The push pull legs
workout plan.
A push, pull and legs session in each week of all three training blocks. Use three sessions with rest days between them, or select six days in the builder to repeat the sequence. Finish with six days for recovery and review.
- Length
- 90 days
- Days a week
- 3
- Sessions listed
- 9
- Equipment
- A gym with dumbbells, barbells, cables and machines.
The plan
Everything below is the actual programme, not a summary of one. Work down each session in order. The sets and reps shown are the starting prescription for that phase.
Foundation
Separate pushing, pulling and lower-body sessions.
Push
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Dumbbell bench press | 3 × 8-12 |
| Seated dumbbell press | 3 × 8-12 |
| Push-up variation | 3 × 6-12 |
| Dumbbell lateral raise | 2 × 12 |
Pull
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Lat pulldown | 3 × 10-12 |
| One-arm dumbbell row | 3 × 10/side |
| Band row | 3 × 12 |
| Dumbbell curl | 2 × 12 |
Legs
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Goblet squat | 3 × 8-12 |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 × 8-12 |
| Reverse lunge | 3 × 8/side |
| Standing calf raise | 3 × 15 |
Progression: Add repetitions within the range before increasing load. Keep technique controlled and take an easier week when needed. Rest 60-90 seconds on accessory exercises and 2-3 minutes on main lifts.
Build
Separate pushing, pulling and lower-body sessions.
Push
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Dumbbell bench press | 3 × 8-12 |
| Seated dumbbell press | 3 × 8-12 |
| Push-up variation | 3 × 6-12 |
| Dumbbell lateral raise | 2 × 12 |
Pull
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Lat pulldown | 3 × 10-12 |
| One-arm dumbbell row | 3 × 10/side |
| Band row | 3 × 12 |
| Dumbbell curl | 2 × 12 |
Legs
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Goblet squat | 3 × 8-12 |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 × 8-12 |
| Reverse lunge | 3 × 8/side |
| Standing calf raise | 3 × 15 |
Progression: Add repetitions within the range before increasing load. Keep technique controlled and take an easier week when needed. Rest 60-90 seconds on accessory exercises and 2-3 minutes on main lifts.
Perform
Separate pushing, pulling and lower-body sessions.
Push
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Dumbbell bench press | 3 × 8-12 |
| Seated dumbbell press | 3 × 8-12 |
| Push-up variation | 3 × 6-12 |
| Dumbbell lateral raise | 2 × 12 |
Pull
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Lat pulldown | 3 × 10-12 |
| One-arm dumbbell row | 3 × 10/side |
| Band row | 3 × 12 |
| Dumbbell curl | 2 × 12 |
Legs
| Exercise | Sets & reps |
|---|---|
| Goblet squat | 3 × 8-12 |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 × 8-12 |
| Reverse lunge | 3 × 8/side |
| Standing calf raise | 3 × 15 |
Progression: Add repetitions within the range before increasing load. Keep technique controlled and take an easier week when needed. Rest 60-90 seconds on accessory exercises and 2-3 minutes on main lifts.
Days 85-90: recovery and review
Take easier activity days. Review completed sessions, movement control and energy. Keep a manageable schedule, and repeat or progress gradually. Seek qualified advice about pain or nutrition concerns.
What the three-day split actually covers
The published example has one Push, one Pull and one Legs session per week. Push combines horizontal and overhead pressing; Pull includes a pulldown and rows. The different pulling directions have different setups, so this is not simply a page of interchangeable back exercises. Missing the Pull day leaves that entire session uncompleted. Move to the next manageable appointment rather than adding all of its work to Legs. The builder also supports a six-day version for suitable full- or home-gym selections; that is a different schedule.
Worked log: Dumbbell bench press
This fictional example uses the Dumbbell bench press entry in this routine: 3 × 8–12. It illustrates a way to record comparable sessions, not a starting load or an individual progression prescription.
| Appearance | Log entry |
|---|---|
| First | Push visit: 8/8/8 |
| Next | Next Push visit: 9/8/8 |
| Following | Next Push visit: 9/9/8 |
In this three-day version, these are successive Push visits, normally in different weeks. Do not read the three log rows as three extra Push workouts to add to the printed week.
Further reading: ACSM progression position stand. This supports general progression principles; it does not validate this particular template. See our worked progression guide for the shared method.
Reviewed 26 October 2026 by Phasebuilt. Worked examples are fictional teaching examples, not client results or individual prescriptions. No clinical review is claimed.
How to run it
Warm up for five to ten minutes before the first working set: easy movement, then one or two comfortable practice sets of the first exercise. For floor-only sessions use an easier bodyweight variation; for weighted sessions use a lighter load. Rest 60 to 90 seconds between accessory exercises and two to three minutes after main lifts.
Leave about three reps in reserve for the first fortnight of each phase. When the top of the rep range is clean on every set, add load. Compare like-for-like log entries before changing the demand. Keep fixed-repetition and effort-based prescriptions intact; the worked example below explains how to read this particular template. Progressive overload covers this in more detail.
Record what you lift. A plan you cannot compare to last week is a workout, not a programme.
Who this suits
- You want the push/pull/legs structure without guessing at the programming around it.
- You can train three days a week, or six by running the split twice.
- You have some training history and want organised volume.
Who it does not
- You are completely new to lifting. The Foundation phase here is upper/lower for a reason.
- You want a plan you can finish in four weeks.
Equipment and pain
Use the listed equipment. To see a different setup, choose it in the builder. Start with easier practice repetitions of the movements you will use, then work at a controlled effort. No generic substitution can establish that an exercise is suitable for an injury. Stop painful movements and seek qualified advice.
For bodyweight sessions, progress repetitions and control before harder variations. For loaded sessions, increase load only after the prescribed repetitions feel controlled. Record what you did so you can compare the next session.
Make it yours
The plan above is one configuration. Phasebuilt will rebuild it around your goal, equipment, activity days, experience and approximate session length, and set the calorie and protein targets alongside it. It is free, takes about a minute, and runs entirely in your browser.