Want to build muscle and strength efficiently? This balanced push, pull, squat routine has you covered.
I don’t know about you, but I love efficiency. As a busy professional juggling work, family, friends, and fitness, I always seek workout programs that provide maximum results with minimal time investment. That’s why I’m excited to share this awesome push, pull, squat routine with you today.
This structured three-day split focuses on the major horizontal push and pull and lower body squat movement patterns that should form the foundation of any balanced strength training program. We can be confident we are covering all our bases by dedicating each training session to one of these fundamental movement archetypes and their associated muscle groups. No holes or imbalances here!
So, if you want to torch fat, build lean muscle, boost athletic performance, and do it all with just three short weekly gym sessions, the push, pull, squat workout has got you covered. Let’s get into the specifics!
What Are The Benefits of a Push, Pull, Squat Routine?
Before we dig into the actual workouts, let’s look at why this push/pull/legs split stands out from the crowd:
- Time Efficient – Condense your lifting into just 3 days rather than 5-6. Perfect if you are busy!
- Muscle Focus – Target muscle groups directly for greater stimulation and results.
- Balance – Hit all major movement patterns and body parts. No imbalances or holes.
- Customization – Easy to tailor to your goals by adding isolation exercises.
- Recovery – More rest time compared to full body routines.
So in summary – better results in less time! Now let’s see exactly how this three day routine is structured across the week…
The Weekly Schedule
The overall weekly schedule follows a very straightforward template:
- Monday – Push Day
- Wednesday – Pull Day
- Friday – Squat Day
You then take the weekend off to rest and recover. Rinse and repeat each week. If you can’t hit those exact days, it’s fine; just try to get in 3 times a week.
The only additional recommendation I would make is to add in 1-2 days of cardiovascular training like running, biking, or swimming on off days. This will help maintain endurance and condition the heart and lungs.
Okay, now for the fun part – the specifics of each awesome workout!
Push Day
The focus here is on horizontal and vertical pushing movements that target the chest, shoulders, and triceps:
Workout A
- Barbell Bench Press – 5 sets x 6 reps
- Standing Overhead Press – 5 sets x 10 reps
- Incline Dumbbell Bench Press – 3 sets x 12 reps
- Triceps Pushdowns – 3 sets x 15 reps
**Workout B **
- Dumbbell Bench Press – 5 sets x 6 reps
- Seated Arnold Press – 5 sets x 10 reps
- Weighted Push Ups – 3 sets x Max reps
- Overhead Triceps Extensions – 3 sets x 15 reps
I recommend switching back and forth between Workouts A and B each push session to provide more variation. You’ll notice the overall volume and approach is very similar.
The key to focus on is adding weight each set or week over time to progressively overload the muscles. Really push yourself hard and take each working set close to muscle failure to maximize gains.
Pull Day
Here we hammer the back, biceps, and posterior chain with horizontal pulls as the foundation:
Workout A
- Barbell Bent Over Row – 5 sets x 6 reps
- Lat Pulldowns – 5 sets x 10 reps
- Dumbbell Rows – 3 sets x 12 reps
- Barbell Bicep Curls – 3 sets x 15 reps
Workout B
- T-Bar Row Machine – 5 sets x 6 reps
- Seated Cable Rows – 5 sets x 10 reps
- Face Pulls – 3 sets x 15 reps
- Hammer Curls – 3 sets x 12 reps
Same idea as push days – rotate between Workouts A and B each session to provide variation and prevent plateauing. Really focus on progressive overload by increasing weight/reps over time. Go close to muscle failure on those working sets!
You can also add in 3 sets of deadlifts. Just drop one set off the first exercise and two off the second.
Squat Day
Get ready to set those legs on fire! Our goal here is to blast the quads, hamstrings, and glutes:
Workout A
- Barbell Squats – 5 sets x 6-8 reps
- Bulgarian Split Squats – 5 sets/leg x 10 reps
- Leg Extensions – 3 sets x 15 reps
- Seated Leg Curls – 3 sets x 12 reps
Workout B
- Barbell Front Squats – 5 sets x 6-8 reps
- Walking Lunges – 5 sets x 20 reps
- Leg Press – 3 sets x 12 reps
- Stiff Leg Deadlifts – 3 sets x 15 reps
Yep, you guessed it! Alternate between Workouts A and B each Friday to keep the legs guessing. Increase weight over time and take those sets nice and deep for maximum burn. Remember to warm up thoroughly!
Fueling for Success
Having a strategic nutrition plan is key if you want to maximize the results you get from this efficient routine. There is no need for overly regimented meal prep or unrealistic diets, though! Here are some simple dietary strategies to support your strength goals:
Consume Enough Protein
Aim for 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight daily for adequate muscle repair and growth. Space it evenly throughout your meals. Chicken, lean beef, eggs, whey protein shakes, Greek yogurt, and cottage cheese are good options.
Time Carbs Strategically
Focus on carb intake around your training sessions to fuel your workouts and prime growth. Have slower-digesting carbs from sources like brown rice, oats, quinoa, and sweet potatoes for the rest of the day. Limit processed carbs and sugars as much as possible.
Stay Hydrated
Drink at least 1-1.5 gallons of water daily to aid recovery between sessions. Avoid soda and fruit juices high in sugar. Some electrolyte drinks after training are fine.
And there you have it – an efficient, no-nonsense push/pull/legs routine for building strength and muscle efficiently with just three weekly gym sessions. Give this bad boy a try for 4-6 weeks, and let me know what you think!
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