6-day push pull legs workout plan

Push, Pull and Legs twice a week for 8 weeks, for intermediate lifters, in sessions under an hour with every set and RIR written out.

Six-day push/pull/legs runs the three sessions twice a week: Push A, Pull A and Legs A, then Push B, Pull B and Legs B, with one rest day. Every muscle gets two sessions a week, none is trained directly on two days in a row, and each session takes about 30-40 minutes. The A and B days train the same muscles with different exercises: the barbell bench press and squat lead Push A and Legs A, the barbell row leads Pull B, and the other days open with an 8-12 rep lift. The big muscle groups get 10-12 sets a week, shoulders and arms 8-11, and week 8 is a deload.

SplitDays a weekLevelWeeksMinutesSets a weekEquipmentIn the app
Push/pull/legs6Intermediate8≈30–4083Barbell, Dumbbells, MachinesPPL · 6 days

Track this plan for free in SmartWorkout

The same exercises, sets, reps and RIR, ready in the app. Logging, rest timer and history are free. Automatic progression suggestions: Premium.

In the app: Plans → PPL · 6 days

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Good fit if

  • Your weights go up every week or two, not every session.
  • You can train six days a week for the next 8 weeks and prefer sessions under an hour.
  • You want every muscle twice a week, with more sets for the shoulders and arms than a 4-day plan gives.

Take another plan if

  • You are in your first months of training: three or four sessions a week already put a beginner in the growth zone. Start with the 3-day full body or the 4-day upper/lower plan for beginners.
  • Six days a week is hard to fit around work, travel or family: the 4-day upper/lower plan gives the big muscles almost the same sets, and PPL + upper/lower is the 5-day option.

Weekly schedule

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
Push APull ALegs APush BPull BLegs BRest

Missed a day? Do the next session in order: the app runs the sessions in sequence.

Six days in a row with Sunday off is the usual layout. If a mid-week break suits you better, rest after Legs A and finish the week with Push B, Pull B and Legs B. Keep the order of the sessions either way: Friday's barbell row is followed by Legs B, which has no Romanian deadlift, so the barbell row and the Romanian deadlift never land on consecutive days.

The plan, week 1

Week 1 is calibration: pick a weight for the bottom of each range with one more rep in reserve than later. The RIR column shows week 1 → week 2 onwards; the grid below shows what changes in weeks 2-8.

Tempo 3-0-1-0: 3 s lowering, 0 s pause in the stretch, 1 s lifting, 0 s pause in the squeeze. X: lift as fast as you can while staying in control.

What RIR means →How to read tempo →

B3fx3×6–10 · RIR 2
ExerciseSets × repsRIRTempoRestNotes
WUWarm-up sets2 × 5––1:00
ABarbell Bench Press3 × 6–103 → 22-0-X-03:00
BSeated Dumbbell Shoulder Press3 × 8–123 → 22-0-1-02:00
CCable Middle Chest Fly2 × 10–152 → 12-0-1-11:00
DDumbbell Lateral Raise3 × 12–202 → 12-0-1-01:00
ECable Triceps Pushdown3 × 10–152 → 12-0-1-11:00

14 working sets · ≈35 min

B3fx3×8–12 · RIR 1
ExerciseSets × repsRIRTempoRestNotes
WUWarm-up sets2 × 8––1:00
ACable Lat Pulldown3 × 8–122 → 12-0-1-12:00Pull-ups instead if you can do 10 or more strict reps.
BSeated Cable Row3 × 8–122 → 12-0-1-12:00
CCable Rear Delt Fly3 × 12–202 → 12-0-1-11:00
DDumbbell Biceps Curl3 × 10–152 → 12-0-1-01:00
EKneeling Cable Abs Crunches2 × 10–152 → 12-0-1-11:00

14 working sets · ≈35 min

B3fx3×6–10 · RIR 2
ExerciseSets × repsRIRTempoRestNotes
WUWarm-up sets2 × 5––1:00
ABarbell Squat3 × 6–103 → 22-0-X-03:00
BRomanian Deadlift3 × 8–123 → 23-0-1-02:30Bar close to the legs, hips back; stop before the back rounds.
CSeated Leg Curl3 × 10–152 → 12-0-1-11:30
DSeated Leg Extension Machine3 × 10–152 → 12-0-1-11:30
ECalf Leg Press3 × 10–152 → 12-2-1-01:00

15 working sets · ≈40 min

B3fx3×8–12 · RIR 2
ExerciseSets × repsRIRTempoRestNotes
WUWarm-up sets2 × 8––1:00
AIncline Dumbbell Bench Press3 × 8–123 → 22-0-X-02:00
BMachine Chest Press2 × 8–122 → 12-0-1-02:00
CDumbbell Lateral Raise3 × 12–202 → 12-0-1-01:00
DCable Overhead Triceps Extension3 × 10–152 → 13-0-1-01:00
EKneeling Cable Abs Crunches2 × 10–152 → 12-0-1-11:00

