Strength
PHUL, Power Hypertrophy Upper Lower
Brandon Campbell's 4-day split: 2 power days + 2 hypertrophy days. Upper/lower structure, balanced volume and intensity. Four days a week, about 65 minutes a session.
- Days per week
- 4
- Session length
- About 65 min
- Level
- Intermediate
- Focus
- Hypertrophy
Who it's for
You have lifted consistently for a while and know the main barbell and dumbbell movements.
You will need four sessions a week of roughly 65 minutes, plus a warm-up.
Your week
Rest or walk on the other three days. Spread the sessions out if you can, so the same muscles get a day off in between.
- Day 1: Upper Power (about 60 min)
- Day 2: Lower Power (about 60 min)
- Day 3: Upper Hyp. (about 65 min)
- Day 4: Lower Hyp. (about 65 min)
Upper Power
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Bench Press | 4 × 3–5 | 3 min |
| Pendlay Row | 4 × 3–5 | 3 min |
| Overhead Press | 3 × 5–8 | 2½ min |
| Pull-Up | 3 × 5–8 | 2 min |
| Barbell Curl | 3 × 8–10 | 1 min |
| Rope Triceps Pressdown | 3 × 8–10 | 1 min |
Lower Power
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Back Squat | 4 × 3–5 | 4 min |
| Deadlift | 3 × 3–5 | 4 min |
| Leg Press | 3 × 10–12 | 2 min |
| Lying Leg Curl | 3 × 6–10 | 90 s |
| Standing Calf Raise | 4 × 6–10 | 1 min |
Upper Hypertrophy
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Incline Barbell Bench Press | 4 × 8–12 | 2 min |
| Seated Cable Row | 4 × 8–12 | 90 s |
| Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 3 × 10–12 | 90 s |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 4 × 12–15 | 1 min |
| Hammer Curl | 3 × 10–12 | 1 min |
| Overhead Rope Triceps Extension | 3 × 10–12 | 1 min |
Lower Hypertrophy
| Exercise | Sets × reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|
| Front Squat | 4 × 8–12 | 2 min |
| Romanian Deadlift | 3 × 8–12 | 2 min |
| Bulgarian Split Squat | 3 × 10–12 | 90 s |
| Leg Extension | 3 × 12–15 | 1 min |
| Seated Calf Raise | 4 × 15–20 | 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
- Take a lighter week every five or six weeks: same exercises, about half the sets.
- If a session runs long, cut the last exercise rather than rushing the rest.
