The Best Push Pull Legs Routine For Building Muscle and Strength

Want to build muscle? The Push-Pull Legs routine is the ultimate mass-building workout. If you want to build muscle, you need a workout routine that works. The push-pull-legs split is a classic among bodybuilders. It’s simple, but it works. If you want to build muscle and get stronger, try this routine.

Push-pull legs split is one of the best workouts to build muscle. It involves dividing your major muscle groups into three workouts. You can learn more about how to incorporate it into your training.

This is how push-pull legs work.

• You will be working all your upper body pulling muscles during the pull workout. So. Your back, biceps, and rear delts.
• You train your entire lower body in the legs exercise. This is your quads and hamstrings as well as your calves.
• Push workouts are a great way to strengthen your upper body by pushing muscles. So. Your chest, shoulders, and traps.

The workouts can be done for 6 days, with a rest day every 3 days. You can adjust the push-pull leg flip in many ways to fit your needs.

This split is great for muscle growth because it:

• Each major muscle group is trained at a frequency of 2x/week. This is the best way to grow, as we all know.
• Each muscle needs to be allowed plenty of time for recovery
• It can be tailored to suit different goals and training levels.

This article will help you get started with the push-pull legs routine. We’ll show you how to set up your push and pull workouts each week using scientific literature and anatomical knowledge of the pushing muscles.

You shouldn’t apply the most recent training science to your push-pull leg routine. You will be able to improve every aspect of your training if you really study the anatomy of your muscles, even the small ones like the serratus.

Every program I offer will walk you through the science behind each exercise and explain why you are doing it.

What is the Push/Pull/Legs Split Routine

The push/pull/leg split is a simple method of training. It involves dividing your body into three pieces. Each part can then be trained on its own day.

• The “push” workout focuses on the upper body pushing muscles. The chest, shoulders, and triceps.
• The “pull” exercise targets all upper body pulling muscles (i.e. The back and biceps)
• The legs exercise targets the lower body in general, i.e. The quads, hamstrings, and calves.

The three workouts can then be alternated with as many weekly training sessions as you wish.

For example, if you are unable to make it to the gym three days per week, each workout would be done on its own day once a week. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

This isn’t the best way to go about it, as each body part is being trained only once per week. It’s not ideal for muscle growth, but it’s fine for maintenance programs.

A better approach would be to train 4 days per week and alternate the workouts between your 4 training sessions. You don’t have to do the same thing twice a week, it doesn’t really matter what day you choose.

Rotating five-day cycles is another option. Each workout is completed over five days. This means that you would train two-on, one-off, one-on, and then one-off again.

This is the most efficient way to train as each body part gets trained once per 5 days. It is also ideal for more experienced trainees. However, this does not mean you can’t change your training schedule so it is important to be flexible.

The Push Workout

In the push workout, train your chest, shoulders, and triceps – three of the most important muscle groups in the body. When you’re finished working on your upper body, move on to training your legs.

There are many ways to strengthen this group of muscles, which include the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves, so try out a few different moves until you find one that gives you a total burn.

Here are some ideas for what it could look like.

• Lean Away Dumbbell Lateral Raise – 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps
• Inline Dumbbell Overhead Extensions – 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps
• Incline Barbell Bench Press – 3-4 sets of 6-8 repetitions
• Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 3-4 sets with 10-15 reps
• Seated Decline cable Flies With Supination – 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps
• Paused Flat Dumbbell Press: 3-4 sets with 8-12 reps

We recommend novice lifters stick to the lower volume requirements. For more advanced lifters, you can choose to go for the higher recommended number of sets.

For your second workout of the week, keep the same basic outline. You can target your muscles, but you should change the exercises to suit them.

Exercise 1: Incline Barbell Bench Press

Many trainers agree that the incline press is safer for your shoulders, pecs, and rotator sleeves. The chest press can be done with either bench, as there are so many exercises that will strengthen your chest.

Bring the barbell up to your chest. To keep your shoulders and chest from rounding, activate your back muscles. Actively stretch your pectoral muscles as you lower the bar. Keep your shoulders down on the bench.

The incline bench press, like the flat bench press, works mainly on the chest muscles and is very hard to do.

