Upper-Lower vs Push-Pull/Legs (PPL) Splits

The Upper-Lower and Push-Pull/Legs (PPL) split routines are two of the most popular workout structures around. Both the Upper-Lower and PPL simplify lifting program design, making the program easy to follow and analyze.

Whether you’re a beginner, or a seasoned veteran of the iron game, deciding on your training routine is crucial to making strength and size gains. Knowing where to start, what exercises to do, the equipment to do them with, and how often, are four of the foundational questions to getting bigger and stronger.

We’re limiting the scope of this article to comparisons and contrasts between the Upper-Lower vs Push-Pull/Legs splits, using exercise science and sample routines we crafted just for this post. The sample workouts are intended to demonstrate the concept and aren’t necessarily a recommended routine.

We’re intentionally not including sets and reps, nor how to periodize the splits to serve a specific training objective. Those are broader discussions that deserve their own posts.

What exactly is a split?

A split is a workout program structure where the body is divided simply into anatomical or functional segments, with workouts that address them sequentially.

It’s a convenient way to sub-divide the body logically so that the trainee can follow a repeatable program with some goal in mind, in this case, muscular strength or development.

Most resistance workout routines are splits of one sort or another. A whole-body routine would be an exception. It’s the anti-split. There are some really effective whole-body routines out there, but that’s the subject of another article.

Splits emerged from bodybuilding culture and employ traditional weightlifting equipment. Splits differ from functional training, which divides the body according to planes of motion: sagittal, frontal, and transverse. Nor do splits typically use functional training implements.

Knowing what they are, how Upper-Lower vs Push-Pull differ, their pros and cons, and how they align with your training goals will guide your decision for which one to select.

Exercise is physical activity. Training is an exercise with a goal.

The Upper-Lower Split

The Upper-Lower split divides the workout routine at the waist. It is the simplest of the splits for that reason. Because of its simplicity, the Upper-Lower Split offers tons of flexibility in schedule and exercise selection.

Upper body exercises like flat bench press and triceps pushdowns would be done on one day, with lower-body movements like squats or lunges done on another day.

How many days per week you can lift based on your schedule and recovery time, are the questions you’ve got to answer to make the Upper-Lower work for you.

The freedom offered by the Upper-Lower Split requires that the trainee know a little bit about anatomy, physiology, body fatigue, and recovery. You can easily overtrain, or undertrain, using an upper-lower split.

The routine also offers flexibility in the number of training days per week. In its very simplest form, you’d do two workouts a week: one upper, and one lower.

Most lifters won’t be satisfied with that and it isn’t going to deliver lots of results. Better than nothing for sure, but you won’t win many competitions with two days a week. So, four days makes a little more sense when talking results from a resistance training routine.

What Does an Upper Lower Split look like?

A four-day Upper-Lower split might look something like this:

Weekday	Split
Day 1	Upper
Day 2	Lower
Day 3	Rest
Day 4	Upper
Day 5	Lower
Day 6	Rest
Day 7	Rest

Lots of flexibility; not much direction. Easy for a beginner to goof up. For the novice, the uber-simple Upper-Lower split doesn’t provide enough detail for each individual workout.

An Upper-Lower can work well for an advanced lifter who knows how to pick and choose between exercises for the upper and lower body. The advanced trainee can slot exercises according to specific exercise attributes, available equipment, or some other variable.

Let’s play around with our sample routine and add specific exercise selection.

A more detailed version of our hypothetical four-day Upper-Lower split might look something like this, with just one exercise selected for each individual muscle group:

Weekday	Split	Exercises
Day 1	Upper	– Dumbbell bench – Cable lat pulldowns – Dumbbell side laterals – EZ Curl bar skull crushers (for tris) – Dumbbell curls – Crunches
Day 2	Lower	– Lunges – Leg extensions – Romanian deadlifts (RDLs) – Hamstring curls – Seated calf raises.
Day 3	Rest
Day 4	Upper	– Cable flyes – Dumbbell rows – Dumbbell anterior raises – Cable tricep extensions – Barbell curls – Cable rope tucks
Day 5	Lower	– Goblet squats – Leg press – Deadlifts – Standing calf raises
Day 6	Rest
Day 7	Rest

Benefits of the Upper-Lower Split

Upper Lower Splits make it easy to add exercises

OK, let’s say you discover that you have more in the tank at the end of each workout. Here’s where the Upper-Lower split shows off its flexibility.

You can add exercises that complement the others in your routine without adding unnecessary volume for volume’s sake alone.

A great example would be adding deltoid exercises to an upper-body day. You can easily work anterior, medial, and posterior delts on the same day if done wisely.

Here’s what our four-day Upper-Lower split routine would look like with exercises added to each workout.

Note that the second leg day features isolation, single-joint exercises. That supplements the “big” compound exercises in the first lower body day.

