6-Day Workout Split
Six days of training with every muscle hit twice. PPL run twice through is the default. Recovery decides if it works.
A 6-day split gives you the most weekly training slots of any common structure. The standard version is push pull legs run twice through: every muscle trained twice, each session short and focused. The Arnold split (chest/back, shoulders/arms, legs, twice) is the main alternative for physique-focused lifters.
Six days only works if recovery keeps up. Sleep, food, and effort management matter more here than on any other split. The plan below is PPL twice through with different exercises in each half, so the week stays productive without repeating the same session.
The week at a glance
Who this split is for
- Advanced lifters with at least 2 years of consistent training
- Hypertrophy blocks where volume is the priority
- People who genuinely like training every day
- Lifters with strong sleep and nutrition habits
The workout plan
Day 1: Push A
Chest, shoulders, triceps, heavy- Barbell bench press4 × 5-8
- Overhead press3 × 6-10
- Incline dumbbell press3 × 8-12
- Lateral raise3 × 12-15
- Cable triceps pushdown3 × 10-15
Day 2: Pull A
Back, rear delts, biceps, heavy- Deadlift3 × 4-6
- Pull-up4 × 6-10
- Barbell row3 × 8-10
- Face pull3 × 12-15
- Barbell curl3 × 8-12
Day 3: Legs A
Quads, hamstrings, calves, heavy- Back squat4 × 5-8
- Romanian deadlift3 × 8-10
- Leg press3 × 10-12
- Leg curl3 × 10-15
- Standing calf raise4 × 10-15
Day 4: Push B
Chest, shoulders, triceps, volume- Incline barbell press4 × 8-10
- Machine chest press3 × 10-12
- Dumbbell shoulder press3 × 8-12
- Cable fly3 × 12-15
- Overhead triceps extension3 × 10-15
Day 5: Pull B
Back, rear delts, biceps, volume- Lat pulldown4 × 8-12
- Chest-supported row4 × 8-12
- Straight-arm pulldown3 × 12-15
- Rear delt fly3 × 12-15
- Hammer curl3 × 10-15
Day 6: Legs B
Quads, glutes, hamstrings, volume- Hack squat or front squat4 × 8-10
- Hip thrust3 × 8-12
- Bulgarian split squat3 × 8-10 per leg
- Seated leg curl3 × 12-15
- Seated calf raise4 × 12-15
“ss.” means superset. Rest 2 to 3 minutes on compound lifts and 60 to 90 seconds on isolation work. Take most sets 1 to 3 reps short of failure.
Strengths
- Every muscle trained twice with focused, shorter sessions
- Huge weekly volume capacity for hypertrophy
- Different exercises in each half keep the week fresh
- Daily gym habit is easy to keep for people who like routine
Trade-offs
- One rest day means recovery has to be a priority
- Too demanding for most lifters under 2 years of training
- A bad sleep week can sink the whole structure
- Little room to add anything else, like cardio or sport
Vora watches strain across all six days and converts a session to a lighter pump day when recovery debt builds, so the week stays manageable.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best 6 day workout split?
Push pull legs run twice through is the default: every muscle twice weekly, clean recovery spacing, and short focused sessions. The Arnold split is the main alternative if you want more upper-body volume and antagonist supersets.
Is training 6 days a week too much?
Not if the structure spaces muscle groups correctly and your recovery supports it. PPL twice through never trains the same muscle on back-to-back days. It becomes too much when sleep, food, or stress cannot match the workload.
Can beginners run a 6 day split?
No. Beginners grow just as fast on 3-4 days with far less recovery risk. Build a year or two of consistent training first, then add days only when volume is genuinely the limit.
Should the two halves of the week be identical?
Use the same pattern but different exercises, like the plan above. One heavy half and one volume half covers more rep ranges and angles, and it keeps six days from feeling repetitive.
More workout splits
Push Pull Legs
The most popular split in lifting: push muscles, pull muscles, then legs. Scales from 3 to 6 days.
Arnold Split
Chest & back. Shoulders & arms. Legs. Run twice through, six days a week, the golden-era way.
5-Day Split
Five days of focused volume. The hybrid structure that beats the classic bro split.