PHUL: Power Hypertrophy Upper Lower Explained
Strength and muscle in one plan: PHUL combines two heavy strength days with two muscle-building days – in an upper/lower rhythm, four days a week.
By TrackRaise Redaktion · · updated · 3 min read
PHUL stands for Power Hypertrophy Upper Lower. The program combines two goals that are often trained separately: strength (power) and muscle growth (hypertrophy). It does this by pairing the upper/lower split with two kinds of training days: heavy with few reps, and a little lighter with more reps.
The structure
| Day | Training | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Upper power | heavy, 3–5 reps |
| Tuesday | Lower power | heavy, 3–5 reps |
| Wednesday | Rest | |
| Thursday | Upper hypertrophy | 8–12 reps |
| Friday | Lower hypertrophy | 8–15 reps |
| Weekend | Rest |
Every muscle is trained twice a week – once with heavy weights for strength, once with more volume for growth.
Tip: set up the four days as plans in the TrackRaise app – and track exactly how your heavy sets develop on power days.
Sample plan
Upper power
| Exercise | Sets × reps |
|---|---|
| Bench press | 3–4 × 3–5 |
| Barbell row | 3–4 × 3–5 |
| Dumbbell shoulder press | 3 × 6–8 |
| Pull-up | 3 × 6–8 |
| Barbell curl | 2 × 6–10 |
Lower power
| Exercise | Sets × reps |
|---|---|
| Squat | 3–4 × 3–5 |
| Deadlift | 3 × 3–5 |
| Leg press | 3 × 10–12 |
| Lying leg curl | 3 × 6–10 |
| Standing calf raise | 4 × 6–10 |
Upper hypertrophy
| Exercise | Sets × reps |
|---|---|
| Incline dumbbell press | 3 × 8–12 |
| Seated cable row | 3 × 8–12 |
| Lateral raise | 3 × 12–15 |
| Lat pulldown | 3 × 8–12 |
| Dumbbell curl | 3 × 10–12 |
| Cable triceps pushdown | 3 × 10–12 |
Lower hypertrophy
| Exercise | Sets × reps |
|---|---|
| Bulgarian split squat | 3 × 8–12 per leg |
| Romanian deadlift | 3 × 8–12 |
| Leg extension | 3 × 10–15 |
| Lying leg curl | 3 × 10–15 |
| Standing calf raise | 4 × 10–15 |
Who is PHUL for?
PHUL is aimed at intermediate lifters who have solid technique on the main lifts and want to get stronger and more muscular. The heavy power days demand clean technique under high loads – for getting started, a full-body or upper/lower plan is a better fit.
Tips for PHUL
- Rest by goal: 3–5 minutes on compound lifts on power days, 60–120 seconds on hypertrophy days.
- Progress: on power days, add weight once you manage all sets with 5 reps; on hypertrophy days, once you reach the top of the range.
- Warm up: several warm-up sets with rising weight before heavy sets.
- Recovery: four days with heavy weights are demanding – sleep and nutrition matter.
Common mistakes
- Power days too light: if you can do 8 reps on a power day, the weight is too light – the strength stimulus is missing.
- Hypertrophy days too heavy: with maximum weights, the volume suffers.
- Sacrificing technique: at 3–5 reps every rep must be clean; otherwise the risk of injury rises.
Frequently asked questions
How is PHUL different from a regular upper/lower split?
PHUL sets one strength day (few reps, heavy) and one muscle-building day (more reps) per half of the body each week. A regular upper/lower split leaves the design more open.
How long does a session take?
Power days take about 60–75 minutes because of the long rests; hypertrophy days are similar with more exercises.
Can I do PHUL as a beginner?
Better to wait until the main lifts feel solid and you've trained consistently for a few months.
The TrackRaise editorial team writes about strength training, exercises and programming – practical and easy to follow.
