Is This The BEST PPL Split?
Written by the Boostcamp staff
Bald Omni-Man breaks down the Power Bomb PPL Split
Push, pull, legs, or PPL for short, is a workout split that has been utilized for a very long time in both powerlifting and bodybuilding training programs. The reason being is that there are a lot of benefits that this workout routine can provide. There are plenty of other workout splits that you can follow, such as the upper lower split, or Arnold Split, but the PPL split remains one of the most popular regimens amongst regular fitness goers, bodybuilders, and powerlifters alike.
Bald Omni-Man, a contributor to the Boostcamp App, breaks down his favorite version of the push, pull, legs split, which is the Power Bomb PPL. Let's take a look at what he had to say regarding this PPL split, and why it may be the best push pull legs variation that you can choose from.
Let’s dive in.
What is a Push, Pull, Legs Split?
The first thing to cover is going over exactly what a PPL split is, what it consists of. The push/pull/legs split is a very simple, yet very popular training method that has been around for quite some time now, and it has yielded some great results. The method that people often use is where you divide your body up into three sections, and then the parts that rely on each other are worked together on the same day.
Here is what a typical push/pull/legs split looks like in terms of what muscles are being worked:
When it comes down to doing this split, you do not have to go in that specific order. You can do whichever day first, second, or third, it does not have to be push first, then pull, then legs, it is all about preferences.
You also can switch up prioritization within the push/pull/legs routine, as it is a 3 day split so if you are a bit more of an advance lifter, the chances are you will be working out 6 days a week, hitting each muscle group twice (which is great), and it makes it easier to switch up prioritization a bit. As an example, on the first push day you can prioritize chest more and incorporate more bench press or other chest-oriented movements such as flyes. Then on the second push day you can prioritize shoulders, with triceps as an accessory muscle group on both days. On pull days, you can prioritize width one day, so things like lat pulldowns and pull-ups, then thickness on the second, so movements like rows and deadlifts. Then on the leg days, you can split up quads on one day then glutes and hamstrings the second, or front squats one day then back squats the next, It all depends on your preferences and your goals.
Is The PPL Workout Split Worth it?
Though many people love the push, pull, legs routine, many dislike it. Bald Omni-Man was not a fan of it for the longest time, criticizing the split publicly. The main criticism of the PPL split is that there are not too many rest days, being that it is typically a six day split. This can be a bit detrimental for those who are trying to recover and grow, as it is not ideal. Not enough recovery can lead to plateaus and even injury.
Another criticism of the PPL workout split that Bald Omni-Man in particular has, is that there is no focus on holistic development. By that, he means there is hardly ever a focus on arms, calves, forearms, and neck. Though it may sound ridiculous, he has a point. Things like forearms and neck are severely undertrained, yet have a huge effect on your stability throughout other lifts, as well as functional every day tasks such as sitting, standing, walking, gripping things, and so on. Not to mention, having a well rounded physique consists of being developed in these areas as well as the bigger muscle groups.
This is where the Power Bomb PPL comes into play, as possibly the best push pull legs workout routine.
Power Bomb PPL
A big focus of the Power Bomb PPL is quality of life. Your joints and muscles take a severe beating when lifting, and Bald Omni-Man has incorporated health protocols into the Power Bomb PPL split to help your health. By that, he means proper warm-ups as well as deloads and other movements to keep you from getting an injury. He also includes slight pulling movements such as face pulls on pulling days for things like shoulder health.
Aside from that, Bald Omni-Man incorporates nutrition into his Power Bomb PPL split, making sure you are getting proper intra-workout nutrition. This helps deliver proper nutrients to the muscles and keep them hydrated.
Another thing incorporated into the Power Bomb PPL split is more rest days, as in complete rest days. This allows you to properly recover and get ready for your next workout, and also leaves some room for holistic development, as you can add more neck work, calves, forearms, things like that. Complete rest days also allow you to complete more volume.
Bald Omni-Man goes on to say that not everyone can do a lot of volume naturally, or may not be insanely strong and muscular naturally. That is why the Power Bomb PPL is helpful, as it allows you to force your body to adapt to become bigger, stronger, and capable of more volume.
Moving onto the supersets, the Power Bomb PPL split incorporates a lot of supersets, combining big movements with smaller movements. Not everything is supersetted, as it requires a lot of work capacity, but there are a good amount of them to fit in the fine detail work, so you can develop a complete physique.
Another major change to the traditional PPL that Bald Omni-Man incorporates into Power Bomb is an arm bias. This goes against what a lot of workout splits incorporate, as he has days in the split where arms will be done first, so when you are hitting compound lifts you are almost incapable of relying on arms. For example, if your arms are pre exhausted, and you hit some bench press, you will be relying almost entirely on your pectorals for these lifts, which forces your pecs to grow.
Power Bomb PPL Wrap Up
Overall, the push, pull, legs split is something that is utilized quite often and has been proven effective, yet it certainly has its downsides. The regular PPL split does not leave a lot of room for recovery, or holistic development, meaning you may end up lacking in the calves, forearms, and neck areas. That is why Bald Omni-Man developed the Power Bomb PPL, and it goes against the traditional PPL split.
Power Bomb PPL incorporates more rest days, more room for holistic development, far more supersets, and overall health and nutrition protocols for you to follow, all to help further your progress in terms of both strength and muscle mass.
Where to Find the Power Bomb PPL and Other Programs
When it comes to finding some quality workout routines that help with your fitness journey and really forward your progress, check out the Boostcamp App for some great programs, including the Power Bomb PPL program. Whether that is push pull legs or upper lower or whatever else you may be trying to do, Boostcamp has something for you. You would want to find a program that caters to your needs, gives you good accessories to do, and guides you in the right direction, making sure that you are making the most gains. If you are looking to stay on track and continue with linear progression, then finding a good workout program is the key, and Boostcamp is the place to go.
Also, be sure to follow Boostcamp on Instagram and subscribe on YouTube!
