You’re tired. Your shoulders feel like they’re being poked with hot needles every time you try to bench press, and your progress has hit a wall so thick you’d need a sledgehammer to get through it. This is usually when people start googling a push pull exercises list. They want a change. But honestly, most of the lists you find online are just a random collection of movements thrown together without any respect for how the human body actually functions.
The "Push/Pull/Legs" (PPL) framework is legendary for a reason. It works. It’s been used by everyone from old-school bodybuilders like Bill Pearl to modern-day fitness icons. The logic is simple: you group muscles that work together. On push days, you hit the chest, shoulders, and triceps. On pull days, you target the back, biceps, and rear delts. Then you do legs. It’s elegant. But the magic isn't in the split itself—it's in the specific selection of movements. If you pick the wrong ones, you end up with massive muscular imbalances that ruin your posture and eventually lead to injury.
What a Real Push Pull Exercises List Looks Like
Let's get into the weeds. If you're building a routine, you can't just pick five chest exercises and call it a "push day." You need balance.
On the push side, you’re looking at movements where you’re moving weight away from your torso. The heavy hitters are the barbell bench press and the overhead press. These are your foundational movements. But you also need to think about the "accessory" stuff. Think dips. Dips are basically the "squat of the upper body," according to many old-school coaches. They torch the triceps and the lower chest. Then you have your lateral raises for those shoulder caps.
Now, the pull side. This is where people get lazy. A solid push pull exercises list for the pull day must prioritize the back. We’re talking weighted chin-ups, barbell rows, and the often-neglected face pull. If you aren't doing face pulls, you’re asking for shoulder impingement. Seriously. Your rear delts and external rotators are the only things keeping your shoulders from rolling forward like a caveman's.
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The Push Movements
- Barbell Bench Press: The king of chest development. Keep your feet planted.
- Overhead Press (OHP): This builds those "boulder shoulders." Do them standing to engage your core.
- Incline Dumbbell Press: Because a flat chest looks weird. You need that upper pec development.
- Triceps Pushdowns: Use a rope attachment. It allows for a better range of motion at the bottom.
- Dumbbell Lateral Raises: Keep your pinkies up slightly. It hits the medial head better.
The Pull Movements
- Deadlifts: Some people put these on leg day. They're wrong. It’s the ultimate posterior chain pull.
- Bent-Over Barbell Rows: Use an overhand grip for more lat thickness.
- Pull-Ups or Chin-Ups: If you can’t do ten, use a band. Don't ego lift.
- Dumbbell Curls: Simple. Effective. Keep your elbows pinned to your sides.
- Face Pulls: High reps, light weight. Focus on the squeeze at the back.
The Science of Recovery and Frequency
Why do we even use a push pull exercises list instead of a traditional "bro split" where you hit one muscle group a day? It’s all about protein synthesis. Research, including a well-known meta-analysis by Dr. Brad Schoenfeld, suggests that hitting a muscle group twice a week is superior for hypertrophy compared to just once.
When you use a PPL split, you’re usually training six days a week (Push, Pull, Legs, Push, Pull, Legs, Rest). This means every muscle gets hit every 3 to 4 days. It's intense. If you’re a natural lifter, you need that frequent stimulus to keep the muscle-building machinery turned on. But here's the catch: you can't go 100% balls-to-the-wall every single session. You’ll burn out your central nervous system (CNS).
Smart lifters use "heavy" and "light" days. On your first "Push" day of the week, maybe you go for a 5x5 on the bench press. On your second "Push" day, you switch to dumbbells for sets of 12. This variation keeps you from hitting a plateau and saves your joints from the repetitive stress of maximum loads.
Common Mistakes That Kill Your Gains
Most people treat their push pull exercises list like a grocery list. They just check the boxes.
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One of the biggest sins is neglecting the "pull to push" ratio. Because we live in a world where we’re constantly hunched over laptops and phones, our "push" muscles (chests and front delts) are usually tight and overactive. Our "pull" muscles (upper back) are weak and overstretched. If your workout has 10 sets of chest work and only 5 sets of back work, you’re making the problem worse. You should actually be pulling more than you push. A 2:1 ratio is a good rule of thumb for anyone with desk-job posture.
Another mistake? Ignoring the legs. I know, the keyword is "push pull," and usually, that refers to the upper body, but the "Legs" part of the PPL triad is where the real hormonal response happens. Squats and lunges are "push" movements for the lower body, while Romanian deadlifts and leg curls are "pulls." Don't be that guy with a massive upper body and bird legs. It’s not a good look.
Nuance in Exercise Selection
Let's talk about the "vertical vs. horizontal" debate.
A well-rounded push pull exercises list must include both vertical and horizontal movements for both days.
On push day, the bench press is your horizontal push, and the overhead press is your vertical push.
On pull day, the row is your horizontal pull, and the pull-up is your vertical pull.
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If you only do lat pulldowns (vertical) and never do rows (horizontal), your back will look wide but paper-thin. You need the rows to get that "3D" look. Similarly, if you only bench press and never overhead press, your front delts will be huge, but your overall shoulder stability will be garbage.
Real-World Example: The "Push" Plateau
Imagine a lifter named Mike. Mike has been stuck at a 225-lb bench press for six months. He’s doing the same push pull exercises list every week. To break the plateau, Mike needs to realize that his triceps are the weak link. By swapping out one of his chest fly movements for heavy close-grip bench presses or weighted dips, he strengthens the lockout portion of his bench. Within three weeks, he’s hitting 235. That’s the power of intentional exercise selection.
Adjusting for Your Experience Level
If you're a beginner, keep it simple. You don't need 15 different variations of a bicep curl. Stick to the big compound lifts. They give you the most "bang for your buck."
For advanced lifters, you need more volume and more specificity. This is where "intensifiers" come in. Drop sets, rest-pause sets, and negatives can be integrated into your push pull exercises list to force the muscle to adapt. But again, don't overdo it. Recovery is where the muscle actually grows. You don't get bigger in the gym; you get bigger in your sleep.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Workout
Stop overcomplicating things. If you want to see results, you need a plan that you can actually stick to for more than two weeks.
- Audit your current routine. Count how many "push" sets you do versus "pull" sets. If it’s not at least 1:1, add more rowing.
- Pick your "Big Rocks." Choose one heavy compound lift for each session (Bench, OHP, Row, Pull-up). Do these first when your energy is highest.
- Track your numbers. If you aren't writing down your weights and reps, you aren't training; you're just exercising. There's a difference.
- Prioritize the Rear Delts. Add 3 sets of face pulls or rear delt flies to the end of every "Pull" day. Your rotator cuffs will thank you in five years.
- Adjust frequency based on life. If you can only get to the gym three times a week, don't try a 6-day PPL split. Do a Full Body split instead. Consistency beats intensity every single time.
Success in the gym isn't about finding a "secret" exercise. It's about taking a standard push pull exercises list, executing the movements with perfect form, and slowly adding weight over months and years. It's boring, it's hard, and it's the only way it works. Focus on the basics, eat enough protein, and get out of your own way.