Metallicadpa PPL
By u/Metallicadpa · From Original Source
The Reddit PPL, written by u/Metallicadpa as a beginner program. Six days of Pull / Push / Legs, and every day opens with a heavy barbell lift you add weight to each session. Deadlift 1×5+ and barbell rows 4×5 + 1×5+ take turns on pull days. Bench and OHP 4×5 + 1×5+ take turns on push days. Squat is 2×5 + 1×5+ on legs. Bodybuilding accessories in the 8-12 range follow, with the triceps work supersetted with lateral raises.
Free to use · auto progression, rest timers & PR tracking built in
What is Metallicadpa PPL?
Metallicadpa's PPL is the Reddit push pull legs program, posted to r/Fitness in 2015 as "A Linear Progression Based PPL Program for Beginners". It runs six days a week in the order the author preferred: pull, push, legs, twice through, then a rest day. Every day opens with a heavy barbell lift that you add weight to each session. Deadlifts (one 5+ set) and bent-over rows (4×5, 1×5+) take turns on pull days, bench press and overhead press (4×5, 1×5+) take turns on push days, and squats anchor both leg days at 2×5 and a 5+ set.
After the main lift comes the bodybuilding work: pulldowns, cable rows, RDLs, leg press and leg curls at 3×8–12, face pulls at 5×15–20, four sets each of hammer and dumbbell curls, five sets of calf raises, and the triceps work supersetted with lateral raises on push days.
Is Metallicadpa PPL right for you?
The author wrote it for beginners who want to train more often than a three-day full-body plan allows and still give the arms and shoulders some attention, without giving up linear progression on the big lifts. The real requirement is time: six gym days a week, every week. If you can only train three or four days, a full-body program will serve you better than a cut-down version of this one, because hitting every muscle twice a week is the point of the design.
How progression works
The main lifts add 2.5 kg every session on bench, overhead press, rows and squats, and 5 kg on deadlifts, with the AMRAP set showing how much room is left. Fail a lift three sessions in a row and it drops 10% so you can build back up, as the post says. The accessories use double progression: hit the top of the 8–12 (or 15–20) range on every set, then add 2.5 kg and start again at the bottom. The post says to lower an accessory if it falls below 8 reps without giving an amount, so Durata takes 10% off after two missed sessions.
To pick your starting weights, the author suggests working up from the empty bar in sets of 5 until the bar slows down, then taking off 2.5 kg. If you worked up to 60 kg on the bench before it slowed, start at 57.5 kg.
Durata runs this progression for you — there are no percentages to work out, so each session's target carries over from what you logged last time and the weight moves when you hit or miss the prescribed reps.
Metallicadpa PPL — every set, every session
AMRAP = as many reps as possible on the final set.
Pull A — Deadlift Primary
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Deadlift (Barbell) | 1×5++ AMRAP | — |
| Lat Pulldown (Cable) | 3×8–12 | — |
| Seated Cable Row - V Grip (Cable) | 3×8–12 | — |
| Face Pull | 5×15–20 | — |
| Hammer Curl (Dumbbell) | 4×8–12 | — |
| Bicep Curl (Dumbbell) | 4×8–12 | — |
Push A — Bench Primary
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 4×5 1×5++ AMRAP | — |
| Overhead Press (Barbell) | 3×8–12 | — |
| Incline Bench Press (Dumbbell) | 3×8–12 | — |
| Triceps Pushdownsuperset A | 3×8–12 | — |
| Lateral Raise (Dumbbell)superset A | 3×15–20 | — |
| Triceps Extension (Dumbbell)superset B | 3×8–12 | — |
| Lateral Raise (Dumbbell)superset B | 3×15–20 | — |
Legs A
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Squat (Barbell) | 2×5 1×5++ AMRAP | — |
| Romanian Deadlift (Barbell) | 3×8–12 | — |
| Leg Press (Machine) | 3×8–12 | — |
| Lying Leg Curl (Machine) | 3×8–12 | — |
| Standing Calf Raise | 5×8–12 | — |
Pull B — Rows Primary
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Bent Over Row (Barbell) | 4×5 1×5++ AMRAP | — |
| Lat Pulldown (Cable) | 3×8–12 | — |
| Seated Cable Row - V Grip (Cable) | 3×8–12 | — |
| Face Pull | 5×15–20 | — |
| Hammer Curl (Dumbbell) | 4×8–12 | — |
| Bicep Curl (Dumbbell) | 4×8–12 | — |
Push B — OHP Primary
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Overhead Press (Barbell) | 4×5 1×5++ AMRAP | — |
| Bench Press (Barbell) | 3×8–12 | — |
| Incline Bench Press (Dumbbell) | 3×8–12 | — |
| Triceps Pushdownsuperset A | 3×8–12 | — |
| Lateral Raise (Dumbbell)superset A | 3×15–20 | — |
| Triceps Extension (Dumbbell)superset B | 3×8–12 | — |
| Lateral Raise (Dumbbell)superset B | 3×15–20 | — |
Legs B
| Exercise | Sets × Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Squat (Barbell) | 2×5 1×5++ AMRAP | — |
| Romanian Deadlift (Barbell) | 3×8–12 | — |
| Leg Press (Machine) | 3×8–12 | — |
| Lying Leg Curl (Machine) | 3×8–12 | — |
| Standing Calf Raise | 5×8–12 | — |
Metallicadpa PPL — common questions
Is this a beginner program?
Yes. The author calls it "a beginner routine, for beginners", built on linear progression, which only works while you can still add weight every session. The demanding part is the schedule: six sessions a week with plenty of accessory volume.
Can I do pull-ups instead of pulldowns?
Yes. The post lists pulldowns, pull-ups or chin-ups for the 3×8–12 after the main pull. Durata loads lat pulldowns; swap in pull-ups or chin-ups in the workout if you prefer.
What can I swap if my gym doesn't have something?
Everything except the five main lifts (squat, bench, deadlift, overhead press, bent-over row) can be swapped. The author's suggestions: dumbbell or T-bar rows for seated cable rows, rear delt flyes and band pull-aparts together for face pulls, any curl for the curls, landmine press for incline dumbbell press, any triceps exercise for the pushdowns and extensions, front squats for leg press, glute ham raises for leg curls, and any calf raise for the calf raises.
Should I add ab work?
It's optional. The author suggests a few sets on deadlift and squat days if you want them: weighted planks, ab wheel or hanging leg raises. Nothing major.
How long does each workout take?
About 50–70 minutes. Push days carry the most sets, but the triceps and lateral-raise supersets keep them moving. Pull days go quickly once the deadlift or row sets are done.
What happens if I miss a day?
Carry on from wherever you stopped. The order matters more than the calendar, and progression is tied to sessions, not dates.
Where do I go after this PPL?
Once the main lifts keep stalling and resetting, the 5/3/1 version of this PPL in Durata's catalog keeps the same days and accessories and moves the main lifts to a training-max wave.
Is there an app that runs Metallicadpa PPL for you?
Yes. Durata runs Metallicadpa PPL as written, free: the 6-day-a-week schedule, every set and rep, and the progression built in. Log your sets and the next session's weights are worked out for you, with the stalls and deloads the program calls for; a tap on any lift shows why the weight moved. It is on iPhone and Android, works offline, and your history from Hevy or Strong imports free.
Source: Metallicadpa — Reddit /r/Fitness
Durata is not affiliated with or endorsed by the program's author. The program structure (sets, reps, exercise selection) is presented as published methodology.
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