PHUL stands for Power Hypertrophy Upper Lower. It is a 4-day split designed by Brandon Campbell that combines two strength-focused power days with two volume-focused hypertrophy days. The argument is that pure strength programmes leave size on the table, pure hypertrophy programmes leave strength on the table, and a hybrid programme can give you most of both. PHUL is one of the cleanest implementations of that idea, and it has earned a loyal following for good reason.
The structure is straightforward. Monday is Upper Power, Tuesday is Lower Power, Thursday is Upper Hypertrophy, Friday is Lower Hypertrophy. The Power days use heavier weights and lower rep ranges (3 to 5 reps) to drive strength. The Hypertrophy days use moderate weights and higher rep ranges (8 to 15 reps) to drive muscle growth. Each muscle is hit twice a week, once heavy and once with volume, which lines up with the modern hypertrophy research consensus.
The Full Template
Monday — Upper Power
- Bench Press, 3 to 4 sets of 3 to 5 reps.
- Incline Dumbbell Press, 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps.
- Bent-Over Row, 3 to 4 sets of 3 to 5 reps.
- Lat Pulldown, 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps.
- Overhead Press, 2 to 3 sets of 5 to 8 reps.
- Barbell Curl, 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps.
- Skull Crusher, 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps.
Tuesday — Lower Power
- Squat, 3 to 4 sets of 3 to 5 reps.
- Deadlift, 3 sets of 3 to 5 reps.
- Leg Press, 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps.
- Leg Curl, 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps.
- Standing Calf Raise, 4 sets of 6 to 10 reps.
Thursday — Upper Hypertrophy
- Incline Bench Press, 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps.
- Cable Crossover, 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.
- Seated Cable Row, 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps.
- Single-Arm Dumbbell Row, 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.
- Lateral Raise, 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.
- Hammer Curl, 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.
- Tricep Pushdown, 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.
Friday — Lower Hypertrophy
- Front Squat, 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps.
- Hip Thrust, 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps.
- Leg Extension, 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.
- Lying Leg Curl, 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps.
- Walking Lunges, 3 sets of 10 to 12 per leg.
- Seated Calf Raise, 4 sets of 10 to 15 reps.
Wednesday and the weekend off. The total session count is 4, the time per session is roughly 60 to 80 minutes, and every major muscle group is trained twice across the week.
Why the Hybrid Structure Works
Pure strength programmes (5x5, 5/3/1, Sheiko) drive 1RM strength but produce limited hypertrophy because the rep ranges are too low and the volume too small for muscle growth. Pure hypertrophy programmes drive muscle growth but limit absolute strength gains because the rep ranges are too high to develop maximum force production. PHUL splits the difference by giving you both.
The Power days train the same nervous system pathways that pure strength programmes train: low reps, heavy weight, full rest periods, focus on bar speed. The Hypertrophy days train the same fibres that bodybuilding programmes train: moderate reps, moderate weight, shorter rest, focus on the muscle. Done well, the two stimuli reinforce each other rather than fight.
Who PHUL Suits
PHUL is most appropriate for intermediate lifters with at least 6 to 12 months of training experience. The Power days require enough technique on the main lifts (squat, bench, deadlift, overhead press) that a complete beginner is better served by a linear progression programme like StrongLifts or Starting Strength first.
It works well for:
- Lifters who have outgrown novice programmes and want hypertrophy alongside strength.
- Anyone who can train 4 days a week consistently.
- Lifters who like variety. The mix of heavy and lighter work prevents the staleness of pure-strength or pure-hypertrophy blocks.
- Lifters cutting calories who want to preserve strength while losing fat. The Power days protect strength, the Hypertrophy days drive enough volume for body composition.
It is less ideal for:
- True beginners (run a linear progression novice programme first).
- Competitive powerlifters in a peaking block (specialised programmes will outperform).
- Bodybuilders weeks out from a stage (a higher-frequency volume specialisation programme will outperform).
- Lifters who can only train 3 days a week (PHUL needs 4 to deliver the planned volume).
Progressive Overload on PHUL
On Power days, progress the main lifts by 2.5 kg per week (or 5 kg per fortnight if 2.5 kg starts to fail). Track every set, push for clean reps, and treat the Power day numbers as the strength benchmark for the programme.
On Hypertrophy days, progress by adding reps within the prescribed range first, then adding 2.5 kg when you hit the top of the range across all working sets. The progression is slower but more sustainable, since the loads are submaximal.
Take a deload every 4 to 6 weeks: drop the weight by 10 percent on Power days, halve the volume on Hypertrophy days, and treat it as scheduled recovery rather than a setback. The numbers will come back better than where you left them.
Common PHUL Mistakes
1. Treating the Hypertrophy days as light
The volume on PHUL Hypertrophy days is substantial. Lifters who treat them as 'easy' days because the weights are lighter are missing the point. The work has to be hard enough that the last 1 to 2 reps of each set are genuinely difficult. Lazy hypertrophy days produce no growth.
2. Adding extra exercises
PHUL has a defined exercise list. Adding three more chest exercises 'because you have time' destroys the recovery balance. Run the programme as written, then evaluate after 12 weeks.
3. Skipping the deadlift
The Power Lower day includes the deadlift. It is taxing. Some lifters quietly drop it. Substitute Romanian deadlifts or trap-bar deadlifts if necessary, but include a heavy hinge variant. Without it, posterior chain development lags.
4. Confusing this with a 6-day programme
PHUL is 4 days. Trying to run it 5 or 6 days a week by adding sessions almost always breaks recovery. If you want higher frequency, run a different programme rather than bolting extra days onto this one.