13 working sets · ≈30 min

B3fx3×6–10 · RIR 2
ExerciseSets × repsRIRTempoRestNotes
WUWarm-up sets2 × 5––1:00
ABarbell Bent Over Row3 × 6–103 → 22-0-1-02:30Torso at about 45 degrees or lower, and still. If you have to swing the weight up, it is too heavy.
BCable Neutral Grip Lat Pulldown3 × 8–122 → 12-0-1-12:00Not Tuesday's pulldown: a different grip after heavy rows, with its own weights.
CCable Face Pull2 × 12–202 → 12-0-1-11:00
DSeated Incline Biceps Curl3 × 10–152 → 13-0-1-01:00
EDumbbell Hammer Curl2 × 10–152 → 12-0-1-01:00

13 working sets · ≈30 min

B3fx3×8–12 · RIR 1
ExerciseSets × repsRIRTempoRestNotes
WUWarm-up sets2 × 8––1:00
AMachine Hack Squat3 × 8–122 → 13-0-1-02:30
BBarbell Hip Thrust3 × 8–123 → 22-0-1-12:00
CDumbbell Walking Lunges2 × 8–123 → 22-0-1-01:308-12 reps per leg.
DSeated Leg Curl3 × 10–152 → 12-0-1-11:30
ECalf Leg Press3 × 10–152 → 12-2-1-01:00

14 working sets · ≈40 min

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Week by week

W1W2W3W4W5W6W7W8
PhaseCalibrationBuildBuildBuildBuildBuildBuildDeload
RIR3 / 22 / 12 / 12 / 12 / 12 / 12 / 14
Working sets8383838383838353
What to doFind your weightsReps, then weightReps, then weightReps, then weightReps, then weightReps, then weightReps, then weightSame weights, half the sets
Done: Push A
Done: Pull A
Done: Legs A
Done: Push B
Done: Pull B
Done: Legs B

Week 8 is a deload: about 60% of the sets (4→2, 3→2, 2→1), the same weights and rest, stop at RIR 4. Why a deload helps →

Saved only in this browser. The app keeps your weights and reps.

Worked example: Barbell Bench Press

Sample numbers of a simulated lifter, worked through with the manual rule on this page.

WeekWeightReps per setRIRNext session
172.5 kg6 · 6 · 63Calibration done: add reps
272.5 kg7 · 7 · 73Add reps
372.5 kg8 · 8 · 82Add reps
472.5 kg9 · 9 · 82Add reps
572.5 kg9 · 9 · 92Add reps
672.5 kg9 · 9 · 92Add reps
772.5 kg10 · 10 · 92Next week: deload
872.5 kg8 · 84Next run starts at 77.5 kg

How to progress on this plan

The simplest method that works on any plan: double progression. Keep the weight and add reps while you finish your sets with the reserve in the RIR column. When every set reaches the top of the range, add one step and build the reps up again.

  • Barbell Bench Press 3 × 6–10 at RIR 2: when all 3 sets reach 10 reps at RIR 2 or easier, add 2.5 kg next session.
  • Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 × 8–12 at RIR 2: when all 3 sets reach 12 reps at RIR 2 or easier, add 2 kg next session.
  • Cable Lat Pulldown 3 × 8–12 at RIR 1: when all 3 sets reach 12 reps at RIR 1 or easier, add 2.5 kg next session.
  • Seated Cable Row 3 × 8–12 at RIR 1: when all 3 sets reach 12 reps at RIR 1 or easier, add 2.5 kg next session.
  • Barbell Squat 3 × 6–10 at RIR 2: when all 3 sets reach 10 reps at RIR 2 or easier, add 2.5 kg next session.
  • Romanian Deadlift 3 × 8–12 at RIR 2: when all 3 sets reach 12 reps at RIR 2 or easier, add 2.5 kg next session.
  • Isolation exercises (10–20 reps) follow the same rule. With light dumbbells, the next pair can be too big a jump: use the in-between weight, or stay and go 1-2 reps above the range for a week or two.
  • The bench press, squat and barbell row (6-10 reps at RIR 2) come once a week each, so the reps climb from 6 toward 10 while the bar may stay at one weight for most of the block, as in the worked example. That is progress; the next run starts heavier.
  • Free-weight compounds (the barbell lifts, the hip thrust, the dumbbell presses and the walking lunges) stop at RIR 2; machines, cables and isolation exercises at RIR 1.
  • Lateral raises, cable crunches, leg curls and calf raises are written the same on both of their days, so each carries on from its last session.
  • The dumbbell presses go up to the next pair in your gym, often 2 kg heavier: log the weight you actually lifted.

