Basement Bodybuilding: PPLPP Program
5 day Push Pull Legs Push Pull (PPLPL) program from youtube educator Basement Bodybuilding
Overview
Basement Bodybuilding is a natural bodybuilding educator on YouTube with over 20K subscribers. This channel exists to challenge the consensus of bodybuilding methods, while establishing a better fundamental philosophy of training for natural bodybuilding.
This is Basement Bodybuilding's Premium 5-day per week Push Pull Legs Push Pull (PPLPL) program designed for novice and intermediate lifters looking to refine their skills and build an aesthetic physique.
Let's take a deeper look at the Basement Bodybuilding 5 day a week Push Pull Legs Push Pull workout routine.
How to progress: The method we’re using is a variation of dynamic double progression. Instead of a standard double progression where we wait for all sets to meet the rep target to increase weight, we will be adding weight to all sets once your first set reaches OR surpasses the top end of the rep range. There will be a drop-off in reps from set to set in most cases, which is normal, and a byproduct of training hard.
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Find Basement Bodybuilding's FREE 4-Day Upper Lower program on Boostcamp.
For 1-on-1 online coaching inquries: [email protected]
Who it's for
Reviews
Order of exercises is peak. Good frequency and volume for upper body and plenty of recovery for legs
New to 5 day a week training. Good switch from a 4 day upper lower split. Always top shelf programs from Basement Bodybullding.
If you have lagging arms or have decided to prioritize your arm development, look no further than this program. My arms, particularly my triceps, blew up during my time with this program. The smith JM press and preacher curl are a fantastic 1-2 punch to get your arms growing. My advice: take every component of the program just as seriously effort wise. Put just as much effort into your Bayesian curls as you do for your smith bench. Actually do the tricep push downs seated instead of standing, the difference is noticeable and worth it. Get over the feelings of awkwardness of dragging a bench over to the cable station and just do it. The seated tricep push down feels noticeably better once you are pushing 60% plus of your body weight. I added some abs and some forearm isolation work. Added cable laterals for some extra variation, highly recommend.
Professional program hopper here. I have never done a program longer than a month. I should be an intermediate lifter, but I can’t help but shake the feeling that I’m a beginner. Yeah I bench 300lbs, but before I discovered this guys videos I have never cared about form. I’ve been lifting like a highschooler in weightlifting class for years. Mostly a waste of time. This program has really made me slow things down, and focus on form, control, and effort. Hated this style of training at first. I love this program now that I’m finishing up, I think I’ll hop on another lower volume maximum effort program like this in the future. 1. If you are a newer lifter/you don’t track, the first few weeks might be a pain in the rear. It took me a little while to find all the weights that I needed to be lifting for the rep ranges the program asked for. 2. I got beef with the leg day. I get that it’s not a focus of this program, but I do not think my quads benefited from this program at all. My hams were destroyed ever week tho, I have noticeable gains in the hamstring region. I also dislike how the Pen squat is in the middle of the day, some days my lower back is absolutely trashed before I made it to the squats. Maybe that’s just me. Somehow every lift ends being an around hour an hour everytime. I did this program on a bulk, great results. Steady PRs I managed to do this program working 12 hour night shifts, it was not easy, and I had to do a lot of adjusting to my schedule to fit workouts in, but it is possible.
