Strength
PHAT, Power Hypertrophy Adaptive
Layne Norton's 5-day split: 2 power days (heavy, low reps) + 3 hypertrophy days. Advanced lifters only, serious volume. Five days a week, about 70 minutes a session.
- Days per week
- 5
- Session length
- About 70 min
- Level
- Advanced
- Focus
- Hypertrophy
What it takes
You will need five sessions a week of roughly 70 minutes, plus a warm-up.
Your week
Rest or walk on the other two days. Spread the sessions out if you can, so the same muscles get a day off in between.
- Day 1: Upper Power (about 70 min)
- Day 2: Lower Power (about 70 min)
- Day 3: Back / Shoulders Hyp. (about 75 min)
- Day 4: Lower Hypertrophy (about 70 min)
- Day 5: Chest / Arms Hyp. (about 75 min)
Upper Power
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Bench Press | 4 × 3–5 | 3 min |
| Pendlay Row | 4 × 3–5 | 3 min |
| Overhead Press | 3 × 6–8 | 2½ min |
| Pull-Up | 3 × 6–10 | 2 min |
| Barbell Curl | 3 × 6–10 | 90 s |
Lower Power
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Back Squat | 4 × 3–5 | 4 min |
| Deadlift | 3 × 3–5 | 4 min |
| Leg Press | 2 × 10–15 | 2 min |
| Lying Leg Curl | 2 × 10–15 | 90 s |
Back / Shoulders Hyp.
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Pendlay Row | 3 × 8–12 | 2 min |
| Lat Pulldown | 3 × 10–12 | 90 s |
| Seated Cable Row | 3 × 12–15 | 90 s |
| Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 3 × 8–12 | 90 s |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 3 × 12–15 | 1 min |
| Rear Delt Fly | 3 × 12–15 | 1 min |
Lower Hypertrophy
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Back Squat | 3 × 8–12 | 2½ min |
| Leg Press | 3 × 10–15 | 2 min |
| Leg Extension | 3 × 12–15 | 1 min |
| Romanian Deadlift | 3 × 8–12 | 2 min |
| Seated Leg Curl | 3 × 12–15 | 1 min |
| Standing Calf Raise | 4 × 10–15 | 1 min |
Chest / Arms Hyp.
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Incline Barbell Bench Press | 3 × 8–12 | 2 min |
| Dumbbell Bench Press | 3 × 10–12 | 90 s |
| Cable Chest Fly | 3 × 12–15 | 1 min |
| Preacher Curl | 3 × 10–12 | 1 min |
| Hammer Curl | 3 × 10–12 | 1 min |
| Rope Triceps Pressdown | 3 × 10–12 | 1 min |
Adding weight
Where an exercise has a rep range, like 6–8, stay at the same weight until you hit the top of the range on every set. Then add the smallest jump you can and build back up from the bottom.
Jumps of 1–2.5 kg on upper-body lifts and 2.5–5 kg on lower-body lifts are plenty. Bigger jumps stall sooner.
Making it fit
- Plan a lighter week every four to six weeks: same exercises, about half the sets, lighter loads.
- Keep the first exercise of each day sacred. The ones after it can flex with how you feel.
