So I have been doing full body workouts the last months.

I switched to Push Pull Legs recently and it’sgoing quite well. PPLPPL Rest.

What I am asking myself though is do I have to be consistant with PPL so I reach 6 times a week?

What I mean does it have to be Push Pull Legs Push Pull Legs Rest or can I do that one week and the next week Push Pull Legs Rest Push Pull Legs?

Is it also okay to start the week with PPL and if I notice I have no time for 3 more times can I do PPL, Rest, Upper body, Lower body?

If I notice I have even less time, can I do PPL, Rest, >Full Body< Rest Rest?

So basically I should always benefit from PPL if I can guarantee atleast 4 times a week because I can always do Monday to Wednesday. Sometimes work and family kicks in and I cant add another cycle of PPL.

Am I giving this too much thought?

So last week I did PPL PPL Rest. This week I can do PPL and I will do Upper Lower Body on Friday and Saturday cause of work inbetween (coworkers got sick)… what do you guys think?

If this happens a lot, should I just stay with Upper Lower Body split instead and scrap PPL?

I like PPL currently but it sucks that I cant always guarantee 6 days time. I’d say every second week I can go 5 times… it never happend that I only did 4 workouts yet.

The question also could be: Is Push Pull Leg Rest Upper Lower Rest also viable? Is Push Pull Legs Rest Full Body Rest Rest also viable? Since I have to reduce my exercises in a upper body day and lower body day…

Basically my Upper Body day is nothing different than Push/ Pull, just two or three exercises less. But I keep the compound movements in it like Pull Ups and Dips, Benchpresses,… I scrap the isolated exercises though.

The reason I am asking this is because I heard PPL is useless if you only go 3 times a week. But how is it if I can atleast go 4-5x a week? To me it sounds actually quite decent since I can still focus on chest triceps etc. on mondays, back and biceps on tuesdays and legs abs on wednesdays. And I can still hit most muscles again if I do upper day and lower day instead of another round of PPL either way. Maybe not as effective cause I won’t be doing flys and isolated triceps/ biceps exercises, but they still get hit a little bit twice?

  • UndercoverUlrikHD
    6·
    2 days ago

    The 7 day week is a social construct, following a 7 day micro cycle is something people do out of convenience, and for no other reason. It’s perfectly fine to have a program that doesn’t follow that structure. Personally I got “6 days out of 8” structure, as I take a rest day after deadlift day and after one of the leg days in an upper lower program (ULUURUULR).

    What matters is the your muscles get enough rest time before the next session targeting them again. It’s neat to categorise programs by simple splits, but they are just that, categories. Don’t feel locked you by following them strictly.

    Am I giving this too much thought?

    Yeah, probably

    The reason I am asking this is because I heard PPL is useless if you only go 3 times a week.

    That’s nothing but Internet hyperbole. 3 times a week is plenty as long as you aren’t aiming at being the next Mr. Olympia.

    If you’re just starting out, you’ll likely benefit from using a pre-made program rather designing one yourself though.