A Push Pull Legs (or Push Legs Pull) split is a high frequency training routine that sees you hitting the gym 6 days per week with individual sessions focused on specific muscle groups.
One of the principal benefits of high frequency training, such as a push/pull/leg split, is that it provides ample training time to accumulate the higher training volume levels required to maximise muscle hypertrophy.
Arguably overkill for many, a 6-day split is generally for experienced trainees dedicated to maximising their muscle-building potential. To this end we are less concerned with shifting heavy weights and more focused on feel and maximising time under tension.
That said, a push pull legs split can be employed in what has become known as a ‘power building’ split where the aim is to increase both size and strength through a mixture of lower rep heavy compound lifts and higher rep accessory exercises.
Although we would generally only recommend a push pull legs split for more advanced/intermediate lifters, it can be effectively utilised by less experienced trainees. Again, due to the number of sessions per week, it is relatively easy to accumulate a moderate to high total weekly volume in a short amount of time, when viewed on a per session basis. Working at a lower per-session volume level, you can complete a workout in 30-40 minutes. This makes the program compatible with a quick pre-work or lunchtime session.
Below we’ve set out extensive notes on how to run a push/pull/legs program followed by a workout plan template.
This template provides a great off the shelf routine or a basis for you to tweak as your training focus dictates (more on this below).
Regardless of lifting experience, please lift safely with good form and within your limits. Consult a professional coach or PT if you have any doubt about how to perform any of the exercises listed.
How you lift is more important than how much. Leave your ego at the door before every session.
Who is this program for and why should I run it?
High frequency/high volume training is laser-focused on muscle hypertrophy. If you are primarily concerned with strength or powerlifting then this workout isn’t for you.
Simply put, the more times you can work out in a week the more times you put your body into a muscle-building state. And the easier it is to reach the higher training volumes required to maximise increases in muscle size.
Frequency and volume requirements will vary by individual and muscle group. But, to maximise growth, you should aim to train each muscle 2-3 times per week and for between a total of 12-24 sets.
Note that this working set range is just that, a range. Some trainees will see fantastic gains at the lower end of the scale, others may need to work at the upper end. The same is true with individual muscles, some will grow just fine with relatively low number of working sets each week, others may need in excess of 20 to really shine.
Generally, however, as your training experience grows so will your need for increased training volume. Splitting your training across multiple sessions makes hitting a higher training volume relatively easy, while also allowing you to manage fatigue.
Remember, you have a finite pool of energy that is depleted with every working set. This means you’re very unlikely to hit your 10th working set with the same intensity as the first.
Again, by splitting your training volume across multiple days you can hit each and every working set with appropriate intensity and reach a high total weekly training volume, both of which are essential to see continued muscle gain.
Due to the high volume/high intensity of the program it is best suited to intermediate and more experienced lifters with a good few years of solid training under their belts.
While there is no set rule/benchmarks to determine if you are ‘intermediate’, the following is a good rule of thumb to determine if you really need such an intense program:
- You have at least 18-24 months of regular, programmed, resistance training under your belt. E.g. 3-4 times per week following a 3-day full body or 4-day upper/lower plan, but your gains have slowed or stalled.
- Benching your own body weight for reps is a cakewalk, as is squatting 1.5X and deadlifting 2X your bodyweight.
- You understand and track your nutrition, body weight and body measurements
- You know your true 1 rep maxes and how to correctly perform the big compound gym moves
- You look like you regularly hit the gym and likely wear shirts that are a touch too small for you……
Or,
- You just really like going to the gym
Novice lifters can also achieve incredible results following a 6-day split.
It is probably overkill, but there is nothing wrong with hitting the gym more often, provided you watch your overall volume levels and manage your nutrition and recovery appropriately.
That said, if you are relatively new to training and do want to follow the split, begin at a lower volume level of around 10-12 working sets per muscle group, per week.
In this case your program would likely feature just 2 exercises per body part per session with 3 working sets for each.
As your body adjusts to the new workload you can slowly increase your weekly volume over several weeks/months.
