PHUL stands for power hypertrophy upper lower. The PHUL workout plan runs 4 days a week: 2 heavy days for strength and 2 lighter, higher-rep days for muscle. Each muscle gets trained twice, once heavy and once for size. Below you get the week, all 4 sessions with sets and reps, and how to add weight on both kinds of day.
Who PHUL is for
PHUL suits lifters with 6 months or more of steady training who want strength and size at the same time. It is an upper/lower split with a twist: the first 2 days of the week are heavy, the last 2 chase muscle.
If you are brand new, the full-body plan for beginners builds the base faster. If you only care about size, a plain upper/lower split is simpler to run.
How the week looks
| Day | Focus |
|---|---|
| Monday | Upper power |
| Tuesday | Lower power |
| Wednesday | Rest |
| Thursday | Upper hypertrophy |
| Friday | Lower hypertrophy |
| Saturday | Rest |
| Sunday | Rest |
Hypertrophy means muscle growth. The power days use low reps and long rest. The hypertrophy days use moderate reps and shorter rest.
The workouts
Upper power
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell bench press | 4 | 3-5 |
| Barbell row | 4 | 3-5 |
| Incline dumbbell press | 3 | 6-10 |
| Lat pulldown | 3 | 6-10 |
| Overhead press | 3 | 5-8 |
| Barbell curl | 2 | 6-10 |
| Skull crusher | 2 | 6-10 |
Lower power
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell back squat | 4 | 3-5 |
| Deadlift | 3 | 3-5 |
| Leg press | 3 | 10-15 |
| Leg curl | 3 | 6-10 |
| Standing calf raise | 4 | 6-10 |
Upper hypertrophy
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Incline barbell press | 3 | 8-12 |
| Seated cable row | 3 | 8-12 |
| Dumbbell fly or cable fly | 3 | 10-15 |
| Single-arm dumbbell row | 3 | 8-12 |
| Lateral raise | 3 | 12-15 |
| Incline dumbbell curl | 3 | 10-12 |
| Cable triceps pushdown | 3 | 10-12 |
Lower hypertrophy
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Front squat or hack squat | 3 | 8-12 |
| Walking lunge | 3 | 10-12 each leg |
| Leg extension | 3 | 12-15 |
| Leg curl | 3 | 10-15 |
| Seated calf raise | 4 | 10-15 |
On power days, rest 3 to 5 minutes after the first 2 lifts. On hypertrophy days, rest 2 minutes after the first lift and 60 to 90 seconds after the rest. Power days take about 75 minutes. Hypertrophy days take about 60.
How to add weight
Both kinds of day use double progression, with different ranges. On the power lifts, once you get 5 reps on every set, add weight next week: 2.5 kg on the bench and row, 5 kg on the squat and deadlift. Bench 90 kg for 4 sets of 5, and next Monday it is 92.5 kg for 3s.
On the hypertrophy days, work up to the top of the range, 12 reps on every set, then add the smallest jump and start again at 8. Leave 1 to 2 reps in reserve on the power lifts and 0 to 2 on the rest. Reps in reserve means how many more clean reps you could have done.
What to do when you stall
The power days stall first. If a heavy lift drops below 3 reps on a set 2 weeks in a row, take 10% off and build back up. If both power days feel flat at once, take a deload week: the same weights with about 60% of the sets.
Our guide to how many sets and reps build muscle explains why mixing heavy and moderate reps works.
Run this plan in Trackist
Trackist writes a plan from 14 questions about your goal, experience, equipment, joints, schedule, session length and age, rather than handing out a named template. Ask for 4 days and a strength or muscle goal, and it writes the plan with the sets, rep targets and rest decided. In the plan editor you can reorder, swap, add or remove any exercise, with or without Pro, so you can shape it into PHUL.
At the gym, each set logs weight, reps and RPE. RPE is how hard the set felt, on a scale of 1 to 10. Last session’s numbers sit under each field, a line above each exercise suggests today’s weight, and the rest timer keeps counting on the Lock Screen. Each exercise page shows your estimated one-rep max over time, so you see whether the power days are working.
If the 4 days run too hard, say so. Trackist notes the first report, and if you report it again, Trackist Pro rewrites the day or rebuilds the rest of the plan. When the plan ends, Pro writes the next one from what you lifted.
FAQ
Questions, answered.
Is PHUL good for building muscle?
Yes. Each muscle gets trained twice a week, with 2 days of 8 to 12 reps aimed squarely at size. The power days add strength, which lets you use heavier weights on the hypertrophy days over time.
Is PHUL good for beginners?
It is better after 6 months or more of steady training. The power days ask for heavy sets of 3 to 5 reps, which need solid technique. If you are new, start with a 3-day full-body plan and move to PHUL later.
How is PHUL different from an upper/lower split?
Both train upper and lower body twice a week over 4 days. A standard upper/lower split keeps the 2 upper days similar. PHUL makes one of them heavy, with 3 to 5 reps, and the other one lighter, with 8 to 12.
Can Trackist build a PHUL plan?
Trackist writes a 4-day plan from your answers and chooses the layout itself. In the plan editor you can reorder, swap, add or remove any exercise, with or without Pro, so you can lay it out as 2 power days and 2 hypertrophy days.
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Let Trackist write your plan
Answer 14 questions and Trackist writes a plan around your gym and your week. Log every set, and the next session shows the weight to lift. On the App Store now. Android is coming.
