Push / Legs / Pull / Push / Legs / Pull. Every muscle hit twice per week with a Pull→Push transition that protects shoulders and elbows.
Intermediate-to-advanced lifters who can recover from 6 weekly sessions.
Expected commitment: 60-80 min per session, 6 sessions per week.
Prerequisites: At least 12 months of consistent training. Adequate sleep, recovery, and nutrition to support 6 weekly sessions.
Bench-led. Strength bias.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell Bench Press | 4 | 4-6 | RPE 8 |
| Standing Overhead Press | 3 | 6-8 | RPE 8 |
| Incline Dumbbell Press | 3 | 8-10 | RPE 8 |
| Cable Lateral Raise | 4 | 12-15 | RPE 9 |
| Skull Crusher | 3 | 8-10 | RPE 9 |
| Triceps Pushdown | 3 | 12-15 | RPE 9 |
Squat-led. Heavy quad emphasis.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell Back Squat | 4 | 4-6 | RPE 8 |
| Romanian Deadlift | 3 | 6-8 | RPE 8 |
| Leg Press | 3 | 10-12 | RPE 9 |
| Leg Extension | 3 | 12-15 | RPE 9 |
| Standing Calf Raise | 4 | 8-12 | RPE 9 |
| Hanging Leg Raise | 3 | 8-12 | RPE 8 |
Deadlift-led. Vertical + horizontal pulls.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell Deadlift | 3 | 3-5 | RPE 8 |
| Weighted Pull-Up | 3 | 6-8 | RPE 8 |
| Pendlay Row | 3 | 8-10 | RPE 8 |
| Chest-Supported Row | 3 | 10-12 | RPE 9 |
| Face Pull | 3 | 15-20 | RPE 9 |
| Barbell Curl | 3 | 8-10 | RPE 9 |
Incline / shoulder bias. Hypertrophy reps.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Incline Barbell Bench Press | 4 | 8-10 | RPE 8 |
| Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 3 | 10-12 | RPE 8 |
| Machine Chest Press | 3 | 10-12 | RPE 9 |
| Cable Crossover | 3 | 12-15 | RPE 9 |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 4 | 12-15 | RPE 9 |
| Overhead Cable Triceps Extension | 3 | 10-12 | RPE 9 |
Hip-dominant. RDL-led.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Romanian Deadlift | 4 | 6-8 | RPE 8 |
| Front Squat | 3 | 6-8 | RPE 8 |
| Hip Thrust | 3 | 8-10 | RPE 8 |
| Leg Curl | 3 | 10-12 | RPE 9 |
| Seated Calf Raise | 4 | 12-15 | RPE 9 |
| Cable Crunch | 3 | 12-15 | RPE 8 |
Lat / mid-back hypertrophy. Isolation finishers.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Intensity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lat Pulldown | 4 | 10-12 | RPE 9 |
| Seated Cable Row | 3 | 10-12 | RPE 9 |
| Single-Arm Dumbbell Row | 3 | 10-12 | RPE 9 |
| Reverse Pec Deck | 3 | 12-15 | RPE 9 |
| Incline Dumbbell Curl | 3 | 10-12 | RPE 9 |
| Hammer Curl | 3 | 10-12 | RPE 9 |
PLPPLP is the canonical 6-day MuscleBuddy split. The order — Push, Legs, Pull, Push, Legs, Pull — gives every major muscle two stimulating sessions per week and inserts Legs between the two upper days so push and pull movements never stack back to back, protecting shoulders, elbows, and recovery.
Each pattern gets one heavy wave (lower reps, higher intensity, big compound first) and one volume wave (more sets in the 8-15 rep range, more isolation, more machines). Heavy waves drive strength adaptation; volume waves drive hypertrophy. Both are necessary — neither alone maximizes growth.
Default progression is double progression on the working sets: stay in the prescribed rep range, hit every rep with sound form, and add a small weight increment next session. Top sets sit at RPE 8 to leave 2 reps in reserve; isolation pushes RPE 9.
At 6 days a week, recovery is the limiting factor. MuscleBuddy watches weekly RPE trends, stalled lifts, and sleep markers — if you accumulate fatigue, the engine prescribes a targeted deload (only the over-fatigued muscles) or a full mesocycle-end deload, then restarts the next block with a fresh strength baseline.
MuscleBuddy auto-advances weights, tracks every set, and adjusts when you stall.
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