As with the flat bench press, the incline bench press also works the shoulders and triceps. The incline press is more intense and hits your upper pecs harder.

There are a few variations to this exercise. Smith machine incline, close grip incline (great for triceps), Incline dumbbell fly, and incline dumbbell press. Although dumbbell incline presses are more effective than a bar, we prefer them. They are done every other week, and we eventually work our way up to a set of 5.

Sometimes I substitute a heavy-incline bar for my heavy bench pressing day. Every other heavy bench pressing day, I also do an incline close grasp bar.

The Smith machine incline is also very useful, Markus Ruhl recommends them, they have a wide grip. Hammer Strength also has an incline chest machine.

It all comes down to your experience, goals, and how heavy you are. Both can improve strength and muscle mass, while also saving time in the gym. This could also lead to fatigue, injuries, and strength plateaus.

Exercise 2: Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press

• Muscles Worked: Arms, Shoulders
• Difficulty: Easy
• Equipment needed: Dumbbells

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding two dumbbells at shoulder level. Keep your arms extended and press the dumbbells above your head. Slowly return to the starting position.

For functional strength, standing shoulder presses are more effective for CrossFit, Powerlifting, Weightlifting, and Strongman.

Because they isolate the shoulders better, sitting shoulder presses work better for hypertrophy. These are also better for those who don’t have a lot of core strength.

Shoulder presses target the shoulder muscles (deltoid, or shoulder muscles), specifically the anterior or front and lateral deltoid. The shoulder press exercise works for multiple muscle groups, unlike other shoulder exercises like side raises or front raises.

Standing dumbbell shoulder presses are a popular deltoid-building exercise found in many gyms all over the globe.

Standing up to perform the move allows for more weight to be applied and taxes the core more than sitting down.

The standing press should be the main movement of a shoulder-muscle-building workout. It is also an excellent strength movement and accessory to the bench press.

Instructions for Standing dumbbell Shoulder Press

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and take one dumbbell in each of your hands. The dumbbells should be raised to your head, with the elbows extended, and approximately 90 degrees. This is your starting position.

Slowly return the weight to its original position.

To raise the weights directly above your head, maintain a straightforward technique.

Exercise 3: Paused Flat Dumbbell Press

• Target Muscle Group: Chest
• Exercise Type: Strength
• Equipment Required: Barbell
• Mechanics: Compound
• Force Type: Push (Bilateral)
• Experience Level: Intermediate
• Secondary Muscles: Shoulders, Triceps

Flat dumbbell presses, which are very effective at activating your mid-chest, are a great choice.

Bret Contreras, a researcher, has done extensive EMG studies to illustrate this. He analyzed chest activity in 15 chest exercises during the study. The flat dumbbell press was the best exercise to activate the mid-chest.

Additionally, dumbbells offer a unique advantage in that we can achieve greater chest motion than we could with a barbell.

We recommend that you include a 1-2 second pause at each rep at the bottom of this exercise.

This adds variety to your chest-pressing movements. It also builds strength from the bottom. This is the position most people are weakest.

Why does this pause help to build strength? It does this by blocking you from getting any stretch-shortening reflex help that you would normally get at the bottom position.

You will also be more isometrically strong if you take a few pauses while in this position.

This will help you to perfect your form for each movement. This is because you are now required to maintain tightness at the bottom position without breaking down your form before you move on to the next rep.

For 8-12 reps per set, you should use moderately heavyweight.

Exercise 4: Lean-Away Dumbbell Lateral Raise

Leaning forward creates a wider plane for the arms. This would allow for a greater range of motion at the shoulder joint than a side-lateral raise.

Leaning lateral alters the angle so your delts can work in any position. This makes the lift more difficult and more effective for those who want to shape rounder shoulders.

The lateral raise not only makes your shoulders stronger and more flexible but also gives you greater mobility in your shoulder. Your core will benefit if you brace properly throughout the lift. Muscles in your neck, upper back, arms, and neck will feel the strain after several sets.

This exercise places the deltoid under greater tension than other variations of lateral raise. It makes each rep more efficient. You also have more overload at the top.

The lean-away, lateral raise is unilateral and one-limbed. It facilitates the recruitment of high-threshold motor units in lifters with large strength deficits, as well as in long-limbed individuals.

