Workout Program Overview
This 5-day Push, Pull, Legs Split is ideal for improving body composition by accelerating fat loss while preserving or even increasing muscle mass. Training five times a week increases calorie expenditure and allows for consistent muscle stimulation, making it an effective choice for those who enjoy frequent gym sessions. The program balances high frequency with carefully managed intensity and volume to avoid overtraining, tailoring the approach to high intensity with lower volume training style.
This split emphasizes progressive overload and structured exercise selection. The program integrates compound lifts for building strength and size with isolation movements for targeted muscle development – ensuring no muscle lags behind.
Workout Schedule
You will train for five consecutive days, followed by two rest days. This schedule will be followed weekly for 12 weeks. Volume and intensity are carefully programmed to prevent fatigue while maintaining high performance across consecutive training days. Two full rest days at the end of the cycle ensure recovery and readiness for the next week’s training.
Use the Program Schedule along with the Workouts to know exactly what workout to do each day.
*With each week, consider increasing reps, time or weight to keep workouts challenging and promote overall fitness progress.
| Week 1 Days 1-7 | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Push |
| 2 | Pull |
| 3 | Legs 1 |
| 4 | Push and Pull |
| 5 | Legs 2 |
| 6 | Rest |
| 7 | Rest |
| Week 2 Days 8-14 | |
|---|---|
| 8 | Push |
| 9 | Pull |
| 10 | Legs 1 |
| 11 | Push and Pull |
| 12 | Legs 2 |
| 13 | Rest |
| 14 | Rest |
| Week 3 Days 15-21 | |
|---|---|
| 15 | Push |
| 16 | Pull |
| 17 | Legs 1 |
| 18 | Push and Pull |
| 19 | Legs 2 |
| 20 | Rest |
| 21 | Rest |
| Week 4 Days 22-28 | |
|---|---|
| 22 | Push |
| 23 | Pull |
| 24 | Legs 1 |
| 25 | Push and Pull |
| 26 | Legs 2 |
| 27 | Rest |
| 28 | Rest |
| Week 5 Days 29-35 | |
|---|---|
| 29 | Push |
| 30 | Pull |
| 31 | Legs 1 |
| 32 | Push and Pull |
| 33 | Legs 2 |
| 34 | Rest |
| 35 | Rest |
| Week 6 Days 36-42 | |
|---|---|
| 36 | Push |
| 37 | Pull |
| 38 | Legs 1 |
| 39 | Push and Pull |
| 40 | Legs 2 |
| 41 | Rest |
| 42 | Rest |
| Week 7 Days 43-49 | |
|---|---|
| 43 | Push |
| 44 | Pull |
| 45 | Legs 1 |
| 46 | Push and Pull |
| 47 | Legs 2 |
| 48 | Rest |
| 49 | Rest |
| Week 8 Days 50-56 | |
|---|---|
| 50 | Push |
| 51 | Pull |
| 52 | Legs 1 |
| 53 | Push and Pull |
| 54 | Legs 2 |
| 55 | Rest |
| 56 | Rest |
| Week 9 Days 57-63 | |
|---|---|
| 57 | Push |
| 58 | Pull |
| 59 | Legs 1 |
| 60 | Push and Pull |
| 61 | Legs 2 |
| 62 | Rest |
| 63 | Rest |
| Week 10 Days 64-70 | |
|---|---|
| 64 | Push |
| 65 | Pull |
| 66 | Legs 1 |
| 67 | Push and Pull |
| 68 | Legs 2 |
| 69 | Rest |
| 70 | Rest |
| Week 11 Days 71-77 | |
|---|---|
| 71 | Push |
| 72 | Pull |
| 73 | Legs 1 |
| 74 | Push and Pull |
| 75 | Legs 2 |
| 76 | Rest |
| 77 | Rest |
| Week 12 Days 78-84 | |
|---|---|
| 78 | Push |
| 79 | Pull |
| 80 | Legs 1 |
| 81 | Push and Pull |
| 82 | Legs 2 |
| 83 | Rest |
