PHUL workout guide and free spreadsheet

Intermediate · 4 days a week · Until progress stalls · Heavy power days and higher-rep size days, each muscle twice a week

A four-day upper/lower week with two heavy power days and two higher-rep size days, for lifters who want to get stronger and bigger in the same block.

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How PHUL works

PHUL stands for Power Hypertrophy Upper Lower. Brandon Campbell built it as a four-day split: Upper Power, Lower Power, Upper Hypertrophy, Lower Hypertrophy. Each muscle gets trained twice a week, once heavy and once for volume.

The usual week is Monday Upper Power, Tuesday Lower Power, Thursday Upper Hypertrophy, Friday Lower Hypertrophy, with Wednesday and the weekend off. Lift Vault says not to run both power days or both hypertrophy days back to back. Each muscle gets one low-rep session and one moderate-rep session.

Power days start with compound lifts in the 3 to 5 rep range: bench press, a row, squat and deadlift. Hypertrophy days move to 8 to 12 reps (some versions run to 15) with more isolation work, such as flyes, lateral raises, curls and triceps extensions. Exact lists differ between versions.

Our in-app templates are a simplified version. They keep three lifts per day: Upper Power is bench, barbell row and overhead press; Lower Power is squat, deadlift and leg press; Upper Hypertrophy is incline bench, dumbbell row and lateral raises; Lower Hypertrophy is front squat, Romanian deadlift and leg press. The full program also adds lat pulldowns, arm work, leg curls, leg extensions, lunges and calf raises. Add those yourself and pick their weights by feel. The sample week lists only the template lifts.

The power days are tiring. Deadlift follows squat on Lower Power, so start it lighter than you think you need.

The schedule

Train on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 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
Bench press	4 x 4
Barbell row	4 x 4
Overhead press	3 x 6

Lower power

Lift	Sets and reps
Squat	4 x 4
Deadlift	3 x 4
Leg press	4 x 10

Upper hypertrophy

Lift	Sets and reps
Incline bench press	4 x 10
Dumbbell row	4 x 10
Lateral raise	4 x 12

Lower hypertrophy

Lift	Sets and reps
Front squat	4 x 10
Romanian deadlift	4 x 10
Leg press	4 x 12

Progression and stall rules

Reps first, then weight

Work inside the rep range, such as 3 to 5 on a power lift or 8 to 12 on a size lift. Once every set reaches the top of the range, add 5 lb (2.5 kg) and start again at the bottom. That rule is our default. The sheet adds a fixed jump per session, which suits the power lifts; on size days, let the reps climb first.

Stall rule

Lift Vault says that when progress stalls you can deload, reset your training maxes or switch programs, without giving numbers. Our default: if you cannot add reps for 2 to 3 sessions in a row, drop the weight by about 10% and build back up.

Deload when you feel flat

The sources give no deload timing. Our default: when fatigue builds, take a week at about 50% of normal weights, with the same lifts and reps and a lighter bar.

Set counts differ by version

Boostcamp lists 3 sets on most lifts. Our templates use 4 on the main lifts. If four sets is too much, drop to three.

Run it until progress stalls

Lift Vault sets no end date and says to keep going until progress stalls. We suggest a review every 12 to 16 weeks. That window, our fixed jumps and the 10% drop are our own defaults.

Weekly volume

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

Lift	Sets per week
Bench press	4
Barbell row	4
Overhead press	3
Squat	4
Deadlift	3
Leg press	8
Incline bench press	4
Dumbbell row	4
Lateral raise	4
Front squat	4
Romanian deadlift	4

Who it suits

A good fit

Intermediate lifters who have outgrown beginner linear progress and want both strength and size.
Anyone who can train four set days a week and likes a clear heavy day and light day for each half of the body.
People who get bored with pure strength programs and want some pump work in the week.

Look elsewhere if

New lifters who can still add weight every workout on a full-body plan. Stay there first.
Lifters who want a strict percentage ladder. PHUL runs on reps and feel, not a fixed set of percentages.
Anyone short on recovery. Two heavy days plus two volume days adds up, and the big lifts get hit on both.

