Why You Need Push and Pull Movements In Your Workouts

You don’t need to be on the weight room-obsessed corner of the internet to have heard the phrase “push-pull workout.” 

Though it sounds like something reserved for strength athletes, push-pull workout programming is actually functional training at its best: pushing and pulling are two of the six foundational movement patterns, and you likely do them with your body countless times a day without realizing it. Think of pulling a door open, for example, or pushing yourself up off the floor after playing with your dog.

Training these movements in your strength routine can be a great way to work out with longevity in mind and keep your body moving well for life. But how, exactly, do you structure a push-pull workout routine? Here’s what exercise pros have to say.

What Does “Push-Pull” Refer to In Strength Training? 

“In strength training, ‘push’ and ‘pull’ refer to the direction of force used in exercises that target muscle groups on the front and back of the body,” explains John Gallucci Jr.,, a physical therapist and CEO of JAG Physical Therapy. “Push exercises use muscles to push away from the body, while pull exercises use muscles to pull toward the body.”

Push and pull exercises can be done with all types of equipment (including your body weight); however, if you’re having trouble understanding the concept, it can help to visualize them as moves done with free weights. “Push exercises are movements where you push a weight away from your body using mainly the chest, shoulders, and triceps (think: bench press, chest press, shoulder press, and tricep dips),” explains Peloton Instructor Katie Wang. “Pull exercises are movements where you pull a weight towards your body, so think movements that engage the back, biceps, and forearms (like pull-ups, rows, and bicep curls).” 

“Push” and “pull” training most commonly refer to upper body exercises since you typically use your hands to push or pull objects or weights, but the concept can also apply to your lower body. In that case, push movements involve directing force away from your body (often through your feet and into the floor, as with squats). Lower body pull movements will use your posterior chain muscles and typically involve hinging at the hips and pulling a weight toward your torso. 

Why You Need Both Types of Movements

If you want to improve your push-ups, you might be tempted to go all-in on push exercises, and if you want to master a pull-up, you might think you need to do tons of pull moves—but that’s not the idea behind push-pull workouts. It’s important to include both push and pull movements in your routine to help you target multiple muscle groups and build well-rounded strength, Gallucci says. Overworking one side or movement pattern could result in muscle imbalances such as quad dominance or forward-rounded posture. 

What Is a Push-Pull Workout, Exactly?

Really, push-pull isn’t a type of workout but, rather, a training style. It involves organizing your strength training into a workout split—when you dedicate different days to working different muscle groups or body parts. For example, some people may simply train their upper body on one day and their lower body on another. Bodybuilders might have days dedicated to training their chest and triceps, back and biceps, legs, and shoulders separately. 

Someone following a push-pull routine typically separates their strength training into days of push exercises and days of pull exercises. They may round out the week with leg workouts, cardio, or other activities (but more on that below). 

It is possible to combine push moves and pull moves into one comprehensive workout—this, you might call a “push-pull workout.” Though this won’t have the same benefits as a push-pull split workout routine, it’ll work muscles on both sides of your body in the same workout and may help you better visualize the balancing of your strength work.

Which Muscles Are Push Muscles? 

In general, push muscles are part of the anterior chain, the group of muscles that run up the front of your body. In the upper body, push muscles include the pectoralis (chest), deltoids (shoulders), and triceps. In the lower body, the quadriceps are the primary push muscles, Gallucci says.

Which Muscles Are Pull Muscles?

Pull muscles tend to be part of the posterior chain, the group of muscles along the back of your body. Some of the upper body muscles typically used in pull movements are the biceps and your back, specifically the rhomboid muscles and trapezius, Gallucci says. In the lower body, the hamstrings and gluteal muscles are the primary pull muscles.

The Benefits of Push-Pull Workouts

First and foremost, push-pull workouts help you get stronger. “Push-pull movements are key for building and strengthening muscles and help with reducing imbalances within the body,” Katie says. “All of this is important for proper movement function throughout the body.”

