You do push, pull and leg days once each, with a rest day between them. For how this split compares with others, see Push pull legs vs upper lower vs full body.
Workout Routine Examples
Push dayChest, shoulders and triceps · 6 exercises
Pull dayBack, rear shoulders and biceps · 6 exercises
Leg dayQuads, hamstrings, glutes and calves · 6 exercises
Track macros and calories
3-Day Push Pull Legs Routine Example
An example of a 3-day push pull legs week, with a full workout for every training day.
This is an example of what a training week can look like, not a prescription or medical advice. Start with weights you can lift with good form, and if you have an injury or a health condition, check with your doctor first.
The workouts
Push dayChest, shoulders and triceps · 6 exercises
Pull dayBack, rear shoulders and biceps · 6 exercises
Leg dayQuads, hamstrings, glutes and calves · 6 exercises
Want to track this routine?
In Somatics, you can save any workout as a template, then log your sets, reps and weight as you go, plus RIR (Reps in Reserve) with Pro.
Who is this for?
This example can work well for you if:
- you like push, pull and leg days but can train only 3 days a week
- you have about 45 to 55 minutes for each workout
- you train at a gym with barbells, dumbbells, cables and machines
If you can add 3 more days later, the 6-day push pull legs example runs the same three workouts twice. If you'd rather train every muscle more than once in 3 days, see the 3-day full body example.
Common questions
Is training each muscle once a week enough?
It can be. When studies match the total number of sets, people grow about the same whether they train a muscle once or twice a week. Here each muscle gets about 8 or 9 hard sets a week, so the 6-day version gives you more if your progress stalls. See training frequency.
Can I do the three days back to back?
Yes. Push, pull and leg days train different muscles, so Monday to Wednesday works too. Spreading them out gives your whole body more rest between sessions.
Can I add a fourth day?
Yes. You can repeat whichever day you want more of, like a second push day for chest and shoulders, or add the core workout example on its own day.
Track macros and calories
with Somatics
