The push pull legs and upper lower splits are two of the most popular training routines—and for good reason. Both are highly effective for building muscle and strength.
But they’re not without flaws.
Critics of push pull legs argue it doesn’t train muscles often enough for optimal growth, while the upper lower split falls short if you want to train more than four days a week.
Fortunately, you don’t have to pick one or the other.
Enter the “push pull legs upper lower” (PPLUL) split—a 5-day program that combines the best of both routines while eliminating their downsides.
In this article, you’ll learn what the PPLUL split is, why it works, and how to use it to build muscle and strength.
Key Takeaways:
- The “push pull legs upper lower” (PPLUL) split is a 5-day workout routine that combines the push pull legs and upper lower splits.
- PPLUL organizes workouts by movement patterns or the areas of the body being trained, with push, pull, legs, upper, and lower workouts.
- Its main benefits include helping you build balanced muscle, training each major muscle group frequently enough to optimize growth, keeping your workouts simple, and balancing volume and frequency to ensure your training is high quality.
- If you dislike the PPLUL schedule, the upper lower push pull legs (ULPPL) split is a great alternative.
What Is the Push Pull Legs Upper Lower (PPLUL) Split?
The push pull legs upper lower split (often shortened to “PPLUP split” or simply “PPLUP”) is a 5-day strength training routine combining the push pull legs and upper lower splits.
PPLUL organizes workouts based on the movement pattern or area of the body you train. The five different types of workouts in the PPLUL split are:
- Push workouts: These train all your upper body muscles that push things away from your torso, such as your chest, shoulders, and triceps
- Pull workouts: These train all the muscles involved in pulling things off the floor or toward your torso, such as your lats, traps, erector spinae (lower back), and biceps.
- Leg workouts: Leg workouts train all the lower body muscles, such as the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.
- Upper body workouts: You train all the muscles above your waist in an upper body workout.
- Lower body workouts: Lower body workouts are the same as leg workouts.
Example Push Pull Legs Upper Lower 5-Day Split Schedule
In most cases, people schedule the push pull legs upper lower 5 day split like this:
- Monday: Push
- Tuesday: Pull
- Wednesday: Legs
- Thursday: Rest
- Friday: Upper
- Saturday: Lower
- Sunday: Rest
Benefits of the PPLUL Split
Let’s break down the key benefits that make the PPLUP split an outstanding option for gaining muscle and strength.
Balanced Development
You give every major muscle group equal attention with the PPLUL split. By dividing your workouts into push, pull, and leg days, followed by upper- and lower-body sessions, you avoid overworking one area and neglecting another.
This balance helps you build proportional strength and an aesthetic physique.
Optimal Frequency
You train each muscle group twice a week on PPLUL, which research shows is more effective for gaining mass and strength than training them less often.
You also train different muscle groups on different days, giving each at least two days to recover while you work on others. This minimizes your risk of suffering repetitive strain injuries and ensures you can give maximal effort in your workouts, which helps with progressive tension overload—the primary driver of muscle growth.
Simple Structure
The PPLUL split keeps things simple by focusing your workouts on movement patterns and targeting large areas of your body. A straightforward routine like this makes training more enjoyable, and when you enjoy your workouts, you’re far more likely to stick with them (and see results!).
Allows for High-Quality Training
When you train just one muscle group per workout, its performance typically plummets before your workout finishes. To compensate, you usually have to lift lighter weights or do fewer reps in your later sets, which stymies your progress over time.
With the push pull legs upper lower split, you never train any one muscle group to the point of exhaustion. This allows you to perform high-quality reps with heavy weights throughout all your workouts, which is generally better for building muscle and gaining strength.
The Best 5-Day PPLUL Split for Mass & Strength Gain
Here’s an excellent 5-day PPLUL split for building muscle and getting strong.
It works so well because it centers around compound exercises that allow you to lift heavy weights and progress regularly, so they’re ideal for gaining mass and strength.
It also includes the perfect mix of volume and intensity for getting bigger and stronger without wearing yourself out.
Day 1: Push
Day 2: Pull
Day 3: Legs
Day 4: Upper
Day 5: Lower
An Alternative to PPLUL: Upper Lower Push Pull Legs (ULPPL)
The PPLUL split works exceptionally well, but it’s not everyone’s favorite sequence. If you prefer a different approach, the ULPPL split is a solid alternative. It rearranges your training to start with upper and lower body workouts, followed by push, pull, and leg days.
