PHAT workout guide and free spreadsheet

Advanced · 5 days a week · 4 to 6 week blocks, repeated · Two heavy power days, then three size days that open with fast, light sets

A five-day plan for experienced lifters: two heavy power days, then three size days that each open with six fast, light sets of 3 on a power lift.

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PHAT (Power Hypertrophy Adaptive Training) program guide

How PHAT (Power Hypertrophy Adaptive Training) works

PHAT stands for Power Hypertrophy Adaptive Training. Layne Norton designed it to build strength and muscle in the same week instead of one after the other. The week has two power days up front, a rest day, then three hypertrophy days, then another rest day.

The usual week runs Monday Upper Power, Tuesday Lower Power, Wednesday off, Thursday Back and Shoulders Hypertrophy, Friday Lower Hypertrophy, Saturday Chest and Arms Hypertrophy, Sunday off. Power days use heavy 3 to 5 rep sets with long rests, followed by 6 to 10 rep assistance work.

Each hypertrophy day opens with speed work: 6 sets of 3 reps on a power lift (row, squat or dumbbell press) at roughly 65% of your power-day weight, moved as fast as you can with clean position and about 90 seconds of rest. After that comes moderate and high-rep volume, from 8 to 12 reps down to 15 to 20, with shorter rests and sets stopped a rep or two short of failure on most work.

Our in-app templates are a simplified version. They keep three lifts per day and swap in barbell versions where the original uses dumbbells or machines. The full program adds hack squats, leg extensions and curls, calf work, upright rows, cable flyes and a lot of direct arm training. Add those by feel. The sample week and spreadsheet cover only the template lifts.

Sessions run long. BarBend says to have 8 to 12 hours a week for the gym, and the full program needs barbells, dumbbells, machines and cables.

PHAT (Power Hypertrophy Adaptive Training) program guide visual

The schedule

Train on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or any other days with rest between. Every set uses the same weight, the one you can lift for the written reps.

Upper power

Lift	Sets and reps
Barbell row	3 x 5
Bench press	3 x 5
Overhead press	3 x 6

Lower power

Lift	Sets and reps
Squat	3 x 5
Deadlift	2 x 5
Leg press	2 x 8

Back and shoulders hypertrophy

Lift	Sets and reps
Barbell row (speed sets)	6 x 3
Pull-up	3 x 10
Lateral raise	3 x 12

Lower hypertrophy

Lift	Sets and reps
Front squat	3 x 10
Leg press	3 x 12
Romanian deadlift	3 x 10

Chest and arms hypertrophy

Lift	Sets and reps
Incline bench press	3 x 10
Dip	3 x 10
Barbell curl	3 x 10

Progression and stall rules

Power lifts: finish every set, then add weight

Keep the main power lifts in the 3 to 5 rep range. When you finish every set, add the jump and stay in that range. The sheet uses a fixed jump per session. That is our default, not Norton's rule. The sources differ: Boostcamp adds about 5 lb once a week, BarBend adds about 2.5% of your 1RM after each good week, and Liftosaur builds reps before weight.

Speed sets follow the power day

The 6 sets of 3 on size days use about 65% of your power-day weight for the same lift, so the speed weight rises when the power lift does. BarBend gives a 65 to 70% range. The sample week uses 65% of the weight you type for the row.

Stall rule

Liftosaur cuts the weight about 10% after 2 to 3 stalled sessions, then builds back up. Boostcamp makes the same 10% cut after two straight weeks of missed reps.

Planned deload

Deload every 6 to 12 weeks, sooner if you feel run down. Liftosaur puts the deload week at 60 to 70% of normal weights.

Failure and rotation

Stay off failure for the first 2 to 4 weeks, then take only the last one or two sets of an exercise close to it (Liftosaur). BarBend runs the same workouts for 4 to 6 weeks. Liftosaur rotates the power lift every 2 to 3 weeks.

Our simplified days

The in-app days carry three lifts each and skip most machine and isolation work, and the sheet progresses only those lifts. Pull-ups and dips use added weight. Leave them at 0 until bodyweight sets get easy.

Weekly volume

Work sets per lift, counted from the schedule above (warm-ups not included).

Lift	Sets per week
Barbell row	9
Bench press	3
Overhead press	3
Squat	3
Deadlift	2
Leg press	5
Pull-up	3
Lateral raise	3
Front squat	3
Romanian deadlift	3
Incline bench press	3
Dip	3
Barbell curl	3

Who it suits

A good fit

Intermediate and advanced lifters who already squat, press and row with solid technique.
Powerlifters in an off-season who want more size work without dropping heavy training.
Lifters who can give five days a week and long sessions, and who recover well.

Look elsewhere if

Beginners. BarBend calls it too demanding without competent squat, press and deadlift technique, and recovery is hard to manage.
Anyone with a basic home setup. The full version leans on machines and cables.
Lifters short on time or sleep. Five long days a week is a real load.

Common mistakes

Treating speed sets as a workout

They are light by design, around 65% of power-day weight. If the bar slows down, the weight is too heavy. Move it fast, rest about 90 seconds and go on to the volume work.

Training to failure from week one

Heavy power work plus high-volume size days piles up fatigue. Stay a rep or two short for the first few weeks, then push only the last sets.

Dropping the speed work

Liftosaur calls speed work the signature element of PHAT. Do not cut it because the weights feel easy. The light load is the point.

Never deloading

Five days of heavy and high-volume work adds up. Plan a lighter week every 6 to 12 weeks, sooner if your power drops.

Ignoring what the base plan leaves out

Liftosaur points out that the base program has no conventional deadlift, no direct ab work and no direct rear delt work. Add small amounts of those if you need them.

