Figuring out how to structure your weekly workout routine doesn’t have to be a complicated task – you can’t go far wrong with a push/pull workout plan. Splitting your sessions into push, pull and leg days will help you target all major muscle groups while allowing them ample time to recover and rebuild after each workout.
Push workouts will hit the muscles in your chest, shoulders and triceps, while pull sessions work your back and biceps. We’ve already spotlighted a push workout template from fitness trainer Christian Poulos, and he’s posted a complementary pull workout which combines six movements using dumbbells and a few weights machines at the gym.
If you’re training at home, you can use a resistance band instead of a cable machine and switch the lat pull-downs for pull-ups, if you have a pull-up bar (to add these bits of equipment to your home set-up, browse our selection of the best resistance bands and the best pull-up bars). Try returning to this session once a week, gradually increasing the weight in order to progressively overload your training and build muscle mass.
Watch the Instagram reel below to see Poulos demonstrate each exercise.
Complete eight to 12 reps of each exercise, making sure to choose a weight that makes it a challenge to finish the set, without being so heavy that it forces you to compromise your form.
This workout will target muscles like the lats (the biggest muscles in your back), rear delts (the backs of your shoulders), biceps and the middle of your back.
Ensure you’re incorporating push and leg workouts into your programme alongside this session to build a balanced body. If you’re short on time and can’t fit two upper-body workouts in a week, try this quick 12-minute push/pull workout instead.
