The push, pull, legs workout split is one of the most often used training splits for building muscle and strength. In this video, I’m going to deliver the next in the perfect workout series to give you the best pull workout for building a bigger back, traps and biceps. As always, I’m breaking down all sets and reps for each and every exercise to make sure you get the muscle gains you are looking for.
We start by understanding what a PPL split is. As the initials represent, this is a pull, push and legs workout program. The order of the workouts can be done a few different ways but my favorite is to do them as listed here. You have the option of repeating these twice in sequence for a total of 6 workout days in a row before having an off day. The problem with this approach is that it leaves too little recovery time between your legs and pull workouts.
You can alternatively take an off day after completing the first 3 workouts. This is a called an asynchronous split. While potentially making the off days more unpredictable because they rotate this way it does provide the much needed recovery time to allow for overall better gains.
Whichever calendar you follow, the important thing is how the workouts break down.
Here we start with Pull Workout 1:
– Deadlifts – 1 x 5
– Chest Supported Rows – 3 x 8-10 (takes the low back out of the equation)
– DB High Pulls – 3 x 10-12 (targets the upper back muscles with healthy shoulder mechanics)
– DB Pullovers – 2-3 x 10-12 (direct lat work)
– BW Chin Curls – 3 x F into Overhead Triceps Extension – 3 x 10-12
– Angels and Devils – 3 x 15-20 (posterior chain corrective)
The goal of pull workout one is to hit the posterior chain with a big compound lift – in this case the deadlift. As a one by five, you will be working up to your one workout set of 80% of your 1RM with 4 sequential warmup sets. Don’t perform too many reps at each stage of the warmup as you don’t want to tire yourself out but rather prepare your body for your working set.
The chest supported row allows you to perform a basic row without letting the low back fatigue from a deadlift compromise your output.
The dumbbell high pull helps us to keep the overload coming however on the upper back muscles. This area of the body is one of the most undertrained and overlooked in the entire body and is responsible for many of the muscle imbalances that many trainees suffer from. We are going to hit it hard in this PPL workout.
The DB Pullovers allow us to train the lats with a great hypertrophy inducing exercise geared more specifically to the lats.
The arms are hit in the form of a superset with a chinup variation that targets the biceps and a triceps exercise (yes even on pull day to get some additional volume) with the overhead triceps extension.
The angles and devils is a tremendous posterior chain corrective exercise that hits all the back muscles and serves as the perfect finisher.
Pull Workout 2 looks like:
– Snatch Grip Deadlifts – 3 x 5 (Leave 2-3 in the tank)
– Weighted Pullups – 3 x 6-8
– Alt. DB Gorilla Rows – 3 x 10-12 each arm
– Straight Arm Pushdowns – 2-3 x 12-15
– Barbell Curls – 3 x 6-8 into Triceps Pushdowns – 3 x 10-12
– Face Pulls – 3 x 15-20
The combination of these two workouts will serve as your PPL pull workout. Remember to alternate these two workouts each time you encounter your next pulling workout in the calendar. When you can, add weight to the exercises you are performing to ensure that you are failing within the rep ranges prescribed outside the deadlift variations.
If you’re looking for a step by step push pull legs workout that can help you to build ripped athletic muscle and includes a meal plan as well, be sure to visit athleanx.com via the link below and check out the AX1 training program.
For more videos on how to build muscle with a push pull legs workout as well as the best pull workout for building mass, be sure to subscribe to our channel via the link below and remember to turn on your notifications so you never miss a new video when it’s published.
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42 comments
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I go to planet fitness. So can't do some of these.
I just noticed, Jeff blinks alot to balance his gains on his face
AWESOME CONTENT
Kinda new in the whole gym thing, but what should be the good amount of rest in between each exercises/supersets ? Thanks.
When I did the dumbbell lay pullover my abs felt like they were gonna rip apart
Just did my first AthleanX pull workout yesterday and my whole back is feeling it this morning. Great job! 💪💪💪
Can anyone tell me if both the pull workout has to be done on the same day??? @ATHLEAN-X™
I'm curious, why did Jeff change the classic PPL routine to (Pull | Push | Legs | Rest)
instead of changing it to (Legs | Push | Pull | Rest)?
In both cases you have time to recover from Deadlifts before the next leg workout.
But I see more recovery advantage in the latter routine.
Eg, not having to lift up dummbbells for triceps exercises directly after a Pull day.
Any thoughts?
Should you do pushups in push day? But it targets biceps also..While biceps are in pull
Do you do pull 1 and 2 on the same day?
