Push Pull Legs (PPL) is one of the most popular training splits — and one of the few actually supported by sports science. But most PPL plans online have serious flaws: wrong volume, no rotation, no recovery consideration.
Schoenfeld et al. (2016): 2×/week/muscle group is optimal for hypertrophy. PPL across 6 days (Push-Pull-Legs-Push-Pull-Legs-Rest) achieves exactly that.
| Day | Muscles | Key Exercises |
|---|---|---|
| Push | Chest, Shoulders, Triceps | Bench, OHP, Laterals, Triceps |
| Pull | Back, Biceps, Rear Delts | Pull-ups, Rows, Face Pulls, Curls |
| Legs | Quads, Hamstrings, Calves, Abs | Squats, RDL, Leg Press, Calf Raises |
| Days/Week | Better Split | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 2–3 | Full Body | Each muscle 2–3×/week |
| 4 | Upper/Lower | Each muscle still 2×/week |
| 5–6 | PPL ✓ | Optimal frequency and volume |
Fonseca (2014): exercises should rotate between the two weekly cycles. Push A: Bench + Cable Laterals. Push B: Incline DB + OHP. Different exercises, same muscles — more hypertrophy than identical sessions.
| Category | Rest | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy Compound | 150–180s | Squats, Bench, Deadlift, OHP |
| Medium Compound | 120–150s | Pull-ups, DB Bench, RDL, Dips |
| Light Compound | 90–120s | Leg Press, Cable Row, Bulgarian Split |
| Isolation | 60–90s | Curls, Extensions, Laterals |
A fixed PPL only works if you train exactly 6 days every week. What if you only manage 4 this week? Or 3? The frequency collapses. The better solution: an adaptive split that adjusts daily based on recovery status and available days. MUSCLE TECHNICS selects the optimal split automatically — PPL when you train 5–6 days, Upper/Lower for 4, Full Body for 2–3.
PPL, Upper/Lower, or Full Body — recalculated daily based on recovery, available days, and volume trends. Plus exercise rotation per Fonseca (2014).
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