Are you just looking for great 6 day PPL workout programs to run?
If so, check out these links for spreadsheets and additional info.
- metallicadpa PPL (aka “Reddit PPL)
- Coolcicada 6 Day PPL
- Blood God PPL
- PPL GZCL
- PHUL 6 Day PPL Version
- nSuns 5/3/1 LP PPL with BBB
Table of Contents
- 1 What is a PPL Split?
- 2 About 6 Day Push Pull Legs Routines
- 3 How to Create a Push Pull Legs PDF
- 4 Metallicadpa Beginner PPL v2.2 (1RM Inputs + Auto Progression) Spreadsheet
- 5 Coolcicada 6 Day PPL Workout Split (with deadlifts)
- 6 Boostcamp App
- 7 nSuns 5/3/1 LP PPL with BBB Spreadsheet
- 8 PHUL 6 Day PPL Workout Split Spreadsheet
- 9 Blood God PPL Workout Split Spreadsheet
- 10 GZCL 6 Day PPL Workout Split Spreadsheet
- 11 PPL Exercise List
- 12 Frequently Asked Questions about PPL Workout Routines
- 13 Recent Page Updates
What is a PPL Split?
A PPL split is a method for organizing resistance training based on the type of exercise movements. PPL stands for push, pull, legs. Common exercises include the bench press for push days, barbell rows for pull days, and squats for leg days.
About 6 Day Push Pull Legs Routines
Push Pull Legs (PPL) programs are a popular way to structure bodybuilding, strength training, or powerbuilding style programming. This workout split allows for recovery from a certain set of movements while still training other movements.
For example, by grouping push movements (e.g. overhead press, bench press, dumbbell press, etc.) together in a single training session, it allows for those muscles to recover while pull movements are trained the next day. This lets an athlete train with greater frequency while still allowing for adequate recovery.
These programs are often used to stimulate hypertrophy, though mixing heavy days with lighter days appropriately can also help achieve significant strength gains as well.
Related Program Collections:
- 3 Day Split Workout Routine Collection
- 4 Day Split Workout Routine Collection
- 5 Day Split Workout Routine Collection
- Upper/Lower Split Workout Routine Collections (3 day, 4 day, 5 day)
How to Create a Push Pull Legs PDF
After you customize one of the spreadsheets below to your liking, you can select: File –> Download –> PDF to save as a PDF file to print out later.
Metallicadpa Beginner PPL v2.2 (1RM Inputs + Auto Progression) Spreadsheet
This push pull legs routine lets you customize exercise selection and the progression rate for each lift. Also known as the “Reddit PPL,” it’s been a popular mainstay for novice lifters for many years and is one of the most popular programs on Lift Vault.
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.
Related: Metallicadpa PPL Spreadsheet
Coolcicada 6 Day PPL Workout Split (with deadlifts)
The Coolcicada Push Pull Legs Routine is another PPL split program that has been circulating around the internet for a long while.
It originally spawned from the BB.com forums and remains popular, though not as much as the Reddit PPL (above). A sign of the times, I suppose.
Related: Coolcicada PPL Spreadsheets (including version without deadlifts)
Boostcamp App
Boostcamp is a free app that has tons of great training programs, including the 6 day Arnold Schwarzenegger volume program.
Boostcamp App
Many of the most popular programs on Lift Vault are now available on a free app!
Boostcamp lets you track progress, calculate weight/sets/reps, and discover new programs - all for free!
nSuns 5/3/1 LP PPL with BBB Spreadsheet
Related: nSuns Spreadsheets (many versions)
PHUL 6 Day PPL Workout Split Spreadsheet
This is a Push Pull Legs split version of PHUL, which originally was a 4 day upper lower split.
Related: PHUL Workout Spreadsheets
Blood God PPL Workout Split Spreadsheet
Blood Good is a lesser known push pull legs split workout that looks absolutely brutal.
GZCL 6 Day PPL Workout Split Spreadsheet
Related: GZCL Program Collection, GZCLP Program Spreadsheets
PPL Exercise List
While all of the spreadsheets below contain pre-written exercise movements for you, you may want to customize the program to your own individual areas for improvement. Below are some PPL example exercises you may want to consider swapping into one of the routines you find here.
Push Exercises
- Bench press (flat, incline, decline)
- Dumbbell press (flat, incline, decline)
- Overhead press (seated, standing)
- Triceps
- Rope pushdown, skull crushers, overhead tricep extension
- Dumbbell lateral raises
- Arnold press
- Dips
Pull Exercises
- Deadlifts (conventional, sumo, stiff legged, Romanian, deficit, Dimel deadlifts)
- Barbell row (Related: Pendlay row vs barbell row)
- Chest supported row
- Cable row
- Lat pull down
- T-bar row
- Good mornings
- Dumbbell curls
- Hammer curls (Related: Hammer curls vs bicep curls)
- Cable curls
- Shrugs
- Farmers walks
For even more ideas, check out our list of the best barbell pull exercises.
Legs Exercises
- Squats (standard, paused, pin)
- Leg press
- Leg extensions
- Hamstring curls (Related: lying leg curls vs seated leg curls)
- Glute bridges (Related: glute bridges vs hip thrusts)
- Lunges (Related: split squat vs lunge)
Again, the programs you find here will have many of these pre-selected, but don’t be afraid to change it up! PPLs are popular for their flexibility and versatility. If you know you have certain weaknesses in your main lifts that need working on or want to develop lagging body parts, check out the above.
Have feedback or a feature request? Let me know on this easy Google Form.
Frequently Asked Questions about PPL Workout Routines
Popular 6 day ppl programs include Coolcicada PPL, Metallicadpa PPL, PHUL 6 Day PPL, and the Blood God PPL.
PPL stands for push, pull, legs. PPL programs break a weekly training routine into 6 workouts, one dedicated to push, pull, or leg exercises. Each exercise group is performed twice per week (e.g. P/P/L/rest/P/P/L during a week). This allows for high frequency training while still allowing time for muscles to recover from the previous workout.
A push pull legs routine is popular among individuals that are training for strength and hypertrophy. They are generally not powerlifting programs, as most powerlifting programs don’t program such high frequency.
With that said, a push pull legs workout is quite flexible and, depending on the number of movements done on each day, improvement of an athlete’s one rep max (1RM) could still be achieved through a PPL program.
With that said, push pull legs routines are usually best suited for individuals seeking aesthetic goals.
Push exercises include bench press and its variations (e.g. incline bench press), dumbbell presses, military press, Arnold press, etc.
Pull exercises include the deadlift and its variations (e.g. deficit deadlifts), rack pulls, trap bar deadlifts, rows, pull downs, dumbbell curls, hammer curls, etc.
Related: Trap Bar Deadlift vs. Deadlift
Leg exercises include squats, leg extensions, hamstring curls, hack squats, front squats, split squats, lunges, etc.
Recent Page Updates
September 9, 2019: New and improved Metallicadpa PPL spreadsheet has been added. Now keeps track of 12 weeks at a time, progresses weight automatically between workouts, and is easier to customize. Way better than static PDFs!
