Push Pull Workout: 4-Day Split for Beginners

The sample session

Monday Push, Tuesday Pull, Wednesday rest, Thursday Push, Friday Pull, weekend rest or easy activity. Start with two working sets per movement; a two- or three-day rotation is also valid when four visits do not fit.

Warm up with manageable lighter sets. Use roughly two reps in reserve on working sets and keep the movement controlled. The listed dose is an example to adapt to your existing training.

Exercise	Sets × reps	Role
Goblet squat	2 × 8–12	Push
Dumbbell bench press	2 × 8–12	Push
Dumbbell shoulder press	2 × 8–12	Push
Cable triceps pushdown	2 × 10–15	Push
Romanian deadlift	2 × 8–10	Pull
Lat pulldown	2 × 8–12	Pull
Seated cable row	2 × 8–12	Pull
Dumbbell curl	2 × 10–15	Pull

How to do the exercises

Goblet squat

Hold the dumbbell at your chest. Brace, sit down between your hips, and stand while keeping feet planted.

Dumbbell bench press

Keep a stable bench setup and controlled lowering. Press through a comfortable range.

Dumbbell shoulder press

Use a seated or standing stable position. Press without leaning back to finish the rep.

Cable triceps pushdown

Keep upper arms steady and extend at the elbows.

Romanian deadlift

Soften the knees and hinge at the hips. Keep the weight close and stop before losing position.

Lat pulldown

Pull toward the upper chest with a stable torso. Control the return overhead.

Seated cable row

Start with a stable trunk. Pull elbows back without using a large torso swing.

Dumbbell curl

Keep the torso still, curl smoothly, and lower under control.

Make the split match your schedule

Repeat the push and pull session when you can recover between visits. Continue the sequence after a missed day rather than skipping the same session every week. If four days repeatedly become two, a full-body arrangement may be easier to complete.

Push pull versus push pull legs

This arrangement places lower-body movements within push and pull days. PPL gives legs their own day. The split hub explains the tradeoff alongside upper/lower and full body. None is automatically better when the completed weekly dose and recovery differ.

Progress the movements individually

Earn the top of the rep range with stable technique before increasing a load. A press, curl, and hinge will not all progress at the same pace. Log the result of each movement and preserve enough rest to make the next set comparable.

Frequently asked questions

How heavy should this push pull workout be?

Choose a load you can control through the listed range with about two reps left. Add reps before increasing the load, and keep warm-up sets separate from working sets.

Should I complete every listed exercise?

Follow the sample-session and option labels. Optional exercises replace similar movements; they do not all need to be added. Reduce the starting dose when your current weekly plan already covers these muscles.

How do I progress this workout in Trainer?

Create a routine with the chosen exercises and rep ranges, then record completed sets. Trainer suggests loads and reps from your history. You can edit the targets and review what you actually completed.

Build a balanced week

Start this workout in Trainer

Create a routine with your selected movements and rep ranges. Log completed sets so Trainer can suggest the next load and reps. This page does not import the session automatically.