Push pull legs workout plan
Chest and shoulders (push), back and biceps (pull) and legs, then again with different exercises. Six days runs all six workouts Monday to Saturday. Five days runs them in order Monday to Friday, and the next week carries on where you stopped.
Push / pull / legs is what GymSensei gives anyone training five or six days a week. Grouping muscles that work together means each one gets a long, focused session and several days to recover before its next turn, which is how you keep adding weight on a busy week.
The week
- Monday: workout A, chest & shoulders (middle chest, shoulders and triceps)
- Tuesday: workout B, back & biceps (back width, rear delts and biceps)
- Wednesday: workout C, legs (quads, hamstrings and calves)
- Thursday: workout D, chest & shoulders (upper and lower chest, shoulders and triceps)
- Friday: workout E, back & biceps (back thickness, rear delts and arms)
- Saturday: workout F, legs (glutes, hamstrings and calves)
Each workout lists seven exercises, most important first. Short on time? An hour covers the first six, 45 minutes the first five and 30 minutes the first four. The home version is what the app picks with a pair of dumbbells and no bench or bar.
Workout A: Chest & shoulders
Middle chest, shoulders and triceps.
| In the gym | Sets × reps | At home with dumbbells | Sets × reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell bench press | 3 × 8–12 | Push-up | 3 × 10–20 |
| Machine shoulder press | 3 × 8–12 | Dumbbell shoulder press | 3 × 8–12 |
| Dumbbell lateral raise | 3 × 10–15 | Dumbbell lateral raise | 3 × 10–15 |
| Triceps pushdown | 3 × 10–15 | Close-grip (triceps) push-up | 3 × 10–20 |
| Pec deck fly | 3 × 10–15 | Dumbbell fly | 3 × 10–15 |
| Plank | 3 × 30–45 s | Plank | 3 × 30–45 s |
| Cable rope overhead triceps extension | 3 × 10–15 | Standing dumbbell triceps extension | 3 × 10–15 |
Workout B: Back & biceps
Back width, rear delts and biceps.
| In the gym | Sets × reps | At home with dumbbells | Sets × reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wide-grip lat pulldown | 3 × 8–12 | One-arm dumbbell row | 3 × 8–12 |
| One-arm dumbbell row | 3 × 8–12 | Inverted row | 3 × 10–20 |
| Face pull | 3 × 8–12 | Reverse fly | 3 × 10–15 |
| Incline dumbbell curl | 3 × 10–15 | Dumbbell curl | 3 × 10–15 |
| Straight-arm pulldown | 3 × 10–15 | Lying leg raise | 3 × 10–20 |
| Lying leg raise | 3 × 10–20 | Dumbbell shrug | 3 × 10–15 |
| Dumbbell shrug | 3 × 10–15 | Two-dumbbell row | 3 × 8–12 |
Workout C: Legs
Quads, hamstrings and calves.
| In the gym | Sets × reps | At home with dumbbells | Sets × reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goblet squat | 3 × 8–12 | Goblet squat | 3 × 8–12 |
| Stiff-legged dumbbell deadlift | 3 × 8–12 | Stiff-legged dumbbell deadlift | 3 × 8–12 |
| Leg extension | 3 × 10–15 | Dumbbell step-up | 3 × 8–12 |
| Standing calf raise | 3 × 10–15 | Standing dumbbell calf raise | 3 × 10–15 |
| Lying leg curl | 3 × 10–15 | Floor glute-ham raise | 3 × 10–20 |
| Seated calf raise | 3 × 10–15 | Seated one-leg dumbbell calf raise | 3 × 10–15 |
| Lying leg raise | 3 × 10–20 | Lying leg raise | 3 × 10–20 |
Workout D: Chest & shoulders
Upper and lower chest, shoulders and triceps.
| In the gym | Sets × reps | At home with dumbbells | Sets × reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incline dumbbell press | 3 × 8–12 | Push-up | 3 × 10–20 |
| Decline dumbbell bench press | 3 × 8–12 | Triceps dips | 3 × 10–20 |
| Dumbbell lateral raise | 3 × 10–15 | Dumbbell lateral raise | 3 × 10–15 |
| Cable rope overhead triceps extension | 3 × 10–15 | Standing dumbbell triceps extension | 3 × 10–15 |
| Incline dumbbell fly | 3 × 8–12 | Dumbbell fly | 3 × 10–15 |
| Russian twist | 3 × 10–20 | Russian twist | 3 × 10–20 |
| Triceps pushdown | 3 × 10–15 | Close-grip (triceps) push-up | 3 × 10–20 |
Workout E: Back & biceps
Back thickness, rear delts and arms.
| In the gym | Sets × reps | At home with dumbbells | Sets × reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seated cable row | 3 × 8–12 | Two-dumbbell row | 3 × 8–12 |
| Close-grip lat pulldown | 3 × 8–12 | One-arm dumbbell row | 3 × 8–12 |
| Seated rear delt raise | 3 × 10–15 | Seated rear delt raise | 3 × 10–15 |
| Hammer curl | 3 × 10–15 | Hammer curl | 3 × 10–15 |
| Preacher curl | 3 × 10–15 | Concentration curl | 3 × 10–15 |
| Plank | 3 × 30–45 s | Plank | 3 × 30–45 s |
| Back extension | 3 × 10–15 | Superman | 3 × 10–20 |
Workout F: Legs
Glutes, hamstrings and calves.
| In the gym | Sets × reps | At home with dumbbells | Sets × reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell hip thrust | 3 × 8–12 | Single-leg glute bridge | 3 × 10–20 |
| Leg press | 3 × 8–12 | Goblet squat | 3 × 8–12 |
| Lying leg curl | 3 × 10–15 | Floor glute-ham raise | 3 × 10–20 |
| Seated calf raise | 3 × 10–15 | Seated one-leg dumbbell calf raise | 3 × 10–15 |
| Dumbbell split squat | 3 × 8–12 | Dumbbell split squat | 3 × 8–12 |
| Standing calf raise | 3 × 10–15 | Standing dumbbell calf raise | 3 × 10–15 |
| Adductor machine | 3 × 10–15 | Dumbbell lunge | 3 × 8–12 |
Sets, reps and adding weight
The reps above are for building muscle or staying fit. To lose fat it's 10–12 on the big lifts and 12–15 on the smaller ones; to get stronger, 5–8 and 8–12. Bodyweight moves go up to 20 reps, and holds run 30 to 45 seconds.
On your first session, pick a weight you could lift for the top of the range and stop each set with two or three reps left in you. Stay at that weight until you reach the top of the range on every set, then add 2.5 kg on dumbbells and barbells or 5 kg on machines and cables, and start again from the bottom of the range.
Every sixth week is a lighter one: one set fewer on each exercise, same weights. Every six weeks the smaller exercises also change to the next option on their list, while the main lifts stay, so you can see them go up. How the plans work.
Other plans
Updated . General fitness and nutrition guidance, not medical advice.
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