Muscleintermediate12 weeks

Push Pull Legs 12-Week Calendar

The classic 6-day Push/Pull/Legs rotation run twice weekly, built on our Push Pull Legs program with progressive overload and a scheduled deload.

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About This Calendar

This 12-week calendar runs the classic Push/Pull/Legs split at its full 6-day frequency — each movement pattern trained twice per week, which research on training frequency and weekly volume supports as an excellent setup for hypertrophy. It is built on our Push Pull Legs program and is intended for intermediate lifters who can commit to six sessions a week and recover from them: PPL at this frequency rewards consistency and punishes poor sleep and nutrition.

Rather than repeating the same six workouts for twelve weeks, the calendar periodizes them. Weeks 1-2 establish baseline A and B sessions. Weeks 3-4 add sets to build volume, week 5 deloads, and weeks 6-7 shift the emphasis to heavier loads. Week 8 pushes a bigger volume wave, week 9 deloads again, and weeks 10-11 combine peak volume with an overreach before week 12 tests top sets across all six sessions to measure the block.

Run honestly — progressive loads, both deloads taken, food and sleep in order — an intermediate lifter can expect 3-5 lbs of muscle over the twelve weeks along with clear strength gains on presses, rows, and squats. Test week gives you concrete numbers to carry into your next block, whether that is another round of this calendar or a specialization phase.

Week-by-Week Overview

Week	Focus	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
1	Foundation	Push A	Pull A	Legs A	Push B	Pull B	Legs B
2	Foundation	Push A	Pull A	Legs A	Push B	Pull B	Legs B
3	Volume	Push A +1 set	Pull A +1 set	Legs A +1 set	Push B	Pull B	Legs B
4	Volume	Push A +1 set	Pull A +1 set	Legs A +1 set	Push B +1 set	Pull B +1 set	Legs B +1 set
5	Deload	Push A (light)	Pull A (light)	Legs A (light)	Push B (light)	Pull B (light)	Legs B (light)
6	Intensify	Push A (heavy)	Pull A (heavy)	Legs A (heavy)	Push B	Pull B	Legs B
7	Intensify	Push A (heavy)	Pull A (heavy)	Legs A (heavy)	Push B (heavy)	Pull B (heavy)	Legs B (heavy)
8	Volume+	Push A +2 sets	Pull A +2 sets	Legs A +2 sets	Push B	Pull B	Legs B
9	Deload	Push A (light)	Pull A (light)	Legs A (light)	Push B (light)	Pull B (light)	Legs B (light)
10	Peak Volume	Push A +2 sets	Pull A +2 sets	Legs A +2 sets	Push B +2 sets	Pull B +2 sets	Legs B +2 sets
11	Overreach	Push A (heavy)	Pull A (heavy)	Legs A (heavy)	Push B (heavy)	Pull B (heavy)	Legs B (heavy)
12	Test Week	Push A (top set)	Pull A (top set)	Legs A (top set)	Push B (top set)	Pull B (top set)	Legs B (top set)

How to Use This Calendar

1
Run the six sessions Monday through Saturday with Sunday off; if life intervenes, let the rotation slide a day rather than skipping a session — PPL order matters more than the calendar date.
2
Use two distinct workouts per pattern (Push A/B, Pull A/B, Legs A/B) so each muscle gets varied movements across the week — the full exercise lists live in the Push Pull Legs program.
3
Add weight or reps whenever you complete all prescribed sets with 1-2 reps in reserve, and log every session — test week only means something if you tracked the block.
4
Take weeks 5 and 9 genuinely light: same movements, roughly 60-70% of normal loads, stopping well short of failure.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is training 6 days a week too much?

Not if each muscle group still gets recovery — in PPL, pushing muscles rest while you pull and squat, so every pattern gets about 72 hours between sessions. What accumulates is systemic fatigue, which is why this calendar schedules deloads at weeks 5 and 9 and why sleep and food determine whether you thrive on it.

Can I run this calendar on 3, 4, or 5 days a week instead?

Yes — keep the Push/Pull/Legs order and simply continue the rotation across your available days, taking about two weeks to complete each calendar week. You lose the twice-per-week frequency but keep the structure and progression. If you can only train 3-4 days consistently, an upper/lower split uses those days more efficiently.

What is the difference between the A and B workouts?

Same movement pattern, different exercise selection and rep emphasis — for example, Push A might center on barbell bench pressing while Push B centers on overhead pressing and incline work. Two variants per pattern spread stimulus across more angles and keep six weekly sessions from becoming monotonous.

How much muscle can I gain in 12 weeks on PPL?

An intermediate lifter eating a small surplus with about 1 g of protein per pound of body weight can realistically gain 3-5 lbs of muscle across the block, alongside clear strength increases. The six-day frequency raises weekly volume, but food, sleep, and honest progressive overload remain the deciding factors.

What do the top sets in week 12 mean?

In test week you work up to one heavy top set per main lift — the heaviest weight you can handle for the target reps with solid form — instead of chasing true one-rep maxes across six sessions. Compare those top sets to week 1 to measure the block, then use them to set loads for your next cycle.

Pair It With

Push Pull Legs Program

The full program behind this calendar, with exact exercises for every A and B session.

PPL Push Day Workout

A complete push session you can run as your Push A workout.

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