The Lean-Away Dumbbell Lateral Raise isolates the shoulder and strengthens it. Leaning forward creates leverage and isolates the shoulders during the entire movement.

Exercise 5: Seated Decline Cable Flies With Supination

Step 1 – Setup

Install a high-inclined bench between two cables. Move the handles so that they are at the top of the level. When you are seated, raise your shoulders. Grab the handles.  Retract your shoulder blades and raise your chest. Prepare for your first rep.

Step 2 – Fly

Bring the cables to perform a high-to-low fly motion down and in. As you do so, supinate your wrists to the end of each exercise, and rotate your palms up. Focus on driving your elbows in, as if it were. Try to touch them at the end of each rep.

As long as possible, your shoulder blades should be retracted.
You should perform the fly while your chest should remain elevated
Out. You should keep your arms slightly bent during each rep.

Avoid “caving in” at the end position. Let your shoulders slant forward, especially when you are looking at the end position.

The contraction should be strong. When performed correctly, the lower/outer portion of your chest will be visible.

Step 3 – Return

Move the cables to their original position. Repeat the process another time. Repeat the process until your arms are slightly bent throughout each rep.

Exercise 6: Incline Dumbbell Overhead Extensions

Do overhead tricep extensions by laying down at 30 degrees and using two dumbbells simultaneously.

To isolate your triceps, the overhead extension of an incline dumbbell is a great exercise. This exercise can be used for both larger triceps or to increase tricep strength.

To feel a tight tricep stretch, lower the dumbbells behind your head. Continue to descend until your forearms and biceps touch at the bottom of each rep. You can reverse the movement by flexing your triceps to full extension.

The overhead tricep extension focuses on the long head and triceps. Difficulty Level: When performing overhead tricep extensions, your core, glutes, and lower back muscles act as stabilizers.

When you extend the long head overhead, it becomes stronger and can take on more of the weight. While lying extensions can stretch the long head to a certain extent, research has shown that they are more effective at highlighting the lateral head.

Overhead tricep extensions can be a great way to work all three heads and are a great addition to any fitness program. The triceps are responsible for extending the elbow or straightening it.

They also help the shoulder muscles extend the arm. This muscle can be worked by the overhead tricep extension.

In most cases, allowing them to flare out will reduce the effectiveness of the exercise.

Avoid elbow flare when doing overhead extensions, parallel-bar dips, or machine triceps presses, as well as other triceps movements such as close-grip bench presses and machine triceps extensions.

Push Pull Legs Routine: The Pull Workout

Here’s what your pull-day workout could look like:

• Barbell Row: 3-4 sets of 10-15 reps
• Chest Supported Rear Delt Row: 3-4 sets of 10-15 reps
• Kneeling Face Pulls: 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps
• Narrow Grip Barbell Curl: 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Reverse Grip Pulldowns: 3-4 sets of 8-12 reps
• Pull-Ups: 3-4 sets of 6-10 reps OR Kneeling Lat Pulldowns: 3-4 sets of 10-15 reps

Exercise 1: Pull-Ups

The pull-up is a strength exercise for the upper body. The pull-up, a closed-chain movement in which the body is suspended by the hands and then pulls up, is called a pull-up.

You will perform a pullup by holding onto a pullup bar, with your palms facing you. Your body should be fully extended. Pull yourself up so that your chin touches the bar. Pull-ups are different from a chin-up. Your palms and hands should face toward you while your chin is up.

The pull-up is a more difficult exercise than the chin-up. This exercise is more challenging than the chin-up. You can modify the pull-up or use an assisted machine to do it for beginners. However, you will still reap the benefits of these variations.

Pullups can be a difficult exercise. They are challenging exercises, but they are worth adding to your strength training program. You can build strength even if you are new to pulling-ups by hanging from the bar or performing an assisted pull-up.

Exercise 2: Barbell Row

Here’s how to Barbell Row with proper form:

1. Stand with your mid-foot under the bar (medium stance)
2. Bend over and grab the bar (palms down, medium-grip)
3. Unlock your knees while keeping your hips high
4. Lift your chest and straighten your back
5. Pull the bar against your lower chest

Bring the bar back to the floor. Breathe. Take a deep breath and straighten your back. Next, do the next rep. Barbell Row has five sets for every StrongLifts 5×5 workout.

