
Stepping into the world of Bodybuilding and weight training, you may have to look through various training regimens that may have been found online or prepared by a professional. However, the caveat is that people do not know how to keep their expectations in check and expect that mixing up a couple of exercises and doing them on a daily would lead to quick gains and huge guns in a couple of weeks.
However, this cannot be most farther from the truth and the most common advice that is given to those who wish to embark on the treacherous journey of weight lifting and training have to stay patient and consistent. Gains do not show up in a day or two and it is imperative that once you start this journey, you continue to stay determined on the path you have chosen. So, now for those who have taken this pledge to stay true towards their dreams of having the body that they always wished for, we have one of the most recommended training regimes that are going to need you to be patient and consistent, however, it promises the best gains on the long term- The 3-Day Push/Pull/Leg workout routine.
Now, the name may sound and you might think that one day is for pushing, another for the pull and the final day is for the legs. Which by looking at the surface is correct, however, this regime has a lot of important details that can be found only once you dig deeper into it. So here is the 3-Day Push-Pull-Legs Workout routine.
The Mechanics of Push-Pull-Legs workout
The Push-Pull Leg routine as it is clear from its name consists of two days where you train your upper body while one day goes to your legs. So, what is the main selling point of this routine?
One of the downfalls of some of the best training regimes in the world is the over-developing or over-gaining of certain areas while ignoring the others. The push-pull leg regime avoids that pitfall by training each of the muscles by training each of them. On one day one of the muscles will be engaged or inaction while the other will be disengaged.
The training of alternating muscles on different days not only gives each of the muscles the much-needed time it needs to heal but also trains its alternative muscle which leads to the avoidance of overdeveloping muscle.
So, here are the muscles that will be targeted in the Push-pull-legs routine. On the pull day, you will be training your back, your rear delts, and the biceps. On the Push day, you will be training your chest, triceps, and your shoulders. On the Legs day, the training will be targeted towards your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves.
Why Choose a Push-Pull-Legs Routine?
With all the competing training regimes in the market, one thing we can say about the benefits of the push-pull leg workout routine is that this routine has some of the best and consistent gains. One of the most important things that are imperative in weight training is to give your body some time to rest. Your muscles are sore after a huge workout session and they need some time to rest. During that recovery period, your muscles start to develop kickstarting the “gains”. The Push-pull legs workout routine is designed in such a way that it gives the targeted muscles a lot of time to rest and recover after a tough workout session. This recovery time, therefore, leads to some gains which can be added on to the next time you exercise that same area.
You also have the option to train either 3 days a week and 6 days a week which is still enough to give it the proper recovery time. You can choose and pick your schedule however you should follow a set routine for each.
Should you choose a 3-day or 6 Days Push Pull Legs workout routine:
We all know people who are motivated to go to the gym when they start. It usually happens around the start of the year when people are motivated and at their peak and someone like that would go all-in on a 6 days push pull legs exercise regime. In my opinion, If you are someone that is starting, you should follow a three days push pull legs workout routine so that you would be safe from injuring yourself and set yourself back a lot more. Many people may say that the 3 days push pull legs might not be enough however there are a lot of people who have done the three days push pull legs workout routine and it has worked out great for them. Ask your trainer for more information so that they could guide you according to your body type.
Now, if you are a beginner a three days push pull legs workout routine is going to look somewhat like this for you.
- Monday: Push
- Tuesday: Rest
- Wednesday: Pull
- Thursday: Rest
- Friday: Legs
- Saturday: Rest
- Sunday: Rest
If you are a beginner, we suggest that you follow this 3 days push pull legs workout routine. You can workout on each of the alternating muscles once a week and give them plenty of time to rest. You will also have a lot of time to recover and develop those gains. This workout routine will also not have you risk any injury that you may get from a more serious training regiment.
There are also other variations of the push-pull legs workout routine which may have you train each muscle group twice a week. They may be the 6 days push pull legs and other variations of it.
The Push-Pull Legs exercises
Now that we have the training frequency out of the way let’s move on to what are some of the best exercises you can do for each of the push-pull and legs, muscle groups. These exercises are going to train all these muscle groups and give you the “gains” you want.
The Push Exercises:
Here are the push Exercises that you can do:
- Push-ups/Dips
- Dumbbell Press
- Incline dumbbell bench press
- Seated Shoulder Press
- Dumbbell Shoulder Press
- Side lateral Raise
- Skull Crushers
- Overhead Tricep Extensions
- Incline Barbell bench press
These are some of the best push exercises that will effectively help you train the muscles that are in your chest, shoulders, and triceps. These exercises train and hit all these muscle groups from different angles so that they can be trained fully and effectively.
The Pull Exercises:
Here are the best Pull exercises that we would like to recommend:
- Chin-up or Pull up
- Deadlifts
- Barbell rows
- Bent-over dumbbell rows
- Hammer curls
- Dumbbell curls
- Barbell Curls
- EZ bar curls
These exercises will effectively train all the muscle groups that fall into the push category.
The Legs Exercises
Here are the Legs day exercises:
- Hack Squats
- Back Squats
- Bulgarian Split squats
- Squats
- Lunges
- Front squats
- Leg Extensions
- Back raises
- Cable Pull-throughs
- Hip Thrusts
- Romanian Deadlifts
- Good Mornings
The Legs day exercises will mainly focus on your muscles that are located in your hamstrings, quads, glutes, and calves.
The Workout Samples for 3-Days Push Pull Legs
You can mix and match all the above exercises and come up with a training regiment that you like the most however here is a sample that you are welcome to follow.
Push Day
- Three sets of six bench press
- Three Sets of eight Shoulder Press
- Three Sets of ten Incline Dumbbell Flyes
- Three sets of ten Tricep Push-ups
Once you are comfortable doing a set, increase the exercise times during a set for more exertion.
Push Day
- Three Sets of Six Rows
- Three Sets of eight Pull-Ups
- Three Sets of eight face pulls
- Three Sets of eight Barbell Shrugs
- Three Sets of ten Dumbbell Curls
Once you are comfortable doing these exercises, slowly increase the frequency of each of the exercises in one set for more exertion.
Legs Day
- Three Sets of six Squats
- Three Sets of six Romanian Deadlifts
- Three sets of eight Leg Press
- Three Sets of eight Leg Curls
- Three Sets of six Standing Calf Raises
- Two Sets of ten seated calf raises
- Abs exercises to reduce abdominal fat
Once you are comfortable doing these exercises, you should increase the frequency of each of these exercises for maximum exertion.
The Bottom Line
The Push-Pull Legs is a great training regiment provided you do remain consistent in your resolve to be in the best shape of your life. It does take some time to see the results however the results will be worth it. The 3 Days push pull legs are a great place to start however the six days is a good choice as well however you may risk an injury. This training regiment gives you plenty of time to rest and recover as well so that the next time you attempt the exercises, you will do them with ease.