Plus it would be sensible to work on a 3 days on/1 off (or even a 3 days on/2 days off) schedule to allow your body to acclimatise to the high-frequency training.
Program training frequency
High training frequency is a key advantage to, and a point for, this program.
The routine will see you hitting the gym 6 times per week alternating through the push, leg and pull sessions.
If you stick to a 7-day cycle this means you’ll be undertaking 6 consecutive gym sessions followed by one rest day each week.
Due to the high frequency of the program, you have little room for variation in when you workout out or how many rest days you have.
But, as with any workout, you don’t have to follow a 7-day cycle.
The program will be just as effective if you work a 3 days on/1 day off schedule. This does mean each ‘cycle’ lasts 8 days, however, and thus the days you workout will change from one week to the next.
Assuming your internal clock/OCD doesn’t go haywire with you not working your chest on international bench press Monday, you’ll see just as good results and will certainly benefit from the additional rest day.
Regardless of the schedule you choose other life pressures will mean you miss the occasional session.
If you are comfortable with the 3 days on/1 day off routine just take the missed day as a rest day and start another 3-day cycle the following day.
If sticking to a 7-day schedule, thus set training days, resume where you would have been as normal the following day (e.g. if you missed leg day on Tuesday you still undertake a Pull day on Wednesday, accepting the missed leg session for the week).
A 6-day split is for the very committed thus you have to be available and willing to hit the gym each and every day for it to be effective.
If other life commitments don’t allow you this level of flexibility it is perhaps better to go with a 3-day or 4 day split. This will give you more options for when you workout and make it easier to stay on track if you do have to miss a session.
In defence of the bro split – A body part split workout for muscle hypertrophy
A body part split, often referred to as a bro split, sees you dedicating each gym session to just a single muscle group.
A powerlifting program for beginners
Start your powerlifting training the right way with our comprehensive 4 day strength building plan
A 4 Day Workout Split For Muscle Hypertrophy
A 4 day hypertrophy split sees you dividing muscle focus across multiple gym sessions for maximum gains.
Push/Legs/Pull or Push/Pull/Legs?
Some trainees find that a heavy back session can negatively impact the following leg session due to lower back soreness hindering their squats, RDLs etc.
But this isn’t universal and you may be entirely comfortable undertaking your pull sessions before your legs.
It could also be argued, however, that having a day between your upper session is smart as it helps with recovery/fatigue management.
But, again, this isn’t universal to all trainees and, allowing for sufficient nutrition and recovery, it shouldn’t be an issue training the upper sessions on consecutive days.
Ultimately you can run the split in any order you like or feel comfortable with. So experiment over a few weeks and see what feels best and what you prefer.
The important factor is that you hit each muscle group at least twice per week and with sufficient volume to maximise muscle hypertrophy.
Lifting technique and tempo
Measured controlled lifting is the order of the day.
Your aim should be to maximise the tension you place upon your muscles, which has been shown to be the most dominant contributor to muscle growth.
Work through a full range of motion every rep, utilising a 2-3 second count for the eccentric portion (the lowering phase of each exercise) and a 1-second pause at both the bottom and top of each lift to remove any momentum.
Lifting with correct form and efficiency may mean you need to lower the weights for a few sessions/training cycles.
So, as the cliche goes, swallow your pride and check your ego at the door.
Don’t stress, after a short time of lifting with correct form you’ll likely blow past your previous bests and enjoy a far more satisfying pump.
Rep ranges
The aim of this program is muscle hypertrophy. This means we work in the mid to high rep ranges with the majority of exercises undertaken between 6-15 reps.
For some of the isolation/accessory moves, we recommend going as high as 20 reps but feel free to experiment.
Remember that progressive overload is key so be consistent with your weights and rep ranges week to week so you have a benchmark to build from.
But feel free to mix up your rep ranges between similar sessions.
For example, for the first push session you may complete your bench press in the 6-8 rep range, thus push a heavier weight. You then bench in the 10-12 rep range and with a more moderate weight for your 2nd weekly push session.
