When it comes to building strength and muscle, many people think that weightlifting is the only way to go. However, bodyweight exercises can be just as effective for building muscle and getting in shape. One popular bodyweight workout routine is the push-pull-legs split. This routine targets all major muscle groups and can be done at home or at the gym with minimal equipment.
What is the Push Pull Legs Split?
The push-pull-legs split is a workout routine that divides the body into three different categories: pushing muscles, pulling muscles, and leg muscles. The pushing muscles include the chest, shoulders, and triceps, the pulling muscles include the back, biceps, and forearms, and the leg muscles include the quads, hamstrings, and calves.
Each workout day is dedicated to one of these muscle groups. So, for example, on Monday you would work out your chest, shoulders, and triceps, on Tuesday you would work out your back, biceps, and forearms, and on Wednesday you would work out your legs. This is then repeated for the next three days, before taking a rest day.
Benefits of Push Pull Legs Split
The push-pull-legs split has many benefits, including:
- Targeting all major muscle groups: This routine targets all major muscle groups in the body, ensuring that no muscle group is left untrained.
- Increased muscle activation: By targeting specific muscle groups each day, you can increase muscle activation and promote muscle growth.
- Improved balance and symmetry: By training all muscle groups, you can improve your balance and symmetry, making your body look more proportionate.
- Greater flexibility: By targeting your legs each day, you can improve your flexibility and reduce your risk of injury.
- Easy to customize: This routine is easy to customize to your fitness level and goals. You can increase the number of sets, reps, or weight as you progress.
Bodyweight Exercises for Push Pull Legs Split
Here are some bodyweight exercises you can use to target each muscle group in the push-pull-legs split:
Pushing Exercises
- Push-ups
- Dips
- Handstand push-ups
Pulling Exercises
- Pull-ups
- Chin-ups
- Inverted rows
Leg Exercises
- Squats
- Lunges
- Calf raises
Push Pull Legs Workout Routine
Monday: Pushing Exercises
- 3 sets of 10 reps of push-ups
- 3 sets of 10 reps of dips
- 3 sets of 10 reps of handstand push-ups
Tuesday: Pulling Exercises
- 3 sets of 10 reps of pull-ups
- 3 sets of 10 reps of chin-ups
- 3 sets of 10 reps of inverted rows
Wednesday: Leg Exercises
- 3 sets of 10 reps of squats
- 3 sets of 10 reps of lunges
- 3 sets of 10 reps of calf raise
Thursday: Pushing Exercises
- 3 sets of 10 reps of push-ups
- 3 sets of 10 reps of dips
- 3 sets of 10 reps of handstand push-ups
Friday: Pulling Exercises
- 3 sets of 10 reps of pull-ups
- 3 sets of 10 reps of chin-ups
- 3 sets of 10 reps of inverted rows
Saturday: Leg Exercises
- 3 sets of 10 reps of squats
- 3 sets of 10 reps of lunges
- 3 sets of 10 reps of calf raise
Sunday: Rest day
You can also add variations to these exercises to make them more challenging as you progress. For example, instead of regular push-ups, you can try diamond push-ups or one-arm push-ups. Similarly, instead of regular squats, you can try pistol squats or single-leg squats.
It's important to note that the above workout routine is just a sample and should be adjusted to suit your fitness level and goals. For instance, if you're a beginner, you may want to start with fewer reps or sets and gradually increase them as you become stronger.
Another important aspect of the push-pull-legs split is recovery. It is important to allow your muscles to recover properly between workout days. This can be done by stretching, foam rolling, and getting enough sleep. Additionally, it's important to make sure you're getting enough protein to aid muscle recovery and growth.
In conclusion, the bodyweight push-pull-legs split is a highly effective full-body workout that can be done at home or at the gym with minimal equipment. It targets all major muscle groups, promotes muscle growth, improves balance and symmetry, and is easy to customize to your fitness level and goals. Remember to recover properly and make sure you're getting enough protein to aid muscle recovery and growth.
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