The Best PPL x Arnold Split for Muscle & Strength

The PPL x Arnold split is a hybrid strength training program that combines the PPL (Push/Pull/Legs) structure with the Austrian Oak’s old-school bodybuilding training.

You get a 6-day split with both the systematic organization of PPL and the muscle-building methods Arnold popularized in the golden era of bodybuilding.

In this article, you’ll learn what the PPL x Arnold split is, if it’s for you, and how to run it for the best possible gains.

Or click here to go directly to the training program in the app.

What Is the PPL x Arnold Split?

Let’s talk about the PPL x Arnold split.

It’s a kind of Greatest Hits album of workout routines. It combines the biomechanical logic of Push/Pull/Legs with the old-school Arnold split.

PPL groups your training by movement patterns:

• Push days hit chest, shoulders, and triceps.
• Pull days train back and biceps.
• Leg days are… legs (quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves).

It’s a very popular and effective program, but by the time you get to triceps at the end of a push workout, they are usually toast.

The Arnold split organizes your training by muscle pairing:

• Chest and back together (antagonists).
• Shoulders and arms together.
• Legs get their own day.

This is a great way to implement supersets and gives your arms a dedicated day to get huge.

PPL + Arnold = PPL x Arnold Split

If you love the structure of the PPL routine, or you miss the feeling of a massive chest-and-back or arm pump, this might be the split for you. With the PPL x Arnold split, you get the best of both worlds.

You train the same muscles two times every week with high volume, but from different angles and with different movement pattern combos to prevent monotony and fatigue.

A common 6-day example looks like this:

• Monday: Push
• Tuesday: Pull
• Wednesday: Legs
• Thursday: Chest and Back
• Friday: Shoulders and Arms
• Saturday: Legs
• Sunday: Rest

Alternative PPL x Arnold Split

If you can’t recover from six consecutive training days or simply don’t want to work out six out of seven days, you can add a rest day between the PPL days and the Arnold days.

• Monday: Push
• Tuesday: Pull
• Wednesday: Legs
• Thursday: Rest
• Friday: Chest and Back
• Saturday: Shoulders and Arms
• Sunday: Legs
• Monday: Rest

Your body doesn’t know what weekday it is, after all, and you’re still getting that high-frequency routine, only spread out over one more day.

For many lifters, this is an even better way to structure the program.

The only potential downside is that you no longer have a fixed rest day to plan the rest of your week around.

Arnold x PPL Split

You can also switch the two blocks around so that you start with the Arnold days and finish with PPL:

• Monday: Chest and Back
• Tuesday: Shoulders and Arms
• Wednesday: Legs
• Thursday: Push
• Friday: Pull
• Saturday: Legs
• Sunday: Rest

There is nothing wrong with doing it this way, although the Arnold days are usually more pump and hypertrophy-focused, meaning you might do your heaviest days (PPL) towards the end of the week instead of at the beginning when you’re fresh after a rest day.

StrengthLog’s PPL x Arnold Split

The PPL x Arnold split is available in our workout log app, StrengthLog.

Here’s a sneak peek at what the first week of the program looks like.

The program is four weeks long in the app, but you can keep going as long as you want or until your body needs a break. It doesn’t stop working after a set number of weeks or months.

I’ve designed this program so you can adapt it as you prefer. You can think of it as a template, not an edict you must follow to the letter or go straight to bodybuilding jail.

The default program is ideal for most lifters, but don’t be afraid to swap exercises for ones you like better and that fit your equipment.

For example, you might do Romanian deadlifts or trap bar deadlifts when the program calls for deadlifts; you can switch barbell bench presses for dumbbell presses, or do front squats instead of back squats.

As long as it’s a similar movement, it’s all good.

Experienced Lifters Only

Keep in mind that the PPL x Arnold split is not for beginners. It requires you to have built up your recovery capacity first.

Besides, as a beginner, your muscles will grow just as well from much less training. Doing 20 sets for chest on an Arnold day won’t grow more muscle than doing 2×5 sets on a full-body split; it just creates more fatigue that you have to recover from.

If you’re new to strength training, check out one of our beginner programs:

• Beginner Barbell Program
• Beginner Powerlifting Program
• Beginner Strength Training Program
• Bodybuilding for Beginners

Even for an intermediate-level lifter, jumping straight into six days of heavy lifting can be a bit much. You might want to consider one of these programs first:

• Full Body Workout Routine
• Upper/Lower Body Split Program
• PHUL Workout Routine

Once you do have the experience and the recovery capacity (and the time to train six days a week), this is what you can expect when you open up our PPL x Arnold split the first time:

Workout 1: Push

Chest, shoulders, triceps

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Notes
Bench Press	4	6–12	The ultimate push day chest builder.
Incline Dumbbell Press	3	10	More focus on the upper chest.
Bar Dip	3	As many reps as you can	Often called “the squat for the upper body” for a reason.
Standing Cable Chest Fly	3	15	Isolation work for the pecs.
Dumbbell Lateral Raise	4	12	The best way to build side delts for shoulder width.
Barbell Lying Triceps Extension	3	10	Superb triceps mass builder.

