4-Day Push/Pull Workout Routine for Muscle Gain

Created by Victor Freitas

A push-pull workout routine involves training the major muscle groups in two different workouts:

• Push workout
• Pull workout

The push workout is focused on the pushing movements for the upper body, which involve the chest, shoulders and triceps, along with the quads.
The pull workout is based around pulling movements for the upper body, which involve the back and biceps, as well as the hamstrings.

The Benefits of a Push/Pull Routine

One of the main advantages of a push-pull routine is that it trains the same muscle groups at the same time.

Take the lat pulldown as an illustration of a pulling exercise. This exercise targets both the biceps and the lats. or a pushing exercise like the bench press, which targets the triceps as well as the chest and shoulders.

There are a number of advantages to training the muscles that work together in the same session:

1. For instance, warming up your shoulders and triceps by performing the bench press at the beginning of a workout helps to prepare them for the exercises that follow. As a result, in order to get ready for those exercises, you won’t need to perform as many warm-up sets.

This not only saves time, but it may also lower the likelihood of injury from skipping warm-up sets and jumping right into the heavy lifting.

2. On the off chance that you use up all available time, you can skirt the last two or three activities, as they’re in many cases hitting muscle bunches that have been worked as of now. A push exercise, for instance, will normally get going with compound lifts for the chest and shoulders, prior to continuing on toward some confinement practices for the rear arm muscles.

However, if you had trained your triceps directly, those same compound lifts would still have stimulated some growth in the triceps. Therefore, if you are short on time, you can always stick with the compound movements and skip some of the isolation exercises.

3. Between workouts, your muscles get plenty of time to recover. Your triceps, chest, shoulders, and quads get a chance to recover and develop on pull days.

Similarly, on push day, the muscles involved in training your hamstrings, back, and biceps can rest and rebuild.

People who don’t like leg workouts should also try a push-pull routine. Instead of focusing entirely on your lower body during a push/pull/legs split or upper/lower split, you perform some leg work each time you train.

This means that the pull day workouts will work on your hamstrings, like the leg curl, while the push day workouts will work on your quads, like the back squat.

The push-pull split can be used to train anywhere from two to six days per week, and each frequency has its own benefits and drawbacks.

I believe that the four-day version of the program will work best for most people most of the time. You achieve a balance between practicality and effectiveness.

My 4-Day Push/Pull Workout Routine

Monday(Push Day Workout):

• Squat 3 sets x 5–8 reps
• Bench Press 3 sets x 5–8 reps
• Leg Press 3 sets x 10–15 reps
• Incline Dumbbell Press 3 sets x 10–15 reps
• Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 sets x 8–12 reps
• Lying EZ Bar Triceps Extension 3 sets x 10–15 reps

Squat(Sets 3 Reps 5–8)

The quads, glutes, and lower back are the primary targets of the back squat. As far as profundity, hunching down to where your knees hit 90 degrees, which is somewhat above equal, is still adequately profound to animate development in your quads. The front squat and split squat are both viable alternatives in the event that you are unable to perform back squats for any reason.

Bench Press(Sets 3 Reps 5–8)

The bench press is the next exercise, and it is a great way to build size in your chest, shoulders, and triceps. Make sure to perform several progressively heavier warm-up sets prior to your first work set because this is your first upper body exercise and you are training in the 5–8 rep range. Warm-up sets can be performed in between sets of squats to save time.

Leg Press(Sets 3 Reps 10–15)

The leg press is the third exercise. The leg press targets the quads and glutes, like the squat, but less so the lower back muscles.

Incline Dumbbell Press(Sets 3 Reps 10–15)

Set the bench’s angle to approximately 30 degrees when performing the incline dumbbell press. Even though you’re still working your chest, shoulders, and triceps, moving from a flat bench to an incline bench puts more emphasis on the upper chest.

Barbell Overhead Press(Sets 3 Reps 8–12)

The anterior deltoid, or front part of the shoulder, does most of the work in the barbell overhead press, which targets the triceps and shoulders. If you prefer, you can perform this exercise with a barbell or even a shoulder press machine.

Cable Overhead Tricep Extension(Sets 3 Reps 10–15)

The overhead Cable tricep extension is an isolation exercise that targets the triceps muscle, which is located on the back of the upper arm. This exercise requires a link machine, a rear arm muscle rope connection, and weight plates. The triceps are effectively isolated and challenged to work through the full range of motion by using the overhead position and the resistance of the cable.

Tuesday(Pull Day Workout)

• Seated Leg Curl 3 sets x 10–15 reps
• Wide Grip Front Lat Pulldown 3 sets x 8–12 reps
• Romanian Deadlift 3 sets x 10–15 reps
• Seated Cable Row 3 sets x 8–12 reps
• Face Pull 3 sets x 15–20 reps
• Incline Dumbbell Curl 3 sets x 8–12 reps

Seated Leg Curl(3 sets x 10–15 reps)

The seated leg curl, which works your hamstrings, comes first. For hamstring development, research indicates that the seated leg curl is superior to the lying leg curl. However, since both are still very effective, use the machine that is readily available.

Wide Grip Front Lat Pulldown(3 sets x 8–12 reps)

The lat pulldown works your back and biceps when done with a wider overhand grip (palms facing forward) and pulled to the front rather than behind your head. Because very few people are capable of performing multiple sets of pull-ups using only their own body weight, pulldowns are usually what I recommend instead. However, if you would rather perform pull-ups and are able to perform four sets of five to ten pull-ups with proper form, perform pull-ups.

