PHUL — Power Hypertrophy Upper Lower
Developed by Dr. Layne Norton. Combines low-rep strength work (power days) with high-rep hypertrophy work across a four-day upper/lower split, targeting both neural adaptations and metabolic hypertrophy simultaneously.
Weekly Schedule
| Day | Session | Rep Range | Focus |
|---|
| Monday | Upper Power | 3–5 | Strength / neural |
| Tuesday | Lower Power | 3–5 | Strength / neural |
| Wednesday | Rest | — | — |
| Thursday | Upper Hypertrophy | 8–12 | Volume / metabolic |
| Friday | Lower Hypertrophy | 8–15 | Volume / metabolic |
| Sat/Sun | Rest | — | — |
Day 1 — Upper Power
| Exercise | Sets × Reps |
|---|
| Bench Press | 3-4 × 3-5 |
| Incline Dumbbell Press | 3-4 × 6-10 |
| Bent Over Barbell Row | 3-4 × 3-5 |
| Weighted Pull-ups | 2-3 × 6-8 |
| Overhead Press | 2-3 × 5-8 |
| Barbell Curl | 2-3 × 6-8 |
Day 2 — Lower Power
| Exercise | Sets × Reps |
|---|
| Back Squat | 3-4 × 3-5 |
| Conventional Deadlift | 3-4 × 3-5 |
| Leg Press | 3-4 × 10-15 |
| Lying Leg Curl | 2-3 × 6-8 |
| Calf Raise | 4 × 6-10 |
Day 3 — Upper Hypertrophy
| Exercise | Sets × Reps |
|---|
| Incline Barbell Press | 3-4 × 8-12 |
| Flat Dumbbell Press | 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 |
| Triceps Pushdown | 2-3 × 8-12 |
| Dumbbell Curl | 2-3 × 8-12 |
Day 4 — Lower Hypertrophy
| Exercise | Sets × Reps |
|---|
| Front Squat or Hack Squat | 3-4 × 8-12 |
| Romanian Deadlift | 3-4 × 8-12 |
| Leg Press | 3-4 × 12-15 |
| Leg Extension | 3-4 × 12-15 |
| Lying Leg Curl | 3-4 × 12-15 |
| Seated Calf Raise | 4 × 8-12 |
Progression
- Power days: +2.5–5 kg when all reps completed with clean form
- Hypertrophy days: add reps; increase weight when top of range reached across all sets
- Deload: every 4–6 weeks, cut volume and load ~40% for one week
For higher-volume autoregulated hypertrophy, see rp_hypertrophy. For pure strength, see 5_3_1.