What to do next session

You loggedNext session
All sets at the top of the range with the planned reserveOne weight step up
Below the top, with the planned reserveSame weight, +1 rep on the sets that allow it
One rep less in reserve than plannedSame weight and reps: repeat the session
Sets below the range, or RIR 0 when the target was 2Keep the weight; if sets fell below the range, one step down
No progress for 2 sessionsCheck rest and honest RIR; after a 3rd session, about −10% and build back up

The full guide: how to progress →

Your starting weights

Enter a recent set of the exercise: weight, reps and how many reps you had left. You get the week-1 weight for the bottom of the range with one rep more in reserve, from the widely used RPE chart (RTS).

 

1RM calculator →

Weekly volume per muscle

Working sets per muscle in a regular week, counted the way the app counts them: a set is 1 for a muscle the exercise trains directly and 0.5 for one it trains indirectly. Warm-ups don't count.

  • Chest102×/wk
  • Back122×/wk
  • Quadriceps112×/wk
  • Hamstrings10.52×/wk
  • Gluteus11.52×/wk
  • Side delts92×/wk
  • Rear delts82×/wk
  • Biceps82×/wk
  • Triceps112×/wk
  • Front delts101×/wk
  • Calves62×/wk
  • Abs42×/wk
  • Trapezius7.52×/wk
  • Lower Back4.51×/wk
ZonesBelow maintenanceMaintenance zoneGrowth zoneHigh volumeVery high volume

Abs and calves are optional. From 10 sets a week the app labels a muscle "High volume": above its default target and still productive.

Count your own sets →

Substitutions

Choose your substitute in week 1 and keep it for all 8 weeks: the app tracks progress per exercise. Each substitute trains the same muscles directly, so the volume above stays the same.

In the planSwap for
Barbell Bench PressDumbbell Bench Press, Smith Bench Press
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder PressMachine Shoulder Press, Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Seated Arnold Dumbbell Press
Cable Middle Chest FlyPec Deck Chest Fly, Dumbbell Chest Fly, High Low Cable Chest Fly
Dumbbell Lateral RaiseCable Lateral Raise, Machine Lateral Raise, Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raise
Cable Triceps PushdownEZ-Bar Tricep Pushdown, Dumbbell Lying Triceps Extension, Machine Triceps Extension
Cable Lat Pulldown

Pull-ups instead if you can do 10 or more strict reps.

Pull-Up, Lat Pulldown Machine, One-Arm Lat Pulldown
Seated Cable RowOne-Arm Cable Row, One-Arm Low Cable Seated Row
Cable Rear Delt FlyMachine Reverse Flyes, Alternate Bent Over Dumbbell Reverse Fly
Dumbbell Biceps CurlEZ-Bar Biceps Curl, Bar Cable Biceps Curl, Barbell Biceps Curl
Kneeling Cable Abs CrunchesMachine Abdominal Crunches, Decline Crunch, Weighted Decline Crunch
Barbell SquatFront Squat, Lowbar Squat, Landmine Squat
Romanian Deadlift

Bar close to the legs, hips back; stop before the back rounds.

Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift, Dumbbell Deadlift
Seated Leg CurlStanding Leg Curl, Single-Leg Cable Leg Curl, Seated Single Leg Curl
Seated Leg Extension MachineSingle-Leg Extension, Sissy Squat
Calf Leg PressDumbbell Standing Calf Raises, Barbell Calf Raise, Rotary Calf Raise
Incline Dumbbell Bench PressIncline Barbell Bench Press, Smith Incline Chest Press
Machine Chest PressLying Chest Press, Close Grip Dumbbell Press
Cable Overhead Triceps ExtensionOne-Arm Overhead Triceps Extension, EZ-Bar Seated Triceps Extension, Lying EZ-Bar Triceps Extension
Barbell Bent Over Row

Torso at about 45 degrees or lower, and still. If you have to swing the weight up, it is too heavy.

Dumbbell Bent Over Row, Pendlay Row, Barbell Reverse Grip Bent Over Row
Cable Neutral Grip Lat Pulldown

Not Tuesday's pulldown: a different grip after heavy rows, with its own weights.