Going straight to full volume

If this much volume is new to you, start lighter and build the weights over several weeks. BarBend gives the same advice.

Your sample week

For each lift, enter: Weight you use for your working sets. The weights below update as you type. Your numbers stay in your browser and are not saved. The numbers shown are an example lifter.

Units

Barbell row

Bench press

Overhead press

Squat

Deadlift

Leg press

Pull-up (added weight, 0 for bodyweight)

Lateral raise

Front squat

Romanian deadlift

Incline bench press

Dip (added weight, 0 for bodyweight)

Barbell curl

Upper power

Barbell row
Set	Reps	Weight (lb)
1	5	115
2	5	115
3	5	115

Bench press
Set	Reps	Weight (lb)
1	5	135
2	5	135
3	5	135

Overhead press
Set	Reps	Weight (lb)
1	6	85
2	6	85
3	6	85

Lower power

Squat
Set	Reps	Weight (lb)
1	5	185
2	5	185
3	5	185

Deadlift
Set	Reps	Weight (lb)
1	5	225
2	5	225

Leg press
Set	Reps	Weight (lb)
1	8	200
2	8	200

Back and shoulders hypertrophy

Barbell row (speed sets)
Set	Reps	Weight (lb)
1	3	75
2	3	75
3	3	75
4	3	75
5	3	75
6	3	75

Pull-up
Set	Reps	Weight (lb)
1	10	0
2	10	0
3	10	0

Lateral raise
Set	Reps	Weight (lb)
1	12	15
2	12	15
3	12	15

Lower hypertrophy

Front squat
Set	Reps	Weight (lb)
1	10	95
2	10	95
3	10	95

Leg press
Set	Reps	Weight (lb)
1	12	200
2	12	200
3	12	200

Romanian deadlift
Set	Reps	Weight (lb)
1	10	135
2	10	135
3	10	135

Chest and arms hypertrophy

Incline bench press
Set	Reps	Weight (lb)
1	10	95
2	10	95
3	10	95

Dip
Set	Reps	Weight (lb)
1	10	0
2	10	0
3	10	0

Barbell curl
Set	Reps	Weight (lb)
1	10	55
2	10	55
3	10	55

The spreadsheet

The file has three sheets: your numbers, the full week with every weight as a formula, and a progress table that carries the weights forward. It opens in Excel, Numbers and LibreOffice. The weights in the link below use the numbers you typed above.

Download the .xlsx

Open it in Google Sheets

Download the .xlsx file above.
Go to Google Drive and choose New, then File upload, and pick the file.
Double-click the uploaded file and choose Open with Google Sheets.
Choose File, then Save as Google Sheets so you can edit it.

Want the weights to follow you into the gym? Create a free account and the program loads into Train for you.

How it compares

PHAT (Power Hypertrophy Adaptive Training) vs PHUL

Same power-and-size idea in a smaller package: four days, two heavy and two for volume. PHAT adds a fifth day and speed sets. Read the PHUL guide.

PHAT (Power Hypertrophy Adaptive Training) vs Upper/lower split

A basic upper/lower split repeats one rep style on both days of each half. PHAT splits the week into two power days and three hypertrophy days. Read the Upper/lower split guide.

PHAT (Power Hypertrophy Adaptive Training) vs Push/Pull/Legs

Push/pull/legs groups muscles by movement. PHAT groups by goal: two heavy upper and lower days, then back and shoulders, legs, and chest and arms for volume. Read the Push/Pull/Legs guide.

Load PHAT (Power Hypertrophy Adaptive Training) into Train and log each session against the plan.

Start it in Symmetric Strength

The workouts in Train are a simplified version of this program, with one rep count per lift. Use the schedule above for the exact sets.

Common questions

What does PHAT stand for?

Power Hypertrophy Adaptive Training. It was designed by Dr. Layne Norton to combine heavy strength work and muscle-building volume in a single week.

How many days a week is PHAT?

Five training days: Upper Power, Lower Power, Back and Shoulders Hypertrophy, Lower Hypertrophy, and Chest and Arms Hypertrophy, with two rest days.

What are the speed sets on the hypertrophy days?

The first exercise on each hypertrophy day repeats a power-day lift for 6 sets of 3 reps at about 65% of the power-day weight, lifted as fast as you can with good position. Norton's updated version, as described by Liftosaur, swaps this for 4 sets of 8 to 10 reps at about 70%.

How is PHAT different from PHUL?

PHUL has four days: two power days and two size days. PHAT has five: two power days and three size days, with a fast 6x3 opener on each size day and far more accessory work. It costs more time and recovery than PHUL.

How long should I run each PHAT block?

BarBend says to keep the workouts the same for 4 to 6 weeks while the power and speed loads change, with a deload every 6 to 12 weeks.

Can a beginner do PHAT?

We do not recommend it. A simpler full-body or upper/lower plan builds the technique and recovery base that PHAT assumes.

Know where you stand

Before you start, check how your lifts compare on the strength standards, estimate a max with the one-rep max calculator, or score your total with the DOTS calculator.

Sources and credit

PHAT (Power Hypertrophy Adaptive Training) was created by Dr. Layne Norton. This guide describes it in our own words, drawing on BarBend, Liftosaur and Boostcamp. Those are guide pages, not Norton's own site, and they differ on progression. The in-app templates and the sheet's jumps are our own simplified version.

Checked October 13, 2026. Symmetric Strength is not affiliated with Layne Norton, BarBend, Boostcamp or Liftosaur. Program names are used only to identify the programs.