A 3 day push pull legs workout routine (PPL) can help ensure you train each muscle group of the body at least once per week.
They also allow you to focus on a set of muscle groups during each workout. This focus can help you achieve a better pump than other workout styles, which is a very pleasurable experience.
Splitting your 3 day workout routines in a push/pull/egs fashion can also allow you to go heavier on your compound lifts than you might be able to if you were training several compound lifts in a more full body style workout.
How you select exercises, set ranges, and rep ranges for your 3 day ppl workout routine will depend on your goals, experience levels, ability, and more.
In this article, we hope to provide you with a PPL workout template to help guide you on your journey to make a 3 day ppl workout split of your own.
3 Day Push Pull Legs Workout Routine Overview
This template assumes that you have 3 day per week in which you can make it to the gym to workout.
The split between workouts will feature one push workout, one pull workout, and one leg workout.
The exercise selection for this template will focus mostly on compound lifts. However, workouts are highly individualistic. So, please experiment with exercise to select the appropriate exercise variation for your goals and abilities.
The set ranges will vary with a low end and a high end. If you are more of a beginner, stick to the lower end of the set ranges. If you are more intermediate-advanced, you may want to consider performing the higher set range listed.
A sample weekly routine of how you might want to split your workouts would look something like this:
3 Day PPL Workout Weekly Split
- Monday: Push Workout
- Tuesday: Rest
- Wednesday: Pull Workout
- Thursday: Rest
- Friday: Leg Workout
- Weekends: Rest
The actual days you workout are up to you and should be based on what days you feel you can consistently make it to the gym to workout. The days you pick can vary week to week if you have obligations that require flexibility.
The important thing is to set a goal each week to get all 3 of your workouts in with at least 1 rest day in between workouts.
This weekly breakdown does not include cardio exercise, which you might want to include in your workout routine as well. Cardio can be performed after workouts or on your rest days.
Monday: Push Workout
| Exercises | Set Range | Rep Range |
| Dumbbell Bench Press | 3-5 | 6-12 |
| Dumbbell Incline Bench Press | 3-5 | 8-12 |
| Dumbbell Push Press | 3-5 | 6-12 |
| Machine Shoulder Press | 3-5 | 8-12 |
| Machine Tricep Pressdown | 3-5 | 6-12 |
| One Arm Dumbbell Overhead Tricep Extension | 3-5 | 8-12 Each |
Wednesday: Pull Workout
| Exercises | Set Range | Rep Range |
| Barbell Row | 3-5 | 6-12 |
| Seated Cable Row | 3-5 | 8-12 |
| Pull Up | 3-5 | 6-12 |
| Hammer Strength Lat Pull Down | 3-5 | 8-12 |
| Dumbbell Bicep Curl | 3-5 | 6-12 |
| Dumbbell Hammer Curl | 3-5 | 8-12 |
Friday: Leg Workout
| Exercises | Set Range | Rep Range |
| Barbell Back Squat | 3-5 | 6-12 |
| Leg Extension | 3-5 | 8-12 |
| Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift | 3-5 | 6-12 |
| Machine Leg Curl | 3-5 | 8-12 |
| Hip Thrust | 3-5 | 6-12 |
| Calf Raise | 3-5 | 8-12 |
Final Thoughts on the 3 Day Push/Pull/Legs Workout Template
3 day workout routines are pretty optimal for most individuals who have several life responsibilities such as family and work.
They allow you to get in all the strength based work you need to build and maintain muscle.
The push pull legs split is a great way to split up your workouts between 3 days in a week. It allows you to train every muscle group of the body at least once throughout the week. It also allows you to focus on building the targeted muscles of the training session or strength depending on how you design the workout.
If you have any questions about 3 day workouts or ppl workouts, please drop a comment down below.
And if you are interested in another way to split your workouts up between 3 days per week, check out full body workouts for another training style you might enjoy.