Push Pull Legs Workout Log: What to Write Each Day
By Twaka team ·
The short answer: give each day its own page, labelled Push, Pull or Legs. Write one line per exercise, like Bench press 3x8 @ 60kg. Before each session, look at the last time you did that same day, not yesterday. Push compares with last push, pull with last pull. That's the whole system.
What a push pull legs split is
A push pull legs split, or PPL, groups your training by movement:
- Push: pressing. Chest, shoulders and triceps work.
- Pull: pulling. Back and biceps work.
- Legs: squatting, hinging and lunging.
People usually run it 3 days a week, doing each day once, or 6 days a week, doing each day twice. Pick the one you can keep up week after week.
The one rule that makes a PPL log work
Compare like with like.
Your bench press on Thursday should be compared with your bench press on the last push day. Not with the pull day in between. It sounds obvious, but in a messy log it's easy to lose track.
That's why each day gets a clear label at the top. When you look back, you're scanning for "Push", not trying to work out what you did.
What to write on push day
Thu 8 Oct, Push
Bench press 3x8 @ 60kg
Overhead press 3x8 @ 40kg
Incline dumbbell press 3x10 @ 20kg each
Triceps pushdown 3x12 @ 25kg
Lateral raise 3x15 @ 8kg each
Write "each" for dumbbells so you know it's per hand. If the reps changed across sets, list them: Bench press 60kg: 8, 8, 6.
What to write on pull day
Fri 9 Oct, Pull
Deadlift 3x5 @ 120kg
Pull-ups 3x6 BW
Barbell row 3x8 @ 60kg
Face pulls 3x15, light cable
Dumbbell curl 3x10 @ 12kg each
For bodyweight moves, write BW. If you add weight, write it like Pull-ups 3x6 +10kg.
What to write on legs day
Sat 10 Oct, Legs
Squat 4x6 @ 100kg
Romanian deadlift 3x8 @ 80kg
Leg press 3x10 @ 160kg
Leg curl 3x12 @ 40kg
Standing calf raise 3x15 @ 60kg
Five lines. It's a full session and it still fits on one screen.
What to add, and what to skip
Keep the core five things: date and day label, exercise, sets x reps, kg, and a short note when something mattered. That's the same list from what to write in a gym diary.
Optional, if you like:
- Effort.
@8after a top set. See how to log RPE. - A short note. "Shoulder tight", "fast", "grip went".
Skip the stuff you'll never look at. Write between sets and get back to resting. See log between rest periods.
Running PPL twice a week
On a 6-day split, you'll have two push days, two pull days and two legs days. Some people run the same sessions twice. Others use an A and B version of each.
If you use A and B versions, label them: Push A, Push B. Then compare Push A with the last Push A. Same rule, just more specific.
Weekly volume on PPL
Because each day hits different lifts, a weekly total is a handy check. Add sets × reps × kg for every lift across the week. Or group them by day, so you can see how much push, pull and legs work you did. The method is in how to calculate weekly training volume.
Need a PPL plan to log?
If you don't have a program yet, our training plan generator has a 3-day push pull legs plan and a 6-day push pull legs plan. Pick the version, then log it with the rules above.
Logging PPL in Twaka
Twaka is a training log you write in plain English. It gives you one page a day, so each push, pull or legs session sits on its own page. Type a line like Bench press 3x8 @ 60kg and it reads the sets, reps and kg. When you start a lift, last time's sets show underneath. A calendar at the top lets you jump back to last push day. Your end-of-workout recap shows how each lift moved since last time.
Frequently asked questions
How do I track a push pull legs split?
Give each session a label: Push, Pull or Legs. Write one line per exercise with sets, reps and kg. Before each session, check the last time you did that same day.
How many days a week should I do PPL?
Common options are 3 days, doing each day once, or 6 days, doing each day twice. Pick the one you can keep doing week after week.
What exercises go on push, pull and legs days?
Push days are presses, like bench and overhead press. Pull days are rows, pull-ups and curls, and often deadlifts. Legs days are squats, lunges, Romanian deadlifts and calf work.
Should I compare push day with pull day?
No. Compare each day with the last time you did the same day. Bench with last bench, squat with last squat.
Is there a push pull legs template I can copy?
Yes. Use the three sample days above. Swap in your own exercises and weights, and keep the same format every week.
Keep each day on its own page
A PPL log works when every day is easy to find and easy to compare. Twaka is a plain-English training log for iPhone, now on the App Store. You need Twaka Pro to use it: US $49.99 a year or $7.99 a month, and local prices vary. New subscribers may get a 7-day free trial. Download Twaka on the App Store.
General training information, not medical advice.
Sources
- Twaka App Store listing (plain-English day log, one page a day, calendar jump, last time under a lift name, Pro prices and trial): https://apps.apple.com/app/twaka/id6805823954
- Twaka homepage (recap shows how each lift moved since last time): https://twaka.app
- Twaka training plan generator push pull legs plans (pending tools deploy): https://twaka.app/tools/training-plan/ppl-3-day and https://twaka.app/tools/training-plan/ppl-6-day