Workout 2: Pull

Back, rear delts, biceps, abs

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Notes
Deadlift	3	5	Heavy posterior chain work. Feel free to use a trap bar instead of a regular barbell.
Pull-Up	4	As many reps as you can	Back width out the wazoo.
Dumbbell Row	3	8	Row your way to upper back thickness.
Seated Row	3	10	Cable (default) or machine.
Face Pull	3	12	Essential for shoulder health.
EZ Curl	3	10	Sun’s out, guns out.
Ab Wheel Roll-Out	3	As many reps as you can	Expect to be sore tomorrow (in a good way).

Workout 3: Legs

Quads, glutes, adductors, calves

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Notes
Squat	4	6–12	Perhaps the ultimate lower body exercise.
Leg Press	3	10	More stability; pure hypertrophy focus.
Bulgarian Split Squat	3	12	Muscle growth, coordination, and imbalances fix in one.
Leg Extension	3	15	Pure quad isolation. Squeeze at the top.
Standing Calf Raise	3	15	The classic calf builder. All the way down, all the way up. No bouncing.

Workout 4: Chest and Back

Chest, back, abs

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Notes
Incline Bench Press	4	8	Heavy upper chest focus.
Barbell Row	4	8	Back thickness and horizontal pulling strength.
Dumbbell Chest Fly	3	12	Chest isolation Arnold style.
Lat Pulldown	3	12	Focus on pulling with your lats, not your biceps.
Pullover	3	12	Chest/lats hybrid. Go slow and get a good stretch.
Crunch	3	25	Ab isolation.

Workout 5: Shoulders and Arms

Delts, biceps, triceps

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Notes
Seated Barbell Overhead Press	4	8	Your heavy compound shoulder builder.
Dumbbell Lateral Raise	4	10	You can’t get too much side delts.
Reverse Dumbbell Flyes	3	12	Balanced shoulder development and 3D delts.
Close-Grip Bench Press	3	8	Horizontal pressing with triceps focus.
Overhead Cable Triceps Extension	3	12	The best triceps long head builder.
Barbell Curl	3	8	Keep it strict; no swinging.
Incline Dumbbell Curl	3	12	Emphasis on the long head of the biceps.

Workout 6: Legs

Quads, hamstrings, glutes, adductors, calves, abs

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Notes
Squat	4	10	More reps this time around.
Stiff-Legged Deadlift	3	10	Hip hinge for the posterior chain (glutes, lower back, and hamstrings).
Lying Leg Curl	3	12	Hamstring isolation and hypertrophy.
Barbell Lunge	3	12	Unilateral (one-sided) strength, balance, and growth.
Seated Calf Raise	5	12	Your primary soleus builder.
Hanging Leg Raise	3	As many reps as you can	Excellent for the abs and hip flexors.

Note that the above is the first week of the program. The training volume starts a bit easier than the traditional Arnold split, but builds up week by week.

Remember that you can choose other, similar exercises you like better. StrengthLog even has a built-in function that suggests alternative exercises.

Progression and Loading Recommendation

Here’s how to think about progression when following the PPL x Arnold split.

• The program has built-in progression week by week. For big lifts, like squats and bench presses, percentage-based progression is clearly outlined in the app. StrengthLog will do all the calculations for you.
• For other compound exercises (like shoulder presses, leg presses, split squats), try to add ~1–2.5 kg (2.5–5 lb) to upper-body lifts and ~2.5–5 kg (5–10 lb) to lower-body lifts when you can do all sets cleanly with ~1–2 reps in reserve (RIR).
• For accessory and isolation exercises (curls, extensions, laterals, etc.), increase the weight by the least possible amount (i.e., add the smallest plates you have) when you can do your target reps on all sets with good form and 0–2 RIR. You can train to failure if you want on these exercises.

After Four Weeks

The PPL x Arnold split is four weeks long in the StrengthLog app, but you don’t have to stop there. Simply start the program over. The first weeks are lower in intensity, so it will be like a natural deload.

Or, if you feel run down, you can do a real deload week (cut sets and reps in half) before starting over with Week 1.

Warm-Up for the PPL x Arnold Split (Fast, Effective Template)

Warming up before your proper workout is always a good idea.

Warm muscles are stronger and less likely to get hurt. You prime your nervous system to handle heavy weights and improve your range of motion.

