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Free gym program by Coach.AI

Push pull legs routine, 3 days a week

3 days · 12 weeks · Skilled

This push pull legs routine gives each session one job: one day for the pushing muscles, one for the pulling muscles, one for legs. It's a three day gym plan to build muscle for someone with some experience, it runs for 12 weeks, and below you'll find every exercise of week 1 with sets, reps and rest.

In the app: this program as your plan. The week, its workouts and the next one to start.

Days a week
3
Level
Skilled
Length
12 weeks
Session in week 1
60-74 min
Equipment
Full gym
Goal
Build muscle

The .AI plan screen in Coach.AI: week 1 of the Push pull legs program

Week 1, day by day

Every exercise of the first week, in the order you do them. Sets × reps, and the rest is the pause after each set.

Monday

Push day

Chest, Shoulders, Triceps, Biceps · about 74 min

  1. Barbell Bench PressChest4 × 10Rest 2 min
  2. Barbell Front PressShoulders4 × 10Rest 2 min
  3. Incline Dumbbell Chest PressChest4 × 10Rest 2 min
  4. Superset Alternate them, set by set.

    1. Dual Cable Crossover Lateral RaisesShoulders3 × 15Rest 1 min 15 s
    2. Ezy Bar Skull CrushersTriceps3 × 15Rest 1 min 15 s
  5. Superset Alternate them, set by set.

    1. Incline Dumbbell Chest FlysChest3 × 15Rest 1 min 15 s
    2. Dumbbell Alternating Preacher CurlsBiceps3 × 15Rest 1 min 15 s
  6. Ab CrunchAbs4 × 15Rest 1 min 15 s
  7. Cross TrainerCardio10 minRest 1 min

Wednesday

Pull day

Lats, Upper Back, Biceps, Shoulders · about 60 min

  1. Seated Cable Crossover Lat PulldownLats4 × 10Rest 2 min
  2. Barbell Underhand RowLats4 × 10Rest 2 min
  3. Dual Cable High RowUpper Back4 × 10Rest 2 min
  4. Superset Alternate them, set by set.

    1. Dumbbell Alternating Spider CurlBiceps3 × 15Rest 1 min 15 s
    2. Plate Front RaiseShoulders3 × 15Rest 1 min 15 s
  5. Plank Walk OutsAbs3 × 15Rest 1 min 15 s
  6. Incline Treadmill WalkingCardio10 minRest 1 min

Friday

Leg day

Quads, Lower Back, Calves, Hamstrings · about 62 min

  1. Barbell SquatQuads4 × 10Rest 2 min
  2. Hex Bar DeadliftsLower Back4 × 10Rest 2 min
  3. Alternating Dumbbell Reverse LungesQuads4 × 10Rest 2 min
  4. Superset Alternate them, set by set.

    1. Standing Calve Raises With DumbbellsCalves2 × 15Rest 1 min 15 s
    2. Seated Machine Hamstring CurlsHamstrings2 × 15Rest 1 min 15 s
  5. Superset Alternate them, set by set.

    1. Seated Single Leg Calf Raise MachineCalves3 × 15Rest 1 min 15 s
    2. Weighted Russian Twists HardAbs3 × 15Rest 1 min 15 s
  6. Treadmill WalkingCardio10 minRest 1 min

Built by the Coach.AI engine, version 55da4102.

Coach.AI

This is how the program looks in the app

Real screens from Coach.AI with this program in week 1: the overview of every workout, with each exercise, its sets, reps and rest.

  • 01 Day 1 · Push day

    Workout 1 of the Push pull legs program in Coach.AI: warm-up, exercises with sets, reps and rest, cool-down
  • 02 Day 2 · Pull day

    Workout 2 of the Push pull legs program in Coach.AI: warm-up, exercises with sets, reps and rest, cool-down
  • 03 Day 3 · Leg day

    Workout 3 of the Push pull legs program in Coach.AI: warm-up, exercises with sets, reps and rest, cool-down

Scroll inside the screen to see the whole workout

How the program moves on

Here is week 1 next to the weeks after it, from the same run of the engine. Each cell is sets × reps.

