A resistance training program often uses training splits to organize exercises. The Push/Pull split simplifies this organization by grouping exercises based on the physical action performed rather than isolating individual muscle groups. This approach efficiently trains the entire body by dividing movements into two primary categories: pushing a weight and pulling a weight. This organization allows for systematic muscle recovery and development by ensuring that opposing muscle groups are worked on different days.
Defining the Push Workout
A Push workout involves movements that move a weight away from the body. These exercises primarily recruit muscles on the front of the upper body and the back of the arms. The main muscle groups targeted are the pectoralis major (chest), the anterior and medial heads of the deltoids (shoulders), and the triceps brachii.
The primary joint action involves elbow extension, increasing the elbow angle as the weight is pressed upward or forward. The chest press, performed on various benches, is a foundational movement that strongly engages the pectorals. For the shoulders, the overhead press requires the deltoids to raise the weight vertically.
The triceps brachii function as primary movers. Exercises like the overhead triceps extension or the close-grip bench press isolate this muscle to maximize pushing strength. Training these muscles together capitalizes on their shared mechanical function and allows them to rest while opposing muscle groups are worked.
Defining the Pull Workout
The Pull workout focuses on movements that draw a weight toward the body. These actions predominantly utilize the musculature on the back of the torso and the front of the arms to execute the inward motion. Major muscle groups engaged include the latissimus dorsi (lats), the rhomboids, the trapezius (traps) of the upper back, the biceps brachii, and the posterior deltoids (rear shoulders).
Pulling mechanics revolve around shoulder adduction and retraction, drawing the shoulder blades back toward the spine, and elbow flexion, decreasing the elbow angle. Exercises like the bent-over row or seated cable row are staples, targeting the lats and rhomboids to build back thickness and width. Pull-ups and lat pulldowns emphasize vertical pulling strength and engage the latissimus dorsi.
The biceps brachii act as primary movers for elbow flexion and are heavily recruited in nearly all pulling motions. Direct exercises such as the standard bicep curl or hammer curl ensure complete stimulation of this muscle group. Furthermore, exercises like the face pull target the rear deltoids, which are important for shoulder stability and posture, complementing the main back muscles.
The Fundamental Difference in Movement Mechanics
The distinction between the Push and Pull workouts lies in the direction of the concentric muscle contraction relative to the body. Push exercises involve a concentric phase that moves resistance away from the body, such as extending the elbow during a triceps pushdown. This action primarily uses muscle groups that act as antagonists to the muscles used in pulling motions.
Pull exercises utilize a concentric phase that draws resistance toward the torso, seen in the flexion of the elbow during a bicep curl. This division ensures that the primary movers of one workout are the opposing stabilizers or resting muscles during the other. For instance, while the chest is worked on a Push day, the back muscles are only minimally involved, allowing for localized recovery.
Organizing training this way promotes efficient recovery cycles because the muscle groups worked on a Push day (e.g., chest and triceps) are rested on a subsequent Pull day (e.g., back and biceps). This systematic separation of agonist and antagonist muscle groups allows for high training frequency without overtraining. The body recovers and rebuilds pressed muscles while pulled muscles are simultaneously stimulated for growth.
Structuring Your Training Week
The Push/Pull split is most effectively implemented by adding a dedicated Leg day, creating a comprehensive Push, Pull, Legs (PPL) structure. Legs are separated because they involve a complex mix of both pushing movements (like the squat) and pulling movements (like the deadlift and hamstring curl). Isolating the lower body prevents excessive overlap and systemic fatigue if they were integrated into upper body days.
A common weekly schedule is a three-day routine, performed three times per week with rest days in between (PPL followed by a rest day). For higher frequency, a six-day schedule is utilized: PPL, rest, PPL, followed by a full rest day. This allows each major muscle group to be trained twice within seven days.
Rest days are important, providing time for muscle protein synthesis and nervous system recovery. Training each muscle group intensely requires 48 to 72 hours of recovery before the next stimulus. The PPL structure effectively manages this frequency, allowing for a balanced approach to volume and recovery for continued strength and size gains.