Barbell rows are a complete-body, compound exercise. You will work your arms, upper back, hips, and lower back. You will have a stronger back and larger biceps. You can increase your Deadlift, Squat, and Bench Press with barbell rows.

To avoid back pain, keep your lower back neutral. Do not allow it to turn or you will compress your spinal discs. You should not hold the bar in the air for more than one rep. Otherwise, your back will become tired and round.

Between reps, place the bar on the ground. Before you begin the next rep, keep your lower back neutral.

It is easy to cheat on barbell rows. Your hips can be used to lift heavier weights. Your upper back should do the bulk of the lifting. Your torso should not rise above the horizontal if the weight is too high. It should be lowered to focus on your upper back and not your hips.

The Barbell Row begins with the bar on top. The bar is returned to the floor after each rep. Pull from the floor to allow your lower back to be neutralized, and you can use your hip muscles.

Barbell Rows are similar to Deadlifts in that each rep begins and ends on the ground. In five easy steps, you can Barbell Row properly in just five steps.

1. Proceed to the bar. Standing with your middle foot under the bar, Do not touch the bar with your shins. Medium stance, toes pointing out.
2. Grab the bar. Medium grip width is recommended. You will find your grip narrower on Deadlifts than you would on Bench Press. Keep the bar low in both your hands.
3. Lock your knees. Your hips should be higher than the Deadlift. Keep your hips elevated above the Deadlift, but don’t let them touch the bar.
4. Lift your chest. Straighten your back. Do not move the bar. Don’t drop your hips. Do not squeeze your shoulder blades together.
5. Row. Hold the bar and take a deep breath. Pull the bar towards the ceiling by leading with your elbows.

To lift heavier weights, you can raise your torso to the top. Your Barbell Rows cannot be turned into Deadlifts. Your torso should not rise more than 15 degrees above parallel.

This is considered excessive weight. To make it more manageable, you’re reducing the range of motion. This is similar to making half of your squats.

Barbell Rows are less effective for strength and muscle building because your upper back does not work as hard. To keep your torso low, lower the weight.

The barbell row is an essential exercise that packs serious meat onto your back. But it also does more.

This exercise helps to bulletproof your shoulders by strengthening the back muscles that prevent your shoulders from rolling forward when standing up. This is a common problem for bench pressers.

To strengthen your lower back, one of the most effective exercises is to bend over a barbell row and do the trapezius, rhomboids, or Latissimus Dorsi. This exercise stabilizes the body by strengthening the legs, back, and glutes.

Barbell rows are good for working your muscles. They work your lats (the back of your shoulder) as well as your upper back muscles (the muscles surrounding your spine at your base).

After a few weeks of practicing the barbell rows, beginners can expect to be able to barbell row at 175-185 pounds for their 1-rep maximum. 160 pounds for 5 reps. 150 pounds for 8 reps.

Exercise 3: Reverse Grip Lat Pulldowns

Reverse grip lat pulldown, a variation on the lat pulldown, is an exercise that builds the back muscles. The exercise will focus on the lats but you’ll also feel some activation in the biceps and middle back. You should vary the exercises for your back muscles.

A study shows that wide-grip pulldowns to your chest from the top engage your lats better than reverse-grip pulldowns. You can focus your attention on your biceps by performing reverse-grip lat pulldowns, with your palms facing in.

The reverse grip lat pulldown is a variation on the pull-down. It’s used to strengthen the back muscles. The exercise will focus on the lats but you’ll also notice some activation in the biceps and middle back.

You can vary the position of your back muscles. To maximize the growth of your back muscles, try different angles and hand positions.

Reverse gripping will make it easier for the biceps to engage in the exercise.

You can perform the reverse grip lat pulldown during your upper body and back workouts, pull exercises, and full-body workouts.

Instructions

• Attach a large grip handle to the lat pulldown device and sit down.
• Continue repeating until you reach the desired number.
• Place your shoulder width just in front of the handle and grab it with a supinated grip (double-underhand).
• Start the movement by lowering your shoulder blades, then flexing your elbow and extending the shoulder.
• Slowly lower the handle to the original position.

