Push pull legs
The complete plan, session by session, exactly as the SETR app delivers it.
Push pull legs splits the work by movement: a push day (chest, shoulders, triceps), a pull day (back, biceps) and a leg day. On three days each muscle is trained once a week with plenty of volume; on six days you run the cycle twice and each muscle gets hit twice. Muscles that work together are grouped, so they recover together.
Who is it for? The 3-day version works from the start; the 6-day version needs experience and proper recovery (sleep, food).
Beginner level — 3 sessions a week
Monday · Push A
Push — chest / shoulders / triceps
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest | RIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decline Chest Press Machine | 3 | 6-10 | 125 s | 3 |
| Cable Upright Row | 4 | 6-10 | 125 s | 3 |
| Pec deck fly | 4 | 10-15 | 80 s | 2 |
| Dumbbell Pullover on Exercise Ball | 4 | 10-15 | 75 s | 2 |
| Lever Lateral Raise | 4 | 10-15 | 65 s | 2 |
| Reverse Grip Pushdown | 4 | 10-15 | 65 s | 2 |
Wednesday · Pull A
Pull — back / biceps
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest | RIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Close Grip Cable Row | 3 | 6-10 | 105 s | 3 |
| Lever Front Pulldown | 4 | 10-15 | 70 s | 2 |
| Bent Over Dumbbell Row | 4 | 10-15 | 75 s | 2 |
| Cable Rope Hammer Curl | 4 | 10-15 | 80 s | 2 |
| Cable Wrist Curl | 4 | 10-15 | 65 s | 2 |
Friday · Legs A
Legs — quads / hamstrings / glutes
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest | RIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cable Front Squat | 3 | 6-10 | 135 s | 3 |
| Seated leg curl | 4 | 6-10 | 110 s | 3 |
| Hip thrust machine | 4 | 6-10 | 100 s | 3 |
| Lying Reverse Leg Extension | 4 | 10-15 | 90 s | 2 |
| Cable Donkey Kickback | 4 | 10-15 | 80 s | 2 |
| Standing calf raise machine | 4 | 10-15 | 80 s | 2 |
| Hip adduction machine | 4 | 10-15 | 80 s | 2 |
Intermediate level — 6 sessions a week
Monday · Push A
Push — chest / shoulders / triceps
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest | RIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chest Press Machine | 3 | 6-10 | 95 s | 2 |
| Kettlebell Seated Shoulder Press | 4 | 6-10 | 120 s | 2 |
| Standing Balance Single Crossover Pendulum Leg | 4 | 10-15 | 70 s | 1 |
| Dumbbell Close Grip Press | 4 | 10-15 | 70 s | 1 |
| Barbell Incline Lying Rear Delt Raise | 4 | 10-15 | 85 s | 1 |
| Cable Tricep Kickback | 4 | 10-15 | 65 s | 1 |
Tuesday · Pull A
Pull — back / biceps
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest | RIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cable Standing Pulldown | 3 | 6-10 | 115 s | 2 |
| Lever One Arm Low Row | 4 | 10-15 | 60 s | 1 |
| Dumbbell Pronated to Neutral Grip Row | 4 | 10-15 | 60 s | 1 |
| Trap Bar Farmers Carry | 4 | 10-15 | 75 s | 2 |
| Dumbbell Seated Hammer Curl | 4 | 10-15 | 70 s | 1 |
Wednesday · Legs A
Legs — quads / hamstrings / glutes
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest | RIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith Full Squat | 3 | 6-10 | 105 s | 2 |
| Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift to Bent Over Row | 4 | 6-10 | 140 s | 2 |
| Dumbbell Frog Hip Thrust | 4 | 6-10 | 100 s | 2 |
| Leg Extension Glute Bridge | 4 | 10-15 | 85 s | 1 |
| Cable Kneeling Pull Through | 4 | 10-15 | 65 s | 1 |
| Standing calf raise machine | 4 | 10-15 | 65 s | 1 |
| Hip adduction machine | 4 | 10-15 | 80 s | 1 |
Thursday · Push B
Push — chest / shoulders / triceps
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest | RIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith Standing Military Press | 3 | 6-10 | 100 s | 2 |
| Lever Incline Chest Press | 4 | 6-10 | 105 s | 2 |
| Cable Standing Rear Delt Row | 4 | 10-15 | 70 s | 1 |
| Cable Standing Face Pull (with Rope) | 4 | 10-15 | 85 s | 1 |
| Pec deck fly | 4 | 10-15 | 85 s | 1 |
| Dumbbell Incline Triceps Extension | 4 | 10-15 | 80 s | 1 |
Friday · Pull B
Pull — back / biceps
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest | RIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seated row machine | 3 | 6-10 | 125 s | 2 |
| Lever Alternating Narrow Grip Seated Row | 4 | 10-15 | 60 s | 1 |
| Dumbbell Reverse Grip Row | 4 | 10-15 | 65 s | 1 |
| Barbell Back Wide Shrug | 4 | 10-15 | 75 s | 1 |
| Dumbbell Standing Inner Biceps Curl | 4 | 10-15 | 85 s | 1 |
Saturday · Legs B
Legs — quads / hamstrings / glutes
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest | RIR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lying leg curl | 3 | 6-10 | 100 s | 2 |
| Goblet squat | 4 | 6-10 | 110 s | 2 |
| Smith Hip Raise | 4 | 6-10 | 115 s | 2 |
| Smith Donkey Kick | 4 | 10-15 | 80 s | 1 |
| Leg extension | 4 | 10-15 | 70 s | 1 |
| Smith Standing Leg Calf Raise | 4 | 10-15 | 70 s | 1 |
| Lever Side Hip Abduction | 4 | 10-15 | 65 s | 1 |
RIR = reps in reserve: stop the set with that many reps left in the tank. Rest is given in seconds.
How to progress on this plan
- Keep the same exercises for the whole block (8 to 12 weeks) and try to beat the previous session: one more rep or a little more weight.
- Once you hit the top of the rep range on every set while respecting the RIR, add weight and start again from the bottom of the range.
- Every 4 to 6 weeks, or as soon as fatigue builds up, take a lighter week: half the sets, same weights.
In the app, this split is also available for these goals: Strength, Hypertrophy, Fat Loss, Powerbuilding, Specialization.