Regardless of the rep range employed remember that intensity and effort are key. You should be working in the 1-3 RIR range for all of your working sets.
Use progressive overload to maximise gains
As with any program, to be effective you must employ progressive overload to increase intensity over time, forcing your body to continually adapt and grow bigger/stronger.
And, as a more advanced trainee you may also benefit from adopting undulating periodisation, varying your training intensity from session to session.
You should be in the habit of logging and reviewing your gym sessions. Noting down the weight lifted and the sets/reps completed for each exercise.
Importantly, you should also note down the reps in reserve (RiR) you felt you had for the last set of each exercise
Reps in Reserve is a measure of how many more reps you could do with correct form after you’ve finished your prescribed number.
If, for example, you were working to failure you’d have an RiR of 0, that is you couldn’t do another rep with the correct form if your life depended on it.
At the other end of the scale, if you push out 10 good reps and feel you had at least another 5 in the tank you’d have an RiR of 5.
For this program you want to be working to an RiR of 1-3 reps for each exercise (note suggestion on working to failure below).
When you can finish your last set of a given exercise with an RiR above 3 it’s a good indication that you are ready to increase intensity.
Add 5-10% more weight or 1-2 reps until you are back working at the 1-3 RIR range. Rinse and repeat.
Remember form is paramount and you should only be increasing intensity where you can safely and effectively perform a given exercise at the new weight or rep/set range.
For a more in-depth look at reps in reserve and how to best utilise it in your workouts, take a look at our article here.
Should you train to technical failure?
While training to technical failure may create a greater training stimulus, it will also create a disproportionate amount of fatigue.
This in turn can negatively affect recovery, subsequent workouts and thus your ability to consistently hit the sufficient volume and intensity levels required to maximise muscle growth.
Our general view is that training to failure isn’t necessary or worth the injury risk. This seems especially clear if your focus is on training for hypertrophy.
That said, it may be worth incorporating training to failure in your routine every so often as both a means of benchmarking progress and keeping yourself honest regards your effort.
For example, working to failure on the last set of a specific exercise at the end of a training cycle/period wouldn’t be without merit, if done safely.
Also, as a general rule, working to failure is less of an issue for smaller muscles and isolation moves (e.g. bicep curls, calf raises, side delt raises) as you won’t cause too much fatigue.
You should avoid working to failure with the big compound moves (e.g. squats, deadlifts, bench press) too often, however, as the amount of fatigue created and the injury risk is not worth the limited benefits (1RM/PB chasing notwithstanding).
If you are training to failure please only do so with a competent spotter and/or safety bars in place.
Should you train to failure?
How hard you work in the gym will be a key determinant of the results you’ll see. But do you need to train to failure to see your best results?
Reps in reserve – how to gauge your efforts in the gym
Reps in reserve (RIR) and relative perceived effort (RPE) are both excellent tools to help gauge effort and progress in the gym.
Progressive overload – the most important law of strength training and bodybuilding?
Progressive overload is perhaps the most important law in strength training and bodybuilding. How should you utilise it for maximum gains?
Exercise selection
The principle methodology behind the exercise selection is thus; one big compound movement per major muscle group followed by 1-2 accessory lifts (which can be variations on the core compound lift).
For each muscle group it is recommended that you always include the big compound lift, and complete it first, but you can follow this with your preferred accessory moves.
For example, for optimal chest training, we would always recommend starting with a flat or slight incline barbell press. This move allows you to shift the most weight thus put the most healthy stress on the target muscle.
But for your accessory moves go with what you enjoy or what feels best. For example, low to high cable flys, a dumbbell press variation or the humble push-up.
Similarly with quad training. We would always recommend starting with a back squat then adding in your accessory move of choice, such as leg extensions, leg press or split squats.
It isn’t right to say the big compound moves are non-negotiable, there are multiple ways to work muscles through the most optimal range of motion. But, all things being equal and assuming you have no inherent problems/injuries stopping you from performing the big compound movements correctly, they should be built into your workouts and performed early in your session.