Tips

Also, make sure the shoulder blade is free to move on the rib cage. Do not lock your shoulder blade. Instead, move it through the glenohumeral joint.

Allow your shoulder to rotate internally and then shrug slightly at the top. Before you pull with your arm, it is important to reverse the movement.

A false grip is a technique that allows you to hold the dumbbell in your hand while you are bending your back. Do not wrap your thumb around the dumbbell.

Do not allow momentum to dictate your movements. Control the weight throughout each rep.

Do not allow your head to protrude forward when you pull.

To avoid arching your spine, keep your abdominals toned as you pull the bar in your body.

Exercise 4: Barbell Chest Supported Rear Delt Row

The rear shoulder exercises, such as the rear deltoid row, can help to tone and strengthen the posterior deltoid muscle. This is an effective exercise that builds muscle and strength in your posterior deltoids.

The simple exercise of the rear delt row targets many parts of the body.

• This exercise will have a major impact on your Deltoid, Traps, and other areas.
• Secondary Muscles are used during reading delt row and include the back, Forearms, Rhomboids, Forearms, infraspinatus as well as teres minor and teres major.

The shoulder deltoid muscle is made up of three distinct sections, or heads.

• The anterior deltoid (Infront)
• Lateral deltoid (at side)
• Posterior deltoid (behind)

There are many ways to work your delts. We will be mentioning some of the most popular rear delt row variations. You can make this exercise even more varied by making minor modifications.

There are three major variations to the rear row exercise.

• Barbell Rear Delt Row
• Cable Rear Delt Row
• Dumbbell Rear Delt Row

An effective variation is a dumbbell row that’s supported on the chest. It’s a row in which your chest is supported. You can stabilize your movement by leaning against a bench with your upper body.

Your lower back and hamstrings don’t help stabilize the movement, unlike other rows such as the bent-over row.

The Barbell Chest supported Rear Delt Row, a strength exercise, works your side deltoid muscles. It can be very effective in targeting your shoulders and upper back if done properly.

Exercise 5: Close Grip Barbell Curls

This is an isolated exercise that allows you to focus on the bicep. Studies suggest it may increase hypertrophy. The close-grip barbell curl, if you are looking to build mass, is the best option.

Although building a bicep peak is impressive, there are other benefits to the close-grip barbell curl.

As with any exercise, close-grip barbell curls must be performed with proper form and weight. With the correct technique, you should aim to lift 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions.

• Keep your feet together, with your knees bent.
• With your palms facing forward, grab the barbell using an underhand grip. Throughout the movement, keep your elbows close together with your torso and your hands below your shoulders.
• As you inhale, curve the barbell up in a semicircular motion. The barbell should be brought up towards your chin. You will feel your biceps contract if you hold it up for a second. Don’t swing the bar.
• Take a deep breath and lower the barbell to its starting position. Then, get ready for the next repetition.

To maximize your bicep gains, alternate your bicep exercises by targeting different muscles. There are many variations that you can use in your next arm workout.

Exercise 6: Face Pulls (Kneeling + Lying)

• Face pulling is a functional movement that strengthens the upper back, traps, shoulders, and upper back.
• If done correctly, this exercise can keep your shoulders healthy while you go about your daily activities or train hard at the gym.

Face pulling is a compound exercise that strengthens the shoulder and upper back muscles. Specifically, the:

• Posterior deltoids
• Beware of Traps
• Rhomboids
• Infraspinatus, teres minor muscle of the rotator wrist

The biceps flex the elbow joint, while the spinal erector muscles stabilize your lower back. Face pulling is a functional movement that improves daily living.

Face pulling is a great way to strengthen your shoulders and improve your posture. Face pulling is a great way for improving scapular stability and will help with other upper-body workouts.

