Full Body or Push-Pull-Legs: Which workout split is best for you? 

Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or advanced lifter, scheduling your gym routine can heavily influence your progress. Typically, gym goers section off parts of their week to exercise a segment of their body. These routines are commonly known as gym splits. There’s a wide variety of gym splits out there, with each having strengths and weaknesses. In this article, I’ll give you a rundown on the common gym splits and give a final recommendation.

Full-Body

Given its name, the goal of this split is to work out your entire body. Usually, it’s best to designate training days 2-4 times a week. If you are a beginner, this can be a great option because it exposes you to all the fundamental movements and exercises.

Example Workout:

• Bench Press

• Tricep Extensions

• Lat Pulldown

• Barbell Bent over rows

• Squat

• Romanian deadlift.

Pros:

• 2-4 days of training give you flexibility in time and schedule, all while allowing you to exercise your body enough.

• Working out your entire body means that every session doesn’t lead to substantial muscle imbalances.

Cons:

• Because you have to work out your entire body, you may find that you can’t fit as many exercises for a specific muscle group as you’d like.

• Due to its emphasis on the full body, underdeveloped muscle groups—such as your legs or lower back—can be targeted efficiently.

Push-Pull-Legs (PPL)

Unlike full-body split, a PPL split is more specialized. The routine consists of chest and triceps (push), back and biceps (Pull), and legs. This split demands more time than full-body, often requiring 5-6 days of training to be efficient. 

Example Workouts:

• Push Day

  • Bench Press

  • Dips

  • Incline Bench Press

  • Chest Flies

  • Tricep extensions

  • Dumbbell Lateral Raises

• Pull Day

  • Lat Pulldown

  • Barbell Backrow

  • Bicep curl

  • Reverse Chest fly

  • Pull ups

  • Dumbbell Shrugs

• Leg Day

  • Squats

  • Romanian Deadlift

  • Leg Press

  • Machine Glute Bridge

  • Leg Extensions

  • Hamstring Curls

Pros:

• Because of its high demand in each muscle group, all the sections of your body are targeted equally, resulting in balanced development.

• Since the training of each muscle group is spaced out throughout the week, you’re able to have enough recovery and energy for the other groups.

• Typically, PPL workouts allow you to have a wider range of exercises and workouts in your schedule. This gives you more flexibility and specialization, allowing you to focus on targeting on underdeveloped areas.

Cons:

• This split demands a high time commitment, often needing 5-6 days to see tangible results.

• Typically, this routine is not beginner-friendly, often needing a good understanding of exercises and workouts to be optimally performed.

Between these two schedules, there are too many factors to identify which is definitely the "worst" or the "best." If you're a beginner with limited time looking for fitness exposure, then a full-body workout is for you. Conversely, if you're a more advanced lifter with plenty of free time, then a PPL split may be for you. Still, you might find that you prefer one or the other regardless of your time commitment or skill level. The bottom line is, each has its strengths and weaknesses, and it's up to you to choose which is best.