The 6-day push-pull-legs (PPL) split is one of the most effective training structures for intermediate and advanced lifters who want twice-weekly per-muscle frequency. The format runs two complete PPL cycles per week (push, pull, legs, push, pull, legs) with one rest day, which trains every major muscle group twice per week through movement-pattern organization. The twice-weekly frequency drives faster muscle growth than once-weekly bro splits while remaining structurally simpler than 5-day hybrid splits. Most successful 6-day PPL programs run with one heavier emphasis day and one volume-focused day per pattern (heavy push day 1 / volume push day 2, etc.), which produces stronger long-term progression than identical sessions twice per week.
Below are ten foundational compound exercises organized for the 6-day PPL split: push-day work (bench press, incline press, overhead press, lateral raise) for both push days, pull-day work (bent-over row, pull-up, deadlift) for both pull days, and legs-day work (squat, Romanian deadlift, walking lunge) for both legs days. Together they form the exercise foundation for productive twice-weekly PPL training. The split runs Monday-Saturday with Sunday as the rest day.
Barbell Bench Press
The Barbell Bench Press lies flat on a bench and presses a loaded barbell from chest level to lockout above the chest. The exercise is the cornerstone push-day exercise in a 6-day PPL split, appearing on push day 1 (Monday) as the heavy chest movement.
For the 6-day PPL split, the bench press appears on the first push day of each week as the foundational chest exercise. The bilateral barbell loading produces the strongest chest development per rep available. Run it for 4 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps with 2 to 3 minutes rest as primary heavy chest work.
Lie flat on a bench with feet planted firmly on the floor. Grip the barbell slightly wider than shoulder-width. Lower the bar to mid-chest under control. Press back to lockout. Maintain a slight arch in the lower back, tight upper back, and feet planted throughout.
Dumbbell Incline Bench Press
The Dumbbell Incline Bench Press lies on an incline bench (set to 30 to 45 degrees) and presses dumbbells from chest level to lockout. The exercise is the standard upper-chest exercise on push day 2 (Thursday) in a 6-day PPL split.
For the 6-day PPL split, the incline press appears on the second push day of each week (Thursday) as the upper-chest focused movement. The combination of flat bench (push day 1) and incline press (push day 2) produces twice-weekly chest training with broader development. Run it for 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps as primary upper-chest work.
Set an incline bench to 30 to 45 degrees. Sit back with dumbbells held at chest level, palms facing forward. Press both dumbbells up to lockout above the chest. Lower under control to chest level.
Dumbbell Standing Overhead Press
The Dumbbell Standing Overhead Press stands tall with dumbbells held at the shoulders and presses both up to lockout overhead. The exercise serves as the foundational shoulder exercise on push days in a 6-day PPL split.
For the 6-day PPL split, the overhead press appears on both push days as the shoulder pressing movement. The full-body bracing demand and bilateral loading produce stronger shoulder development per rep than seated machine pressing. Run it for 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps as primary shoulder work.
Stand tall with feet shoulder-width apart and dumbbells held at the shoulders. Press both dumbbells up to lockout overhead. Lower under control to the shoulders. Brace the core hard throughout to prevent body sway.
Dumbbell Lateral Raise
The Dumbbell Lateral Raise holds dumbbells at the sides and lifts them out laterally to shoulder height. The exercise targets the side deltoids directly and produces the visible shoulder caps that define the V-taper.
For the 6-day PPL split, the lateral raise appears on both push days as accessory shoulder isolation work. The pattern hits the medial deltoid heads with maximum efficiency. Run it for 3 to 4 sets of 12 to 15 reps as accessory shoulder work after primary overhead pressing.
Stand tall with dumbbells held at the sides, palms facing the body. Lift the dumbbells out to the sides until the arms are roughly parallel to the floor. Pause briefly at the top. Lower under control. Avoid swinging.
Barbell Bent Over Row
The Barbell Bent Over Row hinges over with a barbell held at hip level and rows the bar to the lower chest by pulling the elbows back. The exercise is the foundational horizontal pulling movement in a 6-day PPL split.