Neutral-Grip Pull-Up, Cable Close Grip Lat Pulldown, Cable Reverse Grip Pulldown
Cable Face PullSeated Face Pull, Dumbbell Rear Delt Row
Seated Incline Biceps CurlBayesian Cable Curl, Dumbbell Incline Hammer Curl, Incline Cable Curl
Dumbbell Hammer CurlRope Cable Hammer Curl, Dumbbell Cross Body Hammer Curl, Seated Hammer Curl
Machine Hack SquatLeg Press, Machine Reverse Hack Squat
Barbell Hip ThrustMachine Hip Thrust, Barbell Glute Bridge
Dumbbell Walking Lunges

8-12 reps per leg.

Dumbbell Step-Up, Kettlebell Rear Lunge

Adapt the plan

Short on time
Sessions already take about 30-40 minutes. To save another 3-6 minutes, drop the last exercise of the day: the pushdown on Push A, the crunch on Pull A and Push B, the hammer curl on Pull B and the calf raise on both Legs days; on Legs A, the longest day, the leg extension too. Every major muscle stays in the growth zone.
Bulking or cutting
Keep the plan as it is in both. On a cut, aim to hold your weights: reps that drop by one or two are normal, and you can skip the last set of the isolation exercises if recovery suffers.
Bringing up one muscle
The big muscles already get 10-12 sets, so prioritise a smaller one at 8-9 sets (side delts, rear delts, biceps): add one set to its exercise on both of its days, for example a fourth set of lateral raises on Push A and Push B.
Over 40
Warm up a little longer, keep one more rep in reserve on the heavy barbell lifts and take the full rest. Joints decide the pace, not the calendar.
Training at home
This plan needs cables and machines for the pulldowns, rows, flyes, pushdowns, crunches and leg curls. At home with dumbbells and a bench, take the 4-day dumbbell upper/lower plan.

The same plan in the app

The app opens exactly this plan: all 8 weeks, the same targets, week 1 calibration included. Its description in the app:

Push, Pull, Legs twice a week (Mon to Sat) for intermediates who like to train almost every day: short workouts of about 45-60 minutes, every big muscle group twice a week and the most sets a week of our plans. 8 weeks: week 1 is calibration (one more rep in reserve than the target), weeks 2-7 at RIR 2 on free-weight compounds and RIR 1 on the rest, week 8: deload, about half the sets, RIR 4. Progression: add reps first, then weight once every set reaches the top of its range at the target RIR.

Free: the plan, logging weight, reps and RIR, the rest timer, history, previous results and the calculators.

This page teaches the manual method. With Premium, the app suggests the weight and reps for every set after each workout, from the weights, reps and RIR you logged, including week-1 calibration and the deload. Its suggestions can differ from this simple rule because it uses more of your data.

Track this plan for free in SmartWorkout

The same exercises, sets, reps and RIR, ready in the app. Logging, rest timer and history are free. Automatic progression suggestions: Premium.

In the app: Plans → PPL · 6 days

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Questions

Not for an intermediate lifter who sleeps and eats enough. The big muscles get 10-12 sets a week, about what a good 4-day plan gives, spread over six sessions under an hour, and no muscle is trained directly two days in a row. It is too much if you can't keep six days for 8 weeks or your sessions keep getting worse towards the end of the week: then take the 5-day or the 4-day plan.

It works, but it is not the best start. In your first months, three or four sessions a week already put every muscle in the growth zone; six days add fatigue and missed sessions, not muscle. Start with the 3-day full body or the 4-day upper/lower plan for beginners and come back when your weights go up only every week or two.

Both train every muscle twice a week, and the big muscles get almost the same sets. The 6-day plan has shorter sessions (about 30-40 minutes instead of 40-50) and 83 sets a week instead of 75, the extra ones mostly for the shoulders and arms. If you are not sure you can keep six days, the 4-day plan is the safer choice: a missed day costs less.

For building muscle, usually on 6: every muscle gets two sessions a week and more sets, in shorter sessions. On three days push/pull/legs trains each muscle once a week, in sessions of about 50-55 minutes. If you have only three days, the 3-day full body plan is the better choice anyway.

They train the same muscles with different exercises and rep ranges. Push A opens with the barbell bench press and Legs A with the squat, both at 6-10 reps, and Pull A with the lat pulldown. On the B days the incline dumbbell press, the barbell row and the hack squat lead. Each muscle gets two different sessions a week, and each barbell lift comes only once.

Run the plan again from week 1 with the weights you reached in week 7. The calibration week sets your new starting point, usually heavier than in the first run. Swap an exercise for one of its substitutions only if it hurts or has stalled for a whole run.

Yes, and it always will be. The whole plan is on this page, and the same plan is free in the SmartWorkout app, with logging, the rest timer and history. You pay only for Premium coaching, meaning progression suggestions and the weekly volume analysis, and for AI credits.

No. You can print the plan and follow the rules on this page. The app saves you the bookkeeping: it shows last session's weights and reps next to every set.

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