Weekday	Split	Exercises
Day 1	Upper: Chest and Back	Dumbbell bench Underhand dumbbell bench Cable flyes Cable lat pull-ins Cable lat pull-downs High-to-low cable rows
Day 2	Lower: Heavy Leg Day	Squats, Leg press, Deadlifts, Dumbbell RDLs, Seated calf raise.
Day 3	Rest
Day 4	Upper: Shoulders, Arms, and Core	Seated dumbbell shoulder press, Cable side laterals, Cable front raises, Cable posterior delt pulls, Cable tricep kickbacks, Supine dumbbell triceps extensions, EZ Curl bar curls, Crunches on incline board.
Day 5	Lower: Isolation Leg Day	Leg extensions, Sissy squats, Hamstring curls, Calf raises on Leg press machine.
Day 6	Rest
Day 7	Rest

Upper Lower Splits allows for recovery

Always keep in mind that training stimulates growth, but that actual growth takes place while you are resting.

— Arnold Schwarzenegger

Ever had the leg wobbles after a big leg session at the gym?

Fortunately, the Upper Lower Split is designed to

Let’s say you’d like to split your upper body day to get more work and account for recovery too. Splitting that upper body day in two is a pretty good strategy if you’re concerned about recovery and have a schedule that allows you to get to the gym another day each week.

Here’s basically the same workout, with the upper body split over two days instead of compacted into one, with another exercise or two thrown in for good measure.

Weekday	Split	Exercises
Day 1	Upper: Chest	Dumbbell bench, Incline bench, Underhand dumbbell bench, Cable flyes,
Day 2	Lower: Heavy Leg Day	Squats, Leg press, Deadlifts, Dumbbell RDLs, Seated calf raise.
Day 3	Upper: Back and Arms	Cable lat pull-ins, Cable lat pull-downs, High-to-low cable rows, Dumbbell rows, Cable tricep kickbacks, Supine dumbbell triceps extensions
Day 4	Rest
Day 5	Upper: Shoulders and Core	Seated dumbbell shoulder press, Cable side laterals, Cable front raises, Cable rear delt pull-downs, EZ Curl bar curls, Crunches on incline board, Cable rope tucks.
Day 6	Lower: Isolation Leg Day	Leg extensions, Sissy squats, Hamstring curls, Calf raises on Leg press machine.
Day 7	Rest

Upper-Lower Split Misconception

A traditional Upper-Lower Split says that the exercises are compound, multiple joint movements, and heavy.

My old powerlifting routine was essentially an Upper-Lower split. Here’s that 1982 routine, expressed as an Upper-Lower split:

Weekday	Split	Exercises
Monday	Lower	Deadlifts, Partial deadlifts (floor to just beyond sticking point), High pulls, Cable lat pulldowns, or Dumbbell rows.
Tuesday	Upper	Bench (competition grip), Wide grip bench, Narrow grip bench, Cable triceps pushdowns, Hammer curls.
Wednesday	Rest
Thursday	Lower	Squats (competition form), High bar-Heel elevated squats (in offseason), Rack deadlifts for weight, Vertical (overhead) leg press.
Friday	Upper-Lower	Super-light squats (bar only or light Good Mornings, Super-light bench or Dumbbell press, Dumbbell side laterals or front raises, hammer curls.
Saturday	Rest
Sunday	Rest

But who says that an Upper-Lower has to be big, compound moves? You can apply the same Upper-Lower methodology using isolation body part exercises.

As an experiment, I got creative and deconstructed my old 1982 powerlifting competition routine above, replacing the “big” lifts with isolation body part exercises.

Isolation Body Part Exercises Sample Routine

Take a look:

Weekday	Split	Exercises
Monday	Lower	Dumbbell RDLs, Reverse Lunges, Cable clamshells, Multi-Hip pull-down, Hamstring curls.
Tuesday	Upper	Single-arm cable presses, Underhanded dumbbell bench, Cable lat pull-ins, Low-to-high T3-T4 scapula shrugs, Crunches on an incline board.
Wednesday	Rest
Thursday	Lower	Sissy squats, Leg extensions, Dumbbell RDLs, Hamstring curls, Cable glute kickbacks.
Friday	Upper-Lower	Cable side laterals, Cable rear delt pulldowns, Dumbbell or Cable Shrugs, Dumbbell triceps skull crushers, Dumbbell hammer curls, Calf raises on leg press machine.
Saturday	Rest
Sunday	Rest

Don’t be limited by bro-science that dictates upper-lower splits be composed of only big, heavy compound movements. You may find that single-joint, isolation exercises enhance your recovery speed, individual muscle growth, and allow you to train more often.

Who Should Do an Upper-Lower Split?

Is the Upper-Lower split for you? Maybe.

If one or more of the following applies to you, try the Upper-Lower split.