Dedicating an entire workout to push or pull movements can help ensure the targeted muscles get pushed to the max—exactly where strength gains are made. “Structuring a workout into push or pull will allow certain muscle groups to be utilized to fatigue, helping increase muscle mass since only certain groups are being worked on each workout,” Gallucci explains.

On that note, muscle growth is a notable perk of structuring your workouts this way. A 2021 study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research directly compared the results of a total-body strength routine to that of a split training program (in which participants did days dedicated to pushing, pulling, legs, and shoulders), and found that a split program was better at stimulating muscle growth, while the total body program was better at increasing maximal strength. (Note that the study was on trained men, so it’s unclear if this training might affect untrained people or other genders differently.)

Splitting up your workout this way also gives muscles the optimal amount of time to recover between workouts—which research shows is between 48 and 72 hours—since you’re not working the same ones every day. “Focusing on different muscle groups during different workouts can help reduce stress and strain on your body, which can help prevent injuries and create a more balanced body,” says Gallucci. This is key because overworking your muscles or denying them recovery time can slow muscle gains, he says.

Examples of Push Exercises

Here are some classic examples of push exercises from Katie and Gallucci. This is just scratching the surface—many quad, shoulder, chest, and triceps exercises also fall under the push umbrella.

Examples of Pull Exercises

Katie and Gallucci recommend the pull exercises below. Many exercises that target the back, biceps, hamstrings, and glutes also drill the pull movement.

Sample Push-Pull Workout Routine

The National Strength and Conditioning Association recommends that beginners to resistance training start with two or three strength training sessions per week. Intermediate exercises should do three strength sessions a week if using a total-body program or four days a week if using a split program. For advanced exercisers, the NSCA recommends four to six strength workouts per week. This is because “individuals who are already accustomed to resistance training can only maintain their strength gains and cannot increase strength levels with one or two days per week,” per the NSCA. 

Peloton offers several total body strength and split programs in the Peloton App.

Here’s what a sample push-pull workout routine might look like for a beginner. An intermediate exerciser might split their routine into an upper body push day, lower body push day, upper body pull day, and lower body pull day, with two days of rest, to hit four strength workouts per week. An advanced exerciser might do two push days, two pull days, and two leg days, with one day of rest.

How To Use Progressive Overload In a Push-Pull Routine

“Progressive overload training helps you to properly learn how to complete workouts and decreases risk of injury,” Gallucci says. It also ensures you keep challenging yourself at the proper level and stay consistent, increasing the chances you’ll see progress. When incorporating progressive overload training into a push-pull routine, Gallucci recommends following these steps:

Is a Push/Pull/Legs Split an Effective Workout Routine?

The push/pull/legs split is when you take one day to train push muscles, one day to train pull muscles, and one day to train legs, Katie explains. “It’s a common workout routine, and that's for a reason,” she says. “It's incredibly efficient and effective at targeting each specific muscle group.” Gallucci agrees, saying that this workout split allows you adequate time to focus and train different muscle groups. 

It also makes it easy to reach the American Heart Association’s recommendation of three resistance workouts per week while making sure you target your whole body and also give your muscles plenty of time to recover between each session. 

How to Determine If Push-Pull Workouts Are Right For You

The whole push-pull training concept may feel a bit intimidating, but Katie says this split is great for anyone, regardless of where they are in their fitness journey. “It's a relatively simple way to approach your workout routine so you don't struggle with exercise indecision,” she says. “You’re focused on one muscle group or movement pattern each day and can keep the workouts and exercises simple as you work your way up to more advanced movements or heavier weights.” 

As long as you adapt your training plan to ensure you’re challenged—whether you add reps and sets, up the weight, or increase your training frequency—you’re sure to build lifelong functional strength using push-pull workouts.

Ready to try total body strength or split strength workout programs? Download the Peloton App and get started today.