The exact week: PPL plus upper-lower
| Day | Session | Focus | Editorial duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Push | Chest, shoulder and triceps | 50–70 min |
| Tuesday | Pull | Back, rear deltoid and biceps | 50–70 min |
| Wednesday | Legs | Knee, hip and calf | 55–75 min |
| Thursday | Rest | No compensation | — |
| Friday | Upper | Second upper-body exposure | 45–65 min |
| Saturday | Lower | Second lower-body exposure | 45–65 min |
| Sunday | Rest | Review and prepare | — |
The split enables shorter sessions; its name is not superior. Reviews of full body versus split routines and volume-equated frequency support choosing from schedule, preference and adherence. Weekly volume remains the dose to monitor.
Five sessions without filler
| Push | Pull | Legs |
|---|---|---|
| Horizontal press · 3×6–10 | Row · 3×6–10 | Squat or leg press · 3×6–10 |
| Vertical press · 2×8–12 | Pulldown · 2×8–12 | Hip hinge · 2×6–10 |
| Lateral raise · 2×12–20 | Rear deltoid · 2×12–20 | Leg curl · 2×10–15 |
| Triceps · 2×10–15 | Biceps · 2×10–15 | Calf · 2×10–15 |
| Friday Upper | Saturday Lower |
|---|---|
| Incline or machine press · 2×8–12 | Leg press or guided squat · 2×8–12 |
| Different row or pulldown · 2×8–12 | Hinge or hip extension · 2×8–12 |
| Lateral raise · 2×12–20 | Knee extension · 2×10–15 |
| Biceps and triceps · 1–2×10–15 | Leg curl and calf · 1–2×10–15 |
These sets are a starting point to edit. Count shared work before adding arms or shoulders and do not assume every set has an identical effect. Meta-regressions describe a positive volume-hypertrophy relationship with diminishing returns, not one universal dose.
Progression and weekly review
- Define ranges
Keep one window and exercise standard across several weeks.
- Preserve reserve
Use 2–3 RIR as an editorial starting point for most sets, not an exact threshold.
- Progress repetitions
Add inside the range while standard and RIR hold.
- Add load
After reaching the ceiling across all sets, add the smallest increment.
| Signal | Reading | Smallest change |
|---|---|---|
| Stable or rising performance | The week is tolerable | Keep it |
| Drop only Friday or Saturday | The second exposure adds cost | Remove one accessory set |
| Sessions exceed planned time | There is too much content | Cut the final isolation |
| Days are missed every week | Five days do not fit | Move to four days |
Proximity to failure may relate to hypertrophy, but there is no demonstrated universal optimal RIR. You do not rescue a poor week by pushing every set to the limit; comparable references help separate progress, variation and excessive dose.
Contingency for an imperfect week
| Problem | Plan | Do not |
|---|---|---|
| Only 45 minutes | Do the first two patterns and one priority accessory | Rush every rest period |
| Miss Push or Pull | Resume it and shift the sequence when viable | Merge two complete sessions |
| Miss Upper | Continue with Lower and return to the calendar | Double upper body next week |
| Only four days fit repeatedly | Use the dedicated 4-day routine | Call an incomplete plan five days |
Friday missed
If Upper is unavailable, keep Lower on Saturday when it remains viable. Do not copy all upper-body work into Lower or add two Sunday sessions. Resume the normal week and decide whether the problem was isolated or structural.
BUSTAFIT lets you create this week and log load, repetitions, RIR, the last reference and history on iPhone. That reference helps decide what to keep in a shortened session. The app does not design or reorder the week, trim accessories or automatically detect fatigue.