Can a Push-Pull Workout Help You Build Total-Body Strength?

Building strength is a common fitness goal. And with good reason. The strategy can improve body composition, boost bone health, and even lighten your mood. But targeting the same muscles in back-to-back workouts could set you up for overuse injuries.

That's where a push-pull workout comes in handy. The training method targets muscle groups according to pushing and pulling movement patterns. It may help you recruit more muscles in your training while lowering the risk of overuse. Find out how you can safely add push-pull workouts to your routine. 

What is a push-pull split workout routine? 

A push-pull workout is a strength-training strategy that includes pushing and pulling movements. Push exercises involve moving weight away from your body. And pull exercises involve moving weight toward your body. 

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You can incorporate pushing and pulling exercises in the same workout. But many bodybuilders and athletes prefer a split routine, says strength and conditioning coach Reda Elmardi, CSCS. That means separating push and pull exercises into two different workouts. 

Taking a rest day between those two workouts can help build muscle effectively, he says. It can also keep you from doing too much in a single workout. Here's an example of a push-pull split workout routine for beginners: 

• Day 1: Push workout for the shoulders, chest, and quadriceps

• Day 2: Active rest day 

• Day 3: Pull workout for the back, hamstrings, and glutes 

• Day 4: Active rest day 

• Day 5: Cardio or mobility workout 

Advanced weightlifters or exercisers might stack push-pull days so there's less rest. For example, they might do push exercises on day one and pull exercises on day two, then take a rest day before repeating that sequence.

Examples of push exercises

You can do push exercises, which may target upper and lower-body muscles, with weights, machines, or bodyweight. According to Brooke Van Paris, CPT, trainer and corrective exercise specialist at Life Time, here are some common examples of push exercises: 

• Shoulder press

• Cable chest press

• Pallof press

• Push-up

• Plank

• Skull crusher

• Sled push

• Squat

• Leg press

• Lunge

• Step-up

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Some push exercises are easier to spot than others. Many moves include “press” or “push” in the name, indicating that you'll push weight away from your body. Others, like lunges and step-ups, qualify as push exercises because you have to press in some way to complete them. For instance, you press into the front foot when lowering into and standing up from a lunge. 

Examples of pull exercises

With pull exercises, you often use weights or machines to move weight toward your body. Van Paris says examples include:

• Dumbbell lat pullover

• Bicep curl

• Row 

• Lat pulldown 

• Tricep extension

• Pull-up 

• Sled pull 

• Prone hamstring curl

• Good morning exercise 

• Deadlift

• Cable pull-through

• Kettlebell swing

“Pull exercises are especially helpful in counteracting time spent sitting at a desk or in front of a computer because you need to pull the shoulders back to complete the motion,” she says. The moves also work other postural muscles, such as the trapezius and latissimus dorsi muscles in your back. 

Although push and pull exercises can work lower-body muscles, some people like to follow what's called a push/pull/leg split. This method only includes upper-body exercises on push and pull days. It includes a separate day for leg or lower-body exercises. 

What are the benefits of push-pull workouts?

Push-pull workouts can be an effective way to target various muscle groups and build strength in your upper and lower body. These other benefits might make you want to give the method a try. 

Push-pull workouts may prevent overuse injuries 

The push-pull strategy gives the muscles you work during pushing movements time to recover when you do pull workouts and vice versa. So your biceps, lats, glutes, and hamstrings get a break on push days. And targeted muscles such as your triceps, pectorals, and quadriceps can rest on pull days. 

A push-pull workout split includes built-in recovery time to stop you from overworking your muscles. That may help prevent overuse injuries, says Elmardi. 

Push-pull workouts may support exercise performance 

Proper recovery is also critical for exercise performance and achieving fitness gains like building muscle. A small study found that an upper-body push-pull split improved training performance in physically fit men. 

Push-pull workouts may improve functional fitness 

Think of all the pushing and pulling actions you do over the course of a day, says Elmardi. Mowing the lawn or pushing a grocery cart works push muscles in your upper body. Walking up a flight of stairs or picking up a heavy package requires pulling movements. 

A push-pull workout schedule can help you maintain or improve the functional fitness you need for everyday life. “The benefits you get from push-pull work don't show up only at the gym,” he says. “You'll see it through better mobility and just feeling stronger and more in control with any movement you're doing.”

Push-pull workouts are accessible to all fitness levels 

Rather than trying to stack numerous exercises focusing on different muscle groups, a push-pull split can give you a handy framework to follow when making a workout plan, says Van Paris. That can simplify anyone's fitness routine, from beginners to the most advanced exercisers.

Push-pull workouts can help beginners build strength without overloading the same muscle groups, says Van Paris. “Being able to see progress without getting way too sore can help maintain motivation,” she adds. 

For those who want a more challenging workout, the sessions can be intensified by adding more weight or exercises or doing a longer session.

How to safely integrate push-pull exercises into your workout routine

Van Paris suggests keeping the following tips in mind when you try a push-pull workout: 

• Always allow time for a warm-up and cooldown. 

• Don't skip recovery days.

• Try bodyweight push-pull exercises before you advance to using weights or machines. 

• Choose 4 to 5 exercises per session. And create a set that you can do three times.

• Do each exercise slowly and with control.

Remember to fuel your workouts properly, adds Elmardi, who is also a registered dietitian. Adding more protein into your diet can help with muscle growth and recovery, he says.

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Written by:

Elizabeth Millard, CPT, RYT

Elizabeth Millard, CPT, RYT, is a Minnesota-based freelance health writer with 25 years of experience. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, apps, and patient education materials.

Edited by:

Lauren Savage, MA

Lauren Savage, MA, is a health editor at GoodRx, where she focuses on movement, exercise, and healthy aging. She aims to provide readers with the information they need to live healthier, more active lifestyles.

Reviewed by:

Sanjai Sinha, MD

Sanjai Sinha, MD, is a board-certified physician with over 20 years of experience. He specializes in internal medicine.

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