- Level
- Beginner
- Days a week
- 6 days
- Goal
- Strength and size
- Equipment
- Full gym
- How long
- 3–6 months
- Created by
- u/Metallicadpa
Metallicadpa posted this program to r/Fitness in 2015 and it became the default answer to "what PPL should I run?". It is a six-day push pull legs split with one big barbell lift at the start of each day, progressed every session, and bodybuilding accessories progressed by reps.
It gives a beginner far more volume than a 3×5 program, which is why people who care about size as much as strength like it. The trade-off is six sessions a week.
This page explains the program in our own words. All credit for it goes to u/Metallicadpa. The original: A Linear Progression Based PPL Program for Beginners (r/Fitness, archived on thefitness.wiki). Read it for the full detail.
Who it’s for
Beginners and early intermediates who can train six days a week and want muscle as well as strength. It suits people who already enjoy the gym; it is a lot of sessions for someone still building the habit.
With four days or fewer, pick an upper/lower or full-body program instead of running half a PPL.
The weekly schedule
| Day | Session |
|---|---|
| Monday | Pull (deadlift) |
| Tuesday | Push (bench) |
| Wednesday | Legs |
| Thursday | Pull (barbell row) |
| Friday | Push (overhead press) |
| Saturday | Legs |
| Sunday | Rest |
Every workout
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Deadlift | 1 × 5+ | Alternates with barbell rows 4 × 5, 1 × 5+ |
| Lat pulldown | 3 × 8–12 | Or pull-ups |
| Seated cable row | 3 × 8–12 | Or chest-supported rows |
| Face pull | 5 × 15–20 | |
| Hammer curl | 4 × 8–12 | |
| Dumbbell curl | 4 × 8–12 |
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell bench press | 4 × 5, 1 × 5+ | Alternates with overhead press |
| Overhead press | 3 × 8–12 | Swap with bench on the other push day |
| Incline dumbbell press | 3 × 8–12 | |
| Triceps pushdown | 3 × 8–12 | Superset with lateral raises |
| Dumbbell lateral raise | 3 × 15–20 | |
| Overhead triceps extension | 3 × 8–12 | Superset with lateral raises |
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Back squat | 2 × 5, 1 × 5+ | |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 × 8–12 | |
| Leg press | 3 × 8–12 | |
| Leg curl | 3 × 8–12 | |
| Calf raise | 5 × 8–12 |
The first lift on pull and push days alternates. One pull day starts with a single heavy set of deadlifts, the other with barbell rows. One push day leads with bench press, the other with overhead press, and the second press drops to 3 × 8–12.
Lateral raises are done twice on push day, paired with each triceps exercise. The original post allows sensible swaps such as rear-delt flyes for face pulls.
How to progress
Main lifts progress every session you complete the sets: 5 lb (2.5 kg) for upper-body lifts and squats, and 10 lb (5 kg) for deadlifts. The last set of each is an AMRAP; it doesn’t change the progression but tracks how far ahead of the weight you are.
Accessories use double progression. Work up to the top of the rep range on all sets, then add weight and start again at the bottom.
Stalls and deloads
If you fail to make the reps on a main lift three times in a row, take 10% off it and work back up.
How long to run it
Run it as long as the main lifts keep moving every session, usually three to six months. When resets pile up, switch the main lifts to a weekly progression and keep the split.
What to do next
The PPL hypertrophy program below keeps the split with weekly progression and more accessory variety. PHUL and PHAT are options if you want fewer, longer sessions.
Common mistakes
Running it four days
Without all six sessions the progression falls apart. Choose a four-day program instead.
Grinding the AMRAP sets
They are there to show progress, not to set a record every session. Stop a rep before form slips.
Ignoring the legs days
Leg day is the one people cut short. It is also where most of the muscle in your body is.
Running it in Splyt
Build each workout above as a template in Splyt. When you finish a session, the weights you actually lifted carry into the next run of that template, so every set shows last time’s numbers beside it and you can see at a glance whether to add weight. Log on iPhone or Apple Watch, and the Watch counts your reps for you.
Have the program in a spreadsheet or screenshot already? Import it and Splyt turns it into editable templates. Use the one-rep max calculator to set a training max, the warm-up calculator for warm-up sets in whole plates, and strength standards to see where your lifts sit for your bodyweight.
Questions
Is the Reddit PPL good for beginners?
Yes, for beginners who can commit to six days. It builds size and strength together and teaches you to progress accessories as well as barbell lifts.
Can I run Reddit PPL as three days?
You can, but each lift then progresses once a week instead of twice, and the program’s strength comes from frequency. A full-body program is a better three-day choice.
Where does the deadlift go?
On the first pull day, as one heavy AMRAP set of five or more. The second pull day leads with barbell rows instead.
Similar programs
- Push pull legs hypertrophy program — intermediate, 6 days
- GZCLP — beginner, 3–4 days
- PHUL (Power Hypertrophy Upper Lower) — intermediate, 4 days
- 4-day upper lower program — intermediate, 4 days
- Every program, by level and days
More for your training
- Workout splits: how push pull legs, upper/lower and full body compare
- Ready-made workouts for every muscle and piece of equipment
- The exercise library: how to do every lift above
- Strength standards by lift and bodyweight
Run this program in Splyt, the workout tracker for iPhone and Apple Watch that remembers what you lifted. Get Splyt free on the App Store