Push Pull Legs 6 Day Routine
Six days a week, every muscle trained twice, the highest volume routine here. Only run it if your sleep and food can actually support it.
Last updated: 6 September 2026
Overview
Six sessions a week, each muscle group trained twice, one heavy rotation and one volume rotation.
This delivers more weekly volume than anything else here. It also demands more recovery than anything else here, and it punishes missed sessions harder than a four day routine does.
Run it if you sleep seven to nine hours, eat adequately, and can genuinely commit six days. Otherwise run the upper lower routine and progress faster on it.
Quick Answer
A 6 day push pull legs routine trains pushing muscles, pulling muscles and legs twice each per week. Making the first rotation heavy and the second higher rep produces 16 to 20 hard sets per muscle group weekly.
Key Points
- Six days on, one off. Usually Monday to Saturday.
- Rotation A is heavy, rotation B is volume.
- 16 to 20 hard sets per muscle per week.
- Requires genuine recovery capacity.
- Drop to five days rather than abandoning it if life gets busy.
The week
| Day | Session |
|---|---|
| Monday | Push A, heavy |
| Tuesday | Pull A, heavy |
| Wednesday | Legs A, heavy |
| Thursday | Push B, volume |
| Friday | Pull B, volume |
| Saturday | Legs B, volume |
| Sunday | Rest |
Push A, heavy
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell bench press | 4 | 5 | 3 min |
| Overhead press | 4 | 6 | 2.5 min |
| Incline dumbbell press | 3 | 8 | 2 min |
| Lateral raise | 3 | 12 | 60 sec |
| Dip | 3 | 8 to 10 | 2 min |
| Triceps pushdown | 3 | 12 | 60 sec |
Pull A, heavy
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell row | 4 | 6 | 2.5 min |
| Pull up | 4 | 6 to 8 | 2.5 min |
| Seated cable row | 3 | 10 | 2 min |
| Face pull | 3 | 15 | 60 sec |
| Barbell curl | 3 | 8 | 90 sec |
| Incline dumbbell curl | 3 | 12 | 60 sec |
Legs A, heavy
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back squat | 4 | 5 | 3 min |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 | 8 | 2.5 min |
| Leg press | 3 | 10 | 2 min |
| Seated leg curl | 3 | 12 | 90 sec |
| Calf raise | 4 | 10 | 90 sec |
Push B, volume
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incline dumbbell press | 4 | 10 | 2 min |
| Cable chest press | 3 | 12 | 90 sec |
| Dumbbell shoulder press | 3 | 10 | 2 min |
| Lateral raise | 4 | 15 | 60 sec |
| Dumbbell fly | 3 | 12 | 60 sec |
| Overhead triceps extension | 3 | 12 | 60 sec |
Pull B, volume
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lat pulldown | 4 | 12 | 90 sec |
| Single arm dumbbell row | 4 | 12 each | 90 sec |
| Seated cable row | 3 | 15 | 90 sec |
| Rear delt fly | 3 | 15 | 60 sec |
| Face pull | 3 | 20 | 60 sec |
| Incline dumbbell curl | 4 | 12 | 60 sec |
Legs B, volume
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front squat | 4 | 8 | 2.5 min |
| Bulgarian split squat | 3 | 10 each | 2 min |
| Hip thrust | 4 | 12 | 2 min |
| Leg extension | 3 | 15 | 90 sec |
| Calf raise | 4 | 15 | 60 sec |
| Cable crunch | 3 | 15 | 60 sec |
Is your recovery good enough
Answer honestly before starting.
| Question | If no |
|---|---|
| Do you sleep 7 hours or more most nights? | Run the 4 day routine |
| Are you eating at or above maintenance? | Run the 4 day routine |
| Can you genuinely commit six days? | Run the 4 day routine |
| Have you trained consistently for a year plus? | Run the 4 day routine |
There is no prize for running the harder routine badly. Four days done well beats six days done at 60 percent.
Progression
Weekly, on the A rotation primarily. Add 2.5kg to lower body compounds and 1.25 to 2.5kg to upper body compounds when all sets reach the target reps.
On the B rotation, progress reps within the range first and add weight only when the top of the range is reached on every set.
Deload every 4 to 6 weeks. This routine accumulates fatigue faster than anything else here.
The five day version
If six days is too much, drop one volume session and rotate which one you drop each week.
| Week | Dropped session |
|---|---|
| 1 | Push B |
| 2 | Pull B |
| 3 | Legs B |
That keeps volume balanced across the month rather than permanently short-changing one group.
Common Mistakes
| Mistake | Why it causes problems | Better approach |
|---|---|---|
| Running it on 5 hours of sleep | Fatigue outpaces recovery immediately | Fix sleep or run 4 days |
| Making both rotations heavy | Joints give out within weeks | A heavy, B volume |
| Deadlifting on both Pull A and Legs A | Lower back never recovers | Pick one home for heavy hinging |
| Skipping legs when busy | The most commonly dropped sessions | Drop a push or pull day instead |
| Adding arm work on top | Arms already get 12 plus sets | Resist it |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 6 days a week too much?
It is for most people. It works well for those with genuinely good sleep, adequate food and a stable schedule. If any of those are missing, four days produces better results.
Can I run this as a beginner?
No. Beginners lack the recovery demand for this volume and progress faster on full body training. Come back after a year.
What if I miss a day?
Push the week forward by a day, or drop that session and carry on. Do not try to double up two sessions in one day.
How long should each session take?
Sixty to seventy-five minutes. Six sessions of ninety minutes is nine hours of training a week, which is where this routine starts eating your life.
Sources
National Strength and Conditioning Association - https://www.nsca.com/
American College of Sports Medicine - https://acsm.org/