The perfect leg workout that fits into a push, pull, legs split is something I want to break down for you in this video. Unlike a stand alone leg workout, this has to relate to what is happening in the other two workouts of the split and make sure it’s complimenting the work that is being done on the alternate training days.
To start, it’s important to describe how to best set up your push pull legs workout split on the schedule. I always recommend starting with a pull workout and then following it with the push and finally the legs workout. Some people will tell you to not take a day off at the end of the three days and instead perform another cycle of these workouts to train for 6 straight days. I am not a fan of that. I like taking a rest day in between the legs and pull workouts to give the body a chance to recover better for the deadlifts that are going to take place on pull day.
Either way, let’s start breaking down the perfect leg workout as part of this PPL split.
Here is the entire workout for legs at a glance:
– Squats – 4 x 4-6 (Leave 1-2 in the tank)
– Barbell Hip Thrust – 3 x 8-10
– DB/BB Alt. Reverse Lunges – 2-3 x 10-12 each leg
– Single Leg RDL – 2-3 x 10-12 each leg rotate with Slick Floor Bridge Curls – 2-3 x F
– Standing DB Calf Raises rotate with Seated DB Calf Raises – 3 x 15-20 each
First up is the barbell squat. The squat is the king of all leg exercises and must be included in any perfect leg workout for men or leg workout for women. The key to how you are going to perform it here is as 4 sets of 4-6 reps. Make sure that you are stopping 1-2 reps shy of failure. That said, you want to take the opportunity to overload this exercise and increase your strength on it over time. Adjust your weights upward as needed to keep your range within this 4-6 rep zone.
Next we want to work the posterior chain but don’t want to overtax the low back muscles which may already be fatigued from the squats (especially if you are a low bar squatter). Instead of doing the barbell RDL here, we will opt for the barbell hip thrust. This is great for getting the glutes and hamstrings to work together without having to lean forward and be limited by a potentially already tired back.
Next we come back to the anterior chain for one of my all time favorite leg exercises, the alternating dumbbell or barbell reverse lunge. This is a great exercise for training the split stance requirement of leg training in a way that allows anyone to perform it. Often times, people with inflamed knees or acute patellar tendonitis will find lunging forward too difficult. The step back takes the stress away from the knees and allows you to build bigger legs and quads without sacrifice.
The fourth exercise in the perfect leg workout is the first in which you will rotate it each time you do this workout for your legs. You will either perform the dumbbell single leg RDL or the slick floor bridge curls. Here once again we are trying to hit the glutes and hamstrings in the posterior chain and want to do so in a way that doesn’t over fatigue the lower back.
The single leg RDL allows you to lift one leg to keep a straighter and flatter lower back while eccentrically stressing the hamstrings. We know that hypertrophy is driven by eccentric stress as one of the three main mechanisms of growth so this is one we don’t want to miss all together. Perform 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps for each leg and then next time you do the leg workout remember to switch this out to the slick floor bridge curl.
This bodyweight leg exercise is brutal but effective for once again training the hamstring muscles eccentrically and allowing you to train the glutes and hamstrings in concert with each other.
Finally, we can’t call this leg workout complete without hitting some calf exercises. The selections are straight forward and simple here. You either perform the standing dumbbell calf raise or the seated dumbbell calf raise. The difference between the two calf exercises is the position of the knee. With the knee straight you will work more of the gastrocnemius muscle and with the knee bent you will work more of the soleus muscle.
If you are looking for a step by step workout plan that takes out all the guesswork and maps out your gains for the next 90 days, be sure to visit athleanx.com via the link below. Start training like an athlete and start building ripped athletic legs and an overall jacked body in no time.
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36 comments
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The Mullet: Business in the Front, Party in the Back — wtf with the sides?
When would you put in abs to the workout?
What about rests between each day?
Is anyone else finding this leg workout a little too light? I'm 2 weeks in and I might not stick with this much longer having to add extra lifts to feel accomplished
What days are for abs and cadrio? Is there a ab workout out there?
I'm a bit confused. Your title says Push first but your schedule says pull first so what do I start with, Push or Pull ?
I'd prefer it if that Jesse guy would be somewhere else, I can watch the video without all the extra crap.
Just curious but I learned to do ppl as push pull legs, does the order matter or is it okay to do it like that?
Finally wanting to start heading to a gym… can someone explain sets to me cause I’m too lazy to look it up. I get that it’s how many times you do like “4-6” reps but what do you do in between? Do you rest or do the other exercises and THEN go back? Thanks (I’m like a lean/skinny 16 yo and pretty athletic if that changes anything)
those AX socks 🔥
Jess is a breeder
nope
Jeff, can you make a dumbell edition of the full PPL? Thanks!
Thanks for all the videos guys 🙏🏽
So to be clear, you work in a circuit or straight down the list? Sorry for all you pros, I'm new to all this and trying my best to do it the right way.
Whoa Jesse got buff, that’s motivation. I’m a toothpick lmao
Where does Jesse get his shorts ? They are awesome
could I change this to do every other day to get bigger legs?
Soooo when do we do abs?
I don’t know what to do for slick floor bridge curls when my gym has no slick floors
Jeff, thank you for all this great content… you’re #1. Couple burning questions:
1. Why did you chose that amount of reps for each exercise? i.e. Squats was 4 sets x 4-6 reps while hip thrust was 3×8-10 – in general I would love to understand how many reps I should do for each exercise to maximize hypertrophy/strength/lean muscle/whatever it may be. I know there is no one-size fits all answer.
2. I’ve heard it’s important to mix up the exercises you do, otherwise over time you’ll plateau. Assuming just alternating #4 and #5 isn’t enough, is there another perfect leg day workout (Push | Pull | Legs split) we should mix this up with? If so, should it be alternated each week, or change it up only every few months?
Thanks so much.
Jeff why never show ur legs is it all talk no show
It’s the leg slap from Jessie to me😂😂😂
I've tried several Athlean-X workouts, and the push/pull/legs have the best results for a hard gainer.
1:30 in… Alright guys lets dive right in
Jesse, You ain't looking too strong in your legs tbh but your upper body is good, I just recommend to give your lower body as much care as your upper, Legs are important. ._.
07:29 List
02:48 – Barbell Squats – 4 x 4-6 (Leave 1-2 in the tank)
03:27 – Barbell Hip Thrust – 3 x 8-10
04:16 – DB/BB Alt. Reverse Lunges – 2-3 x 10-12 each leg
05:15 – DB Single Leg RDL’s – 2-3 x 10-12 each leg [R/W] ↓
05:55 – Slick Floor Bridge Curls – 2-3 x F
06:54 – Standing DB Calf Raises – 3 x 15-20 [R/W] ↓
07:03 – Seated DB Calf Raises – 3 x 15-20 each
Should I do both routines or only one per day of training?
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:16-17
Hey, can someone help me answer this question, regarding the order:
Is it 1),
Pull 1 & Push 1 and the Legs.
(Pull 2 & Push 2 and then legs)
or
Is it 2)
Pull 1 & Push 2 and then Legs.
(Pull 2 & Push 1 and then Legs)
or
Is it 3)
Pull 1 & Pull 2 and then Legs.
(Push 1 & Push 2 and then Legs)
The way Jesse slapped his leg. 0:26
Is each set within a given exercise supposed to be equal in difficulty? Said differently, are we “working up” in each set such that the last set of squats represents the highest load, or is each set supposed to be equal in load/difficulty?
When can I hit abs with this split? On rest days?
What length rest between sets, Jeff?
Half of those exercises are bullshit man.. Guys just do basic stuff