- Level
- Intermediate
- Days a week
- 4 days
- Goal
- Strength and size
- Equipment
- Full gym
- How long
- 8–16 weeks
- Created by
- Brandon Campbell
PHUL (Power Hypertrophy Upper Lower) is a four-day program by Brandon Campbell, published on Muscle & Strength. You train upper and lower body twice a week: once heavy, with low reps on the big lifts, and once for size, with moderate reps and more isolation work.
It is one of the most popular "powerbuilding" programs because it splits the week cleanly between getting stronger and getting bigger.
This page explains the program in our own words. All credit for it goes to Brandon Campbell. The original: PHUL workout at muscleandstrength.com. Read it for the full detail.
Who it’s for
Intermediate lifters who want both strength and muscle and can train four days a week in a full gym.
The four-day layout also suits busy schedules: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday leave three rest days, and a missed day can slide to the weekend without breaking the week.
The weekly schedule
| Day | Session |
|---|---|
| Monday | Upper power |
| Tuesday | Lower power |
| Wednesday | Rest |
| Thursday | Upper hypertrophy |
| Friday | Lower hypertrophy |
| Weekend | Rest |
Every workout
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Barbell bench press | 3–4 × 3–5 | |
| Incline dumbbell press | 3–4 × 6–10 | |
| Barbell row | 3–4 × 3–5 | |
| Lat pulldown | 3–4 × 6–10 | |
| Overhead press | 2–3 × 5–8 | |
| Barbell curl | 2–3 × 6–10 | |
| Skull crusher | 2–3 × 6–10 |
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Back 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 |
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Incline barbell press | 3–4 × 8–12 | |
| Dumbbell fly | 3–4 × 8–12 | |
| Seated cable row | 3–4 × 8–12 | |
| Dumbbell row | 3–4 × 8–12 | One arm |
| Dumbbell lateral raise | 3–4 × 8–12 | |
| Incline dumbbell curl | 3–4 × 8–12 | |
| Overhead triceps extension | 3–4 × 8–12 | Cable |
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Front squat | 3–4 × 8–12 | |
| Barbell lunge | 3–4 × 8–12 | |
| Leg extension | 3–4 × 10–15 | |
| Seated leg curl | 3–4 × 10–15 | |
| Seated calf raise | 3–4 × 8–12 | |
| Calf press on leg press | 3–4 × 8–12 |
Rest longer on power days (2–3 minutes on the big lifts) and shorter on hypertrophy days (60–90 seconds). Start with the lower number of sets and add the extra set after a few weeks.
How to progress
On power days, add weight when you hit the top of the rep range on all sets. On hypertrophy days, use double progression: build reps across the range, then add weight.
Treat the power days as strength work: keep the first two exercises heavy with long rests, and stop each set with a rep or so in reserve. Treat the hypertrophy days as bodybuilding: shorter rests, controlled reps and the last set of each isolation exercise close to failure.
Stalls and deloads
Take a lighter week every six to eight weeks, or when your power-day lifts stop moving.
How long to run it
Run it for 8–16 weeks, then change exercises or move to a different split for a block before coming back.
What to do next
PHAT adds a fifth day and more volume. The 6-day PPL suits lifters who want even more frequency.
Common mistakes
Too many sets too soon
The ranges allow four sets of everything. Starting at three sets leaves room to grow.
Heavy deadlifts after heavy squats with no plan
Lower power is demanding. Keep deadlift sets crisp, not grinding.
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 PHUL good for beginners?
It is better suited to people with six months or more of training, who know the lifts and can handle the volume.
PHUL or PHAT?
PHUL is four days and simpler; PHAT is five days with more volume and speed work. Pick based on how many days you can train.
How long are PHUL workouts?
About 60–75 minutes. Power days take longer because of the rest between heavy sets.
Similar programs
- PHAT (Power Hypertrophy Adaptive Training) — advanced, 5 days
- 4-day upper lower program — intermediate, 4 days
- 5/3/1 Boring But Big — intermediate, 4 days
- Push pull legs hypertrophy program — intermediate, 6 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