PHUL Workout Routine: The Complete Guide

PHUL stands for “energy hypertrophy higher decrease” and is a 4-day exercise routine designed that will help you acquire power and muscle quick.

Unlike most power coaching packages, which focus solely on both power or dimension, PHUL combines heavy, low-rep compound weightlifting with higher-rep hypertrophy coaching to provide the better of each worlds. 

In this information, you’ll be taught precisely how the PHUL exercise works, what the total routine seems like, and the way to adapt it to suit your schedule and objectives.

Want to know precisely how you need to practice to succeed in your health objectives? Take our free 60-second coaching quiz and discover out now.

Key Takeaways

• PHUL stands for “energy hypertrophy higher decrease.” It’s a 4-day exercise cut up designed to construct power and muscle quick.
• On the PHUL exercise program, you practice every main muscle group twice per week, which analysis reveals is useful for dimension and power acquire.
• Each week contains two exercises centered on power and two on hypertrophy, providing you with one of the best of each worlds.
• The program emphasizes compound workout routines just like the squat, deadlift, bench press, and overhead press. These workout routines ought to all the time be in this system, however you may be extra versatile with the “accent” workout routines.
• To speed up your progress on the PHUL exercise program, use a high-quality protein powder to hit your each day protein goal, creatine to spice up restoration and progress, and a pre-workout to boost power, focus, and efficiency.
• If you wish to practice roughly typically, you’ll be able to adapt the PHUL exercise routine to a 3- or 5-day schedule with out sacrificing outcomes.

What Is the PHUL Workout?

PHUL Workout Schedule

PHUL Workout Principles

Frequency

You practice every muscle group twice per week on the PHUL exercise cut up. Research reveals this usually helps you acquire muscle and power quicker than while you practice much less typically.

The routine additionally offers every muscle group a minimum of two days to recuperate when you work on others. This minimizes your danger of struggling repetitive pressure accidents and ensures you may give maximal effort in every exercise, which is essential for maximizing your progress.

Compound Exercises

PHUL exercises focus on compound workout routines like squats, deadlifts, and presses. These actions practice a number of muscle teams directly, permitting you to carry heavier weights and higher apply progressive overload—the first driver of muscle and power beneficial properties.

You additionally do isolation workout routines (workout routines that practice one muscle group at a time) to focus on muscle groups that compound workout routines practice much less successfully and to make sure you’re doing sufficient quantity (units) to maximise progress with out sporting your self out. 

Power

In these exercises, you’ll carry heavier weights in decrease rep ranges to enhance your one-rep max power. This is essential as a result of getting stronger is significant for maximising muscle acquire.

Hypertrophy

The 4-Day PHUL Workout Routine

PHUL Workout 1: Upper Power

PHUL Workout 2: Lower Power

PHUL Workout 3: Upper Hypertrophy

PHUL Workout 4: Lower Hypertrophy

• Front Squat: 3-to-4 units | 8-to-12 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation
• Lunge: 3-to-4 units | 8-to-12 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation
• Leg Extension: 3-to-4 units | 10-to-15 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation
• Lying Leg Curl: 3-to-4 units | 10-to-15 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation
• Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise: 3-to-4 units | 8-to-12 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation
• Seated Calf Raise: 3-to-4 units | 8-to-12 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation
• Leg Press Calf Raise: 3-to-4 units | 8-to-12 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation

Notes on the PHUL Workout

Sets and Reps

Failure

Exercise Selection

Ab Training

PHUL Workout Exercise Substitutions

• Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: Incline barbell bench press, flat dumbbell bench press, close-grip bench press, dip, or machine chest press
• Barbell Bent-Over Row: One-arm dumbbell row, Meadows row, chest-supported row, seated cable row, or machine row
• Lat Pulldown: Pull-up, chin-up, neutral-grip pull-up, or neutral-grip lat pulldown
• Skullcrusher: Overhead triceps extension, triceps pushdown, JM press, or cable triceps kickback
• Barbell Curl: Dumbbell curl, preacher curl, Bayesian cable curl or incline dumbbell curl
• Leg Press: Hack squat or pendulum squat
• Seated Leg Curl: Lying leg curl or Nordic leg curl
• Seated Calf Raise: Standing calf elevate or leg press calf elevate
• Incline Barbell Bench Press: Incline dumbbell bench press, flat dumbbell bench press, close-grip bench press, dip, or machine chest press
• Flat Dumbbell Fly: Cable fly or machine fly
• Seated Cable Row: One-arm dumbbell row, Meadows row, chest-supported row, or machine row
• Dumbbell Row: Meadows row, chest-supported row, or machine row
• Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise: Upright row or machine aspect lateral elevate
• Incline Dumbbell Curl: Dumbbell curl, preacher curl, Bayesian cable curl or barbell curl
• Triceps Pushdown: Overhead triceps extension, skullcrusher, JM press, or cable triceps kickback
• Front Squat: Hack squat, leg press, or Bulgarian cut up squat
• Lunge: Bulgarian cut up squat, step-up, or reverse lunge
• Leg Extension: Sissy squat
• Lying Leg Curl: Seated leg curl or Nordic leg curl
• Leg Press Calf Raise: Seated or standing calf elevate

Supplements to Maximize Your Results on the PHUL Workout Routine

• Protein powder: Protein powder, reminiscent of Whey+ (Legion’s whey isolate) or Casein+ (Legion’s micellar casein), supplies your physique with the vitamins wanted to construct muscle tissue and recuperate out of your PHUL exercises. 
• Creatine: Creatine boosts muscle and power acquire, improves anaerobic endurance, and reduces muscle injury and soreness out of your exercises. For a pure supply of creatine, strive Legion’s creatine monohydrate, creatine gummies, or post-workout Recharge.
• Pre-workout: A high-quality pre-workout enhances power, temper, and focus, will increase power and endurance, and reduces fatigue. For a top-tier pre-workout containing clinically efficient doses of 6 science-backed elements, strive Legion’s Pulse with caffeine or with out.