The exception to this rule is during a ‘cutting’ phase where you may want to lower your use of compound movements in favour of less fatigue-inducing options (see ‘running the program during a cut’ below).
Don’t stress if you are unable to perform a particular exercise due to injury or discomfort, it’s totally fine to substitute in an alternative that works better for you.
Also, feel free to switch up your exercise selection to keep things fresh. But we suggest sticking with a set program for at least 6 weeks before making any changes. This way you will have sufficient training to get your technique down and to see progress.
Note that you do not have to complete 3 different exercises as we have suggested below. You can just stick with 2 for convenience and complete more sets for each.
Volume and intensity are the keys to this workout.
Program progression
You should plan your training in 4-6 week blocks, with the aim of increasing intensity week to week.
An increase in intensity could be via increased reps, sets or weight, for one or more lifts, or the use of drop sets, myo reps etc.
The goal is to peak in the final week of a cycle, e.g. setting new PRs and taking the last working set of an exercise to or very near to failure/an RIR of 0-1.
You then de-load and recover before commencing another 4-6 week cycle. Hopefully at an increased starting intensity. E.g. an increase in volume via more reps/sets and/or increased weights.
As a more novice or intermediate lifter, you may find you can increase intensity across your entire workout/whole body throughout a cycle.
As you progress, however, it is more sensible to have a specific focus for each 4-6 week cycle where you emphasise a specific muscle or muscle group.
You still hit your minimum effective volume for your other muscles each week, but go the extra mile with increased volume or intensity for 1 or maybe 2 muscles to maximise your training and/or address any weaknesses.
Ease in to any new program
As with any new workout plan, you should start at a moderate intensity for the first 1-2 weeks and build up slowly over time.
7 out of 10 on the RPE scale is a sensible ballpark for your first week.
It’s all too easy to start too hard, usually with too high a weight on your key lifts, and after just 3-4 weeks hit a wall.
You feel totally beat up, your lifts have plateaued or gone backwards and/or you have numerous joint pains and niggles.
You have to work hard in the gym to see results, so don’t sell yourself short. But remember that you want headroom to increase your workload over time.
Building intensity
In the workout templates below we’ve suggested adopting an undulating periodisation approach for your big compound lifts (squats, bench, rows, deads etc.).
This is just a fancy way of saying that the amount you lift changes from session to session.
For example, in the first lower session you’ll squat in the 6-8 rep range and the 2nd in the 10-12 rep range, thus with a lower weight.
Your goal is to work harder week on week, whether that be via an extra rep or extra weight.
Simply record what you did in session and, if you can, do a bit more the following week.
A simple approach is to keep the reps the same but increase the weight.
Using the squat as an example your progress may look like this:
Week 1 – 3 sets of 8 reps @100kg
Week 2 – 3 sets of 8 reps @102.5kg
Week 3 – 3 seat of 8 reps @105kg
Week 4 – 3 sets of 8 reps @ 107.5kg
…..and so on until the end of your cycle.
Your second squat session of the week would follow a similar pattern but at 10-12 reps and thus a more moderate weight.
If you can progress your lifts in this fashion, great, keep increasing the weight throughout your cycle where you can.
If this process doesn’t work or stalls, however, you can employ a double linear progression. This sees you change up your reps between sessions and alter the weight accordingly.
This is likely a better approach for more advanced lifters.
Again, taking the squat as an example your week to week progression may look like this:
Week 1 – 3 sets of 8 reps @100kg
Week 2 – 3 sets of 9-10 reps @100kg
Week 3 – 3 sets of 8 reps @105kg
Week 4 – 3 sets of 9-10 reps @105kg
…..and so on as your training cycle progresses.
Rather than just increasing the weight week to week, you are instead alternating between increases in weight and increases in reps.
You are still increasing intensity but in smaller, more manageable steps.
This may help you progress as you approach the margins of what you can lift.
The process for your isolation lifts is more straightforward.
Just work 1-2 reps short of failure (or 8/9 RPE) and increase reps or weight where you can, staying around the rep ranges suggested.