  • Barbell Bench Press, a main lift: 4 × 10 in week 1, 4 × 8 in week 2 and 2 × 10 in week 4. Fewer reps per set leave room for a heavier weight. How and when to add weight: progressive overload, explained.
  • The smaller exercises after the main lifts: 3 × 15 in week 1, 3 × 12 in week 2 and 3 × 15 in week 4.
  • Working sets in the whole week: 71 in week 1, 72 in week 2 and 41 in week 4.
  • The cardio that closes the first session of the week: 10 min in week 1, 11 min in week 2, 12 min in week 3 and 12 min in week 4.
  • Of the 21 exercises in week 1, week 4 keeps 9; the others are swapped for different ones. New exercises that join: 9.
  • Lighter weeks: 4, 8 and 12. In week 4 the week comes down to 41 working sets, against 72 in week 3. Barbell Bench Press goes to 2 × 10. The paired exercises are done one at a time that week. Why a lighter week makes you stronger: the deload week, explained.
  • Week 12 ends with a test day on Friday. It measures:
    • Barbell Squat: one set, as many clean reps as you can with the weight you trained with
    • Incline Dumbbell Chest Press: one set, as many clean reps as you can with the weight you trained with
    • Barbell Underhand Row: one set, as many clean reps as you can with the weight you trained with
    The app keeps the results and shows them next to your last test.
  • Weeks 5-7 and 9-11 aren't shown here. In the app each of them is built from the sets you logged the week before.
Main lifts, weeks 1 to 4
Main liftWeek 1Week 2Week 3Week 4lighter
Barbell Bench Press4 × 104 × 84 × 62 × 10
Seated Cable Crossover Lat Pulldown4 × 104 × 84 × 62 × 10
Barbell Squat4 × 104 × 84 × 62 × 10
Working sets in the week71727241

Working sets in every week shown

  1. Week 171
  2. Week 272
  3. Week 372
  4. Week 441lighter
  5. Week 841lighter
  6. Week 1228lighter, test day

What comes after 12 weeks?

The test day at the end shows how much your main lifts grew. The next program takes those numbers and your log, starts a little below your finish and leads you up again, with a new wave and weights you don’t have to guess.

Skilled has four stages: Into the waves, Building volume, Reaching the top of the level and Getting ready for Advanced. After that comes Advanced, with 16 week blocks, if you get there and want it.

Who it's for

It suits you if you've been training for a while, know the main barbell lifts and can make it to the gym three times a week. Sessions are long: 60-74 min in week 1.

When another program fits better

Brand new to the gym? Start with the beginner full body plan. With four days, upper lower trains every muscle twice a week.

Still choosing between full body and a split? Here’s how to pick for your week.

Worth reading before you start

Questions people ask

How do I pick a weight for week 1?

Pick a weight you could lift for two or three more reps than the card asks for. The first week is for learning the movements and finding your numbers, not for testing yourself. If you know a recent set on a lift, the 1RM calculator turns it into a working weight for any number of reps.

What if I miss a day?

Do the next session when you can and keep the order. Don't squeeze two sessions into one day to catch up. In the app the rest of your week moves to the days ahead.

Can I do this program at home?

This week is built for a full gym: machines, cables and free weights. With dumbbells at home, or with no equipment at all, the exercises would be different. In the app you tell it what you have, and the plan only uses that.

Coach.AI

Get this week fitted to you

This is the week Coach.AI builds for a typical person with this profile (Skilled, Build muscle, 3 days, Full gym, age 30). In the app it's fitted to your own goal, days, equipment and age, and to the sets you log: each next week is built from what you logged in the one before.

The first week of your .AI plan is free.

Coach.AI: the first screen of the app, The Plan Remembers, with Get Started
Coach.AI: the Exercise History of the barbell bench press, e1RM 105 kg, best set 90 kg for 5, eight workouts on a chart and a list
Coach.AI: the Home screen, today's workout Pull day with Start workout, the week so far and Ask your coach