A Complete Guide of Push & Pull Workout

The push and pull workout is a highly effective approach to target all your muscles in a balanced manner.

Push-pull is a resistance training method where athletes divide their workout routine into different muscle groups.

Athletes and intermediate-level gym-goers find this workout method more effective than the traditional approach. It aids in better muscle recovery and building muscle mass. Additionally, they can work on each muscle more frequently without risking overtraining.

What is a Push & Pull workout?

A split push and pull workout style involves training your body with pushing movements on one day and pulling movements on another day.

This approach is commonly used by bodybuilders, as well as athletes like footballers, basketball players, and wrestlers. However, nowadays, regular gym-goers also admire the push-and-pull method for its ability to help build muscles and strength more effectively.

Push Method

A training pattern is when muscles contract while the body is pushing against resistance, like when lifting or pushing weights. This type of movement is called a “push” movement because the muscles contract as they push against the resistance.

Muscles that are included in push workout

1. Chest
2. Triceps
3. Shoulder
4. Quads
5. Outer thigh

Exercises that are included in push workout

1. Pushup
2. Chest press
3. Overhead press
4. Chest flies
5. Dips
6. Skull Crusher
7. Triceps extension
8. Skull Crusher
9. Squats
10. Shoulder press

Pull method

Pull training is the opposite of the push method. It involves a training pattern where the muscles contract while the body pulls against resistance, such as when doing exercises like rows or pull-ups. The movement is called a “pull” movement because the muscles contract as they pull the weight toward the body.

Muscles that are included in pull workout

1. Back muscles
2. Hamstring
3. Biceps
4. Obliques
5. Glutes

Exercises that are included in push workout

1. Preacher curls
2. Concentration curls
3. Barbell curls
4. Incline curls
5. Hammer curls
6. Back extension
7. Lat pulls
8. Seated rowing
9. Dumbbell Pullover

If you go to the gym regularly and follow this exercise method, you can train each of your muscles two times a week. This technique helps you work on all the different muscles by dividing your workouts into specific days for pushing and pulling exercises.

Benefits of Splitting Workouts

Splitting the training pattern can indeed be beneficial for us, as there are many advantages:

1. Training becomes easier

The traditional way of working out might seem easier to grasp. However, once you understand the concept of push-and-pull training, it becomes the simplest and most effective way to exercise.

By organizing muscle groups into “push” and “pull” categories, it becomes straightforward to identify which muscles you should be targeting and developing. Additionally, it becomes easier to remember which muscles you might be overtraining and which ones you have not trained in a particular week.

2. Enhance Recovery

When following the traditional way of training, where you work on a single muscle group each day, it can lead to overtraining if you train the same muscle group consecutively.

For instance, if you train your chest on day one and then target your triceps on day two, you’re working on related muscles in a row. This doesn’t provide enough time for proper muscle recovery, leading to increased fatigue and potential overuse injuries.

On the other hand, the push and pull method is designed to give each muscle group more time to recover. By splitting your workouts into push and pull movements on different days, you allow approximately 72 hours of recovery time for each muscle group before working on them again. This helps prevent overtraining, allows for better muscle repair, and promotes overall muscle growth and strength.

Increased Training Frequency

With a split routine, you have the advantage of training each muscle group more frequently throughout the week. Instead of just training a muscle group once a week as in traditional full-body workouts, you can target them two or more times, depending on how you structure your split routine.

How to implement Push and Pull?

If you are a beginner or an intermediate-level person, implementing a push-and-pull training routine into your daily life can be a preferable choice.

Going with push-and-pull workouts can bring several benefits that contribute to better muscle recovery, injury prevention, and increased muscle mass

Which is better – Push & pull or traditional

Both the push and pull method and the traditional way of exercising are valid approaches to training, and each has its own benefits and advantages.

It’s not meant that you have to hop on a push/pull training regime to reach your athleticism goal instantly.

Fact’s to consider

1. In push/pull: You train one-day push second-day pull and third-day legs and follow the sequence.
2. In the traditional way: You train only one part for instance day 1 Chest 2nd day biceps and 3rd shoulder and forth.

1. Muscles training frequency

1. In push/pull: You train each muscle twice a week
2. In the traditional way: You train your muscles just once time in a week the frequency of muscle training will be limited to push/pull.

2. Workout duration – Push Pull Workout

1. In push/pull: you have three muscles to be trained (for instance – Push day = Chest(5)+ Shoulder(5) + Triceps(5) = 15 exercises)
2. Traditionally: In a traditional workout where you focus on a single muscle group (e.g., Chest) and perform multiple exercises targeting that muscle, the duration of the workout is generally shorter compared to the push and pull method.

3. Muscle Recovery

1. In push/pull: this method allows time nearly 72 hours for muscles to be recovered.
2. In the traditional way: in this method, the muscle can not be recovered if you train the same muscle group in a row.

Push Pull workout Plan for beginners

Below is the workout design for beginners for a week.
Perform these exercises as per your comfort and perform three sets and eight reps of every exercise

Day 1 – Push (Monday)

Day 2 – Pull (Wednesday)

Day 3 – Shoulder & legs (Friday)

Things to be considered

Nutrition

Nutrition plays a crucial role in supporting overall health, preventing injuries, reducing inflammation, and promoting faster recovery and muscle building. Properly fueling your body with nutrient-dense foods is essential for maximizing the benefits of your workouts and maintaining optimal well-being.

Tips to Consider:-

1. Eat a balanced diet
2. Protein intake
3. Healthy fats
4. Good carbohydrates
5. Stay hydrated

Sleep

Sleep is a critical component of the recovery process and is essential for those following the push-and-pull training regime or any other workout routine.

Here’s why sleep is crucial for muscle building and overall well-being:

1. Muscle recovery
2. Injury prevention
3. Energy restoration
4. Enhance mood
5. Hormone regulation

Summary

The pull-push exercise regime allows you to work on each muscle group twice a week, leading to improved muscle recovery, muscle building, and increased strength.

In push workouts, you target muscles like the chest, triceps, and shoulders.

In pull workouts, you target muscles like the back muscles, biceps, hamstrings, and forearm.

Adding this workout regime to your routine can lead to various positive outcomes, including a better physique, improved muscle definition, and increased overall strength. A well-trained and healthy body not only enhances your physical appearance but also contributes to a happier mood and improved overall well-being.