Push Pull Legs vs Upper Lower vs Full Body: Which Split Fits Your Week?

All three splits build muscle. The one that works best for you is the one that matches how many days you can train every week, week after week. Pick by your calendar first, then by preference.

A split is just a way of spreading your weekly sets across the days you train. Full body hits everything each session. Upper/lower alternates top half and bottom half. Push pull legs groups muscles by movement: pressing, pulling, and legs. Here is how they stack up.

Frequency matters less than you think

The big split debate is really a frequency debate: how many times a week each muscle gets trained. A 2016 meta-analysis by Schoenfeld, Ogborn and Krieger found that training a muscle twice a week grew more muscle than once a week. A 2019 follow-up led by Schoenfeld, with Grgic and Krieger, found that once total weekly volume was equal, frequency made little difference.

The practical read: what drives growth is your weekly number of hard sets per muscle. Frequency is a tool for spreading those sets so each one is good quality. If one session would need 20 sets for a muscle, split them over two days. That is why most people do best hitting each muscle about twice a week. All three splits can get you there. See how many sets per muscle per week for the numbers.

Full body: 2 to 3 days a week

Every session trains your whole body, usually one lower-body lift, one push, and one pull, plus an extra or two. A common setup rotates three workouts (A, B, C) on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

• Pros: Each muscle gets hit 2 to 3 times a week on only 3 days. Missing a session costs little because everything gets trained again in two days. Good for learning the main lifts, since you practice them often.
• Cons: Sessions run long once you add volume, and the last exercises get done tired. Heavy squats and deadlifts in the same week, three times, can pile up fatigue for stronger lifters.

Upper / lower: 4 days a week

Two upper-body days and two lower-body days, often Monday upper, Tuesday lower, Thursday upper, Friday lower. Each muscle gets trained twice a week.

• Pros: Twice-a-week frequency with sessions of a sensible length. Enough room for a heavier day and a lighter or higher-rep day for each half. The simplest split to run for years.
• Cons: Needs four days. Upper days can get crowded, since chest, back, shoulders, and arms all share one session.

Push pull legs: 3 or 6 days a week

Push day trains chest, shoulders, and triceps. Pull day trains back and biceps. Leg day trains quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. Run it once through (3 days) or twice through (6 days).

• Pros: Short, focused sessions where each muscle group gets full attention. Overlapping muscles rest together, so triceps recover on pull day and biceps on push day. Run twice a week, it delivers a lot of volume.
• Cons: On 3 days, each muscle gets trained only once a week, so it takes big single sessions to reach your weekly sets. On 6 days, it asks for a lot of your week. Missing a day pushes the whole rotation back.

Tip: run the rotation, not the calendar. If you miss Wednesday, do Wednesday's session on Thursday instead of skipping it, so no muscle group falls a full week behind.

How to pick in 30 seconds

1. 2 or 3 days a week: full body. It is the only split that trains everything twice or more on so few days.
2. 4 days a week: upper/lower. Twice-a-week frequency with reasonable sessions.
3. 5 days a week: upper/lower plus one push pull legs cycle (upper, lower, push, pull, legs), or upper/lower with an extra full-body day.
4. 6 days a week: push pull legs, twice through.
5. Unsure, or your schedule changes week to week: full body. It is the most forgiving when life gets in the way.

Then stick with it for at least 8 to 12 weeks. The split matters far less than progressive overload, so changing splits every month mostly resets your numbers.

Where this fits

Your split decides when you train each muscle. The rest of the guides cover how much and how hard. Set your weekly volume with sets per muscle per week, keep each set honest with reps in reserve, add weight using double progression, and take a deload week when fatigue builds up.

FAQ

Is push pull legs better than upper lower?

Neither is better for growth when weekly volume is the same. Upper/lower fits 4 training days and hits each muscle twice a week. Push pull legs fits 6 days for the same frequency, or 3 days if once a week per muscle is enough for you.

Should I do full body or push pull legs?

If you can train 3 days a week, full body: it trains each muscle 2 to 3 times a week, while a 3-day push pull legs split trains each muscle only once. If you can train 6 days, push pull legs gives you twice-a-week frequency with shorter, more focused sessions.

Is full body or upper lower better for beginners?

Full body is usually the better start. It trains each muscle often on only 2 to 3 days, gives lots of practice on the main lifts, and is forgiving when you miss a session. Move to upper/lower when full-body sessions get too long.

Is a 3-day push pull legs split enough?

It can work, but each muscle gets trained only once a week, so every session has to carry the full weekly volume for those muscles. On 3 days, full body usually gets you more growth for the same time.

How many days a week should I train?

As many as you can repeat every week. Three days on a full-body plan builds muscle well. Four to six days lets you spread more volume. Consistency over months beats a perfect plan you keep missing.

How long should I stay on one split?

At least 8 to 12 weeks, and as long as your lifts keep going up. Change when your schedule changes or progress stalls after you have fixed volume, effort, and recovery.