Dumbbell PPL: Free 6-Day Push Pull Legs Program

Dumbbell PPL is a six-day push, pull and legs (PPL) program in Kinoku for lifters who train with dumbbells and a bench. Each day type comes twice a week, so every muscle group gets two sessions, and the five main lifts climb through a rep range before the dumbbells get heavier. The template credits no author, and it shares its five main lifts with Kinoku’s Dumbbell Stopgap template.

The six-day week

Push falls on Monday and Thursday, pull on Tuesday and Friday, and legs on Wednesday and Saturday, so Sunday is the one rest day. Each session opens with its main lifts and then moves to lighter work at higher reps.

• Push opens with the dumbbell bench press and shoulder press for three sets of 8, then incline presses, lateral raises and overhead triceps extensions.
• Pull opens with the one-arm row for three sets of 8, then pullovers, reverse flys, biceps curls and hammer curls.
• Legs opens with the goblet squat and the dumbbell Romanian deadlift for three sets of 8, then lunges and standing calf raises.

How the main lifts move

Each main lift starts at three sets of 8, and every session where all three sets reach the target adds one rep to it at the same weight. Once a session reaches 12 reps on every set, the dumbbells go up 2 kg and the target resets to 8. Three missed sessions in a row take about 10 percent off that lift, rounded to a 2 kg step, and the target returns to 8.

Since each day type comes twice a week, every main lift gets two chances a week to move. Take a shoulder press with 10 kg dumbbells, where good sessions on Monday and Thursday lift the target from 8 to 10 reps by the next Monday. By the Monday of the third week the target is 12, and a good session that day brings 12 kg dumbbells for sets of 8 on Thursday.

When you start the template, you can enter a one-rep max for each main lift, and Kinoku plans the first weight at 65 percent of it, rounded to a 2 kg step. Leaving a field blank starts the lift at 7.5 kg a dumbbell, and the first increase takes it to 10 kg.

When a day gets skipped

Six sessions a week leave little slack, and the plan does not shift when you skip a day. A skipped session shows as missed on your calendar, the next one comes as planned, and your weights change only when you log a session. So a push day missed on Monday leaves the bench press and shoulder press where they were until the push day on Thursday.

A missed day also does not count as a missed session for the progression. Only a logged session where a set falls short of the target counts toward the three misses that take weight off a lift.

What Kinoku leaves to you

Kinoku sets weights only for the five main lifts. The other exercises keep fixed rep targets, such as three sets of 12 reverse flys, and the weights on them are your call. Your routines stay editable if you want to swap an accessory for one your dumbbells suit better.

Because the steps are a fixed 2 kg, a rack that goes up in 2.5 kg steps means choosing the nearest pair. Program settings offers a Smaller choice under Weight jumps, but it keeps this template’s 2 kg step.

Kinoku lists Dumbbell PPL for intermediate lifters, and a newer lifter with the same dumbbells could start with the three-day Dumbbell Stopgap. A lifter with a barbell could look at the six-day Reddit PPL, which uses the same push, pull and legs rhythm with barbell lifts.

Frequently asked questions

Is there an app that runs a dumbbell push pull legs plan?

Kinoku's Dumbbell PPL (push, pull, legs) is a free six-day template for a pair of dumbbells and a bench. Kinoku sets the weights for the five main lifts, which climb from 8 to 12 reps before the dumbbells go up 2 kg. The other moves keep fixed rep targets, but their weights are yours to pick. Kinoku lists it for intermediate lifters.

Can I run Dumbbell PPL with adjustable dumbbells?

Yes, as long as they adjust in small steps. Kinoku plans the main lifts in 2 kg steps per dumbbell, so with a different step size you pick the nearest weight your dumbbells allow.

How often does Dumbbell PPL train each muscle?

Each day type runs twice a week, so every muscle group gets two sessions. Push falls on Monday and Thursday, pull on Tuesday and Friday and legs on Wednesday and Saturday.

Which lifts does Kinoku set weights for?

Kinoku sets weights for five lifts: the dumbbell bench press, shoulder press, one-arm row, goblet squat and dumbbell Romanian deadlift. Every other exercise keeps a fixed rep target, and the weight on it is up to you.

Is Dumbbell PPL the same program as Reddit PPL?

No. Reddit PPL is a barbell program that a Reddit user named Metallicadpa posted to r/Fitness in 2015, while Dumbbell PPL is a layout of Kinoku's own for dumbbells and a bench. Both train push, pull and legs twice a week.