The Metallicadpa 6 Day PPL is the canonical free Push/Pull/Legs routine from r/Fitness, written by /u/metallicadpa. You train six days a week across two Push days, two Pull days, and two Leg days. Compound lifts use a 5/5+ AMRAP structure (five straight sets, then an all-out rep set), and loads are driven by your 1RM inputs so the spreadsheet suggests starting weights for you.
The program runs indefinitely with session-to-session linear progression. When you hit the target reps on your AMRAP set, the sheet advances your load for the next session automatically. Upper body lifts go up 2.5 kg at a time; lower body lifts go up 5 kg. The idea is to keep adding weight as long as you can before accumulating fatigue forces a reset, which is the core mechanic of linear progression borrowed from programs like GZCLP.
This program suits intermediate lifters who can recover from six training days per week and want high-frequency hypertrophy work built into a clear structure. If you’re newer to lifting or can only make it to the gym three or four days a week, you’ll get more out of starting with the PPL spreadsheet collection, which covers shorter variants of the same split.
Table of Contents
Metallicadpa PPL on Boostcamp App
Reddit PPL - Boostcamp App
Prefer an app to a spreadsheet? If so, you're in luck!
Boostcamp has a free app version of the Reddit PPL Program that you can use directly from your phone.
It tracks your progress and calculates your lifts, just like a spreadsheet.
Works on iOS and Android.
If you prefer to use an app version of Metallicadpa PPL, Boostcamp is a good option. It handles the progression math for you and logs your sets session by session.
Metallicadpa PPL v3.04 Spreadsheet
This is the v3.04 spreadsheet for the Metallicadpa PPL. It tracks up to 12 weeks at a time, advances your working weights automatically based on the reps you log, and lets you customize exercises and progression rates per lift. Have feedback or a feature request? Let me know via this Google Form.
Originally written up in this r/Fitness post, the Metallicadpa PPL proved popular with beginner and intermediate lifters, which prompted /u/forrey to build a spreadsheet version with tracking and progress graphs.
Metallicadpa PPL v3.04 Overview
Version 3.04 has five main differences from the older 1RM spreadsheet that most people used before it:
- It tracks up to 12 weeks at a time. (The old 1RM version didn’t do this.)
- It automatically calculates your progression based on the number of reps you achieve.
- You can slow down or speed up progression rates for each lift based on your own preferences.
- You can customize which exercises you do for the push, pull, and leg days.
- You can customize the intensity for each rep range if you want to, though you generally won’t need to.
3/25/20 – Added leg curls, which were inadvertently left out of the spreadsheet.
1/20/20: v3.0 changed the rep ranges for compound lifts to 5/5+, which is how they were written in the original Reddit PPL. They were changed to 8/8+ several years before 2016 in the 1RM spreadsheet. This has been fixed in v3.0. If you want to keep 8/8+ rep ranges, change the rep count to 8 in column D on the routine sheet.
Metallicadpa PPL FAQs
Is Metallicadpa PPL good for beginners?
It works for beginners, but six days a week is a real commitment. If you’re new to lifting, you’ll still make progress on it since linear progression is very beginner-friendly. The issue is recovery: six sessions a week leaves less room for error on sleep, food, and stress. A lot of beginners who start the Reddit PPL end up burning out or missing days, which defeats the structure.
If you’re just starting out, a 3- or 4-day program will get you similar strength gains with less fatigue. Check out the PPL spreadsheet collection for shorter variants, or GZCLP if you want a four-day linear progression program. The Reddit PPL is fine to run as a beginner, but go in knowing it’s demanding.
How many days per week is Metallicadpa PPL?
Six days per week. The split is Push/Pull/Legs/Push/Pull/Legs with one rest day. Each movement pattern gets two sessions per week, which means your bench, squat, deadlift, and row all get hit twice. That’s on the high end for frequency, so plan around it.
How do I progress on Metallicadpa PPL?
The v3.04 spreadsheet handles it automatically. You enter your 1RM for each lift, and the sheet sets your starting weights. After each session, you log your reps on the AMRAP set. If you hit the target rep count, the sheet adds weight for the next session: 2.5 kg on upper body lifts, 5 kg on lower body lifts. You don’t have to calculate anything yourself.
The sheet also lets you adjust progression speed per lift if 2.5 kg jumps are too fast or too slow for a specific exercise. You can tune those in the inputs tab.
Can I run it 3 or 4 days a week?
You can, but the program isn’t written for that. The whole design assumes you’re hitting each movement pattern twice a week, so if you cut sessions you’re just running an incomplete version of the program. You’d be better off with a program that’s actually written for 3 or 4 days. The PPL spreadsheet collection has 3-day PPL variants that are designed around that schedule.
How long should I run Metallicadpa PPL?
The program has no fixed end date. You run it until the linear progression stops working, which typically means you’re failing to hit target reps two or three sessions in a row on a given lift. At that point, you can reset the weight on that lift by 10-15% and continue, or move to a program with more structured periodization.
For most lifters, the linear progression on upper body compounds runs out first. Lower body lifts often hold on longer. When you’re stalling on everything and resets aren’t helping, that’s when it’s time to switch programs. The spreadsheet tracks 12 weeks per block, which is a reasonable target to aim for before reassessing.