To properly perform the face-pulling:

1. Hold the ends of each rope in your hands while standing facing the cable machine. With your thumbs facing out, hold the ball end of the rope with an underhand grip.
2. You should maintain an athletic posture throughout the reps. Keep your feet hip-to-shoulder-width apart. Core engaged to stabilize your upper body. You can also use a split stance if it is more comfortable.
3. The ropes should be positioned so that the cable is straight and the weight hasn’t yet been lifted. Your arms should be straight ahead and at your face.
4. Start by stretching your shoulders and pulling the rope towards your face.
5. Continue pulling the rope back. Your hands should move beyond your ears and elbows.
6. Continue pulling the rope till your hands reach your ears. But don’t let the rope touch your face.
7. For a second or so, squeeze your shoulders and then move your hands back into the original position.
8. Before you start the next rep, make sure to reset your shoulders.

Do two to three sets with eight to fifteen reps each. This depends on whether this is part of your routine or a finishing move. You can take as long as two minutes between sets, depending on how you need it.

Push Pull Legs Routine: The Legs Workout

It’s time to wrap up your leg workout for the week. This program is balanced and well-thought-out to target quads, glutes, and hamstrings. We use both our anatomy and current scientific knowledge to target these muscles.

Here’s how a full-leg or glute workout might look.

• Do 3-4 sets of 6-10 reps for Back Squats or Front Squats
• Hip thrusts: 3-4 sets, 12-15 reps
• Split Squats (2 sets Bulgarian and 2 sets contralateral). Each side will need 4 sets of 8-12 reps.
• Glute Ham Raise (or Bosu Ball Alternative): 3-4 sets with 10-15 reps

To ensure calves are well-rested, I recommend one standing calf lift and one seated. You can also use a mixture of lower and higher rep ranges.

• Do 3-4 sets of 6-10 reps for Back Squats or Front Squats
• Hip thrusts: 3-4 sets, 12-15 reps
• Split Squats (2 sets Bulgarian and 2 sets contralateral). Each side will need 4 sets of 8-12 reps.
• Glute Ham Raise (or Bosu Ball Alternative): 3-4 sets with 10-15 reps
• Standing Single Leg Calf Raise: 2-6 sets of 6-10 reps
• Seated Calf Raise: 2-5 sets of 10-15 reps

It is important to include:

• Deadlifts are a hip-dominant hamstring exercise, and so are deadlifts
• A knee-dominant quadriceps exercise

To maximize the development of these muscles, Then, just use variations of day 1’s leg day exercises to increase your volume for day 2.

Exercise 1: Barbell Squats

• Muscles Worked: Abs, Back, legs
• Difficulty: Medium
• Equipment needed: Barbell

Standing with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart will allow you to squat deeper, involving your glutes as well as your hamstrings.

You should hold the barbell on your upper back and use an overhand grip to keep it from resting on your neck. To engage your upper back muscles, hug the barbell into your traps.

Slowly squat under the bar weight. Head up, back straight, buns down.

Keep your hips aligned with the knees. Lower your body until you feel your hips.

Push your heels to the floor and push yourself up. You should keep your form until you are straightened up: that’s one

Barbell squats can directly strengthen your posterior chain muscles. These include the hamstrings and glutes as well as the adductors (groin muscle). This is what produces hip drive.

Squats activate all the glute muscles in one motion. These muscles can be stimulated to hypertrophy, or increased size if you are able to recruit them strategically. Squats are a great way to build larger glutes.

Actually, a stronger squat is linked to better performance in sports. Stronger legs can have positive consequences for any sport that requires leg strength. You can strengthen your bones, muscles, joints, and muscles by improving your back squat. Improve your hip, ankle, and knee flexibility.

Barbell squats have a better chance of building lower body strength than dumbbells. Barbell squats with heavier weights significantly increase leg strength, especially in the lower back and knees. You can also increase the weight gradually to allow for progressive overloading.

Barbell squats can be a great addition to your weightlifting program. Barbell squats increase muscle mass in the lower body. Barbell squats are more effective than standard bodyweight squats because of their added weight.

Although it may seem strange, the squat can be one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your abs and losing weight. It is also a great exercise to tone and flatten your stomach.

Your core muscles will be engaged throughout the movement of squats due to their nature. Core engagement is required for just the act of holding a weighted barbell to your back.

Exercise 2: Hip Thrusts

Hip thrusts are a great addition to any leg workout and should be included in your warm-up. They improve strength and explosiveness, as well as help you perform exercises like deadlifts and squats better.