• Only able to get to the gym two to four times a week.
• Deep knowledge of exercise selection.
• Understand the importance of recovery and recovery tactics.
• Love the flexibility of picking and choosing exercises depending on how I feel that day, using only minimal guidelines.
• A beginner just trying to get the hang of the iron game (but have a knowledgeable person giving you some guidance).
• You’re not a beginner but an experienced gym rat, but mid-life or older. You want to keep lifting but the body just ain’t havin’ it the way it used to. Upper-Lower lets you pick the exercise that feels right that day without the guilt of missing something.

The Push-Pull/Leg Split (PPL)

The Push-Pull/Leg split divides the workout routine at the waist and separates the upper body according to the job being performed: pushing or pulling. Legs are in a day all by themselves.

Pushing exercises like bench press are done on one day, followed by pulling exercises like seated rows. Then, of course, leg day.

Push-Pull/Leg by design adds workout days. It’s traditionally adopted by lifters who still want a very basic sub-division to their weekly gym work, but still loosely defined to allow for variability in exercise selection for each workout.

PPL for More Days in the Gym

The Push-Pull/Leg split. The PPL split promises more workout days per week, at least in concept. Since “Upper” divides in two: Push and Pull. (Why can’t leg exercises be included in either Push or Pull days depending on if they are pushing or pulling leg motions? More on that in a bit.)

With pushing and pulling separated, you can get the fifth day, no sweat. A simple five-day Push-Pull split might look something like this:

Weekday	Split	Exercises
Day 1	Push	Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
Day 2	Pull	Back, Biceps, Core
Day 3	Rest
Day 4	Leg	Traditional leg day (heavy squats, etc.)
Day 5	Push	Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
Day 6	Pull	Back, Biceps, Core
Day 7	Rest

Not a lot of direction in this example about which exercises to do, or how many sets and reps…but you get the picture. An experienced lifter can actually use a loose framework like this as-is, and plug in the exercise-set-rep structure that best suits their goals.

PPL with Extra Auxiliary Leg Work

You can tweak the five-day PPL to include auxiliary leg work in a “pull” day. Here’s an example with back exercises that use legs added to the second pull workout:

Weekday	Split	Exercises
Day 1	Push	Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
Day 2	Pull	Back, Biceps, Core
Day 3	Rest
Day 4	Leg	Traditional leg day (heavy squats, etc.)
Day 5	Push	Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
Day 6	Pull	Back (include moderate weight deadlifts or RDLs), Biceps, Core
Day 7	Rest

Dropping a few back moves that require legs is an elegant way to get some lower body and posterior chain work more on more than a single day per week. Don’t get greedy and turn Pull Day #2 into personal record deadlift day though. It’s there to give your legs a little extra juice.

PPL for Fewer Days in the Gym

You can also adopt a Push-Pull/Leg for fewer workouts per week.

PPL also works well for a three-day routine. Assume here that each day is strenuous since you have those alternating rest days. Here’s what a three-day PPL might look like:

Weekday	Split	Exercises
Day 1	Push	Chest, Shoulders, Triceps
Day 2	Rest
Day 3	Pull	Back, Biceps, Core
Day 4	Rest
Day 5	Legs	Traditional leg day (heavy squats, etc.)
Day 6	Rest
Day 7	Rest

Some of the most iconic iron gamers in history used a three-day-per-week program. Fewer days per week assume harder workouts and therefore keen attention to recovery.

PPL Makes Workouts Easy to Program

We acknowledge that most lifters who pick Push-Pull/Legs want more days in the gym. PPL makes more frequent workouts easy to program. Here’s a hypothetical six-day PPL routine:

Weekday	Split	Exercises
Monday	Push	Dumbbell bench, Incline bench, Underhand dumbbell bench, Cable triceps extensions.
Tuesday	Pull	Cable lat pull-ins, Cable lat pull-downs, High-to-low cable rows, Dumbbell curls, Dumbbell curls, Hammer curls, Crunches.
Wednesday	Legs	Squats, Lunges, Leg Extensions, Leg curls.
Thursday	Push	Seated dumbbell shoulder press, Single-side cable presses, EZ Curl (narrow grip) flat presses.
Friday	Pull	High pulls, Shrugs, Seated rows, EZ Curl bar curls, Crunches on incline board, Cable rope tucks.
Saturday	Legs	Leg press, Goblet squats, Hamstring curls, Calf raises on Leg press machine.
Sunday	Rest

Six-day routines like this example can easily lead to overtraining. You need to know what you’re doing when it comes to exercise selection and the number of sets and reps.

Some Helpful Recovery Tips

With a big routine like this, account for recovery, using these helpful tips:

• Keep a rep or two “in the tank” at the end of each set. Seldom rep to failure. This isn’t a routine for PRs.
• Eat right. Carbs are cool…you’ll need the energy. (We didn’t say junk food.)
• Get enough sleep between workout days. Check out Erin Simmons’ write-up on sleeping like an athlete.
• Keep physical activity to a minimum on rest days; don’t make it an active recovery day by taking a bike ride or jogging.

