Jeff Nippard’s Push Pull Legs (PPL) Program (Full Review)

If you’ve been in the gym for a year or more, then there’s a pretty good chance you’ve tried some sort of PPL program once or twice. Turns out, there are quite a few versions out there.

After all, they’re a solid way to split up your routine to reduce overtraining, yet still hit each muscle group hard once or twice a week. But, no version is quite as in-depth as Jeff Nippard’s.

So, is this the program that’ll send your gains to the next level? Keep reading to find out all there is to know about Jeff Nippard’s PPL program.

About the Creator – Jeff Nippard

We totally get it: You take your gains and physique seriously, so you’re not about to risk your progress by using some random routine by a guy you’ve never heard of.

Well, Jeff Nippard is actually the real deal.

He’s one of the most well-known powerlifting personalities on the internet today. And, thanks to his industry knowledge and engaging videos, he has over 2 million YouTube subscribers to date.

Sure….he’s popular. But, he also knows what he’s talking about.

He spent years competing in powerlifting and bodybuilding competitions, becoming Canada’s own “Mr. Junior Canada” back in 2012.

To top it all off, he once held the Canadian bench press record.

It’s impressive that Nippard can squat and deadlift over 500 pounds and bench press over 300 pounds, but there’s more to him than the stats he puts up in the gym.

He’s also educated in fitness.

Thanks to a Bachelor’s Degree in biochemistry, Nippard uses his in-depth knowledge of health and fitness principles to create killer workout routines that produce all-natural results.

What is Jeff Nippard’s Push Pull Legs (PPL) Program?

First of all, Jeff Nippard has a ton of workout programs.

This one, his Push Pull Legs (PPL) Program, produces the best results in those with a few solid years of training under their belt. The goal is to use this intermediate program to push you to a more “advanced” level.

So, what’s the real purpose of this program?

Well, if you do it right and as Nippard intended, you should expect both hypertrophy and strength gains over the course of 16 weeks.

PPL Program Details

Ready to learn about Jeff Nippard’s PPL program?

Here’s what you need to know.

Though technically considered a “PPL” program, Nippard likes to refer to this program as “Legs Push Pull.” That classification all comes down to the movements you’re doing with each workout and making sure you get enough rest in between.

After all, there is some overlap in muscles used when it comes to exercises like the deadlift. The separation day between pull and legs helps you to keep your muscles fresh each workout.

How you lay this program out will be up to you.

You can do six straight days in the gym (legs, push, pull, repeat) followed by a rest day. Or, you can add a rest day whenever you feel especially fatigued post-workout.

Take a look at the details below.

Block 1

Like most of Nippard’s exercise programs, this one is broken up into blocks.

Block 1 lasts 8 weeks and is meant to slowly introduce you to this style of training. Most exercises will have you training between 60-75% of your 1RM or at a 6-8 on the RPE scale.

You’ll be targeting a rep range of anywhere between 6 and 20 reps per set. At this point, you’re basically working on getting perfect form.

Each week, you’ll be doing the same workouts, each time a little more intensely or with a few more reps than the week prior.

In most workouts, you’ll be getting 20 to 25 sets total.

End block 1 with a deload week before you crank it up a notch for block 2.

Block 2

Block 2 is where things get taken to the extreme for another 8 weeks.

Now that you’ve mastered your form and slowly worked your way up in volume, you’re ready to hang with the big boys at the gym.

There’s a bit more variety when it comes to exercises and you’re ready to take ‘em like a pro.

You’ll be almost consistently cranking out reps at 80% of your 1RM or even 9 or higher on your RPE scale. The goal is to push your muscles to near-failure, but a rep or two shy most times.

Since you’re working more intensely, your sets will usually be between 15 and 20 per workout.

Block 2 is where you’re going to see the real gains, so commit hard when you’re in this stage.

Push vs. Pull vs. Legs

This might sound self-explanatory, but it can be a little confusing if you’re not well-versed in workout programs just yet.

Thankfully, this is pretty easy to explain.

“Push” would account for any movements that involve a pushing motion. For example, for the bench press, shoulder press, and triceps extensions, you’re pushing away from your body.

“Pull” includes any pulling motions, like lat pulldowns and bicep curls, where you’re pulling the weight toward your body.

And, hopefully, you can figure out what “legs” entails.

Other Key Information

There’s a lot more to this routine than learning about the sets, reps, and exercises you’ll be doing. And, even more than rest times and %1RM (or RPE).

This document basically serves as a how-to guide for exercise science.

The program starts off by literally explaining every important muscle in the body, what types of movements it does, and the exercises you can use to target each.

Now you don’t have to just blindly accept that you’re hitting quads today…..you know why it’s important to target them in the first place.

But, that’s not all you’re getting. You’re also getting key info on:

• Exercise substitutions
• Warm-up techniques
• Tips for how to perform each exercise (and videos for each)
• Background information on safety

It’s nice to know that you’re not blindly being led through a routine by a random guy on the internet, right?

Types of Exercises

Now, without getting into too much detail for copyright reasons, we want to give you a little insight into what types of exercises you’re doing.

