The PPLUL 5-Day Split – The Science of Frequency (Part 1)!
Try this intense PPLUL 5-Day Split for more frequency! If you’re an intermediate or advanced lifter using the classic 3-day Push/Pull/Legs (PPL) routine, you’re getting incredible recovery time—but research suggests you might be leaving gains on the table due to lower frequency. Switch to a 4-day Upper/Lower (UL) split, and you increase frequency, but your daily workouts can seem overwhelming, especially on Upper days. In this edition of the Built From Iron Series, we’re looking at a 2-Parter. In Part 1, we’ll take a look at this 5-day hybrid routine and see The Science of Frequency. In Part 2, we’ll see the workouts, and cover nutrition as well as supplements. Ready? Then let’s dive right in!
The PPLUL 5-Day Split – A Quick Recap!
| Focus Area | Core Takeaway | Implementation |
| Core Routine | 5-Day PPLUL Split | Combines Push/Pull/Legs with anUpper/Lower routine. |
| Audience Fit | Intermediate/Advanced Lifters | Not suited for beginners; requires highrecovery capacity. |
| Schedule Tweak | Pull Before Push | Maximizes lower back rest before heavyWednesday squats. |
| Frequency | 2x per Muscle Group | Proven optimal for building mass and muscle strength. |
| Volume | Upper Body Focus | Trains upper body 3x per week and lowerbody 2x per week. |
| Recovery Options | Flexible Framework | Offers 2 full rest days, 8-9 day cycles, or deload weeks. |
| Rep Tempo | Emphasis on Eccentric Contractions | 2s explosive up, 4-6s down, with a 4s pause at stretch. |
What Is PPLUL?
PPLUL, or “Push Pull Legs Upper Lower” is a 5-day split program combining the classic Push Pull Legs split with the popular Upper Lower split. The push pull legs split is a 3-day per week routine that consists of a push workout, pull workout, and legs, all on their own day. Probably the most common days are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Of course, this approach covers each muscle group once per week and gives you a whopping 4 days for recovery.
On the other hand, the upper lower split is typically a 4-day per week routine that involves alternating between upper- and lower-body workouts, usually on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, for 3 full recovery days.
Combining PPL and UL
PPLUL takes the standard PPL workout and adds half of a typical upper lower split, giving you a 5-day push pull legs upper lower split.
Wait, We’re Making An Adjustment!
One crucial adjustment, however. I’m putting pull day first, not push, for one very important reason: so your back has maximum recovery time before Leg day. If you do pull on Tuesday and then legs on Wednesday, your lower back gets zero recovery time before you tackle heavy squats.
What If It’s Too Much Frequency?
The PPLUL split is a good workout for intermediate and advanced lifters, but may incorporate more training volume and frequency than many beginners need or can handle. Also, some newer lifters may find a 5-day schedule to be a little too much work. Not only in terms of frequency but also in terms of incorporating it into an otherwise hectic lifestyle.Therefore, my suggestion would be to choose one or the other and run with it instead of combining them into one split.
What Are The Advantages of the PPLUL Split?
Let’s break down the key advantages that make the PPLUL split a good option for gaining muscle and strength.
1. It’s Simple
The PPLUL split keeps things simple by targeting your workouts to large areas of your body. This approach makes it easier to implement progressive overload, a critical key to progress.
2. It Provides The Optimal Frequency For Intermediates and Advanced Lifters
You’ll be training each muscle group twice a week on a PPLUL routine. Research suggests that this is more effective for gaining mass and strength than training them less often. (1)
Let’s Recap The Research!
| Research Topic | Core Scientific Finding | Practical Application |
| 1x vs. 2x Frequency | Meta-analyses show 2x/weeksignificantly beats 1x/week for mass (2) | Eliminates the standard, low-frequency splits in favor of higher-frequency hybrid setups like PPLUL. |
| The Training Status Effect | Advanced lifters see protein synthesis drop sharply back to baseline within 12 to 24 hours post-exercise. (3) | Higher frequency splits keep highly adapted, advanced muscle tissue stimulated and growing more continuously. |
| The Volume Threshold | Frequencies of 3+ days provide a distinct advantage whenweekly sets exceed 15+ per muscle. (4) | Spreads heavy, exhausting compound movements into manageable, highly explosive, and fully recoverable sessions. |
What About Recovery?
This is a big question for any serious lifter, other than perhaps those using “aggressive” supplements. Nevertheless, since you’re training different muscle groups on different days, you’ll give one muscle group at least two days to recover while you work on another muscle group.
What about complete days off from training of any kind for nervous system recovery? You’ll get two complete recovery days. Think you might need more? Then I would suggest looking past the calendar week and incorporate an 8 or 9 day “training week” or split, which is something I have suggested in past articles. Remember, if you don’t recover, you don’t grow, so however you approach it, you can’t go wrong adding another day or two for recovery.
3. It Promotes Balanced Development
If you follow the example PPLUL split presented in this article, you’ll train your upper body 3 days per week and your lower body 2 days per week. That’s not bad for a 5 day split. What about legs, which get less work than the upper body? Trap-Bar Deadlifts. Work in 3 sets of those on either pull day or upper day and your legs will get more work, trust me!
An Example PPLUL 5-Day Schedule
Here’s a typical push pull legs upper lower 5 day split:
- Monday: Pull
- Tuesday: Push
- Wednesday: Legs
- Thursday: Rest
- Friday: Upper
- Saturday: Lower
- Sunday: Rest
Summary
That’s it for Part 1! We’ve seen how this high-efficiency, 5-day hybrid routine blends the best of both worlds and the specific scientific research that proves why it works. In Part 2, I will provide an example 5-day workout, plus give you nutritional and supplement suggestions. In the meantime, stop by illpumpyouup.com and check us out!
References:
- McLester, J. R., Bishop, E., & Guilliams, M. E. (2000). Comparison of 1 day and 3 days per week of equal-volume resistance training in experienced subjects. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 14(3), 273–281
- Schoenfeld, B. J., Ogborn, D., & Krieger, J. W. (2016). Effects of Resistance Training Frequency on Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine.
- Damas, F., et al. (2016). Resistance training-induced changes in integrated myofibrillar protein synthesis are related to hypertrophy only after attenuation of muscle damage. The Journal of Physiology. (Or similar foundational MPS tracking data).
- Schoenfeld, B. J., Grgic, J., & Krieger, J. W. (2019). How many times per week should a muscle be trained to maximize muscle hypertrophy? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Sports Sciences.
By Jim Brewster