For the 6-day PPL split, the bent-over row appears on pull day 1 (Tuesday) as the cornerstone horizontal pull. The bilateral barbell loading allows heavier total weight than dumbbell variations. Run it for 4 to 5 sets of 6 to 10 reps as primary heavy back work.
Stand with feet hip-width holding a barbell at the front of the thighs. Hinge over by pushing the hips back and bending the knees slightly, lowering the torso to roughly 45 degrees. Row the bar to the lower chest by pulling the elbows back. Lower under control. Keep the back flat throughout.
Pull Up
The Pull Up grips an overhead bar with palms facing away and pulls the body up until the chin clears the bar. The exercise is the foundational vertical pulling movement on pull days in a 6-day PPL split.
For the 6-day PPL split, pull-ups appear on both pull days as primary vertical pull work. The pattern hits the lats more directly than horizontal rowing. Run it for 3 to 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps as primary vertical pull work on every pull session.
Hang from an overhead bar with palms facing away (overhand grip), hands shoulder-width apart. Pull the body up by driving the elbows down until the chin clears the bar. Lower under control to a full hang.
Barbell Deadlift
The Barbell Deadlift starts with the barbell on the floor and lifts it to standing position by hinging at the hips and extending through the legs. The exercise is the foundational pulling exercise on pull day 1 (Tuesday) in a 6-day PPL split.
For the 6-day PPL split, the deadlift appears on pull day 1 (Tuesday) as the heaviest pulling exercise of the week. The high systemic demand makes the deadlift inappropriate for both pull days; one heavy session per week works for most lifters. Run it for 3 to 4 sets of 4 to 6 reps as primary heavy pulling work on Tuesday.
Stand with feet hip-width with the barbell over the middle of the feet. Hinge at the hips and bend the knees to grip the bar with shoulder-width grip. Drive through the legs and pull the bar up close to the body until standing fully upright. Reverse the motion under control. Reset before each rep.
Barbell Squat
The Barbell Squat (back squat) holds a barbell across the upper back and squats down by bending at the hips and knees. The exercise is the cornerstone legs-day exercise in a 6-day PPL split.
For the 6-day PPL split, the back squat appears on legs day 1 (Wednesday) as the primary leg exercise. The combination of bilateral heavy loading and full-body bracing demand drives quad, glute, and hamstring growth. Run it for 4 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps with 2 to 3 minutes rest as primary heavy leg work.
Set up under a barbell on a squat rack with the bar across the upper back. Step back to clear the rack. Stand with feet shoulder-width and toes pointed slightly out. Squat down by sitting the hips back while bending the knees. Drive back to standing through the whole foot.
Barbell Romanian Deadlift
The Barbell Romanian Deadlift starts standing with the barbell at hip level and hinges at the hips with a slight knee bend, lowering the bar in a controlled motion before driving the hips forward to stand. The exercise is the standard hamstring-focused exercise on legs days in a 6-day PPL split.
For the 6-day PPL split, the Romanian deadlift appears on legs day 2 (Saturday) as the primary hamstring exercise. The hip-hinge pattern emphasizes the hamstrings and glutes more heavily than squats. Run it for 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps as primary hamstring work.
Stand tall holding a barbell at hip level with shoulder-width grip. Hinge at the hips with a slight knee bend, lowering the bar in a path close to the legs until the hamstrings stretch. Drive the hips forward to stand back up.
Barbell Walking Lunge
The Barbell Walking Lunge performs walking lunges while holding a barbell across the upper back. The walking pattern adds dynamic loading to the unilateral lunge motion.
For the 6-day PPL split, the walking lunge appears on legs day 2 (Saturday) as accessory unilateral leg work. The pattern produces strong unilateral leg development that bilateral squatting alone cannot match. Run it for 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps per leg as accessory leg work.
Set up under a barbell on a squat rack with the bar across the upper back. Step back to clear the rack. Step forward into a long lunge stance, lowering the back knee toward the floor while bending the front knee. Drive through the front foot to step the back foot forward into the next lunge.
