Everyone keeps saying pull day workout or push day workout these days. But do we really know what they are and how to execute them properly?

Some of us, yes. But I know that when I first heard about it, I had no idea what they were and when I did learn, I would always forget which is which. 

A common name for these workouts is a push-pull training split. This is when you do a push day workout one day and a pull day workout on another day. 

Here is everything you need to know about a push-pull training split. 

What is the difference between pull day and push day?

A pull day workout consists of exercises for your back and biceps. They are called pull exercises because they are performed with pulling motions. For example, when you are using a lat pulldown machine, you are pulling the bar downwards. When you are performing bicep curls, you are pulling the dumbbells upwards.

A push day workout consists of exercises for your chest, shoulders, and triceps. They are called push exercises because they are performed with pushing motions. For example, when performing a chest press, you are pushing the dumbbells straight up. When you are performing a shoulder press, you are pushing the dumbbell straight up. Triceps dips are performed by pushing your body up from a lowered position. 

What exercises are on pull day?

On pull day, you will be performing back and bicep exercises. 

Back exercises could be lat pulldowns, pull-ups, back rows, and conventional deadlifts.

Bicep exercises could be bicep curls, hammer curls, and alternating wide bicep curls.

There are many variations of back and bicep exercises that you can do. 

What exercises are on push day?

On push day, you will be performing chest, shoulder, and triceps exercises.

Chest exercises could be chest presses, chest flies, and push-ups. 

Shoulder exercises could be shoulder presses, upright rows, and lateral arm raises.

Triceps exercises could be triceps dips, skull crushers, and overhead triceps extensions. 

There are so many variations of chest, shoulder, and triceps exercises that you can do. 

Should I do a push or pull day?

You should be doing both a push and a pull day. It is important to do both because it ensures that you are exercising all of the different muscle groups. They could be done on the same day, if you are doing full body because you are working all different muscle groups. They can be done on different days, and this gives the muscle groups you aren’t working a rest. 

Are pull exercises better than push?

Pull exercises are not necessarily better than push exercises because you need to work out all of the muscle groups. 

However, stronger shoulders and better posture comes from doing more pull exercises. 

Overall balance in muscle throughout the body comes from both pull and push exercises and should be done weekly. 

Can I do pull exercises on push day?

It isn’t harmful to do pull exercises on push day. However, when you are exercising different muscle groups every day, it makes more sense to split the days and do your pull exercises one day and your push exercises another day. 

It really just depends on your workout split throughout the whole week. If you work out by muscle groups, you should split pull and push days into two different days. If you work out and only do full body days, you can do pull and push exercises on the same day. 

*Note: Make sure to leave 48 hours of rest after training each muscle group.

Why not do push and pull the same day?

You can absolutely push and pull on the same day. It is just important that you give your muscles the proper rest and recovery. If you do them on the same day, make sure to give yourself 48 hours of resting those muscles. 

Does it matter if you do pull day before PUSH day?

If you are working out for general health and muscle gain, it doesn’t matter if you do a pull day before a push day. For bodybuilding and people who are very technical about their strength training, pull days should come before push day. This is because tough workouts can cause limited range of motion/flexibility in the muscles worked due to delayed muscle soreness. Getting those back and bicep muscles sore before a push day won’t affect your chest, shoulder, and triceps exercises. 

How do I start a pull day?

You should start a pull day with a dynamic warm up.

This could be side twists, windmills, and walking jumping jacks. 

Larger muscle groups should be worked before smaller muscle groups in every kind of workout. In this case, that means you should start with back exercises and then move on to bicep exercises.  

How many exercises should you do on push day?

6-8 exercises. Your goals and the amount of time you have will determine the number of exercises. When doing 6 exercises, you should be performing two chest exercises, two shoulder exercises, and two triceps exercises. If you are doing 8 or more, you can sprinkle in more exercises between the three muscle groups. 

When the exercises are performed correctly with the right amount of weight/resistance (if using weights) and the right number of reps, two exercises per muscle group is perfect. 

You should either be continuously adding resistance or reps to your exercises to be getting the most out of your workouts. 

How many exercises should I do on pull day?

4-6 exercises. Two back exercises and two bicep exercises are sufficient for a pull day as long as you are using enough weight/resistance and reps. However, three exercises for back and biceps is also sufficient, depending on your goals and the amount of time you have.

What happens if I only do pull exercises?

Muscle imbalances can happen if you only do pull exercises. Your back and bicep muscles will be developed but your chest, shoulder, and triceps will be weaker. 

Aesthetically and physically, you want to do a pull day workout and a push day workout every week. This will give you an overall healthy and balanced appearance.  

What is the best push day workout routine?

Here is a sample push day workout routine that efficiently trains the chest, shoulders, and triceps. 

Warm up:

→ Side twists 

→ Arm circles

→ Overhead reach

Workout:

→ 2 x 12 chest press

→ 2 x 12 chest flies

→ 2 x 12 shoulder press

→ 2 x 12 upright rows

→ 2 x 12 triceps dips

→ 2 x 12 skull crushers

Stretch:

→ Arm across body stretch

→ Overhead triceps stretch

→ Arms behind back stretch (with your arms straight back, hold your hands together and push arms up)

What is the best pull day workout routine?

Here is a sample pull day workout routine that efficiently trains the back and biceps. 

Warm up:

→ Side twists

→ Windmills

→ Walking jumping jacks

Workout:

→ 2 x 12 lat pulldowns 

→ 2 x 12 back rows

→ 2 x 12 pull ups

→ 2 x 12 bicep curls

→ 2 x 12 hammer curls

Stretch:

→ Cobra pose

→ Child’s pose

→ Bicep stretch (put arm straight out and apply pressure to your palm with your other hand)

Conclusion

A pull day workout and a push day workout are very different but can be performed with the same structure. 

Key points to remember:

→ Larger muscle groups should be worked before smaller muscle groups. 

→ Push and pull days can be performed on the same day but need 48 hours to rest and recover before being worked again.

→ Push and pull days can be performed once a week for sufficient muscle growth.

→ If you are getting technical, pull days should come before push days. 

Everyone’s workout schedules look different. If you hate going to the gym and only want to go twice, doing full body, that’s fine. Do push and pull days together.

You love going to the gym every day? Split up your push, pull, and leg days to keep the workouts shorter.  

You have to find a routine that you love and will stick to on a weekly basis. It also helps having a workout buddy to keep you accountable. 

I personally do two full body workout classes every week with my friends and an extra leg day on my own. My push and pull days are always together. I personally like this because I am a pretty busy person, and I don’t like going to the gym every day. Therefore, I put it all together and make the most out of my workouts and my days off. 

It is all preference. As long as you are exercising, fueling your body with healthy foods, and staying on top of your mental health, you are doing everything right. 

Email [email protected] and let us know how you have been incorporating your push and pull day workouts.