The Push Pull Leg (PPL) split is a popular gym workout routine that is designed to target specific muscle groups in each workout while allowing for adequate recovery time between sessions. This split involves dividing your training into three groups: push exercises, pull exercises, and leg exercises. In this article, we will explore the benefits of the PPL split, how to properly perform it, and some sample workouts to get you started.
Benefits of the PPL Split
The PPL split is a great way to organize your workouts and make sure that you are hitting all major muscle groups in each session. By dividing your training into push, pull, and leg exercises, you can focus on specific muscle groups and make sure that you are not overtraining any particular area. This split also allows for enough recovery time between workouts, which is crucial for muscle growth and recovery.
Another benefit of the PPL split is that it can be easily customized to suit your specific fitness goals. If you are looking to build strength, you can focus on heavy compound movements like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses. If you are looking to build muscle size, you can incorporate more isolation exercises like bicep curls, tricep extensions, and lateral raises. This split also allows for flexibility in terms of the number of workouts per week. You can perform the split 3-4 times per week or even more if your recovery capacity allows.
Properly Performing the PPL Split
To properly perform the PPL split, it is important to understand the principles behind the split and how to properly execute each exercise. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your PPL split:
- Warm-up properly: Before each workout, make sure to properly warm up your muscles to prevent injury and prepare your body for the upcoming exercises. You can perform some light cardio or stretching exercises to get your blood flowing.
- Choose the right weight: It is important to choose the right weight for each exercise based on your fitness level and goals. If you are just starting out, start with lighter weights and gradually increase the weight as you get stronger.
- Perform each exercise with proper form: Proper form is crucial to prevent injury and get the most out of each exercise. Make sure to perform each exercise with proper technique and avoid cheating by using momentum or swinging your body.
- Take adequate rest between sets: It is important to take adequate rest between sets to allow your muscles to recover and perform at their best. Rest for 1-2 minutes between sets, or longer if needed.
Sample PPL Workouts
Here are some sample PPL workouts to get you started: Sure, I would be happy to explain each exercise in the PPL split in more detail:
Push Day
- Barbell bench press: This is a compound exercise that primarily works the chest, shoulders, and triceps. It involves lying on a bench and lifting a barbell with both hands from a rack, lowering it to your chest, and pushing it back up.
- Incline dumbbell press: This exercise primarily works the upper chest muscles. It involves lying on an incline bench and lifting dumbbells with both hands, lowering them to your chest, and pushing them back up.
- Seated dumbbell shoulder press: This exercise primarily works the shoulder muscles. It involves sitting on a bench with dumbbells in each hand and lifting them to shoulder height, then pressing them overhead.
- Triceps pushdowns: This exercise primarily works the triceps muscles. It involves standing in front of a cable machine with a bar attached, holding the bar with an overhand grip, and pushing it down toward your thighs.
- Lateral raises: This exercise primarily works the shoulder muscles. It involves standing with dumbbells in each hand and lifting them to shoulder height, then lowering them back down.
Pull Day
- Deadlifts: This is a compound exercise that primarily works the back, glutes, and hamstrings. It involves lifting a barbell from the ground with both hands using a hip hinge movement.
- Pull-ups: This exercise primarily works the back and biceps. It involves hanging from a bar with your palms facing away from you and pulling yourself up until your chin is above the bar.
- Barbell rows: This exercise primarily works the back muscles. It involves bending over with a barbell in both hands, pulling the barbell up toward your chest, and then lowering it back down.
- Hammer curls: This exercise primarily works the biceps muscles. It involves holding dumbbells in each hand with your palms facing your body and curling the weights up toward your shoulders.
- Face pulls: This exercise primarily works the upper back and rear deltoid muscles. It involves standing in front of a cable machine with a rope attached, pulling the rope toward your face, and squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Leg Day
- Squats: This is a compound exercise that primarily works the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings. It involves standing with a barbell on your shoulders, lowering your hips until your thighs are parallel to the ground, and then standing back up.
- Leg press: This exercise primarily works the quadriceps, glutes, and hamstrings. It involves sitting in a leg press machine and pushing a platform away from your body with your legs.
- Leg curls: This exercise primarily works the hamstrings. It involves lying on a leg curl machine and curling your legs up toward your buttocks.
- Standing calf raises: This exercise primarily works the calf muscles. It involves standing with a barbell on your shoulders and lifting your heels off the ground as high as possible.
You can perform this split by doing Push on Monday, Pull on Wednesday, and Legs on Friday. Alternatively, you can do Push and Pull on Monday and Thursday, and Leg Day on Wednesday.
Remember to adjust the weight and reps according to your fitness level and to progressively increase the weight over time. Also, make sure to properly warm up and cool down before and after each workout to prevent injuries.
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