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6 sessions as published · ~65 min each
Workout template · Muscle Gain · Push / Pull / Legs

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.

Days / week
6
Session
~65 min
Split
Push / Pull / Legs
Calories
200–300 kcal surplus

The week at a glance

Push day trains everything that presses. Pull day trains everything that pulls. Leg day trains everything below the belt. Nothing overlaps day-to-day.

Day 1 — Push A
Chest-first
Day 2 — Pull A
Horizontal pull-first
Day 3 — Legs A
Squat-first
Day 4 — Push B
Overhead-first
Day 5 — Pull B
Vertical pull-first
Day 6 — Legs B
Hinge-first

Why this combo works

You are in a small surplus. The training builds the tissue your food supplies — nothing more, nothing less.

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.

Sessions

Sets × reps and RIR (reps in reserve) exactly as prescribed.

Template — adjust loads to you

Day 1

Push A

Chest-first
  1. Barbell bench4×6–8 RIR 2
  2. Incline DB press3×8–10 RIR 2
  3. Seated DB press3×8–10 RIR 2
  4. Cable lateral raise3×12–15 RIR 0
  5. Rope pushdown3×10–12 RIR 1
Day 2

Pull A

Horizontal pull-first
  1. Barbell row4×6–8 RIR 2
  2. Lat pulldown3×8–10 RIR 2
  3. Chest-supported row3×10–12 RIR 1
  4. Face pull3×15–20 RIR 0
  5. Barbell curl3×8–10 RIR 1
Day 3

Legs A

Squat-first
  1. Back squat4×5–8 RIR 2
  2. Romanian deadlift3×6–8 RIR 2
  3. Leg press3×10–12 RIR 1
  4. Lying leg curl3×10 RIR 1
  5. Standing calf raise4×10–15 RIR 0
Day 4

Push B

Overhead-first
  1. Overhead press4×6–8 RIR 2
  2. Flat DB press3×8–10 RIR 2
  3. Machine chest press3×10 RIR 1
  4. DB lateral raise3×12 RIR 0
  5. Overhead tricep3×10–12
Day 5

Pull B

Vertical pull-first
  1. Chin-up4×AMRAP RIR 1
  2. Seal row3×8–10 RIR 2
  3. Single-arm lat pulldown3×10 RIR 1
  4. Reverse pec-deck3×15 RIR 0
  5. Hammer curl3×10
Day 6

Legs B

Hinge-first
  1. Trap bar deadlift4×5 RIR 2
  2. Front squat or hack squat3×8 RIR 1
  3. Bulgarian split squat3×10/leg RIR 1
  4. Nordic curl3×8
  5. Seated calf raise4×12 RIR 0

Cardio & progression

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.

Get this plan auto-adjusted to you

bodyBot.ai adapts every set, rep and rest to your recovery, equipment and week-over-week progress. This template becomes your program — not a static PDF.

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