# Push Pull 2 x a week



## nathanlowe (Jan 8, 2008)

With a recent reaccurance of a knee injury I have decided to stop deadlifts and leg training for the next few weeks until I see a musckoloskeltel specialist. Would it be too much to train Push, Pull, Push, Pull in a week ? Structured to Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri ?

Push - Dips, Bench, OHP, Decline - All Barbells

Pull - Chins, BB Row, Lat Pulldowns, Curls

Push - DB Bench, Dips, DB Shoulder Press, Incline DBs

Pull - Chins, DB Row, Lat Pulldowns, Curls

All at a rep range of 3 x 8-12 ?

Cheers


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## Big_Al13 (May 2, 2013)

Nope. It's common that people will frequently train 5 days a week on a PPL routine and just carry the next session on the the next week, so P-P-L-P-P-X-X-L-P-P-L-P-X-X etc.


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## Squirrel (Jun 7, 2009)

Big_Al13 said:


> Nope. It's common that people will frequently train 5 days a week on a PPL routine and just carry the next session on the the next week, so P-P-L-P-P-X-X-L-P-P-L-P-X-X etc.


What??? The idea of PPL is 3 sessions per week, rest day between each session, weekends off. No way could anyone train PPL on a 5 day rotation with enough intensity without wrecking their CNS. This is a body building forum, not fitness weekly.

To the OP....Should be fine if you're restricted for a few weeks, or do a 4 way upper body split with the same training frequency.


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## nathanlowe (Jan 8, 2008)

Squirrel said:


> What??? The idea of PPL is 3 sessions per week, rest day between each session, weekends off. No way could anyone train PPL on a 5 day rotation with enough intensity without wrecking their CNS. This is a body building forum, not fitness weekly.
> 
> To the OP....Should be fine if you're restricted for a few weeks, or do a 4 way upper body split with the same training frequency.


Can you recommend anything ? Iv never really done training without legs/deadlifts at all.

Correct me if im wrong but in the workout above for example theres two chest exercises 2 x a week. It is surely much more beneficial to do this than doing chest once per week with 4 exercises in one session ?


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## Big_Al13 (May 2, 2013)

Squirrel said:


> What??? The idea of PPL is 3 sessions per week, rest day between each session, weekends off. No way could anyone train PPL on a 5 day rotation with enough intensity without wrecking their CNS. This is a body building forum, not fitness weekly.
> 
> To the OP....Should be fine if you're restricted for a few weeks, or do a 4 way upper body split with the same training frequency.


I realise what the intention is, but everyone responds differently to volume of exercise. There are a number of people on here who claim to train 5 days a week on a PPL routine, and seem to benefit from it. I myself did a month of PPL 5 days a week and saw my strength rocket. It's fair to say though that this may not benefit the OP, and would also depend on how much assistance they have as well I would imagine.


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## nathanlowe (Jan 8, 2008)

Big_Al13 said:


> I realise what the intention is, but everyone responds differently to volume of exercise. There are a number of people on here who claim to train 5 days a week on a PPL routine, and seem to benefit from it. I myself did a month of PPL 5 days a week and saw my strength rocket. It's fair to say though that this may not benefit the OP, and would also depend on how much assistance they have as well I would imagine.


When doing stronglifts for 12 weeks I squatted mon wed fri and went from 80kg x 4 to 90kg 3 x 5.


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## LukeV (Jul 28, 2010)

Ppl twice or upper/lower ppl works best for me. Just have to be sensible with your volume. To answer your question though yeah if you cant do any leg work and still want to do 4 days i would do push, pull, off push, pull. One light higher volume and one heavier low volume works well i find.


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## Squirrel (Jun 7, 2009)

LukeV said:


> Ppl twice or upper/lower ppl works best for me. Just have to be sensible with your volume. To answer your question though yeah if you cant do any leg work and still want to do 4 days i would do push, pull, off push, pull. One light higher volume and one heavier low volume works well i find.


^^This^^....Good idea to vary the two PPL's minus the L. I personally train with very high intensity & would struggle to work the same body part twice in one week so the light/heavy approach should benefit.


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## 2004mark (Oct 26, 2013)

Squirrel said:


> What??? The idea of PPL is 3 sessions per week, rest day between each session, weekends off. No way could anyone train PPL on a 5 day rotation with enough intensity without wrecking their CNS. This is a body building forum, not fitness weekly.
> 
> To the OP....Should be fine if you're restricted for a few weeks, or do a 4 way upper body split with the same training frequency.


Don't agree with this at all. Wrote a big post explaining my reasons but my browser crashed :lol:

But there is no rule book to ppl and routines don't have to fit neatly into a week.


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## nathanlowe (Jan 8, 2008)

2004mark said:


> Don't agree with this at all. Wrote a big post explaining my reasons but my browser crashed :lol:
> 
> But there is no rule book to ppl and routines don't have to fit neatly into a week.


Whats your opinions in regards to push pull 2 x each a week.


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## 2004mark (Oct 26, 2013)

nathanlowe said:


> Whats your opinions in regards to push pull 2 x each a week.


Don't really have one tbh... just get in the gym and train. If you feel it's too much then do:

push, pull, push

pull, push, pull

etc

I don't know what your issue with your knee is, but what about SLDL, rack pulls, calves etc?


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## nathanlowe (Jan 8, 2008)

2004mark said:


> Don't really have one tbh... just get in the gym and train. If you feel it's too much then do:
> 
> push, pull, push
> 
> ...


Torn Knee cartilage 4 years ago and had an arthroscopy. Been throbbing and aching 24/7 after doing squats and deadlifts. So going to give leg training a miss just to see the effect those exercises had on the issue. Its by no means an excuse as deadlifts and squats are my strongest lifts.


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## Squirrel (Jun 7, 2009)

2004mark said:


> Don't agree with this at all. Wrote a big post explaining my reasons but my browser crashed :lol:
> 
> But there is no rule book to ppl and routines don't have to fit neatly into a week.


Agreed, mine just does...But I still maintain than only the genetically gifted would be able to do PPL on a 5 day rotation with any sort of intensity & with a greater benefit than 3 times per week.


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## 2004mark (Oct 26, 2013)

Squirrel said:


> Agreed, mine just does...But I still maintain than only the genetically gifted would be able to do PPL on a 5 day rotation with any sort of intensity & with a greater benefit than 3 times per week.


But why 3? Why not one day on one day off, or 4 times a week. I know I'm nit picking but I just not think 3 in 7 is a magic number.

I trained 5 times a week for three months solid last year and got in the best shape of my life... not suggesting that was the only reason but I think it helped. I will add though that it was only 50/50 whether I'd squat or deadlift more than once a week, but this was due to my knees, not my CNS. My split was also a 4 session one as I like to add in shoulders/cleans in.


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## L11 (Jan 21, 2011)

Squirrel said:


> What??? The idea of PPL is 3 sessions per week, rest day between each session, weekends off. No way could anyone train PPL on a 5 day rotation with enough intensity without wrecking their CNS. This is a body building forum, not fitness weekly.
> 
> .


quite simply: you're wrong.


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## Squirrel (Jun 7, 2009)

L11 said:


> quite simply: you're wrong.


Quite simply: I disagree....Do some research in to the origins of PPL.


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## L11 (Jan 21, 2011)

Squirrel said:


> Quite simply: I disagree....Do some research in to the origins of PPL.


6 years of practical research (i.e actually trying out routines not just reading what works for some random guy that i don't know that, doesn't have the same genetics, diet, routine, strength, recovery etc) says youre wrong.

What works for one may not work for everyone, so whilst i will certainly not tell everyone to do what i do. I definitely wont tell them not to.


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