PPL / Upper-Lower Hypertrophy Program
5-day split · 69 kg / 1.87 m · built for balanced muscle growth with extra forearm & trap focus
How This Program Works
5 training days per week: Push, Pull, Legs, Upper, Lower. Each major muscle group is trained twice per week,
which research consistently shows drives more growth than training it once. Forearms and traps get direct work
on 2-3 days without turning any single session into a marathon.
Day 1 — Push (Chest, Shoulders, Triceps)
Exercise Sets Reps Rest
Barbell bench press 4 6-8 2-3 min
Incline dumbbell press 3 8-10 90 sec
Seated shoulder press 3 8-10 90 sec
Lateral raises 3 12-15 60 sec
Triceps pushdown 3 10-12 60 sec
Overhead triceps extension 2 10-12 60 sec
Day 2 — Pull (Back, Biceps, Traps, Forearms)
Exercise Sets Reps Rest
Pull-ups / lat pulldown 4 8-10 2 min
Barbell row 4 8-10 2 min
T-bar row or seated cable row 3 10-12 90 sec
Barbell shrugs 3 10-12 90 sec
Barbell curl 3 10 60 sec
Reverse curl (forearms) 2 12 60 sec
Day 3 — Legs
Exercise Sets Reps Rest
Squat 4 6-8 2-3 min
Romanian deadlift 3 8-10 2 min
Leg press 3 10-12 90 sec
Leg curl 3 10-12 60 sec
Calf raises 4 12-15 60 sec
Plank / core 3 45 sec hold 45 sec
Day 4 — Upper (Balance + Extra Traps/Rear Delts/Forearms)
Exercise Sets Reps Rest
Incline barbell press 4 8 2 min
Chest-supported row 4 8 2 min
Arnold press 3 10 90 sec
Cable lateral raise 3 15 60 sec
Face pulls / rear-delt fly 3 15 60 sec
Dumbbell shrugs (forward lean) 3 12 90 sec
Wrist curls + reverse wrist curls 3 15 each 45 sec
Day 5 — Lower
Exercise Sets Reps Rest
Front squat (or goblet squat) 3 8 2-3 min
Hip thrust 3 10 90 sec
Walking lunges 3 12/leg 90 sec
Seated calf raise 4 15 60 sec
Weighted dead hangs 3 30-40 sec 60 sec
Farmer's carry (heavy) 3 30 m 90 sec
Suggested week: Push, Pull, Legs, rest, Upper, Lower, rest — or shift rest days to fit your schedule. Keep at least one
rest day between Day 3 and Day 5 so legs recover.
Rest Times — Why They Matter
Rest time depends on the goal of the set, not just the exercise name.
Heavy compound lifts (squat, bench, row, deadlift-pattern) — 2-3 minutes. These use a lot of the
nervous system. Cutting rest short here reduces the weight you can lift on later sets, which means less growth
stimulus, not more.
Moderate compound / machine work — 90 seconds. Enough to keep performance high without turning the
session into a 2-hour ordeal.
Isolation work (curls, lateral raises, pushdowns) — 60 seconds. These are less taxing on the nervous
system; shorter rest keeps the muscle under more cumulative fatigue, which works fine for smaller muscle
groups.
Forearm/grip work — 45-60 seconds. Forearms recover fast; longer rest here is usually wasted time.
If you're ever unsure, err on the side of more rest on the first 1-2 heavy sets of a compound lift. Undershooting rest on
your heaviest sets is the most common way people accidentally sabotage their own strength progress.
Load Selection & Progression
Pick a weight that leaves you with roughly 1-2 reps "in reserve" (RIR) at the end of a set — meaning you could
have done 1-2 more reps but chose to stop. Going to full failure on every set, every session, isn't necessary for
growth and makes recovery harder.
Progression rule of thumb: when you can complete all sets at the top of the rep range with good form and
1-2 RIR, add weight next session — typically 2.5 kg for upper body lifts, 5 kg for lower body lifts.
If you miss reps two sessions in a row at the same weight, that's a signal to deload: drop 10% and build
back up, or check sleep/nutrition/stress.
Track your numbers. Write down weight × reps every session. Progress on paper (or an app) is the only
reliable way to know the program is working — how a workout "felt" is a poor guide over months.
Technique Notes
Squat / Front squat: knees track over toes, brace your core before descending, keep the bar path vertical.
Depth: at least thighs parallel to floor.
Bench press: shoulder blades pulled back and down, slight arch, feet planted, bar touches roughly nipple
line.
Romanian deadlift: soft knees, hinge at the hips (not the lower back), bar stays close to the legs, stop when
you feel a hamstring stretch.
Rows (barbell/T-bar/cable): pull with the elbows, not the hands; squeeze the shoulder blades together at the
top; avoid using momentum/body swing.
Shrugs (for that upper-trap look): lift straight up, don't roll the shoulders — rolling adds nothing and
increases shoulder strain. A brief 1-2 second squeeze at the top matters more than the weight on the bar.
Curls / reverse curls / wrist curls: keep elbows pinned to your sides, control the lowering phase (2-3
seconds) rather than letting the weight drop — this is where most of the growth stimulus for small muscles
comes from.
Farmer's carry: stand tall, shoulders back, brace your core like someone's about to poke your stomach. Walk
with control, don't let the weights swing.
Recovery & Nutrition Basics
Sleep: 7-9 hours. This is when most muscle repair happens — skimping here undermines everything else on
this page.
Protein: aim for roughly 1.6-2.0 g per kg of bodyweight per day (at 69 kg, that's about 110-140 g/day), spread
across 3-4 meals.
Calories: to gain size you need a surplus — roughly 300-500 kcal above maintenance. Without it, extra sets
on forearms/traps have little to build with.
Deload: every 6-8 weeks, take one lighter week (reduce weights ~40-50% or cut sets in half) to let joints and
connective tissue catch up.
General guidance — adjust based on how your body responds. If a joint hurts (not muscle fatigue, actual joint pain),
stop the exercise and swap for a lower-stress variation.