Common mistakes

Turning hypertrophy days into max days

The size days are meant to be moderate. Stop a rep or two short of failure on most sets, keep the tempo controlled, and save the grinding for power days.

Going too heavy on deadlift after squats

Lower Power has both lifts back to back. Begin the deadlift conservatively and add weight only when form stays clean.

Skipping the small stuff

The isolation work is where the size days earn their name. If you cut it, you are running a plain upper/lower split with fewer sets.

Never taking a lighter week

Two heavy days a week wears you down. Take a lighter week when your lifts feel flat.

Changing exercises every week

You cannot tell if you are progressing if the lifts keep changing. Keep the same lifts for the whole block and beat last session's log.

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

Bench press

Barbell row

Overhead press

Squat

Deadlift

Leg press

Incline bench press

Dumbbell row

Lateral raise

Front squat

Romanian deadlift

Upper power

Bench press
Set	Reps	Weight (lb)
1	4	135
2	4	135
3	4	135
4	4	135

Barbell row
Set	Reps	Weight (lb)
1	4	115
2	4	115
3	4	115
4	4	115

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

Lower power

Squat
Set	Reps	Weight (lb)
1	4	185
2	4	185
3	4	185
4	4	185

Deadlift
Set	Reps	Weight (lb)
1	4	225
2	4	225
3	4	225

Leg press
Set	Reps	Weight (lb)
1	10	200
2	10	200
3	10	200
4	10	200

Upper hypertrophy

Incline bench press
Set	Reps	Weight (lb)
1	10	95
2	10	95
3	10	95
4	10	95

Dumbbell row
Set	Reps	Weight (lb)
1	10	35
2	10	35
3	10	35
4	10	35

Lateral raise
Set	Reps	Weight (lb)
1	12	15
2	12	15
3	12	15
4	12	15

Lower hypertrophy

Front squat
Set	Reps	Weight (lb)
1	10	95
2	10	95
3	10	95
4	10	95

Romanian deadlift
Set	Reps	Weight (lb)
1	10	135
2	10	135
3	10	135
4	10	135

Leg press
Set	Reps	Weight (lb)
1	12	200
2	12	200
3	12	200
4	12	200

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

PHUL vs Upper/lower split

Same four-day shape. A basic upper/lower split uses one rep style on both days of each half. PHUL splits each half into a heavy day and a volume day. Read the Upper/lower split guide.

PHUL vs Push/Pull/Legs

Push/pull/legs usually needs six days to hit each muscle twice. PHUL does it in four, with the power-versus-size split built in. Read the Push/Pull/Legs guide.

Load PHUL 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 PHUL stand for?

Power Hypertrophy Upper Lower. Power refers to the heavy 3 to 5 rep days, hypertrophy to the 8 to 12 rep days, and upper lower to how the four days split the body.

How many days a week is PHUL?

Four: Upper Power, Lower Power, Upper Hypertrophy and Lower Hypertrophy.

How is PHUL different from a plain upper/lower split?

A standard upper/lower split often repeats the same rep style on both days. PHUL gives each half of the body one heavy low-rep day and one moderate-rep volume day.

How long should I run PHUL?

Lift Vault says to run it until progress stalls. We suggest reviewing every 12 to 16 weeks: keep going while weights and reps rise, and change something if most lifts stall.

Does PHUL include abs?

Not in the Boostcamp or Liftosaur layouts. Add a few sets of leg raises or cable crunches at the end of a session if you want them.

Why do the app templates differ from the full program?

The in-app days carry three lifts each, so they are a simplified version. The full program has more accessories, which you can add by feel.

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

PHUL (Power Hypertrophy Upper Lower) was created by Brandon Campbell. This guide describes it in our own words, drawing on Boostcamp, Liftosaur and Lift Vault. The in-app templates are our own simplified version.

Checked October 13, 2026. Symmetric Strength is not affiliated with Brandon Campbell, Boostcamp, Liftosaur or Lift Vault. Program names are used only to identify the programs.