The New Year is drawing closer and a lot of folks are going to be heading back to the gym.
And one gym chain that does an outstanding job marketing to the newbie crowd is none other than Planet Fitness.
Seriously, if you watch the NYC ball drop this New Year’s Eve, you’ll notice the crowd in Planet Fitness top hats and its logo plastered almost everywhere else in Time Square.
And I can appreciate that.
While some hardcore gym-goers view Planet Fitness as an atrocity – I see it for what it truly is.
A non-intimidating environment for beginners, an affordable gym for those who don’t have a large budget to work with, and a convenient place to work out being open 24/7.
However, there’s not a whole lot out there on how to get a good workout in with the equipment available at Planet Fitness.
In this series of Planet Fitness workouts, I have aimed to break that trend. If you’re just beginning your fitness journey, I’d recommend on starting with the following workouts and working your way through to this one:
- 3 Day Full Body Planet Fitness Workout
- 4 Day Upper/Lower Planet Fitness Workout
- 5 Day Body Part Split Planet Fitness Workout
The following program will be by far the most advanced of the series, so it’s important that you build your strength and muscular endurance up prior to using it.
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Push/Pull/Legs Planet Fitness Workout
The push/pull/legs (ppl) workout split is thought to be one of the most effective splits available for people to use. It provides a perfect balance between training volume and training frequency to help you push yourself each workout day – while giving you an adequate amount of time to rest and recover between workouts.
The following PPL split is one that you could perform with the equipment available at Planet Fitness to maximize your ability to make gains if that happens to be your gym of choice.
The main goal of this workout, and given the limited weight range at Planet Fitness, is to build muscle mass. Therefore, the rep ranges for each exercise will stick to the 8-15 range.
The weight selection for each exercise should be about 75-85% of your working max for that rep range. Understanding that many won’t know what their working max for an exercise is, the best rule of thumb is to finish each set feeling as though you have 1-2 more reps still left in the tank.
Rest periods for this workout should be limited to 30-90 seconds between sets and exercises. The sweet spot for most will be 45 seconds in between sets and 90 seconds between exercises.
Since Planet Fitness is known for having machines and dumbbells, this program will focus on utilizing exercises that incorporate those implements as well as bodyweight exercises.
Planet Fitness Push Workout A
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dumbbell Bench Press | 4 | 8-12 |
| 2. Incline Smith Machine Bench Press | 3 | 8-10 |
| 3. Dips | 3 | 10-15 |
| 4. Seated Arnold Press | 4 | 8-12 |
| 5. Lateral Raise | 3 | 10-15 |
| 6. Cable Overhead Tricep Extension | 4 | 12-15 |
Planet Fitness Pull Workout A
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dumbbell Row | 4 | 8-12 |
| 2. Seated Cable Row | 4 | 8-12 |
| 3. Pull Up | 3 | 8-12 |
| 4. Inverted Row | 3 | 8-12 |
| 5. Dumbbell Curl | 4 | 10-15 |
Planet Fitness Legs Workout A
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Leg Press | 4 | 8-10 |
| 2. Smith Machine Front Squat | 4 | 8-10 |
| 3. Dumbbell Stiff Leg Deadlift | 4 | 8-12 |
| 4. Lying Leg Curl | 3 | 8-12 |
| 5. Bodyweight Hip Thrust | 3 | 10-15 |
| 6. Standing Calf Raise | 4 | 15 |
Planet Fitness Push Workout B
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Standing Dumbbell Press | 4 | 8-12 |
| 2. Seated Lateral Raise | 3 | 10-15 |
| 3. Lateral Raise Machine | 3 | 12-15 |
| 4. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press | 4 | 8-12 |
| 5. Push Ups | 4 | 10-15 |
| 6. Lying Dumbbell Tricep Extensions | 4 | 12-15 |
Planet Fitness Pull Workout B
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lat Pull Down | 4 | 8-12 |
| 2. Cable Face Pull | 4 | 10-15 |
| 3. Smith Machine Row | 4 | 8-10 |
| 4. Straight Arm Lat Pull Down | 4 | 10-15 |
| 5. Cable Curl | 4 | 10-15 |
Planet Fitness Legs Workout B
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dumbbell Rear Lunge | 4 | 8-12 Each |
| 2. Goblet Squat | 4 | 8-15 |
| 3. Seated Leg Curl | 3 | 10-15 |
| 4. Dumbbell Deadlift | 3 | 8-12 |
| 5. Glute Hyperextension | 3 | 12-15 |
| 6. Leg Press Calf Press | 4 | 15 |
6 Day PPL Planet Fitness Workout Summary
This PPL was written with the equipment you’d find at Planet Fitness in mind.
It is comprised of 6 workout days. Two of which are push focused, another two which are pull focused, and 2 that are leg focused. This gives you an opportunity to perform a lot of volume during the week while optimizing your recovery time.
It is important to start off at your own speed. If you must cut some reps and sets, feel free to do so, and make progressing to the prescribed reps and sets your initial goal.
This program can be used even if you plan on working out less than 6 days per week. Simply rotate the workouts listed on the days you do make it to the gym.
The workout does have some obvious short comings. With the lack of barbell training, you’ll be limited in the total amount of weight you can move on any given weight training session. However, it’s still a sound workout and great starting point if you’re kick-starting your training journey at Planet Fitness.
Feel free to make substitutions and alterations to the program as needed to fit your individual goals and workout needs.
Both cardio and ab workouts can be added to this workout based on your individual goals and as your weekly schedule permits. Low-intensity cardio can be performed nearly every day of the week with no noticeable negative side effects when it comes to training – I would limit HIIT work while performing this workout.
If you have any questions about the workout not answered above, please feel free to leave me a comment and I’ll do my best to answer them.