De-load between training cycles
After each cycle, or sooner depending on your accumulated fatigue, it is sensible to take a de-load week.
Cut your volume by 50%, take sets back to an RIR of 3-4, and/or take additional rest days out of the gym.
This down-time will allow your body to fully recover and prepare you for your next training cycle at a hopefully increased starting intensity. E.g. with higher starting volume and/or weights for one or more exercises.
As long as you are seeing gains in the weight you can lift and/or improvements in your physique you can repeat 6 day cycles for at least 6-12 months, if not longer.
If, however, you feel you are hitting a plateau, that is you can’t add more weight/intensity and feel your muscle growth has stalled, switch up your exercises, increase the volume (remembering the upper limits) or change up your whole program, e.g. move to a 4 day upper/lower but at greater intensity/lower volume, or try a 5-day full body split.
You may find that certain body parts lag others in growth and strength gains. This is normal and can be addressed through the specific focus on the lagging muscle/s for one or more cycles.
Rest and recovery between sessions
For your body to do the actual “growing bigger and stronger” part it needs to be allowed sufficient rest and nutrition for the recovery to take place.
Studies show a significant part of muscle recovery and growth occurs while you are sleeping. So make sure you are getting that magic 7-9 hours sleep per night and find a sleep routine that works best for you.
Add in some light/moderate cardio 2 – 4 times per week, if you aren’t feeling too beat up from the gym and are getting sufficient sleep and fuelling your body correctly.
Don't neglect mobility work
Dedicating just 15-20 minutes a day to improving your mobility will pay huge dividends now and in the future.
This becomes even more essential as you become more trained and hit your later years.
For maximum gains, health and longevity you should look at improving or maintaining mobility as an essential part of your training.
So book into a regular class at your gym or get online and find a whole-body stretch routine you can do at home.
Note that your mobility work is best done separately from your workout and you shouldn’t static stretch before a workout. Cardio and dynamic movements / warm-up sets are best.
Nutrition and fuelling your muscle growth
As important as the hard graft you put into the gym is it will all be for nothing if you don’t work equally as hard on your nutrition.
The amount you eat and what you eat are important.
This means tracking what you eat and knowing your target daily calorie count to ensure you are fuelling enough to workout and grow (just 200-300 extra calories per day above your TDEE is sufficient) or, conversely, not over eating and putting on excess fat.
Stick to natural whole foods and meals you prepare yourself and ensure you are consuming adequate protein to facilitate muscle growth. Aiming for approximately 1g of protein for every lb of bodyweight.
It’s a good idea to aim to consume a decent portion of your protein (30-40g) post exercise, within an hour or two, as studies show this helps with recovery. But don’t get too hung up on meal timings. The main goal is ensuring adequate calorie and protein intake over a 24 hour period.
Remember to drink water when you are thirsty and aim to down at least 6-8 glasses (1.2 -1.5 litres) per day.
For more in depth nutritional information for muscle growth take a look at our nutrition for muscle growth primer.
Running the program during a cut
A push/pull/legs split is super effective during both bulking and cutting cycles.
Due to the reduced energy you’ll have on a cut, however, you may want to make some minor tweaks to both your exercise selection and volume.
Deadlifts, squats, heavy benches and rows are fantastic all-over muscle builders. But they take a huge toll on your body and the fatigue they produce can be tough to deal with in a caloric deficit.
It will vary by individual, and you may well be totally fine sticking with the big compound moves. But, if you’re struggling to complete your workouts and/or seeing big drops in your lifting performance, try swapping out some of the big lifts for less fatigue-inducing alternatives. E.g. RDL for deadlift, leg press for squat, DB presses for bench.
Also, due to the negative impact of a long term caloric deficit on your muscle mass, you may find you need to increase your overall weekly volume to maintain your current muscularity.
It’s a smart idea, therefore, to increase your reps across the board to make sure you are working your muscles sufficiently as your cutting cycle progresses.