How To Program These Workouts
A productive 6-day PPL split runs as follows: Monday Push 1 (bench press, overhead press, incline accessories), Tuesday Pull 1 (deadlift, bent-over row, pull-ups, bicep work), Wednesday Legs 1 (back squat, leg press, leg accessories), Thursday Push 2 (incline bench press, dumbbell shoulder press, fly variations), Friday Pull 2 (pull-ups primary, seated row, lat pulldowns, bicep work), Saturday Legs 2 (Romanian deadlift, walking lunge, hip thrusts, calves), Sunday rest. The structure trains each pattern with one heavy compound emphasis (day 1) and one volume/hypertrophy emphasis (day 2).
Run primary compounds (bench press, deadlift, squat) for 4 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 reps on heavy days. Run secondary compounds and isolation work for 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps on volume days. Track every set in a training log and aim to add weight, reps, or sets every 1 to 2 weeks. Most lifters can add 5 pounds to compound lifts every 2 to 4 weeks during the first 12 to 18 months of consistent 6-day PPL training. The 6-day frequency drives faster progression than 3-day splits but requires stronger recovery management.
For other split structures, see our best push pull legs split and best 5 day split workout. For shorter PPL training, see our best 3 day split workout.
Final Thoughts
The best 6-day push-pull-legs split delivers complete physique development through twice-weekly per-muscle frequency organized across 6 training days. The combination of foundational compounds run on heavy days and accessory work run on volume days produces stronger growth than once-weekly bro splits while remaining structurally simpler than 5-day hybrid splits. For intermediate and advanced lifters with strong recovery capacity who can sustain 6 sessions per week, the 6-day PPL split is one of the most effective programming structures available.
Stay focused on recovery management. The most common 6-day PPL training mistake is performing maximum-effort training on every session, which produces overtraining within 4 to 6 weeks. The fix: structure the week with one heavy emphasis day and one volume emphasis day per pattern, vary intensity across the week, and prioritize sleep and nutrition. Most lifters need 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night and adequate caloric intake (typically 200 to 500 calories above maintenance for muscle building) to sustain 6-day PPL training long-term.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should each muscle group train on a 6 day PPL split?
Each major muscle group trains twice per week on a 6-day PPL split. Chest trains on both push days (Monday and Thursday); back trains on both pull days (Tuesday and Friday); legs train on both legs days (Wednesday and Saturday). The twice-weekly frequency drives faster growth than once-weekly bro splits while remaining manageable for lifters with good recovery capacity.
Is 6 days too much for PPL?
For most intermediate and advanced lifters with good recovery, no. The 6-day PPL split works because each major muscle group only trains twice per week (every 72 hours), which provides sufficient recovery time. Beginners often do better with 3 to 4-day programs before progressing to 6-day PPL. Lifters with high stress levels, poor sleep, or limited nutrition may struggle with 6-day frequency and benefit from 4 to 5-day alternatives.
How do I structure heavy and volume days on a 6 day PPL?
Most successful programs run day 1 of each pattern as the heavy day (heavy bench press on push 1, heavy deadlift on pull 1, heavy squat on legs 1) and day 2 as the volume/hypertrophy day (lighter weights, higher reps, more isolation work). The structure produces strong long-term progression because each muscle gets one strength-focused session and one hypertrophy-focused session per week.
How long should each 6 day PPL workout be?
60 to 90 minutes works for most lifters. The 6-day frequency means each session focuses on a specific movement pattern (push, pull, or legs) rather than full-body training, which keeps individual sessions manageable. Most well-designed 6-day PPL sessions include 5 to 7 exercises with appropriate rest periods (2 to 3 minutes between heavy compound sets, 60 to 90 seconds between accessory sets).
Can I add a 7th training day to PPL?
Most lifters do better with the standard 6 days plus one full rest day rather than 7 days of training. The 7th day rarely produces meaningful additional gains and significantly increases recovery demands. Some advanced lifters add a 7th day of pure mobility, cardio, or specialty work (arms, neck, calves) without training major muscle groups, but most successful 6-day PPL programs use Sunday for complete rest.
