PPL Powerbuilding Program: Free 6-Day Template
A PPL powerbuilding program runs push, pull and legs twice a week. The first round is heavy: each day opens with bench, deadlift or squat for sets of 3 to 5. The second round is for size, with 6 to 15 rep work. You get powerlifting strength and bodybuilding volume in one 6-day week.
Plain PPL is great for muscle, but its big lifts usually sit at 6 to 10 reps, so your 1-rep max climbs slowly. Plain powerbuilding is great for strength, but most templates are 4 days and leave less room for volume. Putting a heavy compound at the top of half your PPL days fixes both. Below is the full week, the sets and reps, and how to progress it.
The week at a glance
| Day | Session | Opens with | Main reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Push, heavy | Bench press | 3-5 |
| Day 2 | Pull, heavy | Deadlift | 3-5 |
| Day 3 | Legs, heavy | Back squat | 3-5 |
| Day 4 | Push, volume | Overhead press | 5-6 |
| Day 5 | Pull, volume | Barbell row | 6-8 |
| Day 6 | Legs, volume | Hack squat | 8-10 |
| Day 7 | Rest | Off | None |
Heavy days take about 70 minutes, mostly because of the long rests on the first lift. Volume days take closer to 60. Every muscle gets trained twice a week, once heavy and once for the pump.
Day 1: Push, heavy
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bench press | 5 | 3-5 | 3 min |
| Seated dumbbell shoulder press | 4 | 8-10 | 2 min |
| Incline dumbbell press | 3 | 8-10 | 90 s |
| Dumbbell lateral raises | 4 | 12-15 | 60 s |
| Dips | 3 | 8-12 | 90 s |
| Triceps pushdown | 3 | 10-12 | 60 s |
Day 2: Pull, heavy
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadlift | 4 | 3-5 | 3 min |
| Weighted pull-ups | 4 | 6-8 | 2 min |
| Chest supported row | 4 | 8-10 | 90 s |
| Face pulls | 3 | 15 | 60 s |
| EZ bar curl | 3 | 10-12 | 60 s |
Heavy pull day has one exercise fewer on purpose. Deadlifts for sets of 3 to 5 take a lot out of you, and the rows and pull-ups after them still count as hard back work.
Day 3: Legs, heavy
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Back squat | 5 | 3-5 | 3 min |
| Romanian deadlift | 4 | 6-8 | 2 min |
| Leg press | 3 | 10-12 | 90 s |
| Walking lunges | 3 | 10 each leg | 90 s |
| Standing calf raises | 4 | 12-15 | 60 s |
| Hanging leg raises | 3 | 15 | 60 s |
Day 4: Push, volume
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overhead press | 4 | 5-6 | 2-3 min |
| Incline barbell bench press | 4 | 8-10 | 2 min |
| Chest press machine | 3 | 10-12 | 90 s |
| Pec deck fly | 3 | 12-15 | 60 s |
| Dumbbell lateral raises | 4 | 12-15 | 60 s |
| Overhead triceps extension | 3 | 12-15 | 60 s |
Day 5: Pull, volume
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell row | 4 | 6-8 | 2 min |
| Lat pulldown | 3 | 10-12 | 90 s |
| Seated cable row | 3 | 10-12 | 90 s |
| Face pulls | 3 | 15 | 60 s |
| Hammer curl | 3 | 12-15 | 60 s |
Day 6: Legs, volume
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hack squat | 4 | 8-10 | 2 min |
| Seated hamstring curl | 4 | 10-15 | 90 s |
| Leg press | 3 | 12-15 | 90 s |
| Leg extensions | 3 | 15 | 60 s |
| Standing calf raises | 4 | 15 | 60 s |
| Cable crunches | 3 | 15 | 60 s |
How to pick your starting weights
- Heavy lifts (days 1-3): start at about 80% of your max for 3 to 5 reps, stopping one or two reps short of failure. Don't know your max? Put a recent set into the 1RM calculator and use the 80% row.
- Volume openers (days 4-6): about 70-75% of your max, so the reps land in range with a rep or two left.
- Accessories: a weight you can lift for the top of the rep range with good form, ending each set with one or two reps in the tank.
- Warm up the first lift with a ramp: the empty bar, then roughly 40%, 60% and 80% of your working weight. The plate calculator works out the plates for each step.
How to progress week to week
Progress is the whole point, so write down every set. Then follow two simple rules:
- Heavy lifts: when you hit 5 reps on every set, add weight next session. Add 2.5 kg to bench and overhead press, and 5 kg to squat and deadlift.
- Everything else: use double progression. Add reps until every set hits the top of the range, then add the smallest weight jump and work back up.
Every fifth or sixth week, take a lighter deload week: keep the same exercises, cut the sets by about a third and drop the weight by around 10%. You'll come back stronger, not weaker. If you'd like the theory behind the rep ranges, it's in Powerbuilding vs PPL.
Ways to fit it into your week
- Six days straight: Monday to Saturday in the order above, Sunday off.
- Three on, one off: days 1-3, rest, days 4-6, rest. Each cycle takes 8 days instead of 7, which gives your lower back more time between deadlifts and squats.
- Three days a week: run only the heavy days and add one accessory from the matching volume day to each. It's slower, but it still works.
Whatever the schedule, the lifts only go up if you eat enough. If size is the goal, aim for a small surplus. The macro calculator gives you calories and grams of protein for a bulk, a cut or maintenance.
Run it in NXTSTEP Fitness
NXTSTEP Fitness has a free PPL mode and a free Powerbuilding mode (heavy upper, heavy lower, then push, pull and legs), each with photo demos for every exercise. It shows last session's numbers before every set, flags new PBs and charts your lifts. With NXT Premium, Custom mode gives you seven day tabs you can rename, so you can load this exact template, and Coach Titan suggests your next target.
FAQ
Is PPL good for powerbuilding?
Yes. PPL trains every muscle twice a week, and opening each heavy day with bench, deadlift or squat for 3-5 reps adds the strength work powerbuilding needs. The other three days stay in the 6-15 rep range for size.
How many days a week is a PPL powerbuilding program?
This template is 6 days with one rest day. If that's too much, run it 3 days on and 1 day off, or run only the three heavy days for a 3-day version.
Can beginners run a 6-day powerbuilding split?
It's built for lifters with at least 6 months of steady training. If you're newer, start with the three heavy days or a 4-day upper/lower powerbuilding plan, and add the volume days once you're recovering well.
How long should I run this program?
Run it in 5-6 week blocks with a lighter deload week after each. Most people get 2-3 blocks of steady progress before they need to change the main lifts or rep ranges.