Muscle engagement
| # | Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bench Press (Smith Machine) | 1 | 5–6 reps |
| 1 | 7–8 reps | ||
| 2 | Incline Bench Press (Smith Machine) | 1 | 5–6 reps |
| 1 | 7–10 reps | ||
| 3 | Pec Deck (Machine) | 1 | 6–8 reps |
| 1 | 8–12 reps | ||
| 4 | AD Press (Smith Machine) | 1 | 5–6 reps |
| 1 | 7–10 reps | ||
| 5 | Lateral Raise (Dumbbell) | 2 | 8–12 reps |
| 6 | Preacher Curl (EZ Bar) | 2 | 5–7 reps |
| 7 | Bayesian Curl | 1 | 7–10 reps |
| 8 | Bicep Curl (Cable) | 1 | 7–10 reps |
| 1 | 10–15 reps |
| # | Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lat Pulldown (Neutral Grip) | 1 | 6–8 reps |
| 1 | 8–12 reps | ||
| 2 | T-Bar Row | 1 | 7–10 reps |
| 1 | 10–15 reps | ||
| 3 | Lat Pulldown | 1 | 7–10 reps |
| 1 | 12–18 reps | ||
| 4 | Reverse Pec Deck | 1 | 6–8 reps |
| 1 | 10–15 reps | ||
| 5 | JM Press (Smith Machine) | 2 | 7–10 reps |
| 6 | Seated Overhead Extension (EZ Bar) | 1 | 7–10 reps |
| 7 | Incline Pushdown (Cable) | 1 | 7–10 reps |
| 1 | 10–15 reps |
| # | Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rack Pull (Barbell) | 1 | 4–6 reps |
| 1 | 7–10 reps | ||
| 2 | Romanian Deadlift (Barbell) | 1 | 5–7 reps |
| 1 | 7–9 reps | ||
| 3 | Seated Hamstring Curl | 1 | 8–12 reps |
| 4 | Pendulum Squat | 1 | 5–6 reps |
| 1 | 7–8 reps | ||
| 5 | Leg Extension | 1 | 8–12 reps |
| 6 | Standing Calf Raise | 1 | 6–8 reps |
| 1 | 8–12 reps |
| # | Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Close Grip Bench Press (Smith Machine) | 1 | 6–7 reps |
| 1 | 8–10 reps | ||
| 2 | Incline Chest Press (Machine) | 1 | 6–8 reps |
| 1 | 8–12 reps | ||
| 3 | Pec Deck (Machine) | 1 | 6–8 reps |
| 1 | 8–12 reps | ||
| 4 | Behind-The-Neck Press (Smith Machine) | 1 | 5–7 reps |
| 1 | 8–10 reps | ||
| 5 | Lying Side Lateral Raise | 2 | 8–12 reps |
| 6 | Preacher Curl (EZ Bar) | 1 | 5–6 reps |
| 1 | 7–10 reps | ||
| 7 | Incline Curl (Dumbbell) | 1 | 7–10 reps |
| 8 | Bicep Curl (Cable) | 2 | 8–12 reps |
| # | Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Underhand Lat Pulldown | 1 | 7–9 reps |
| 1 | 10–12 reps | ||
| 2 | T-Bar Row | 1 | 7–10 reps |
| 1 | 10–12 reps | ||
| 3 | Power Shrug | 2 | 8–12 reps |
| 4 | Reverse Pec Deck | 1 | 7–10 reps |
| 1 | 10–15 reps | ||
| 5 | JM Press (Smith Machine) | 1 | 6–8 reps |
| 1 | 8–12 reps | ||
| 6 | Seated Overhead Extension (EZ Bar) | 1 | 7–10 reps |
| 1 | 10–15 reps | ||
| 7 | Incline Pushdown (Cable) | 1 | 6–8 reps |
Weeks 2–12 are in the app
Purchase the full program inside the Boostcamp app to unlock all weeks with auto-progression and coaching notes.
The coach
Basement Bodybuilding is a YouTube bodybuilding educator who challenges the consensus of bodybuilding methods, while establishing a better fundamental philosophy of training for natural bodybuilding.
For coaching applications/inquiries:
Common questions
Basement Bodybuilding: PPLPP Program is a paid program available inside the Boostcamp app. You can browse the full week 1 schedule here for free, then purchase inside the app to unlock all 12 weeks with auto-progression and coaching notes included.
This program is built around a full gym. Make sure you have consistent access before starting, since the progression model assumes you can perform the same movements week over week. If you're missing something, the Boostcamp app includes substitution suggestions inside each workout.
Each session typically takes around 60 minutes to complete. That estimate covers your working sets but doesn't account for warm-up or rest between sets, so budget a little extra time when you're first learning the movements. As you get familiar with the program, sessions tend to move faster.
Basement Bodybuilding: PPLPP Program is structured around 5 training days per week, with rest days built in to allow for recovery. Consistent rest is as important as the training itself. Skipping rest days can stall your progress. The app lets you reschedule sessions if your week doesn't go to plan.
The program runs for 12 weeks. The structure is designed so that each week builds on the last, with weights, volume, or intensity progressively increasing as you go. Many athletes choose to repeat the program after finishing, either at a higher starting weight or with a different variation.
Basement Bodybuilding: PPLPP Program is available inside the Boostcamp app, free on iOS and Android. Once you download the app, you can search for the program by name or find it on the coach's profile. The app tracks all your sets and weights automatically, so you always know exactly what to do next session.
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