- Level
- Advanced
- Days a week
- 5 days
- Goal
- Strength and size
- Equipment
- Full gym
- How long
- 8–12 weeks
- Created by
- Layne Norton
PHAT (Power Hypertrophy Adaptive Training) is a five-day program by Layne Norton, a natural bodybuilder and powerlifter with a PhD in nutritional sciences. The first two days are heavy upper and lower power sessions. The last three are bodybuilding days by body part, each opening with fast, light speed sets of a main lift.
It has more volume than PHUL and is aimed at experienced lifters.
This page explains the program in our own words. All credit for it goes to Layne Norton. The original: Layne Norton’s PHAT routine, Simply Shredded. Read it for the full detail.
Who it’s for
Intermediate to advanced lifters who can train five days a week and recover from high volume.
The weekly schedule
| Day | Session |
|---|---|
| Day 1 | Upper power |
| Day 2 | Lower power |
| Day 3 | Rest |
| Day 4 | Back and shoulders hypertrophy |
| Day 5 | Lower hypertrophy |
| Day 6 | Chest and arms hypertrophy |
| Day 7 | Rest |
Every workout
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell row | 3 × 3–5 | Bent-over or Pendlay |
| Weighted pull-up | 2 × 6–10 | |
| Dumbbell bench press | 3 × 3–5 | |
| Weighted dips | 2 × 6–10 | |
| Seated dumbbell shoulder press | 3 × 6–10 | |
| Barbell curl | 3 × 6–10 | |
| Skull crusher | 3 × 6–10 |
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Back squat | 3 × 3–5 | |
| Hack squat | 2 × 6–10 | |
| Leg extension | 2 × 6–10 | |
| Stiff-legged deadlift | 3 × 5–8 | |
| Leg curl | 2 × 6–10 | Lying, or glute-ham raise |
| Calf raise | 3 × 6–10 | Standing |
| Seated calf raise | 2 × 6–10 |
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell row | 6 × 3 speed sets | 65–70% of your 3–5 rep max, moved fast |
| Chin-up | 3 × 8–12 | |
| Seated cable row | 3 × 8–12 | |
| Dumbbell row | 2 × 12–15 | Or shrugs on an incline bench |
| Close-grip pulldown | 2 × 15–20 | |
| Seated dumbbell shoulder press | 3 × 8–12 | |
| Upright row | 2 × 12–15 | |
| Dumbbell lateral raise | 3 × 12–20 |
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Back squat | 6 × 3 speed sets | 65–70% of your 3–5 rep max |
| Hack squat | 3 × 8–12 | |
| Leg press | 2 × 12–15 | |
| Leg extension | 3 × 15–20 | |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 × 8–12 | |
| Leg curl | 2 × 12–15 | Lying |
| Seated leg curl | 2 × 15–20 | |
| Calf raise | 4 × 10–15 | Donkey or standing |
| Seated calf raise | 3 × 15–20 |
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell bench press | 6 × 3 speed sets | 65–70% of your 3–5 rep max |
| Incline dumbbell press | 3 × 8–12 | |
| Machine chest press | 3 × 12–15 | |
| Cable fly | 2 × 15–20 | Incline |
| EZ-bar preacher curl | 3 × 8–12 | |
| Concentration curl | 2 × 12–15 | |
| Spider curl | 2 × 15–20 | |
| Overhead triceps extension | 3 × 8–12 | |
| Triceps rope pushdown | 2 × 12–15 | |
| Cable kickback | 2 × 15–20 |
Speed sets are about moving a moderate weight as fast as possible with short rests, not about fatigue. Keep them crisp.
How to progress
Progress power days by adding weight when you hit the top of the rep range. Progress hypertrophy work with double progression.
Stalls and deloads
Norton’s plan rotates exercises every few weeks and suggests lighter weeks when needed; every six to eight weeks is a common rhythm.
How long to run it
Eight to twelve weeks per block, then rotate exercises.
What to do next
Rotate exercises and run another block, or move to a 6-day PPL.
Common mistakes
Running it without a base
PHAT is a lot of work. Without a year or more of training behind you, PHUL is a better fit.
Speed sets too heavy
65–70% means fast, crisp reps. Heavier and it just becomes more fatigue.
Running it in Splyt
Build each workout above as a template in Splyt. When you finish a session, the weights you actually lifted carry into the next run of that template, so every set shows last time’s numbers beside it and you can see at a glance whether to add weight. Log on iPhone or Apple Watch, and the Watch counts your reps for you.
Have the program in a spreadsheet or screenshot already? Import it and Splyt turns it into editable templates. Use the one-rep max calculator to set a training max, the warm-up calculator for warm-up sets in whole plates, and strength standards to see where your lifts sit for your bodyweight.
Questions
Is PHAT good for natural lifters?
It was written by a natural lifter and works well for experienced naturals who can recover from five days of training.
What is speed work?
Light sets of a main lift moved as fast as possible, used here to keep power while the rest of the session is about size.
Similar programs
- PHUL (Power Hypertrophy Upper Lower) — intermediate, 4 days
- Push pull legs hypertrophy program — intermediate, 6 days
- 4-day upper lower program — intermediate, 4 days
- Every program, by level and days
More for your training
- Workout splits: how push pull legs, upper/lower and full body compare
- Ready-made workouts for every muscle and piece of equipment
- The exercise library: how to do every lift above
- Strength standards by lift and bodyweight
Run this program in Splyt, the workout tracker for iPhone and Apple Watch that remembers what you lifted. Get Splyt free on the App Store