Training Splits Explained: Push/Pull/Legs vs Full Body

Full body training

Hits most major muscle groups every session, typically 3 times a week. Works especially well for beginners and people with limited weekly gym time, since each muscle group gets frequent stimulus even with fewer total sessions.

Push/Pull/Legs (PPL)

Separates training into pushing movements (chest, shoulders, triceps), pulling movements (back, biceps), and legs — typically run across 6 days, or 3 days repeated twice in more flexible versions.

Where full body tends to win

Time-constrained schedules, beginners still learning movement patterns, and anyone prioritizing frequency (hitting each muscle multiple times weekly) generally do well with full-body sessions.

Where PPL tends to win

More available training days, intermediate-to-advanced lifters wanting higher volume per muscle group in a single session, and people who enjoy more session-to-session variety often prefer this structure.

The honest truth

Both work well when executed consistently with proper progressive overload. The 'best' split is largely the one that fits your actual schedule and that you'll stick with long-term.