ULPPL Split: 5-Day Schedule, Sets, and Recovery
ULPPL stands for Upper, Lower, Push, Pull, Legs. It combines five sessions into a week with two rest days, usually giving each main region two planned exposures. It can suit an experienced lifter who prefers that schedule; recovery depends on workload, not simply having fewer days than six-day PPL.
This guide explains the weekly schedule, a complete exercise example, workload totals, rest-day choices and a practical way to track progression.
A common schedule is Upper Monday, Lower Tuesday, rest Wednesday, Push Thursday, Pull Friday, Legs Saturday and rest Sunday. Upper and Lower are regional sessions, not full-body days.
What the ULPPL Split Actually Is
ULPPL is a five-day weekly template that runs in this order:
Upper - chest, back, shoulders, biceps, triceps
Lower - quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves
Push - chest, shoulders, triceps
Pull - back, biceps, rear delts
Legs - quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves
The layout repeats pressing muscles on Upper and Push, pulling muscles on Upper and Pull, and legs on Lower and Legs. Indirect work adds overlap, so exercise selection and set totals still matter.
An earlier 2016 review favored twice-weekly training, while a larger 2019 frequency review found similar hypertrophy when weekly volume was matched. Use the two exposures to distribute your work; neither paper tests this exact ULPPL routine.
You can emphasize heavier compounds early in the week and more focused work later, but Upper and Lower are not automatically the hardest sessions. Choose the actual exercises and loads around your priorities.
ULPPL vs PPLUL: Does the Order Matter?
ULPPL and PPLUL put the upper/lower block and push/pull/legs block in a different order. They have the same planned regional frequency only when run with comparable exercises and scheduling; volume comes from your sets, not the acronym.
Neither ordering has an established universal advantage. Compare where you need rest and where you want your priority lifts. Our guide to Jeff Nippard split options discusses related layouts; this sample is an editorial example, not his paid program or an endorsement.
Keep the Wednesday and Sunday rest days in the example, or shift the entire week to fit your schedule. If moving individual sessions, check for consecutive heavy work on the same muscles.
How to Structure Each Training Day
This is an illustrative intermediate template. The sets below exclude warm-ups. For the full example, use roughly 2–3 reps in reserve at first and rest about 2–3 minutes on demanding compounds, 1–2 minutes on smaller exercises, or longer as needed. Reduce accessory sets if this exceeds your recent training.
Upper Day
Bench press: 3 × 6–10
Chest-supported row: 3 × 6–10
Overhead press: 2 × 8–12
Lat pulldown or pull-up: 3 × 8–12
Incline dumbbell press: 2 × 8–12
Biceps curl: 2 × 10–15
Triceps pushdown: 2 × 10–15
Lower Day
Back squat: 3 × 6–10
Romanian deadlift: 3 × 8–10
Leg press or hack squat: 2 × 10–15
Leg curl: 2 × 10–15
Standing calf raise: 3 × 10–15
Push Day
Incline press: 3 × 8–12
Seated dumbbell shoulder press: 2 × 8–12
Cable or machine chest fly: 2 × 10–15
Lateral raise: 3 × 12–20
Overhead triceps extension: 2 × 10–15
Pull Day
Chest-supported row: 3 × 8–12
Lat pulldown: 3 × 8–12
Face pull or rear-delt fly: 2 × 12–20
Hammer curl: 2 × 10–15
Incline dumbbell curl: 2 × 10–15
Legs Day
Front squat or hack squat: 3 × 8–12
Hip thrust: 2 × 8–12
Walking lunge or split squat: 2 × 8–12 per leg
Seated leg curl: 2 × 10–15
Seated calf raise: 3 × 10–20
This example totals 10 direct chest sets, 12 main back-pulling sets, 10 quad-focused sets and 7 direct hamstring sets from hinges and curls. Counts depend on how you classify indirect work; arms and shoulders also assist during compounds. These are starting examples rather than a required range or growth threshold. See the PPL split guide for the underlying session categories.
Managing Volume and Avoiding Overlap
The most common ULPPL mistake is letting the Upper day and the Push/Pull days secretly double up so a muscle ends up with far more volume than you planned. Because chest is hit on both Upper and Push, and back is hit on both Upper and Pull, you have to count sets across the whole week rather than per session.