Romanian Deadlift(3 sets x 10–15 reps)

The hamstrings, glutes, and lower back are all worked in the Romanian deadlift. Romanian deadlifts are typically performed with a barbell, but you can also use dumbbells.

Seated Cable Row(3 sets x 8–12 reps)

Your back and biceps will be worked on the seated cable row, a horizontal pulling exercise. Pull your hands towards the lower part of your stomach, close to the belly button, while keeping your elbows close to your body.

Face Pull(3 sets x 15–20 reps)

The lateral and posterior deltoids, in addition to a number of upper back muscles, are both affected by the cable face pull.

Incline Dumbbell Curl(3 sets x 8–12 reps)

A biceps isolation exercise rounds out the first pull day. The long head of the biceps is utilized more extensively in the incline curl than in the side curl because the elbows are positioned behind the back.

Thursday(Push Day Workout)

• Leg Press 3 sets x 10–15 reps
• Push-ups 3 sets x 20–40 reps
• Bulgarian Split Squat 3 sets x 8–12 reps
• Cable Crossover 3 sets x 10–15 reps
• Lateral Raise 3 sets x 10–15 reps
• Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension 3 sets x 10–15 reps

Leg Press(3 sets x 10–15 reps)

The leg press, like the squat, works the thighs and hips, but the core muscles, particularly the spinal erectors, are less involved.

Push-ups(3 sets x 20–40 reps)

According to research, the push-up does a great job of encouraging triceps and chest growth. In one review, a month of push-ups conveyed gains in muscle size that were indistinguishable to those seen with the seat press. Another study found that triceps and chest muscle thickness increased similarly after eight weeks of bench press or push-up training.

Bulgarian Split Squat(3 sets x 8–12 reps)

The quads, glutes, and even the hamstrings are all targeted in some way by the Bulgarian split squat. If your back prevents you from squatting as frequently as you would like, this exercise is ideal because it causes less spinal loading than the squat. Work on both sides of the body independently helps even out any strength differences between the two sides.

Cable Pec Fly(3 sets x 10–15 reps)

At the gym, you can perform this exercise on a cable machine. Pulling on cables to raise and lower the desired weight strengthens your arm, shoulder, and chest muscles. Standing for this upper body exercise will work your core and help you stay stable.
This is an intermediate-level exercise. You should have a trainer teach you the move when you first start. To avoid making mistakes that could hurt you, proper form is essential. After you have mastered the move, start with the lightest weight and work your way up to heavier ones.

Lateral Raise(3 sets x 10–15 reps)

Your shoulders will become broader as a result of the lateral raise’s focus on the side delts. The lateral raise ensures that your side delts are not neglected because the anterior delts were worked earlier in the workout and the rear delts were targeted on pull day. Use a dumbbell that isn’t too heavy, so you can take a break at the end of the exercise.

Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension(3 sets x 10–15 reps)

One of my favorite triceps exercises is the overhead triceps extension because it puts a lot of tension on the triceps while they are stretched out. According to research, compared to the same amount of training performed with the arm in a neutral position, training the triceps in a lengthened position with the arm overhead results in faster muscle growth.

Friday(Pull Day Workout)

• Romanian Deadlift 3 sets x 8–12 reps
• Single-Arm Dumbbell Row 3 sets x 5–8 reps
• Lying OR Seated Leg Curl 3 sets x 10–15 reps
• Close-Grip Underhand Lat Pulldown 3 sets x 8–12 reps
• Seated Bent-Over Lateral Raise 3 sets x 10–15 reps
• Dumbbell Preacher Curl 3 sets x 10–15 reps

Romanian Deadlift 3 sets x 8–12 reps

The Romanian deadlift starts with the hips moving backward, the barbell is held close to the body, and the movement comes to a close roughly at the midpoint of the shin (or where your hamstring flexibility ends). It is acceptable to lower the bar just below your knee level if your hamstrings are extremely tight.

Single-Arm Dumbbell Row 3 sets x 5–8 reps

One of my favorite horizontal pulling exercises for strengthening the back is the single-arm dumbbell row. You won’t have to stop a set because your body weight is supported on the bench, unlike with the bent-over barbell row, where fatigue in the spinal erectors can occur.

Lying OR Seated Leg Curl 3 sets x 10–15 reps

For building hamstring size, the seated leg curl has been shown to be more effective than the lying leg curl, but both are still very effective, so use whichever machine is available.

Close-Grip Underhand Lat Pulldown 3 sets x 8–12 reps

The close grip underhand lat pulldown is the second back exercise. The biceps, lats, and other back muscles are the focus of this exercise. Go with chin-ups if you prefer them and can complete three sets of five to ten repetitions with good technique. Chin-ups require an underhand grip and palms facing in.

Seated Bent-Over Lateral Raise 3 sets x 10–15 reps

An isolation exercise for the shoulders, the bent-over lateral raise primarily targets the rear, or posterior head, of the deltoid muscle. To make it easier on your lower back, perform this exercise while sitting on the bench’s edge with your knees bent.

Dumbbell Preacher Curl 3 sets x 10–15 reps

The preacher curl is better at recruiting the short head of the muscle than the incline curl, which emphasizes the long head of the biceps muscle. You can also perform preacher curls on a standard incline bench if you do not have access to a preacher bench.