3 push-pull-legs routines you’ve gotta try

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Here’s what we’re bringing to you today:

• Push-pull-legs routines for everybody

• How to break through a squat plateau

• The right rep range for your strength goals

Exercise Routines

The Ultimate Split

The push-pull-legs routine is to resistance training what chicken and rice is to your diet — when in doubt, you fall back on it.

And this isn’t a bad thing. By following the appropriate layout for your level of development, you can continue building muscle with this kind of split from rank beginner to seasoned iron expert.

The basics of the split remain the same, as indicated by the name: you have three days of training set up, with each day dedicated to one aspect. In the article below, we teach you the right moves to include in each workout and what order to put them in. 

By tweaking the type of movement you use based on where you fall on the bell curve, there’s no reason you can’t stick with the notorious “Bro Split” for as long as you want.

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Workout Tips

Break on Through

Plateauing on the squat can definitely mess with your mind. You know you’re putting in the work, and you spend all day fantasizing about smashing a PR when you step into the rack, but sometimes the weights seem to stay stagnant forever.

If you really care about your squat (and why wouldn’t you?), we’ve got 17 tips for helping you break out of your plateau and onto higher elevations of gains.

The squat is a complex lift, and the solutions may not be simple ones. First off, you have to understand your body and the niche mechanics of the squat in order to improve. Sometimes, it’s as simple as taking a deload week to let your body recharge or fixing the way you walk the squat out of the J-cups. Sometimes, isometric training or box squats are the key to your performance.

There are plenty of fresh gains waiting for you on the other side, but it’s up to you to learn and adapt.

Strength Training

The High-Rep Conundrum

Training for strength sometimes gets confused with training for muscular development. World-class strongman Mitchell Hooper thinks avoiding higher reps in the pursuit of raw strength will keep you healthier, happier, and moving heavier weights well into the future.

Nobody is saying high reps are bad — it’s just that they aren’t the appropriate tool of choice when focusing on strength-based outcomes. Learning to strain and fire muscles in unison for fewer reps focuses on skill and strength rather than taxing your endurance (optimal muscular breakdown needed for hypertrophy).

Sometimes, it’s best to just sit down and listen to people who are stronger than you. So grab a chair and keep your ears open.

Everything Else

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