If you opt for big, compound moves, remember you’re getting minimal recovery between push, pull, and leg days.

Heavy squats will tax your back and shoulders right along with your legs, and the heavy back day will fatigue your biceps and forearms. Stay vigilant to avoid overuse injuries, like elbow tendinosis. No one likes a forced lay-off, especially the ones you can avoid by just being smart.

Push-Pull Within a Push-Pull? Why Not?

Here’s an interesting thought. What if you were to combine pushing and pulling exercises into the same workout?

Playing around with exercise selection within a split adds a cool tweak that exploits the neuromuscular phenomenon of reciprocal inhibition, by working antagonistic muscles back-to-back.

When muscles on one side of a joint work, the muscles on the other side relax, allowing the joint to do its thing.

If muscles on both sides of a joint contract, voluntary movement become impossible. Try flexing your triceps and curling your arm at the same time. Impossible, right?

That brief period of involuntary relaxation that antagonist muscles experience due to reciprocal inhibition temporarily rests them. Check out how relaxed your biceps are after a hard set of skull crushers. Do a set of dumbbell curls immediately following the skull crushers to see how fresh your biceps feel as you start the set.

This phenomenon of reciprocal inhibition is what allows everyday activities like the back-and-forth action from using a hand saw to cut a piece of firewood. Anterior delts activate to push the saw, and the posterior delts do the same when pulling it. That’s reciprocal inhibition demonstrated within a single movement.

OK, Enough with the Science Stuff

Let’s talk about how to apply this principle using back-to-back exercises inside a Push-Pull/Legs split.

Here’s our sample routine, with pulling integrated into push days, and vice versa. Check this out:

Weekday	Split	Exercises
Monday	Push-Pull	Dumbbell bench, Cable lat pull-ins. Underhand dumbbell bench, Rear delt cable pulls. Cable triceps extensions, Hammer curls.
Tuesday	Pull-Push	Cable lat pull-ins, Cable lat pull-downs, High-to-low cable rows, Dumbbell curls, Dumbbell curls, Hammer curls, Crunches.
Wednesday	Legs*	Squats, Lunges, Leg Extensions, Leg curls.
Thursday	Push-Pull	Seated dumbbell shoulder press, Cable lat pull-downs. Single-side cable presses, Dumbbell rows. EZ Curl (narrow grip) flat presses, T-Bar rows.
Friday	Pull-Push	Shrugs, Decline presses. Seated rows, Flat dumbbell presses (or underhand press). EZ Curl bar curls, Crunches on incline board, Cable rope tucks.
Saturday	Legs	Leg press, Dumbbell RDLs. Leg extensions, Hamstring curls. Calf raises on Leg press machine, Toe raises (for anterior tibialis)
Sunday	Rest

*Leg days often have push-pull built-in when they include leg extensions and leg curls.

Who Should Do a Push-Pull/Legs Split?

If one or more of the following applies to you, then PPL might be your routine:

• Able to get to the gym at least three times a week.
• Respectable knowledge of exercise selection.
• Prefer a routine with a little more structure.
• Want to concentrate on individual body parts a little more than in an Upper-Lower split or functional training routine.

Upper-Lower vs Push-Pull, Which Split Reigns Supreme?

Summary: It’s a tie.

Here’s our analysis:

• Both the Upper-Lower vs Push-Pull/Legs Splits can be adjusted to achieve the right balance of work and rest.
• If you don’t have hours and hours to spend in the gym, some type of split makes sense.
• Deciding which split to choose depends on a few simple factors, including how many days per week you can get to the gym and how much work you can do while you’re there.
• Both Upper-Lower vs Push-Pull/Legs Splits can be tweaked using proper exercise selection and set-rep combos to meet your strength or bodybuilding objectives.
• There’s no law that says either the Upper-Lower vs Push-Pull/Legs Splits require compound, multi-joint exercises, or that those splits require heavy, beast-mode training. You can do isolation, single-joint exercises within either split.
• Once you understand the functions of sympathetic and antagonistic muscles, Upper-Lower vs Push-Pull routines begin to look pretty similar in actual application.

If you understand exercise program design, either of the Upper-Lower or Push-Pull split methodologies can work for you. Which split will work best for you just simply depends on:

• your available time
• if you prefer to segment your workouts and not do whole body sessions, and
• your training objectives.

There you have it, our fresh look at Upper-Lower vs Push-Pull/Legs resistance training split. So, don’t be afraid to experiment or to get creative with either of these time-honored split routines.

Keep reading and exploring credible information sources to continue growing your workout knowledge, and your muscles!