The PHUL workout: the full 4-day power-hypertrophy split
PHUL stands for Power Hypertrophy Upper Lower — a 4-day split from Brandon Campbell that trains each muscle twice a week: once heavy for strength, once with volume for size. It's built for intermediates, roughly the 6-to-18-month range, where you've outgrown a novice linear program but aren't chasing a specialist routine yet.
The appeal is that it doesn't make you choose between getting stronger and getting bigger. Two power days build the main lifts, two hypertrophy days chase the pump, and the twice-weekly frequency is what actually drives growth. The routine is the whole point, so here it is in full.
The weekly schedule
Four training days, three rest days. Power early in the week while you're fresh, hypertrophy later.
| Day | Session |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Upper Power |
| Day 2 | Lower Power |
| Day 3 | Rest |
| Day 4 | Upper Hypertrophy |
| Day 5 | Lower Hypertrophy |
| Days 6–7 | Rest |
Rest about 90 seconds between sets. On the power days you're working a low rep range, but you're not grinding — leave a rep in the tank and don't train to failure. That's the bit people get wrong: power days are about moving a heavy bar cleanly, not turning a triple into a max-out.
Upper Power
Heavy pressing and pulling in the 3–5 range, then a little arm work to finish.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell Bench Press | 3–4 | 3–5 |
| Incline Dumbbell Bench Press | 3–4 | 6–10 |
| Bent Over Row | 3–4 | 3–5 |
| Lat Pulldown | 3–4 | 6–10 |
| Overhead Press | 2–3 | 5–8 |
| Barbell Curl | 2–3 | 6–10 |
| Skullcrusher | 2–3 | 6–10 |
Lower Power
The two big barbell lifts up top, then quads, hamstrings and calves.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Squat | 3–4 | 3–5 |
| Deadlift | 3–4 | 3–5 |
| Leg Press | 3–5 | 10–15 |
| Leg Curl | 3–4 | 6–10 |
| Calf Raise | 4 | 6–10 |
Upper Hypertrophy
Same muscles as Day 1, but everything sits in the 8–12 range with more isolation work. This is the volume day.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Incline Barbell Bench Press | 3–4 | 8–12 |
| Flat Bench Dumbbell Flye | 3–4 | 8–12 |
| Seated Cable Row | 3–4 | 8–12 |
| One Arm Dumbbell Row | 3–4 | 8–12 |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 3–4 | 8–12 |
| Seated Incline Dumbbell Curl | 3–4 | 8–12 |
| Cable Tricep Extension | 3–4 | 8–12 |
Lower Hypertrophy
Front squats and lunges instead of the heavy back squat and deadlift, plus machine work to chase the legs.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Front Squat | 3–4 | 8–12 |
| Barbell Lunge | 3–4 | 8–12 per leg |
| Leg Extension | 3–4 | 10–15 |
| Leg Curl | 3–4 | 10–15 |
| Seated Calf Raise | 3–4 | 8–12 |
| Calf Press | 3–4 | 8–12 |
How to progress
PHUL has no built-in percentages — you pick the weights and push them over time. The cleanest rule is the 2-for-2 rule: when you beat the top of a prescribed rep range by two reps for two sessions running, add weight. Roughly 1–2 kg (2.5–5 lb) on upper-body lifts and 2–4 kg (5–10 lb) on lower-body lifts.
Give it time. Run the program for at least 12 weeks before you judge it — intermediate progress is slower than the every-session gains you got as a beginner, and the point is the steady climb.
For the power days, set your starting loads off a recent hard set rather than guessing. If you don't have a tested max, you don't need one — estimate it from a set you've already done and work back from there.
PHUL vs PHAT
They sound alike and the goal is similar, but they're not the same commitment. PHAT — Power Hypertrophy Adaptive Training, from Dr. Layne Norton — runs 5 to 6 days a week with more volume and is aimed at more advanced lifters. PHUL does the same power-plus-hypertrophy idea in 4 days.
If your time or recovery is limited — and for most intermediates it is — PHUL is the cleaner pick. PHAT is what you graduate to when four days no longer feels like enough.
Common questions
Is PHUL good for building muscle?
Yes — two dedicated hypertrophy days plus the volume on your power days mean every muscle gets trained twice a week, and twice-weekly frequency beats hitting a muscle once a week for size.
Does PHUL include ab work?
Not in the base program. Add direct core work — hanging leg raises or cable crunches — on a lower day or a rest day if you want it.
Can you run PHUL on a cut?
Yes. The heavy work preserves strength and muscle in a deficit; just keep cardio light so it doesn't eat into your recovery.
Can you swap exercises in PHUL?
Keep the main compounds as written — that's where the program's strength work lives. Accessories can be swapped for equivalents based on the equipment you have.
Ready to load the bar? Run a recent set through the 1RM calculator to set sensible starting weights for your power days, then let the 2-for-2 rule do the rest.