Tips:

• Use as big a range of motion as possible to get a good stretch in your tibialis anterior muscle.
• Put a band around your ankles and feet to hold the dumbbell securely in place.
• You can also do this exercise with a tool called a tib bar.

FAQ’s

Do you have a question about our Push/Pull Workout Plan? No problem, because we’ve got the answers! Alternatively, feel free to post additional questions in the comment section at the end of this article, and we’ll get back to you pronto.

1. How do I incorporate supersets into these workouts?

Each push/pull exercise can be done as a superset, i.e., in pairs. For example, in the first workout, instead of doing three sets of incline dumbbell bench presses followed by three sets of chest-supported rows, you do one set of each, rest a moment, and then repeat that pairing twice more to do three supersets.

The benefits of supersets include:

• Shorter workouts
• Increased cardiovascular demand
• Increased calorie and fat-burning
• Faster recovery between exercises
• More productive workouts

Not everyone enjoys supersets, and some people feel that they are rushing through their workout. But, as many bodybuilders can attest, supersets can be very effective for developing muscle size and strength.

2. Where are the core exercises?

Core is the collective term for the muscles of your midsection, including your rectus abdominis, obliques, and transverse abdominis. Together, these muscles contract to create intra-abdominal pressure to stabilize your spine.

As such, they’re indirectly involved in almost every exercise you do, especially when you train your legs. Consequently, not everyone needs direct core training, and if they do, they won’t need a lot.

If you want to add core exercises to this plan, you are free to do so. However, it’s probably best done on the days between strength workouts to avoid making each session overly long.

3. Can I add cardio to this training plan?

There are several benefits to including cardio in this program, including better cardiorespiratory fitness and efficiency, improved health, fat burning, weight control, and reduced stress (2). It can also help you recover faster and ward off DOMS.

In short, cardio is good for almost every aspect of your fitness and health!

There are several ways to add cardio to this plan, including:

• Do it on non-strength training days
• Do it after your strength training workout
• Do it the same day as your strength training workout but several hours afterward so you are well-rested

Any of these options can work, so experiment and see what works best for you. Check out this article to learn more about combining cardio with strength training.

4. Is it okay if I change some of the exercises?

Feel free to change any of the exercises according to your needs, goals, preferences, available equipment, etc. For example, you could do hack squats instead of goblet squats or diamond push-ups instead of dips. However, avoid making changes for the sake of it or because you find an exercise hard or tiring. After all, it’s those tough exercises that drive your progress.

Finally, make sure you replace one pull (or push) exercise with another, and don’t start stringing similar exercises together.

5. How can I modify this plan to three workouts per week?

The best way to modify this plan to three times a week is like this:

Weeks	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
Week 1	Workout 1	Rest	Workout 2	Rest	Workout 1	Rest	Rest
Week 2	Workout 2	Rest	Workout 1	Rest	Workout 2	Rest	Rest
Week 3	Workout 1	Rest	Workout 2	Rest	Workout 1	Rest	Rest
Week 4	Workout 2	Rest	Workout 1	Rest	Workout 2	Rest	Rest

This is an ideal arrangement for anyone who doesn’t have the time to train four times a week or finds it hard to recover from two upper-body and two lower-body workouts in seven days.

6. What diet should I follow with this workout plan?

Your diet should reflect your training goal more than your workout. For example, if you are training to build muscle, you should consume a calorie surplus, make sure you are getting enough protein, and fuel your workouts with plenty of healthy carbs and fats.

In contrast, if you are trying to lose weight and get lean, you need a calorie deficit, to consume adequate protein to minimize muscle loss, and should consider reducing your carbohydrate and fat intake.

So, adapt your diet to what changes you want to see in your body. But remember, you are what you eat, so try to ensure your food intake is as healthy and balanced as possible.

7. Is this the best way to do a push-pull split?

The great thing about the push-pull (and the push-pull-legs) split is that there are lots of ways to interpret it, and they all work. While they won’t all work for everyone, that’s true for every other workout, and it’s a matter of experimenting to find the one that is right for you.

So, is this the best way to do a push-pull split? For some people, yes, and for others, the answer’s no. The only way to find out for yourself is to try it and see how you get on, remembering that you are free to modify the program as necessary to maximize your results and enjoyment.

Closing Thoughts

The Push-Pull Workout is one of many ways you can organize your workouts. It balances the muscles on the front of your body with those on the rear. Also, it balances your upper body with your lower body. As such, it should help you build a structurally sound, functional, aesthetic physique.

Is it the best workout split? Probably not, but that’s because no such thing exists. What works well for one person may be impractical for another. After all, we’re all individuals, and no two people respond the same way to any workout, exercise, or diet.

The only way to find out if this workout plan (or any other) is right for you is to try it and see. Not for a week or one month, but for 2-3 months so you can more accurately judge its effectiveness.

And remember, there is no perfect program, so be ready to modify it if you aren’t getting the results you want.

Finally, train hard, be consistent, eat well, and get your sleep; those factors are far more important than the exact program you follow.

References:

1 – Bartolomei S, Nigro F, Malagoli Lanzoni I, Masina F, Di Michele R, Hoffman JR. A Comparison Between Total Body and Split Routine Resistance Training Programs in Trained Men. J Strength Cond Res. 2021 Jun 1;35(6):1520-1526. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003573. PMID: 32168178.

2 – Nystoriak MA, Bhatnagar A. Cardiovascular Effects and Benefits of Exercise. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2018 Sep 28;5:135. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2018.00135. PMID: 30324108; PMCID: PMC6172294.

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