There are two ways to organize a ULPPL split:
- Rearrange the PPLUL workouts above to fit the ULPPL schedule.
- Adjust the exercises slightly to prioritize the biggest, most taxing exercises earlier in the week when you’re freshest.
If the second option appeals to you, here’s an example ULPPL workout plan:
Day 1: Upper
- Flat Barbell Bench Press: 3 sets | 4-to-6 reps | 3-to-5 min rest
- Pull-up: 3 sets | 4-to-6 reps | 3-to-5 min rest
- Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 sets | 6-to-8 reps | 2-to-3 min rest
- Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise: 3 sets | 6-to-8 reps | 2-to-3 min rest
Day 2: Lower
- Back Squat: 3 sets | 4-to-6 reps | 3-to-5 min rest
- Leg Press: 3 sets | 4-to-6 reps | 3-to-5 min rest
- Bulgarian Split Squat: 3 sets | 6-to-8 reps | 2-to-3 min rest
- Seated Calf Raise: 3 sets | 6-to-8 reps | 2-to-3 min rest
Day 3: Push
- Standing Overhead Press: 3 sets | 4-to-6 reps | 3-to-5 min rest
- Incline Barbell Bench Press: 3 sets | 4-to-6 reps | 3-to-5 min rest
- Dip: 3 sets | 6-to-8 reps | 2-to-3 min rest
- Overhead Triceps Extension: 3 sets | 6-to-8 reps | 2-to-3 min rest
Day 4: Pull
- Deadlift: 3 sets | 4-to-6 reps | 3-to-5 min rest
- Seated Cable Row: 3 sets | 4-to-6 reps | 3-to-5 min rest
- Lat Pulldown: 3 sets | 6-to-8 reps | 2-to-3 min rest
- Dumbbell Curl: 3 sets | 6-to-8 reps | 2-to-3 min rest
Day 5: Legs
- Front Squat: 3 sets | 4-to-6 reps | 3-to-5 min rest
- Romanian Deadlift: 3 sets | 4-to-6 reps | 3-to-5 min rest
- Lunge: 3 sets | 6-to-8 reps | 2-to-3 min rest
- Leg Curl: 3 sets | 6-to-8 reps | 2-to-3 min rest
FAQ #1: Is the PPL upper lower split good for beginners?
Yes, PPLUL works exceptionally well for beginners. It’s a straightforward routine that balances volume and recovery effectively, making it easy to follow and helping you build strength and muscle without overloading yourself.
That said, beginners can also make excellent progress with fewer training days per week. If committing to five hard training days weekly feels overwhelming, starting with a less frequent routine might be a better fit.
RELATED: The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Weightlifting
FAQ #2: Is PPLUP better than PPL?
It depends on how often you want to train. If you want to train 5 days a week, the PPLUL split is superior to the traditional 3-day PPL split because it allows for more frequency and volume.
On the other hand, if you can only train 3 days per week, the regular PPL split is a better choice.
That said, you can easily tweak PPL to make it a 5-day routine. In that case, the two programs are nearly identical, so do whichever you prefer.
RELATED: The Best Push Pull Legs Routines for Mass Gains
FAQ #3: Is PPLUP better than the upper lower split?
This depends on your schedule and goals. An upper-lower split typically involves 4 training days per week, while PPLUL spreads your workouts over 5 days. The extra day of training allows for more volume, which should lead to slightly better results if you recover well.
However, if you can only train four days a week, an upper-lower split is an excellent alternative that can still deliver impressive results.
RELATED: The Best 3-, 4- & 5-Day Upper Lower Workout Splits for Mass
Scientific References +
- “Comparison of 1 Day and 3 Days per Week of Equal-Volume… : The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research.” LWW, 2019, journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/2000/08000/Comparison_of_1_Day_and_3_Days_Per_Week_of.6.aspx.
- Crewther, Blair, et al. “The Effects of Two Equal-Volume Training Protocols upon Strength, Body Composition and Salivary Hormones in Male Rugby Union Players.” Biology of Sport, vol. 33, no. 2, 6 Mar. 2016, pp. 111–116, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4885621/, https://doi.org/10.5604/20831862.1196511. Accessed 29 Apr. 2019.