Love this
Brilliant Jeff! Have been looking for a good PPL for a while now and this is just perfect,great variations for each muscle group and live the corrective work at the end.Thanks so much for this 👍
Gorilla Rows 😍
Decided to try it one set of 15 just from seeing it and it was🔥
Never doing a single arm one arm dumbbell row ever again.
Thanks Jeff 🙏
Is it possible to do weighted pull ups with a resistance band on? I can't do a pull ups actually xD
He taught as one who had authority and not as their scribes filling their videos with scientific papers to justify their choices.
So you do pull 1 on Monday then pull 2 on Thursday or both in one day, because I’ve been separating them
Are these 2 workouts for two different days during the week? Like #1 on Monday and #2 on Thursday after the push and legs workouts?
I have recently taken on a PPL split. How long do you think each session should last? Sometimes at the end I feel like I'm shortchanging myself. Should I go to cardio or do some core? Today I did about a 45 minute session, pull ups, dead lift, bent over rows, lat pull downs, bent over barbell flys, seated rows, and curls. I'm pushing myself with the weight and I don't know why at the end I'm thinking, that's it?
So, new here. Might be a dumb question but is pull 1 and 2 done on different days? Like one on Monday and the other on Friday or back to back on the same day? Thank you
Okay so I’m confused, think I’ve been doing it wrong. For the Asynchronous split is it supposed to be done pull 1 and pull 2 on different days? Same for push 1 and push 2??
Im new how many warm up sets should I do for the 1 x 5 deadlift?
I thought it would be like 4 x 5
I don't have a massive amount of time on my hands, and i only go to the gym 3 times a week, each day for either push, pull or legs. Would it be ok if I were to switch between pull 1 and 2 with a week break inbetween? Or is it designed to be done with short breaks?
Anyone else’s lower back hurt from the alt DB gorilla rows?
I did not understand the deadlift sets and reps
any tips if i do not have and cable machines?
Can anyone validly tell me why I should put tricep extensions on my pull day? As far as in why NOT just get a full workout for the muscles your targeting for blood flow and recovery reasons. Why do them on back day when you can just shred your triceps as a whole on push day, properly? He says it’s because they get shortchanged and it’s to add extra volume but why not just get volume on triceps on tricep day and not give this head or that head a workout certain days and then a more full workout on your tricep days just to “get more volume” through the week. Can someone just please explain why it makes sense to get more volume through the week rather than just more volume on that particular day?? I’m wanting to learn so this isn’t like written with attitude don’t read it that way, genuinely looking for an answer
Is there a video where he explains Angels and Devils? I really wanna incorporate that into my workout but I don't understand it from the video.
Can someone help give some detail why the program starts with Pull instead of Push, is it to counter international chest day or is there a flow to the routine I don't understand ?? Ty
Thank you so much sir I’m from Indian lots of love for knowledge my Pleasure forever ❤️❤️
Pull 1:
6:01 List
1:50 – Barbell Deadlifts – 1 x 5 (80% of 1RM)
2:14 – Chest Supported Rows – 3 x 8-10
3:08 – DB Lat Pullovers – 2-3 x 10-12
3:49 – DB High Pulls – 3 x 10-12
4:27 – Biceps Chin Curls – 3 x F into ↓
5:10 – Overhead Triceps Extension – 3 x 10-12
5:39 – Angels and Devils – 3 x 15-20
Pull 2:
10:17 List
6:29 – Snatch Grip Deadlifts – 3 x 5 (Leave 2-3 in the tank)
7:18 – Weighted Pullups – 3 x 6-8
7:54 – Alt. DB Gorilla Rows – 3 x 10-12 each arm
8:30 – Straight Arm Pushdowns – 2-3 x 12-15
9:15 – Barbell Curls – 3 x 6-8 into ↓
9:27 – Triceps Pushdowns – 3 x 10-12
9:52 – Face Pulls – 3 x 15-20
How do I add cardio?
Jeff, do you have low intensity pulling exercices? I'm recovering from a golfer's elbow and I can push exercices no sweat but any pulling exercice brings back the pain. All the pulling exercices here hurt except the angel and devil.
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)
When do I add abs tho can someone help?
I am confused b.c it seems biceps and triceps are in all push and pull exercises. Don't they need the 48 hr. Recovery.
Or is it b.c the volume is low that it doesn't matter
In push 1 there is biceps in pull 1 there is biceps. Is that not problematic
I thought you didn't like the easy curl bar?
We are doing pull 1 on first day and pull day on fifth day am i right??
Jeff I broke my elbow and can’t do many pull ups due to this injury.What would u recommend to do instead of thus? Thanks
The workout is called push pull legs but is there a reason that you did pull as the first workout or does it even matter?
Great content! But what about abs? There just isn't enough days in the week 😢