(If you’d like much more particular recommendation about which dietary supplements you need to take to succeed in your well being and health objectives, take the Legion Supplement Finder Quiz, and in lower than a minute, you’ll know precisely what dietary supplements are best for you.)

Pros and Cons of the PHUL Workout Routine

Pros

• Balance: You practice each main muscle group twice per week, which ensures you don’t neglect any a part of your physique and helps you construct a well-rounded, aesthetic physique.
• Variety: Each week contains each energy and hypertrophy exercises, providing you with a mixture of heavy power coaching and high-rep muscle-building work, which can enhance your outcomes greater than much less diversified coaching.

• Frequency: Training every muscle group twice per week is more practical for gaining muscle and power than coaching as soon as per week.

• Simple: The PHUL program has a easy construction, which makes it extra pleasant and simpler to stay with long run.

• High-Quality Training: Because PHUL spreads quantity throughout a number of periods, you keep away from exhausting anyone muscle group in a single exercise. And that enhances restoration and helps you carry out higher in subsequent exercises.

Cons

3- and 5-Day PHUL Workout Splits

3-day PHUL Workout Routine

5-Day PHUL Workout Routine

The 5-day PHUL cut up separates your upper-body hypertrophy work into push and pull days, successfully turning this system right into a ULPPL cut up. This helps maintain every session shorter and ensures you practice each upper-body muscle completely. 

Because you’re coaching extra typically and doing extra whole work every week, this model is just appropriate when you’re an skilled weightlifter who’s bulking. For most others, it’s probably an excessive amount of to recuperate from.

Workout 1: Upper Power

• Barbell Bench Press: 3-to-4 units | 3-to-5 reps | 3-to-5 min relaxation
• Incline Dumbbell Bench Press: 3-to-4 units | 6-to-10 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation
• Barbell Bent-Over Row: 3-to-4 units | 3-to-5 reps | 3-to-5 min relaxation
• Lat Pulldown: 3-to-4 units | 6-to-10 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation
• Overhead Press: 2-to-3 units | 6-to-10 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation
• Skullcrusher: 2-to-3 units | 6-to-10 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation
• Barbell Curl: 2-to-3 units | 6-to-10 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation

Workout 2: Lower Power

• Barbell Back Squat: 3-to-4 units | 3-to-5 reps | 3-to-5 min relaxation
• Barbell Deadlift: 3-to-4 units | 3-to-5 reps | 3-to-5 min relaxation
• Leg Press: 3-to-5 units | 10-to-15 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation
• Seated Leg Curl: 3-to-4 units | 6-to-10 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation
• Seated Calf Raise: 4 units | 6-to-10 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation

Workout 3: Push Hypertrophy

• Incline Barbell Bench Press: 3-to-4 units | 8-to-12 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation
• Flat Dumbbell Fly: 3-to-4 units | 8-to-12 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation
• Arnold Press: 3-to-4 units | 8-to-12 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation
• Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise: 3-to-4 units | 8-to-12 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation
• Dumbbell Rear Lateral Raise: 3-to-4 units | 8-to-12 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation
• Triceps Pushdown: 3-to-4 units | 8-to-12 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation

Workout 4: Pull Hypertrophy

• Pull-up: 3-to-4 units | 8-to-12 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation
• Seated Cable Row: 3-to-4 units | 8-to-12 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation
• Lat Pulldown: 3-to-4 units | 8-to-12 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation
• Dumbbell Row: 3-to-4 units | 8-to-12 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation
• Preacher Curl: 3-to-4 units | 8-to-12 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation
• Incline Dumbbell Curl: 3-to-4 units | 8-to-12 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation

Workout 5: Lower Hypertrophy

• Front Squat: 3-to-4 units | 8-to-12 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation
• Lunge: 3-to-4 units | 8-to-12 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation
• Leg Extension: 3-to-4 units | 10-to-15 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation
• Lying Leg Curl: 3-to-4 units | 10-to-15 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation
• Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise: 3-to-4 units | 8-to-12 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation
• Seated Calf Raise: 3-to-4 units | 8-to-12 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation
• Leg Press Calf Raise: 3-to-4 units | 8-to-12 reps | 2-to-3 min relaxation

FAQ #1: Is the PHUL exercise good?

FAQ #2: What’s the distinction between PHAT and PHUL?

FAQ #3: Is the PHUL exercise for rookies?

No—PHUL is healthier fitted to intermediate and superior weightlifters. Beginners will get higher outcomes from easier routines that contain much less quantity, like Bigger Leaner Stronger or Thinner Leaner Stronger.