You don’t need to run on a treadmill for 20 minutes. Try this short RAMP protocol, which takes about 5–10 minutes:

1. Raise: Increase your body temperature and heart rate with a couple of minutes of jump rope, incline walking, cycling, or rowing.
2. Activate: Turn on the muscles you are about to use.
   • Push/Arnold Chest Day: Band pull-aparts, scapular pull-ups, kneeling push-ups
   • Leg Day: Glute bridges, air squats
3. Mobilize: Move your joints dynamically through their full range of motion.
   • Examples: Arm circles, thoracic spine rotations, high knees, leg swings
4. Potentiate: Start your first exercise with light weights and gradually work up to your working weight. Jumping straight to your heaviest set is a bad idea.

Progressive Overload: How to Keep Those Gains Coming

If you go into the gym and lift the same dumbbells for the same 10 reps every Tuesday for three years, your body will also stay essentially the same.

Progressive overload is when you continuously increase the demands on your body from one workout to the next. You force your body to adapt (get stronger/bigger) to handle the new stress.

There are several ways to increase those demands.

• Lift more weight – the most basic form of progressive overload. Once you can do your reps with a certain weight, you add a plate to the bar or go for the next pair of dumbbells up the rack.
• Do more reps. You got 8 reps last workout. Go for 9 with the same weight next time you hit the gym.
• Rest less. If you rested two minutes between sets last week, you rest 90 seconds this week. Be careful with this one; it’s not the best way to get bigger and stronger (if you don’t rest enough, you won’t be able to lift as much weight or do as many reps).
• Improve your technique. Instead of swinging those curls up, you use perfect technique and use only your biceps.

How to Use Progressive Overload in the PPL x Arnold Split

In StrengthLog’s PPL x Arnold split, you’ll primarily stick to the first two. You should always try to nail your form, but I can’t supervise you, so you’re on your own there. And please rest up between sets so you can do yourself justice. Cardio is great, but don’t turn your strength sessions into it.

Here’s how:

1. Pick a weight you can lift with good form for the target number of reps
2. Once you hit those reps on all sets, increase the weight slightly (smallest increment possible).
3. Your reps will drop back down with this new, heavier weight. That’s expected.
4. Work your way back up to the target reps again.
5. Rinse and repeat.

Sometimes you hit a temporary wall and cannot add weight or reps for several workouts or weeks on end. That’s normal. Keep at it, and the gains will come. Getting noticeably stronger every workout is beginner territory.

Note: Log it! If you don’t write down exactly what you did last time, you are guessing. And guesswork doesn’t build big biceps.

Look at last week’s numbers. Can you do one more rep? Can you add 2.5 lb?

When you follow the PPL x Arnold split in StrengthLog, the app automatically keeps track of every rep you do, so you always know exactly what to aim for.

Supersets in the PPL x Arnold Split

Arnold loved supersets. They were the backbone of his training.

Supersets are when you do two sets back-to-back with as little rest as possible in between.

The classic form of supersets is called antagonist supersets, where you combine exercises for opposing muscle groups, like bench presses (push) and barbell rows (pull), or curls (biceps) and pushdowns (triceps). That’s also the type Arnold favored.

The Arnold days in a PPL x Arnold split lend themselves well to supersetting. Feel free to give them a go.

However, you should know that there are no benefits for muscle growth from doing supersets, so don’t feel like you must just because Arnold was a fan.

Where supersets shine is time efficiency. Because you rest less, you can significantly cut your training time.

If you want to try it, start by pairing your accessory movements (like curls and extensions) before trying to superset heavy squats or benches.

Examples:

Day	Muscle Groups	Classic Arnold Superset Example
Day 4	Chest and Back	Incline Bench Presss + Barbell Row
Day 5	Shoulders and Arms	Overhead Cable Triceps Extension + Incline Dumbbell Curl

Frequently Asked Questions About the PPL x Arnold Split

Let’s do some quick answers to the most common questions about the PPL x Arnold split.

Follow the PPL x Arnold Split in StrengthLog

What’s the best way to track the PPL x Arnold split?

In StrengthLog, our workout log app. It’s one of our premium bodybuilding programs.

That way, it’s super easy to keep track of your weights and reps and make sure you’re on the right path to tremendous gains.

StrengthLog remembers what weights you used in your last session, and automatically loads them into your next one. And trying to improve on your last workout is the key to improving and getting stronger over time.

Download it and start tracking your gains today!

Note that StrengthLog is free, but you’ll need a subscription to follow PPL x Arnold in-app. We offer a 14-day free trial (no strings attached and no funny business) that you can activate in the app, so you can check it out before making a decision.

Final Rep

Choosing between a standard PPL and the classic Arnold split is like trying to decide between pistachio and strawberry ice cream. You just can’t do it.

With the PPL x Arnold split, you don’t have to.

You get the structure of Push/Pull/Legs and the dedicated arm-blasting glory of the Arnold split, all in one week.

If you enjoy training often and thrive on volume, fire up StrengthLog, start PPL x Arnold, track your progress, and let consistency and hard work do what they always do best.

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Last reviewed: 2026-03-23