PPL for Muscle Gain
PPL is the most popular intermediate hypertrophy split for a reason — every muscle trained twice a week, honest weekly volume, and every session ordered around a heavy compound.
Goal: Muscle Gain — You are in a small surplus. The training builds the tissue your food supplies — nothing more, nothing less.
Split: Push / Pull / Legs — Push day trains everything that presses. Pull day trains everything that pulls. Leg day trains everything below the belt. Nothing overlaps day-to-day.
Frequency: 6 days/week · Session: ~65 min
Calories: 200–300 kcal surplus
Why this combo works
Six sessions a week works for muscle gain because a surplus provides the recovery for it. Each muscle gets ~1.7× frequency and volume climbs from MEV (minimum effective volume) toward MAV (maximum adaptive volume) over an 8-week block.
Weekly structure
Day 1 — Push A
Chest-first
- Barbell bench 4×6–8 RIR 2
- Incline DB press 3×8–10 RIR 2
- Seated DB press 3×8–10 RIR 2
- Cable lateral raise 3×12–15 RIR 0
- Rope pushdown 3×10–12 RIR 1
Day 2 — Pull A
Horizontal pull-first
- Barbell row 4×6–8 RIR 2
- Lat pulldown 3×8–10 RIR 2
- Chest-supported row 3×10–12 RIR 1
- Face pull 3×15–20 RIR 0
- Barbell curl 3×8–10 RIR 1
Day 3 — Legs A
Squat-first
- Back squat 4×5–8 RIR 2
- Romanian deadlift 3×6–8 RIR 2
- Leg press 3×10–12 RIR 1
- Lying leg curl 3×10 RIR 1
- Standing calf raise 4×10–15 RIR 0
Day 4 — Push B
Overhead-first
- Overhead press 4×6–8 RIR 2
- Flat DB press 3×8–10 RIR 2
- Machine chest press 3×10 RIR 1
- DB lateral raise 3×12 RIR 0
- Overhead tricep 3×10–12
Day 5 — Pull B
Vertical pull-first
- Chin-up 4×AMRAP RIR 1
- Seal row 3×8–10 RIR 2
- Single-arm lat pulldown 3×10 RIR 1
- Reverse pec-deck 3×15 RIR 0
- Hammer curl 3×10
Day 6 — Legs B
Hinge-first
- Trap bar deadlift 4×5 RIR 2
- Front squat or hack squat 3×8 RIR 1
- Bulgarian split squat 3×10/leg RIR 1
- Nordic curl 3×8
- Seated calf raise 4×12 RIR 0
Cardio
1–2 Z2 walks per week (20–30 min) for cardiovascular health. No HIIT — it competes with recovery you need for the volume.
Progression
Add 1 set to lagging body parts each week for the first 6 weeks (MEV → MAV), then deload week 7 and reset. Progressive overload on top sets throughout.
Frequently asked questions
How long until I see results?
Chest and arm development at 8–12 weeks. Legs and back take longer to visually change but strength gains show up in the first month.
Is 6 days sustainable?
If you sleep 7+ hours and eat in a surplus, yes. If life is chaotic, run the 5-day rotating version (Push-Pull-Legs-Push-Pull, rest, Legs).
Do I need to eat in a surplus?
For meaningful muscle gain, yes — 200–300 kcal above maintenance. Otherwise you're recomping, which is much slower.
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