PPL vs. Full Body: Which Split is Right for Your Level?

If you spend more than five minutes on Reddit fitness communities, you will see the age-old debate: Push/Pull/Legs (PPL) vs Full Body. People argue passionately for both, but the truth is, the best split depends entirely on your training age and schedule.

Choose Full Body If

You are newer, busy, or want more practice with the same lifts each week.

Choose PPL If

You can train consistently six days per week and recover from higher volume.

The Case for Full Body

A Full Body split involves training all major muscle groups in a single session, usually 3 days a week. It focuses heavily on compound movements like Squats, Deadlifts, and Presses.

Pros: Excellent for beginners. It maximizes frequency (hitting a muscle 3x a week) and allows for great recovery on rest days. If you miss a day, your whole week isn't ruined.
Cons: As you get stronger, squats and deadlifts in the same session become incredibly taxing on the central nervous system.

The Case for Push/Pull/Legs (PPL)

A PPL split divides your body into movement patterns. Push day (Chest, Shoulders, Triceps), Pull day (Back, Biceps), and Leg day. This is typically run 6 days a week (PPLPPL-Rest).

Pros: Massive volume for intermediate and advanced lifters. It allows you to isolate muscles and accumulate the volume needed to push past plateaus.
Cons: It requires 6 days a week in the gym. If your schedule is unpredictable, you will end up skipping body parts.

The Torq Tribe Intermediate PPL

If you're ready to make the jump to a 6-day split, here is the foundation of a great Push/Pull/Legs routine.

Push, Pull, Legs in Pictures

A good PPL week is not random exercise variety. It is the same movement families repeated with enough focus to progress.

Torq pressing dumbbells overhead for a push-day movement — **Push:** Presses train chest, shoulders, and triceps.

Torq hinging with a primitive barbell for a pull-day movement — **Pull:** Rows and hinges build the back side of the body.

Torq squatting with a primitive stone barbell for leg day — **Legs:** Squats and leg presses drive quad and glute volume.

Push Day (Chest, Shoulders, Triceps)

Barbell Bench Press4 sets x 8-10 reps

Dumbbell Overhead Press3 sets x 8-12 reps

Incline Dumbbell Bench Press3 sets x 10-12 reps

Cable Tricep Pushdown3 sets x 12-15 reps

Pull Day (Back, Biceps)

Barbell Bent Over Row4 sets x 8-10 reps

Lat Pulldown3 sets x 10-12 reps

Cable Face Pull (Rope)3 sets x 15 reps

Dumbbell Bicep Curl3 sets x 10-12 reps

Leg Day (Quads, Hamstrings, Calves)

Barbell Back Squat4 sets x 6-8 reps

Barbell Romanian Deadlift3 sets x 8-10 reps

Leg Press Machine3 sets x 10-15 reps

Standing Calf Raise Machine4 sets x 15-20 reps

Ready for the Next Level?

Our PPL Hypertrophy program takes the guesswork out of progression. It tells you exactly when to add weight and when to deload.

Open in Torq Tribe App

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