| 84 | Rest |
Workouts
| Push | |
|---|---|
| Warm-Up | Execution |
| YTW | 1 x 1 Minute |
| Band Pull Apart | 1 x 1 Minute |
| Incline Push-ups | 30 Seconds |
| Main Exercise | Execution |
| Barbell Bench Press | 3 Sets, 6-8 Reps |
| Cable Fly | 2 Sets, 8-10 Reps |
| Seated Barbell Military Press | 3 Sets, 6-8 Reps |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 2 Sets, 8-10 Reps |
| JM Press | 2 Sets, 6-8 Reps |
| Cool Down | Execution |
| Active Hang from Bar | 1 x 1 Minute |
| Pull | |
|---|---|
| Warm-Up | Execution |
| Cat Cow | 1 x 1 Minute |
| Floor Angel | 1 x 1 Minute |
| Scapular Retraction Plank | 1 x 30 Seconds |
| Main Exercise | Execution |
| Dumbbell Bent-Over Row | 3 Sets, 6-8 Reps |
| Wide Grip Pull-up | 3 Sets, 6-8 Reps |
| Cable Face Pull | 2 Sets, 8-10 Reps |
| Dumbbell Shrug | 2 Sets, 8-10 Reps |
| Dumbbell Preacher Hammer Curl | 2 Sets, 8-10 Reps |
| Cool Down | Execution |
| Thread the Needle | 1 x 1 Minute (30sec each side) |
| Legs 1 | |
|---|---|
| Warm-Up | Execution |
| 90/90 Hip Rotation | 1 x 1 Minute |
| Bootstrapper Squat | 1 x 30 Seconds |
| Bodyweight Squat | 1 x 30 Seconds |
| Main Exercise | Execution |
| Stability Ball Leg Curl | 2 Sets, 8-10 Reps |
| Barbell Bulgarian Split Squat | 3 Sets, 6-8 Reps |
| Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift | 3 Sets, 6-8 Reps |
| Sissy Squats | 2 Sets, 8-10 Reps |
| Dumbbell Calf Raise | 2 Sets, 8-10 Reps |
| Cool Down | Execution |
| Saddle Stretch | 1 x 30 Seconds |
| Lying Hamstring Stretch | 1 x 30 Seconds |
| Push and Pull | |
|---|---|
| Warm-Up | Execution |
| PVC Pipe Figure 8 | 1 x 1 Minute |
| PVC Pipe Pass Through | 1 x 1 Minute |
| Push-Up Plus | 1 x 1 Minute |
| Main Exercise | Execution |
| Incline Dumbbell Row | ⭐A1, 2 Sets, 6-8 Reps |
| Incline Dumbbell Bench Press | ⭐A2, 2 Sets, 6-8 Reps |
| Dumbbell Bench Press | ⭐B1, 2 Sets, 6-8 Reps |
| Neutral Grip Pull-up | ⭐B2, 2 Sets, 6-8 Reps |
| Cable Bicep Curl | ⭐C1, 2 Sets, 8-10 Reps |
| Triceps Pushdown | ⭐C2, 2 Sets, 8-10 Reps |
| Wide Grip Barbell Upright Row | 2 Sets, 8-10 Reps |
| Cool Down | Execution |
| Active Hang from Bar | 1 x 1 Minute |
| Quadruped Thoracic Rotation | 1 x 1 Minute (30sec each side) |
⭐ A,B, and C are supersets. For example, after completing A1, move directly to A2 with little to no rest in between. | |
| Legs 2 | |
|---|---|
| Warm-Up | Execution |
| PVC Pipe Overhead Squat | 1 x 30 Seconds |
| Glute Bridge Walkout | 1 x 30 Seconds |
| Bodyweight Squat | 1 x 30 Seconds |
| Main Exercise | Execution |
| Barbell Squat | 3 Sets, 6-8 Reps |
| Stiff-Legged Dumbbell Deadlift | 3 Sets, 6-8 Reps |
| Hip Thrust | 2 Sets, 6-8 Reps |
| Sissy Squats | 2 Sets, 8-10 Reps |
| Barbell Calf Raise | 2 Sets, 8-10 Reps |
| Cool Down | Execution |
| Prone Quad Stretch | 1 x 30 Seconds |
| Glute Stretch | 1 x 30 Seconds |
Workout Program Tips
- Follow the exercise order: Stick to the prescribed order of exercises. The layout is designed to maximize efficiency and prevent fatigue from affecting key lifts. Completing exercises in the specified sequence ensures proper muscle engagement and performance.
