I Did a 3-Day Push/Pull/Legs Split for 4 Weeks — Here Are The Shocking Results

Do you ever feel like your workouts are not delivering the results you crave even when you’re putting in the time and effort?

Don’t worry; you are not alone.

As a personal trainer with over 17 years of training experience, I’ve tried almost every training program under the sun, and can confidently say that the push/pull/legs (PPL) split is one of the most effective routines of all time.

I like to constantly vary my training splits to avoid boredom and hitting a plateau, and I recently decided to switch to a PPL routine. This split involves training each muscle group twice weekly, helping maximize muscle stimulation and subsequent adaptations.

In this article, I share my experience of completing this three-day PPL split and how it impacted key metrics like strength gains, muscle definition, and recovery. I also share tips on how you can adapt this program according to your unique fitness goals.

My PPL Workout Plan

The push/pull/legs (PPL) split is a classic training routine for a reason. Hitting a muscle group twice weekly can be incredibly effective for ironing out muscle and strength imbalances and promoting overall development and functionality.

Warm-Up and Cool-Down

Skipping warming up and cooling down is one of the most common mistakes I see people make in the gym. This can hamper training performance, increase injury risk, and slow down the recovery process.

I recommend beginning a workout with a five-minute light cardio session or dynamic stretches like arm circles, leg swings, and torso twists. You can also start with specific warm-up sets for the day’s first exercise.

On the other hand, conclude a workout with five minutes of light cardio or static stretches, like the Samson stretch, to release tension and improve flexibility.

Without further ado; here is a week-by-week breakdown of this four-week PPL challenge:

Week 1: Initial Impressions and Challenges

Since I already had a decent lifting experience under my belt, I dove head-first into this three-day PPL program.

Sample PPL Workout Routine

Before I get into the results of this one-month PPL challenge, I think it would be better to share my exact training routine for you to follow along.

Day 1: Push

Push workouts bias the chest, shoulders, and triceps.

Exercises	Sets	Reps
Bench Press	3	8
Overhead Press	3	10
Incline Dumbbell Press	3	10-12
Triceps Pushdown	3	12
Dips	3	AMRAP

Day 2: Pull

This workout focuses on your back and biceps, which are involved in every pulling motion.

My workouts involved a balance of compound and isolation exercises to ensure overall development. I also stayed within the 12 to 15 rep range to maximize hypertrophy. (1)

Exercises	Sets	Reps
Pull-Ups (or Lat Pulldowns)	3	8-12
Barbell Rows	3	8
Seated Cable Rows	3	10-12
Face Pulls	3	15
Bicep Curls	3	10
Hammer Curls	3	10

Day 3: Legs

Legs are the foundation of your physique and crucial for overall strength and balance gains. This workout targets your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.

Exercises	Sets	Reps
Squats	3	8
Romanian Deadlifts	3	10
Leg Press	3	10-12
Leg Extensions	3	12-15
Hamstring Curls	3	12-15
Calf Raises	3	15-20

Progression Scheme

Progressive overload is the name of the game when it comes to making consistent gains in the gym. It involves gradually increasing the load on your muscles by boosting the training volume and intensity, limiting the rest duration between sets, or employing advanced training techniques like supersets, dropsets, or intraset stretching.

My goal was to increase the poundage by 2-2.5 pounds or perform 1-2 additional reps in each subsequent workout.

If you cannot increase the weight or reps, focus on using a picture-perfect form and increasing the time under tension by tweaking your rep tempo.

How It Went

The first few days of this workout routine were definitely challenging but in a good way. The pump was real, and I was running on fumes by the end of each training session.

The delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) on Day Three was nothing short of brutal and impacted my performance on the second push workout of the week.

Week 2: Finding My Rhythm

The second week was all about finding my rhythm and pushing myself to the limit.

Contrary to what most people think, you don’t need to change your workout routine every week. In fact, switching your exercises too often can make you leave gains on the table as your body won’t have enough time to adapt to them.

I focused on progressively overloading my muscles while sticking to the same exercises.

Here’s how this strategy paid off:

Physical Adaptations: Strength and Endurance Gains

After the initial soreness had worn off, my muscles started adapting and became more efficient at recruiting muscle fibers during demanding exercises. It helped me move heavier weights safely.

I also witnessed a boost in my work capacity. I could complete the prescribed sets and reps with significantly less fatigue than usual. (2)

Mental Fortitude: Consistency and Visualization

I prioritized developing a deep mind-muscle connection and contracted my muscles throughout the range of motion for optimal muscle fiber stimulation.

