The PPL split sucks. If you do P/P/L/P/P/L/x you have insufficient rest time, this could only be enough rest if either your intensity sucks, or you hop on gear. If you squat on Push and dead on Pull, dropping the leg day, then it looks like this Push/Pull/x/Push/Pull/x/x but doing this is still not a good training split. The majority of upper body lifts fall on the Push day, limiting how much pushing you can do. The deadlift being the primary pull only needs a few support lifts, dedicating an entire day to it is a poor use of time. Now you could move overhead pressing to the pull day, but at this point you're just doing a full body training split, which is actually a good use of time. If you were to keep the P/P/L and spread it out with more rest days, then you end up with far too little frequency on your pressing movements to actually progress them, and stall quickly.
I made the mistake and tried PPL too. Lets not forget that PPL encourages the use of machine and isolation exercises, and the (((science))) ideology that you need to "train each body part" rather than simply training the different human movement patterns, which more naturally and effectively trains the whole body. DON'T MAKE THIS MISTAKE, STOP DOING PPL. Novices need to do full body training either 3-days per week or every other day. You either do longer workouts, or switch to a 4-day split (usually U/L) when you're intermediate. EVEN IF YOU JUST WANT HYPERTROPHY, you should STILL do a novice strength progression, then switch to a 4-day split after the linear progression, and then probably alternate hypertrophy and strength blocks with wisely selected accessory movements to maximize aesthetics. STOP THIS NONSENSE.
I've been doing PPL for the past 6 months and made by far the best gains of my life
Sebastian Hughes
anyone can make great gains doing anything if they are a novice, if you squat less than 400 lbs this is totally normal. good luck getting your squat to 400 lbs on PPL though
Kevin Roberts
Didnt read but there's actually no point to do anything other than a Upper/Lower routine 4 days a week if you're natty.
Using common sense such as the first Upper day being Shoulders/Back/Triceps focused, and the second Upper day being Chest/Traps/Biceps focused, and the first Lower day being Squat focused, and the second Lower day being Deadlift focused.
Nathan Williams
That doesn't explain why other programs didn't work nearly as well for me.
Juan Barnes
You're such a weak faggot. I've been lifting for 6 months, started a PPL periodized program 4 weeks ago and have made some pretty good gains. Also the intensity and volume are very high. See pic related. Also I did this on a deficit.
I'm not saying I'm strong. But saying you can't recover from PPL is just faggotry. I've been doing PPL almost from day 1 of lifting. If I wasn't recovering in those past 6 months, my lifts would be stalling or decreasing. That's the definition of overtraining/not recovering.
Colton Green
This. I do U/L 3x3 focused on compounds and rest on sundays. 48 hs is more than enough resting time for your muscles.
