PHUL: the power hypertrophy upper/lower split (and running around it)

PHUL stands for power hypertrophy upper lower. It's a four-day upper/lower split with a twist: the first upper and lower days of the week are heavy, for strength, and the second pair are higher-rep, for size. Two "power" days, two "hypertrophy" days, every muscle trained twice a week.

It has no single official version. PHUL is a community template, passed around forums and gym notebooks, and every copy differs a little. The structure is what matters, and it's a good one: it covers strength and muscle in four sessions without pretending one rep range does everything. What most versions leave out is running, which is why people who also run go looking for a Fitbod alternative that plans your runs too.

Below: what PHUL is, a full template, what the research says about its logic, and two sample weeks with running already in them.

What is power hypertrophy upper lower (PHUL)?

The template is simple:

Power days are built around a few big barbell lifts done heavy, with longer rests. Hypertrophy days use more exercises, more sets and shorter rests. "Power" here is the gym meaning: heavy, strength-focused work. It doesn't mean explosive jump training.

It's one of the more popular 4-day options in split templates, and it slots into the bigger picture of how to choose a split covered in workout splits explained: two or three lifting days, go full body; four days, upper/lower; five or six, push pull legs if lifting is your main sport.

Upper lower power hypertrophy vs a plain upper/lower split

PHUL is a version of the standard upper/lower split, not a different animal. Most plain upper/lower programs already make one pair of days heavier and the other lighter, as in our guide to upper/lower split training. PHUL just formalizes it and names the days. If you're already running a heavy-day, volume-day upper/lower, you're basically running PHUL.

Why the power-plus-hypertrophy idea works

There's no research we could find on PHUL as a named program. But the logic behind it, mixing heavy and moderate loads and training each muscle twice a week, rests on decent evidence.

Heavy work builds strength, and a range of loads builds size. A network meta-analysis of 28 studies found muscle growth was similar across heavy, moderate and light loads when sets were taken to failure, while strength gains were superior with heavy and moderate loads compared with light ones (Lopez et al., 2021). So the power days are where strength gets built, and both day types contribute to size.

Heavy-only is slow for size. In a volume-matched study of trained men, a powerlifting-style 7 sets of 3 and a bodybuilding-style 3 sets of 10 produced similar biceps growth. The heavy group gained more bench press strength, but needed far more sets and longer rests to get there (Schoenfeld et al., 2014). The hypertrophy days let you add muscle-building volume without spending two hours on sets of 3.

Twice a week per muscle is plenty. With weekly volume matched, training a muscle more often didn't meaningfully change muscle growth (Schoenfeld et al., 2019). Strength gains do rise with frequency, with diminishing returns (Pelland et al., 2026), and twice a week captures a good chunk of that.

And the split itself isn't magic. Split and full-body routines produced similar strength and muscle gains when volume was matched (Ramos-Campo et al., 2024). PHUL works because it delivers enough hard sets with a sensible mix of loads, not because of the name.

The PHUL workout template

Effort targets use RPE: RPE 8 means about two reps left in the tank. Heavy compounds stay a rep or two short of failure; isolation work can get closer.

Day 1: Upper power

Day 2: Lower power

Day 3: Upper hypertrophy

Day 4: Lower hypertrophy

Count it up and most muscles land somewhere around 10 to 16 hard sets a week, which is a normal intermediate range. Beginners can cut a set from each exercise and be fine.

Progression

On power days, add a little weight when you hit the top of the rep range on every set at the target RPE. On hypertrophy days, add reps first, then weight. Every few weeks, many lifters take a lighter week before pushing on again.

The classic schedule (no running)

Two on, one off, two on. The same rhythm as most upper/lower programs.

Power hypertrophy upper lower with running

PHUL as written assumes lifting is your only sport. It has two genuine leg days, and the lower hypertrophy day is a lot of leg volume. Add three or four runs and something has to give.

The site-wide rules still apply: keep heavy leg days and hard runs on different days, never put heavy legs the day before intervals or the long run, and let easy runs fill the gaps. On days with both, run first and lift later if you can, ideally hours apart. A 2022 meta-analysis found that adding aerobic training to strength training reduced explosive strength gains more when both were done in the same session than when they were separated by at least three hours, while maximal strength and muscle growth weren't meaningfully blunted overall (Schumann et al., 2022).

Balanced week (4 lifts, 4 runs)

Heavy lower lands on an easy-run day with a non-leg day after it. Sunday's lower hypertrophy session sits two days before intervals, but it comes the day after the long run, so trim it: drop the lunges, keep two sets per exercise and stop leg work at RPE 7–8.

Lifting-priority week (4 lifts, 3 runs)

Heavy legs Tuesday are two days clear of Thursday's intervals. Friday's leg volume has a rest day before the long run. This version keeps PHUL closest to its original form.

Cutting leg volume when you run

Running is leg work, just not the kind that builds much strength. If you run three or four times a week, aim for the low end on legs: around 6 to 10 weekly hard sets for quads, hamstrings and glutes, mostly on the power day. Upper-body volume can stay as written; it barely touches your running.

PHUL vs the alternatives

• ›Plain upper/lower: the same four days with looser rules. Choose PHUL if you like named days and a fixed heavy/volume rhythm.
• ›Full body: better with two or three days, and for beginners who need practice on each lift. With four days, both work; the full comparison is upper lower vs full body. If three days is your real number, our guide to 3-day full body workout training is the better fit than squeezing PHUL into three sessions.
• ›Push pull legs: better for five or six days when lifting is the main sport, and the hardest to pair with frequent running; that trade-off is laid out in push pull legs explained.

Common PHUL mistakes

Grinding power days to failure. Heavy sets of 3 to 5 at RPE 7 to 8 build strength fine. Failing squats on Tuesday costs you Thursday.

Running lower hypertrophy as written alongside four runs. It's the session to trim first in a running block.

How exrsz handles power and hypertrophy

exrsz builds your lifting split and your running into one periodized plan from your goal, schedule, level and equipment, so heavy days and volume days are placed around your hard runs rather than on top of them. It adapts each week to how you actually trained and reshuffles missed sessions.

FAQ

What does PHUL stand for?

Power hypertrophy upper lower. It's a four-day split with one heavy upper and lower day and one higher-rep upper and lower day each week.

Is PHUL good for beginners?

It can work if you can lift four days a week, but most beginners do better with full body two or three times a week. They need practice on each lift more than separate power and size days.

Is upper lower power hypertrophy good for building muscle?

Yes. It trains each muscle twice a week with a mix of heavy and moderate loads, and muscle growth was similar across loads when sets were hard (Lopez et al., 2021).

Can you run while doing PHUL?

Yes. Keep the lower power day on an easy-run day, never put heavy legs the day before intervals or the long run, and trim the lower hypertrophy day when you run three or more times a week.

How long should a PHUL workout take?

Power days run longer because of the rest between heavy sets, often 60 to 75 minutes. Hypertrophy days with shorter rests usually take 45 to 60 minutes.