Hip thrusts increase the strength and size of your glutes, in a way that few other exercises can. Experts agree that hip thrusts have many benefits, for athletes as well as older adults over 65. Glute strength is essential for stabilizing your pelvis, core, and lower body.

The barbell hip thrust activates all the muscles in your posterior chain, including the quadriceps and adductors.

Hip thrusts exert greater mechanical tension on the glutes, which can lead to greater metabolic stress potential. However, the squat is more damaging to the muscles.

At the top of the movement, there should be a slight pause (think the straight line between your knees, hips, and shoulders). You should keep this for at least 2-4 seconds. You should return the bar to the floor as soon as the plates touch the ground.

The hip thrust activates your legs so that it grows your legs. You should also avoid leg curls and glute ham lifts. They can cause too much hamstring activation.

Squatting can help build your hips naturally. Your hips will grow if you do more deadlifts and hip thrusts.

These steps will help you perform a hip thrust.

1. Place your back against a raised surface, such as a bench or box. Keep your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
2. The bench should reach just below your shoulders, and your feet should be approximately shoulder-width apart. The bench can be used to rest your elbows.
3. Keep your chin down and push your heels forward until your thighs touch the ground. Your legs should be at a 90-degree angle.
4. Grab your glutes and then return to the beginning.

For beginners, aim to do 3 sets of 12 reps and work your way up to 20 using your body weight.

You can then continue the exercise by trying a single-leg version or adding weight safely with a dumbbell, plate, or barbell.

It is worth noting, however, that hip thrusts can be used in conjunction with glute bridges.

The movement is the same but glute bridges can be performed from the ground. They target the quads and hamstrings more than hip thrusts.

Exercise 3: Split Squats (2 sets regular, 2 sets contralateral)

Split squats are a compound leg exercise that targets multiple muscles in the lower body. This includes your hip flexors and quadriceps. Split squats are a great way to increase leg strength and flexibility if you do them correctly.

Split squats are performed by placing one leg in front of another and slowly lowering your body. Split squats can be used to increase your ability to do more complicated variations of the traditional squat such as the single-leg squat and the back squat with a deadlift.

Split squats are a compound leg exercise that targets multiple muscles in the lower body. This includes your hip flexors and quadriceps. Split squats are a great way to increase leg strength and flexibility if you do them correctly.

The split squat is a great exercise for strengthening the lower body. It works all of the muscles in your lower body when done properly. Split squats also have the advantage of being a single-leg exercise that can be used to correct any imbalances from left to right.

The split squat, along with most lower-body exercises, is good for your knee health. They help to build the muscles that support your knee (quadriceps and hamstrings),

Split squats are a great exercise for targeting multiple lower-body muscles. They activate the quads, hamstrings, and glutes.

Split squats should be practiced in the 6-12 rep range when you first begin.

Split squats should be performed in 2-3 sets with 8-12 repetitions per leg. Keep your technique good throughout each set and repetition.

1. Your front foot should be about 2-4 feet in front. To evenly distribute your weight, raise your back heel and place your toes. Your front foot should have equal weight. To create a stable foot position, grip the floor with your front foot.
2. Square your hips. Your posture should be upright with your torso up and your feet shoulder-width apart. Your knees should be bent slightly. With a neutral head position and a neutral neck, your shoulders should rest slightly above your hips. Your chin should be tucked as though you were holding an egg underneath your chin all the time.
3. Hold dumbbells at your sides or place your hands on your hips.
4. Engage your core.
5. Begin by moving your hips, knees, and ankles down from your front leg. Then, bend your back knee toward the ground and begin the downward movement.
6. Your front leg should be parallel to the ground, and your back knee should be lower. Your rear knee should be below your hips, about 1-2 inches above the ground.
7. For 1-2 seconds, pause at the bottom.
8. Push your front foot into the ground to begin standing.
9. Stand straight up and keep your chest high. Your front knee should be straightened and your hips to move forward.
10. Finish the movement by squeezing your quadriceps, while keeping a neutral spine.
11. Your shoulders should cross over your hips at the end of every repetition. As if your pelvis were a bucket of water, you are trying to keep any water from escaping the sides, front, and back.