Overcoming Challenges: Listening to My Body

I had to deal with the following obstacles in the second week:

• Fatigue: Training each group multiple times can take a toll on your body. I prioritized sleep, ate a balanced diet, and incorporated active recovery into my routine to combat this.
• Minor Aches: I employed light stretching and foam rolling to relieve muscle soreness. However, you must learn to differentiate between muscle soreness and sharp, persistent pain. Don’t hesitate to take an additional day off if your body needs it.

Tips for Maximizing Your PPL Results

Here is how you can make the most of this four-week program:

• Nutrition: A balanced nutrition program is indispensable when following an intense training program like this PPL split. Use this convenient TDEE calculator to determine your ideal daily calorie and macronutrient intake.
• Sleep: No matter how hard you train, you won’t see the desired results unless you give your body enough time to rest and recuperate. I recommend sleeping for at least eight hours each night to recover from the mayhem.
• Progressive Overload: Slowly increase the training volume and intensity as you gain more experience. However, ensure that you are not compromising your form while aiming for PRs.
• Supplementation: Sports nutrition supps like whey protein, creatine, and multivitamins can help plug the gaps in your natural diet. That said, you must avoid overdependence on supplements and aim to meet your daily nutrition needs through nutrient-dense whole foods.

Week 3: Noticing Changes

I started noticing meaningful improvements in my body during the third week of this PPL challenge.

Physique Enhancements

While I saw an improvement in my overall strength in the second week, it took me another week of hard work to see enhancement in my physique aesthetics.

Since I paired this push/pull/legs split with a calorie deficit, the cuts started to appear in Week Three. My muscles looked more defined with the separations popping out, giving my muscles that sculpted look.

It did not end there; I also noticed an improvement in my body composition as I lost the dreaded belly fat and gained lean muscle tissue. Although I did not gain a lot of size, my muscles looked fuller and rounder, adding to the illusion of a bigger physique.

Performance Boosts

I knew I was moving in the right direction when I realized that I could lift heavier weights and do more reps in the third week compared to when I started. Building on this progress, I bumped up the weights and reps to overload the muscles and ensure consistent growth.

Recovery and Feedback

My overall recovery improved consistently over the three weeks. My body had adapted to the increased demand. I experienced significantly lower muscle soreness, and my recovery time between workouts and sets had gone down.

This is also when I started to receive compliments about my improved muscle definition at the gym. Positive feedback can be a great motivator as it validates your hard work, pushing you to do even better in the coming workouts.

Mind-Muscle Connection

My mind-muscle connection improved significantly in the third week. I was more aware of the working muscles and able to engage them more effectively, resulting in better target muscle fiber stimulation.

Remember, as bodybuilders, our goal is not to lift as heavy as possible. Instead, we must focus on contracting and stretching our muscles with each rap to maximize our gains.

Week 4: Results and Reflections

I don’t know about you but the final week of a training challenge gets the best out of me. I pushed myself in each workout and left no stone unturned to reap maximum rewards.

Exercise Improvements 

Tracking your numbers is one of the best ways to assess your progress. Over these four weeks, I saw quantifiable progress across the board. Here’s a glimpse:

• Bench Press: My bench improved by 7 kilograms. The best thing about it was that my form has never been better, resulting in improved muscle pumps.
• Squat: I added 10 kilograms to my working set, demonstrating improved lower body strength and stability.
• Deadlift: The deadlift is my strongest lift and I improved by 15 kilograms. However, I felt that I could have done better and pulled a PR.
• Overhead Press: I saw an increase of 5 kilograms on the overhead press, even though this is a stubborn lift for me.

Enhanced Body Composition

This high-intensity training program helped improve my body composition. At the end of the four weeks, my clothes fit a little loose around the waist and snug around the shoulders and arms, which is always a good sign.

Remember, the six-day-a-week PPL training split might not be suitable for beginners. Assess your current fitness levels honestly to determine the correct workout program for yourself. Doing too much too soon can significantly increase injury risk, putting you out of action for multiple days.

Conclusion

Following a workout program like this four-week push/pull/legs split that involves structured programming, progressive overload, and adequate recovery can help achieve your training objectives in record time.

I turn to this PPL training routine to break the monotony of my workouts and achieve my muscle, strength, and body composition goals, and it never disappoints.

Like with every other training program, consistency, dedication, and discipline are paramount during this split. Stick with these workouts when the going gets tough and you’ll be rewarded for your efforts.

References:

1. Schoenfeld BJ, Grgic J, Van Every DW, Plotkin DL. Loading Recommendations for Muscle Strength, Hypertrophy, and Local Endurance: A Re-Examination of the Repetition Continuum. Sports (Basel). 2021 Feb 22;9(2):32. doi: 10.3390/sports9020032. PMID: 33671664; PMCID: PMC7927075.

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