Hint: It’s not a basic bench press, leg press, or bicep curl every week.

There’s a ton of variety and nothing is “standard” in any sense. You’ll be doing things like “slow eccentric dips,” kneeling straight-arm cable pull-overs,” and “low to high cable flyes.”

The variety will keep you entertained and your muscles guessing.

5 Undeniable Benefits of the Push Pull Legs Program

1. Technique, Technique, Technique

No matter how desperately you want to see gains, you don’t want to risk safety at the same time. And, that’s something Jeff Nippard wholeheartedly agrees with.

He’s not really into “cheating” on exercises.

His reasoning for it is as clear cut as it gets. He uses research and studies to prove that bad form can cause injury in even the most skilled lifters and, sometimes, lessens gains.

You might be wondering what this has to do with you.

Well, it goes to show that this program was designed around legit exercise science principles. Nippard wants to help you with gains, but not at a point where you get hurt and sidelined.

So, pay attention to video demonstrations and exercise tips.

2. Workout “Notes” for Every Exercise

You know how to perform a shoulder press, right? What about a leg extension?

As much as you know the general movements of exercises, there’s a bit more that goes into each than you might think. And, to help you out, this program has tips with every exercise.

These can be found on the charts for each day’s workout.

You’ll get tips like tucking in your elbows to 45 degrees on the bench press or placing your feet high on the single-leg leg press.

Not only can this guarantee solid form, but it can also help you to max out your gains.

3. 16 Weeks of Gains

A lot of programs last just 8 or 12 weeks.

Doing the same exercises, sets, and reps for too long basically guarantees a plateau. Well, luckily this routine switches those up a little each week to keep your gains coming.

Thankfully, this program lasts for 16 weeks.

That means this program can last you a solid ⅓ of a year. But, if you’re still seeing gains after the 16-week program, you can even run back to the start and go through another cycle.

Nippard suggests even 3 to 5 cycles of this routine before switching to a new one.

It’s pretty neat to have a long-term program without having to look for a new one every few months as usual.

4. Focus on Smaller Muscle Groups Too

All serious lifters head to the gym and crank out heavy squats, deadlifts, and bench presses. But, you want to build some mass on those biceps, calves, and triceps too.

Thankfully, this program also gives you the chance to hit those muscles directly.

You’ll finish out each workout with smaller muscle groups through exercises like hammer curls, lateral raises, and triceps kickbacks.

Now, you can burn off whatever’s left in the tank to guarantee the gains you really want to see.

5. Logical Layout of Exercises

There’s nothing that says that a 4 or 5-day split won’t work. It’s more that it’s hard to layout these workouts so that you’re not overtraining during the week.

So, one of the greatest features of this routine is that it makes sense.

You’re basically draining your chest at the beginning of the push workout and then following up with shoulders and triceps with whatever is leftover.

That’s very different from doing chest on Monday and then shoulders on Wednesday. That’s because a lot of the same muscles are used in both types of workouts.

It’s great that you can give your all in the gym and know you have at least 2-3 days of rest in between before you hit those muscles again.

Better repaired muscles mean even more intense workouts next time.

And, hitting each muscle group twice a week is considered the standard for getting truly jacked.

2 Negatives of the Push Pull Legs Program

1. Time Commitment

Is this a good program?

Absolutely.

Do you actually have the time to hit the gym for long workouts 6 days a week?

Well, most people probably won’t.

The major downside to this routine is that you’re working out 6 days a week with 1 day of rest. If you work a 40-hour week, good luck finding the time to do anything but work and workout.

Now, if you’re already considered an intermediate, then this won’t be much different for you. There’s a good chance you’re already in the gym seemingly 24/7.

2. No Diet Plan

The first thing worth pointing out is that we aren’t necessarily expecting a diet plan with every program. But, we do know that the right diet can make or break your gains.

In this case, Nippard merely suggests a caloric gain with 0.8+ grams of protein per pound.

That’s a good start, but a lot of us just don’t get the hang of a hypertrophy-based diet quite well. With that, you might assume that you can eat unlimited carbs and fat or 4,000 calories a day.

Well, you shouldn’t.

So, you’re going to have to do a little extra work on your own to find a diet plan that helps your muscles to recover post-workout while still fueling you properly for each of your workouts. Or you can check out Nippard’s Body Recomposition Guide.

Does this make the workout program any less solid?

No.

But, the lack of guidance might hold you back some if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Jeff Nippard’s PPL Final Recommendation

Nippard’s Push Pull Legs Hypertrophy Program is definitely capable of sending you from that “intermediate” stage to more of an “advanced” stage. And, if you follow it to a T, then you’re going to see massive gains.

It’s laid out well, walks you through every exercise in-depth, and will give you alternatives if for some reason you can’t do an exercise.

For a true intermediate, it works well.

The problems arise when you’re just a beginner. Six days a week at the gym is a lot for most guys and not having a diet plan might slow or stall your gains indefinitely.

So, what’s the consensus here?

Rating: 8 out of 10

This is a pretty good program for high-intensity workouts twice a week for each muscle group, so solid gains. But, it’s more for skilled gym-goers.