You will have to accept a certain amount of strength and mass loss on a cut. But you can maintain the majority of your lean gains through hard work and smart programming.
And whatever you do lose can easily be regained when you return to a maintenance or bulking phase.
The Program Templates
Each of the workouts included below has an optional 3rd exercise for the leading/focus muscle. This may or may not be required depending on your weekly training volume target/requirement.
Day 1 - Push A
Exercise
Sets
Reps
A
Flat Barbell Press
4
6-8
Keep your shoulder blades retracted and down. Tuck your elbows at 45 degrees and imagine pushing your body away from the bar, each rep
B
Machine (or Cable) Chest flys
3-4
10-12
Your elbows and wrists should be level with your shoulders, pause and squeeze your pecs for a 1 count at the ‘closed’ position of each rep
C
(optional) Incline Barbell Press – 30-45 degree angle
3-4
10-12
Keep your shoulders blades retracted and down. Imagine trying to bend the bar towards your body as you perform each rep
D
Seated DB shoulder press
3-4
8-12
Keep your lower back firmly against the bench. Work through full range of motion with the DB moving from the tops of your shoulders to full lockout
E
DB Side Lateral Raise
3-4
15-20
Focus on squeezing your side deltoids to initiate the movement, keep the dumbbells flat/parallel with the ground throughout each rep with a slight bend at your elbow
F
Dips
3-4
10-12
Keep your body more upright/straight to focus on your triceps. Add weight as required
G
Tricep Rope Push Down
3-4
15-20
Lean forward slightly, keep your elbows fixed at your side, only your lower arm should move
Day 2 - Legs A
Exercise
Sets
Reps
A
Back Squat
4
6-8
Take as wide a stance as you need to squat to proper depth (thighs to parallel or slightly lower). Point your toes out 30-40 degrees and sit back and down with your knees moving out laterally
B
Leg Extension
3-4
12-15
Ensure a full range of motion and make sure to actively resist the negative/downward portion of each rep
C
(optional) Leg Press
3-4
12-15
A flat or incline machine is fine. Drive each rep through your heels
D
Romanian Dead Lift
4
8-12
Initiate the movement by pushing your hips backwards. Keep your chest up with a neutral neck and maintain a slight bend at your knees
E
Leg Curl
3-4
12-15
Flex your toes up towards your shins. This helps to limit calf involvement and forces the hamstrings to work harder
F
Weighted Standing Calf Raise
4
15-20
Pause at the bottom of each rep to remove achilles assistance and to stretch your calves. Push all the way up on your toes and don’t bounce. Hold a DB or plate to add more resistance, as needed
G
Hanging Leg Raise
3-4
12-15
Focus on flexing your spine and don’t swing between reps
Day 3 - Pull A
Exercise
Sets
Reps
A
Barbell Row
4
6-10
Bend at the hips with your torso just above parallel, pull the bar to your lower abdomen by driving your elbows backwards. Pinch your shoulder blades together at the top of each rep
B
Pull up
3-4
8-12
Take a shoulder width grip and think about pulling your chest up to the bar. Use an assisted machine or add weight via a belt as needed
C
(optional) Cable Row
3-4
10-12
Keep your head, back and spine neutrally aligned, with your chest elevated and core engaged. Initiate the move by driving your elbows back, keeping them at your side, and pulling the handles to just below your navel
D
Kneeling Cable Face Pull
3-4
15-20
Use a pulley machine with a neutral, overhand grip (your thumbs should point back behind you)
E
Barbell Bicep Curl
3-4
12-15
Keep your elbows by your side and ensure each rep is initiated with the bicep. Think about driving the bar upwards with your pinky/little finger (as if trying to turn your wrists upwards) and squeeze at the top of each rep. Pause at the bottom of each rep to remove all momentum
F
DB Hammer Curl
3-4
12-15
Use a neutral grip and keep your elbows locked at your side. Only your lower arm should move
G
Cable Abdominal Crunch
3-4
15-20
Keep your hips high and hold the cable in front of your forehead. Initiate the movement with your abs, don’t pull with your arms, and ensure a full curl every rep.