Keep the total in view when adding sets. For example, another two chest-fly sets would take the example’s direct chest work from 10 to 12; it would not be a free addition simply because it appears on a different day.
The Friday Pull session omits heavy deadlifts because Saturday already trains the legs. If deadlifts are a priority, place them in a lower-body session and reduce overlapping hinge work rather than adding them on top.
Who Should Run ULPPL (and Who Should Not)
ULPPL is an intermediate-to-advanced template. It assumes you can already perform the main barbell lifts with solid technique, you can commit to five sessions most weeks, and you recover well enough to train back-to-back days.
It is a strong fit if:
You know the main movements and can recover from the actual workload.
You can consistently train five times most weeks.
You prefer two regional sessions plus three more focused sessions.
It is probably the wrong call if:
You are still learning the basic lifts and need a simpler schedule.
You can reliably train only three or four days.
Your current training and life demands leave insufficient recovery.
If you miss a session, continue the rotation when you next train rather than always skipping Legs. If five sessions rarely fit, choose a three- or four-day structure that covers the whole body.
Driving Progressive Overload Across the Week
The split organizes your training; the exercises, effort and recoverable workload supply the stimulus. Double progression is one practical way to adjust that stimulus as you improve: choose a rep range, work toward its upper end at a consistent effort, then try a small load increase when you can repeat the target.
Compare the same exercise and setup at similar effort. In a 3 × 6–10 exercise, 10, 9 and 8 reps suggests repeating the load; 10, 10 and 10 controlled reps can justify a small increase. Progress is not required every session.
How to Apply This in Setgraph
Use the five session names to keep your plan and completed work organized. A log helps inform decisions; it does not decide when you are recovered or ready to add load.
Create a workout list for each session and record the exercises you choose. Keep the exercise name, equipment and setup consistent when comparing history. The Workout Planner overview explains Setgraph’s workout organization.
Record each completed set’s load and reps, then review comparable previous sets. For the example above, enter the actual 10, 9 and 8 reps rather than treating one prefilled row as a record of the whole workout. Choose any next-session increase yourself.
Review your workout history and count weekly work by muscle, including overlapping exercises. Charts describe recorded performance; an upward volume-load line is not proof of muscle growth or adequate recovery.
Keep the routine repeatable, adjust from the record, and allow normal fluctuations in performance.
FAQ
Q: What does ULPPL stand for?
Upper, Lower, Push, Pull, Legs. It is the five-day order most lifters mean when they search "ULPPL split."
Q: Is ULPPL better than PPL?
Not automatically. ULPPL provides five sessions and usually two exposures per main region. Three-day PPL gives one dedicated session per region; six-day PPL gives two. Compare workload, time and recovery rather than assuming ULPPL produces faster growth.
Q: ULPPL vs PPLUL - which should I pick?
Choose the order that puts rest where you need it and priority sessions where you can perform them well. The two layouts need comparable exercises and sets to have comparable workload; the names alone do not ensure equal volume.
Q: How many sets per muscle should I do on a ULPPL split?
The sample has 10 direct chest sets, 12 main back-pulling sets, 10 quad-focused sets and 7 direct hamstring sets per week. Count indirect work separately and adjust from your recent training and recovery rather than forcing every muscle into a 10–20-set band.
Q: Can beginners run ULPPL?
It is usually more complexity than a new lifter needs. A simpler full-body or upper/lower schedule can provide practice with fewer sessions. Choose from experience, available time and recovery rather than treating five days as a required next step.
Q: What if I miss a day on ULPPL?
Continue the rotation from where you left off and keep suitable rest between demanding sessions. Do not cram two sessions into one or repeatedly discard the same session to fit a calendar.
ULPPL versus a six-day PPL week
Five-session ULPPL leaves two days off in a seven-day week; six-session PPL leaves one. Neither schedule automatically contains more weekly sets. Choose the layout that lets you complete useful work with enough recovery, and reduce the work if performance or symptoms suggest a problem.
For the reverse order, see the PPLUL guide. For three- and six-session options, see the PPL guide.
Ready to organize your chosen split? Use Setgraph to record the work you actually complete and review comparable sessions.