Exercise 4: Glute Ham Raise

You can do the glute-ham lift or nordic curl without a machine in three different ways. A partner can assist you in performing a glute-ham raise. You can use a Kaiji glute-ham strap, a Barbell Strap, or a pulldown seat. Or, you can use a power rack to attach a barbell to a barbell.

For better posture, your lower back, hamstrings, and glutes are all important. Glute-ham lifts strengthen all these muscles as well as your spine erectors. This can improve your posture.

The glute-ham lift builds leg strength and glute strength, unlike the deadlift or squat. The glute-ham lift can be used as an additional exercise to improve your deadlift and squat performance.

This exercise uses more muscle fibers that a hamstring curl on an automatic machine. It targets all three heads and your glutes as well as the hamstrings. You will feel the impact on your glutes and hamstrings, as well as your calves and lower back. This will help strengthen your posterior chain.

Glute-ham raise is primarily for the glutes and hamstrings. However, the posterior chain can be used to increase muscle mass and endurance. Here is a list of the most used muscle groups during the glute-ham raise exercise.

It is crucial to be able to stand straight without putting too much strain on the lumbar spine. Glute ham increases control and disperses tension through the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back.

• The glute-ham raise simultaneously trains the two main functions of the hamstrings.
• Start with sets of 5-8 reps. Later, you can train the glute-ham lift with high-, medium-, or low-rep ranges.
• You can also do the glute-ham-raise movement with the Nordic hamstring curl or other variations that don’t require a glute bench.

The Push/Pull/Legs workout schedule for muscle gains

Here’s a workout plan that will help you get exceptional results – it’s well-structured and properly balanced. The exercises in this routine are carefully selected to work your body evenly, creating a well-rounded, always-improving physique…

Workout 1 – Push

• Bench Press 3 X 5 – 7
• Incline Dumbbell Press 3 X 8 – 10
• Side Lateral Raises 2 X 10 – 12
• Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 X 6 – 8
• Triceps press downs 2 X 8 – 10
• Overhead Triceps Extension 2 X 8 – 10

Workout 2 – Pull

• Bent-over Row 3 X 5 – 7
• Barbell Shrugs 3 X 8 – 10
• Barbell Curl 2 X 8 – 10
• Dumbbell Hammer Curl 2 X 8 – 10
• Face Pulls 2 X 10 – 12
• Pull-Ups 3 X 6 – 8

Workout 3 – Legs/Abs

• Calf Raise 4 X 8 – 10
• Hanging Leg Raise 2 X 10 – 15
• Leg Press 2 X 10 – 12
• Leg Curl 2 X 10 – 12
• Romanian Deadlifts 2 X 8 – 10
• Squats 3 X 6 – 8

The sets listed above are your work sets, but you should always warm up first in order to prepare your body for the heavier stuff and to prevent injury. The split routine also helps because you only need to do a few warm-up sets before training each exercise or body part.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why use a Push/Pull/Legs split?

Because all muscle groups are involved in the push/pull/legs workout, it is one of the most effective workouts.

This allows you to get the most movement overlap in the same workout. The overall benefit for the muscles being trained is that there is more overlap.

If you do a bench press on your chest, you're also hitting your anterior deltoid and triceps. Your triceps are also being engaged when you train shoulders. It makes sense to combine these exercises for maximum effectiveness and synergy.

Similar to the back, your biceps will be heavily stimulated when you train them. It is important to do this immediately afterward so they can get the most benefit from the stimulation.

This will also mean that you will experience less overlap between movements, which will allow for better recovery.

Who should use a Push/Pull/Legs split?

Both intermediate and advanced trainees will find the push/pull/legs split to be very useful.

You will be most successful if you haven't seen any results since your first workout or if you're just getting started. This should be followed for at least six months if you're still making good progress.

After you reach the intermediate stage, however, you will likely find that you do better with a split training program. This can be done three to four days per week. This is actually one of the most effective ways to train the vast majority.

The push/pull/legs split may be more suitable for you once you have reached the intermediate stage. You may also want to alternate between lower and upper splits with a push/pull/legs to reap all the benefits of each.

The push/pull/legs split is a very effective way to train and is sure to produce exceptional results if you put your effort into it.

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