- Overload on the compounds: Focus on progressively overloading the compound lifts, as these are the cornerstone of the program. Use these lifts to track progress.
- Respect rest periods: Keep rest times consistent to maintain intensity throughout your sessions. Rest periods are planned to optimize recovery and muscle stimulation for maximum hypertrophy.
Workout Program Common Mistakes
- Progression isn’t always linear: Sometimes you can add weight, but other times you can only increase reps. Don’t force progressive overload by cheating reps, jerking the weight, or doing half reps. Stick to your standard form and range of motion (ROM) to ensure steady progress without compromising technique and safety.
- Not prioritizing weak areas: Don’t neglect any muscle group, even those you might find more challenging. Every exercise is selected to promote balanced development, so give each one your full effort.
- Underestimating rest days: These two days are integral to the program. Overloading your schedule with extra cardio or workouts during rest days can hinder recovery and, thus, results.
Nutrition: Fueling Fat Loss and Muscle Preservation
Your nutrition needs to be carefully tailored to support the 5-Day Push, Pull, Legs Split and optimize fat loss while preserving or even increasing muscle mass. Focus on a caloric deficit for fat loss, but ensure you’re getting enough protein to support muscle retention. Trainest’s nutrition tracking feature helps you log meals and track your macronutrients, ensuring you stay on target to meet your muscle-building and fat-loss objectives. If you want to learn more about Trainest’s nutrition features, you can visit this page.
Progress: Tracking Gains with Precision
As you progress through the 5-Day Push, Pull, Legs Split, tracking your performance and physical changes is crucial for ensuring you’re on the right path to fat loss and muscle preservation. The app helps you track your body metrics, including body weight, composition, and measurements, to assess your fat loss and muscle-building progress. Uploading photos in the app regularly also gives you a visual record of your transformation. You can visit this page to explore Trainest’s progress-tracking features.
Conclusion
This 12-week 5-day Push, Pull, Legs Split is an excellent approach for improving body composition. Its balanced design ensures high-frequency training without compromising recovery, making it effective and sustainable. By following the outlined schedule and applying proper technique, progressive overload, and smart recovery, you’ll set yourself up for consistent progress. Stick to the plan, stay consistent, and watch your results improve week by week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this program effective for fat loss as well as muscle gain?
Yes, this program is designed to help improve body composition by increasing calorie expenditure through frequent training. The combination of high-frequency strength training, progressive overload, and proper recovery supports both fat loss and maximal muscle retention or muscle gain, especially when paired with a proper diet.
Is nutrition important for seeing results with this program?
Yes, nutrition plays a crucial role in maximizing the effectiveness of this program. To support muscle growth and fat loss, focus on a well-balanced diet with a high protein intake. If fat loss is a goal, ensure you’re in a slight calorie deficit, but don’t neglect the importance of fueling your body for recovery and muscle growth.
What if I have limited equipment or space?
This program is flexible and can be adjusted to fit your available equipment and space. If you don’t have access to certain machines or weights, substitute them with similar exercises with the same movement pattern. The compound lifts (like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses) are essential, but there are always alternative exercises to achieve similar results.
