Workout Splits Explained: Push Pull Legs vs Full Body

One of the biggest questions people face when starting or upgrading a fitness routine is how to structure their workouts. Should you train your entire body in each session, or divide your workouts by muscle groups across the week? Two of the most popular approaches are the push pull legs split and the full body workout.

Both methods can build muscle, improve strength, and support fat loss. The best choice depends on your schedule, experience level, recovery ability, and fitness goals. Understanding how each style works can help you choose a routine you can stick with and see results from.

Let’s break down push pull legs versus full body training so you can decide which approach fits your lifestyle and goals.

What Is a Full Body Workout?

A full body workout trains all major muscle groups in a single session. This typically includes movements for the legs, back, chest, shoulders, arms, and core. Each workout may include a mix of compound exercises that work multiple muscle groups at once.

People often perform full body workouts two to four times per week. Because every muscle group is trained more frequently, the total volume per session is usually moderate rather than extremely high.

Full body training is efficient and simple, making it especially appealing for beginners or those with limited time.

Benefits of Full Body Training

One of the biggest advantages of full body workouts is frequency. Training each muscle group multiple times per week can support steady progress in strength and muscle growth. Frequent practice also helps beginners learn proper technique more quickly.

Full body routines are time-efficient. If you can only work out a few days per week, you still stimulate all major muscle groups regularly. Missing one session doesn’t mean skipping an entire muscle group for the week.

This approach also tends to burn more calories per session because multiple large muscle groups are engaged.

Challenges of Full Body Workouts

Because you’re training the entire body in one session, workouts can feel longer and more demanding. Fatigue can build up toward the end, making it harder to maintain intensity.

Recovery between sessions must also be managed carefully. While volume per muscle group per session is moderate, you are still using many muscles each time you train.

What Is a Push Pull Legs Split?

The push pull legs split divides workouts based on movement patterns. Push days focus on muscles used in pushing movements, such as the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Pull days target muscles used in pulling movements, including the back and biceps. Leg days focus on the lower body.

This structure spreads training volume across the week, allowing you to focus more intensely on specific muscle groups in each session.

Many people follow a push pull legs routine three to six days per week, depending on experience and recovery.

Benefits of Push Pull Legs Training

One major advantage of this split is the ability to focus deeply on each muscle group. Because you’re not training the entire body in one session, you can include more exercises and sets for each area.

This can be especially helpful for intermediate and advanced lifters looking to build more muscle. Recovery can also be more manageable because different muscle groups are trained on different days.

Push pull legs also creates a structured, easy-to-follow schedule that many people enjoy.

Challenges of Push Pull Legs

This split usually requires more training days per week to be most effective. If you miss a workout, it can be harder to make up missed muscle groups.

It may also be less ideal for beginners who are still learning movement patterns, since each muscle group is trained less frequently per week compared to full body routines.

Muscle Growth and Strength Gains

Both workout splits can support muscle growth and strength. What matters most is total training volume, progressive overload, and recovery.

Full body training may be better for beginners because frequent practice helps build coordination and technique. Push pull legs can be beneficial for more experienced lifters who want to increase volume for specific muscle groups.

Recovery and Fatigue

Full body workouts create overall fatigue, while push pull legs spreads fatigue across different muscle groups. People with good recovery capacity may thrive on push pull legs, while those with busy schedules or higher stress levels may prefer full body training.

Listening to your body and adjusting intensity is key with either approach.

Time Commitment

Full body workouts are ideal for people who can train only a few days per week. Push pull legs often requires more gym visits to maintain balanced volume.

Choosing a split that fits your schedule improves consistency, which is more important than the specific structure.

Fat Loss Considerations

Both splits can support fat loss when paired with proper nutrition. Full body workouts may burn more calories per session, while push pull legs allows for higher training volume over the week.

Consistency and effort matter more than the exact split.

Which Is Better for Beginners?

Beginners often benefit from full body training. It allows for frequent practice of key movements and balanced development. As experience grows, transitioning to a split like push pull legs can help increase volume and specialization.

Long-Term Sustainability

The best workout split is one you can follow consistently. Some people enjoy the variety of push pull legs, while others prefer the simplicity of full body workouts.

Enjoyment and lifestyle fit play a huge role in long-term success.

Final Thoughts

Push pull legs and full body workouts are both effective ways to build muscle and strength. Full body training offers simplicity and higher training frequency, making it great for beginners and busy schedules. Push pull legs allows for more focused sessions and higher volume per muscle group, which can benefit experienced lifters.

The most important factor is choosing a routine that fits your time, recovery ability, and goals. When you train consistently and progressively challenge your muscles, either approach can deliver excellent results.