Day 4 - Push B
Exercise
Sets
Reps
A
Military Press
4
6-8
Use a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip with the wrists stacked over the elbows. Brace your core and glutes to prevent your hips tilting forwards and thus arching your lower back
B
DB Side Lateral Raise
3-4
15-20
Focus on squeezing your side deltoids to initiate the movement, keep the dumbbells flat/parallel with the ground throughout each rep with a slight bend at your elbow
C
(Optional) Seated DB Arnold Press
3-4
15-20
Keep your lower back firmly against the bench. Work through full range of motion with the DB moving from the tops of your shoulders to full lockout. As you perform each rep rotate your palms from a supinated grip (palms facing you) at the bottom of the move to a pronated grip (palms facing away) and vice verse on the downward part of the rep
D
Flat Barbell Press
3-4
8-12
Keep your shoulder blades retracted and down. Tuck your elbows at 45 degrees and imagine pushing your body away from the bar each rep
E
Machine (or Cable ) Chest flys
3-4
10-12
Your elbows and wrists should be level with your shoulders, pause and squeeze your pecs for a 1 count at the ‘closed’ position of each rep
F
Dips
3-4
10-12
Keep your body more upright/straight to focus on your triceps. Add weight as required
G
Dumbbell Skull Crushers
3-4
15-20
Lay flat on a bench and grip the dumbbells with a neutral grip (palms facing each other). Lower the DB to the tops of your shoulders or down behind your head
Day 5 - Legs B
Exercise
Sets
Reps
A
Dead Lift
3
4-6
Bar over mid foot. Keep your chest up, brace your lats and pull the slack out of the bar prior to each rep
B
Leg Curl
3-4
12-15
Flex your toes up towards your shins. This helps to limit calf involvement and forces the hamstrings to work harder
C
(optional) Hip Thrust
3-4
12-15
Push each rep through your heels, making sure they don’t lift off the ground. Use a foot position that allows vertical shins at the top of the movement.
D
Back Squat
3-4
10-12
Take as wide a stance as you need to squat to proper depth (thighs to parallel or slightly lower). Point your toes out 30-40 degrees and sit back and down with your knees moving out laterally
E
Leg Extension
3-4
12-15
Ensure a full range of motion and make sure to actively resist the negative/downward portion of each rep
F
Weighted Standing Calf Raise
4
15-20
Pause at the bottom of each rep to remove achilles assistance and to stretch your calves. Push all the way up on your toes and don’t bounce. Hold a DB or plate to add more resistance, as needed
G
Hanging Leg Raise
3-4
12-15
Focus on flexing your spine and don’t swing between reps
Day 6 - Pull B
Exercise
Sets
Reps
A
Pull up
4
6-10
Take a shoulder width grip and think about pulling your chest up to the bar. Use an assisted machine or add weight via a belt, as needed
B
Barbell Row
3-4
8-12
Bend at the hips with your torso just above parallel, pull the bar to your lower abdomen by driving your elbows backwards. Pinch your shoulder blades together at the top of each rep
C
(optional) Barbell Shrugs
3-4
12-15
Take a wider than shoulder width grip, don’t bend your elbows as you shrug the weight. Hold for 1-2 count at the top of each rep
D
Kneeling Cable Face Pull
3-4
15-20
Use a pulley machine with a neutral, overhand grip (your thumbs should point back behind you)
E
Barbell Bicep Curl
3-4
12-15
Keep your elbows by your side and ensure each rep is initiated with the bicep. Think about driving the bar upwards with your pinky/little finger (as if trying to turn your wrists upwards) and squeeze at the top of each rep. Pause at the bottom of each rep to remove all momentum
F
DB Hammer Curl
3-4
12-15
Use a neutral grip and keep your elbows locked at your side. Only your lower arm should move
G
Cable Abdominal Crunch
3-4
15-20
Keep your hips high and hold the cable in front of your forehead. Initiate the movement with your abs, don’t pull with your arms, and ensure a full curl every rep.
