Proven program, faithfully implemented
PHAT
PHAT — Power Hypertrophy Adaptive Training, from Layne Norton — is a five-day programme that runs powerlifting and bodybuilding side by side: two heavy POWER days at 3-5 reps, then three HYPERTROPHY days that train the same movements for volume. Each hypertrophy day opens with explosive speed sets at about 67.5% of the matching power-day lift.
About the program
Created by: Dr. Layne Norton — Power Hypertrophy Adaptive Training (PHAT).
Who it's for
- Best for: Strength and size at once, at high frequency — each muscle trained heavy and light in the same week.
- Experience: Intermediate to advanced. Five days of high volume needs the recovery to match; PHUL is the same idea over four days.
- Time: Five days a week. Long sessions, and it is the biggest weekly commitment of the power/hypertrophy family.
How it's built
The shape of the program — sessions, sets and rep scheme. Iron Forge fills in the exact weights for you from your maxes.
PHAT
Upper Power
- Barbell Row — 3×3-5
- + 6 more exercises
Lower Power
- Barbell Squat — 3×3-5
- + 5 more exercises
Back & Shoulders Hypertrophy
- Rack Chin — 3×8-12
- + 7 more exercises
Lower Hypertrophy
- Leg Press — 3×8-12
- + 7 more exercises
Chest & Arms Hypertrophy
- Incline Dumbbell Bench Press — 3×8-12
- + 7 more exercises
How Iron Forge runs it
How it works
PHAT — Power Hypertrophy Adaptive Training (Layne Norton) — is a 5-day programme that fuses powerlifting and bodybuilding. Two POWER days train the upper and lower body heavy in low rep ranges (~3–5 reps) on the big compounds to build strength and neural drive. Three HYPERTROPHY days (back & shoulders, lower body, chest & arms) train the same muscles with moderate weight and higher reps (~8–20) and plenty of volume to build size. You get the strength base of powerlifting and the muscle of bodybuilding in one week.
Power days vs hypertrophy days
On the two power days you work the main lifts (and their close variations) for low reps and long rests — this is where you get strong. On the three hypertrophy days you take those strength gains and express them as volume: moderate loads, 8–20 rep sets, shorter rests, and more exercises per muscle. Training a muscle heavy earlier in the week and again for volume later is the key to PHAT's dual result.
Speed work on hypertrophy days
Each hypertrophy day opens with explosive speed sets — 6 sets of 3 fast, controlled reps at about 67.5% of the matching power-day lift (Speed Squat off your Squat, Speed Row off your Barbell Row, Speed Press off your Flat Dumbbell Press). The point is bar speed and rate of force, not fatigue: move every rep as fast as you can, keep it crisp, and rest fully between sets. These sets aren't loaded on their own — they track their power lift and re-base as it climbs, so as you get stronger the speed weight follows automatically.
Progression
Push the power-day compounds by adding weight when you hit the low-rep target (a strength, double-progression approach), and drive the hypertrophy days with double progression in the higher ranges — add reps to the top of the range, then add weight. It's a high-volume, 5-day commitment, so recovery, food and sleep have to keep up with the workload.
PHAT in Iron Forge
FAQ
- What does PHAT stand for?
Power Hypertrophy Adaptive Training, created by Dr Layne Norton — a 5-day split blending heavy powerlifting-style work with higher-volume bodybuilding work.
- How is the week laid out?
Two power days (upper, lower) in low rep ranges, then three hypertrophy days (back & shoulders, lower, chest & arms) in higher rep ranges — five training days total.
- What rep ranges does each day use?
Power days ~3–5 reps on the main compounds; hypertrophy days ~8–20 reps with more volume and isolation.
- Why do the hypertrophy days start with 6×3 speed sets?
They're dynamic-effort speed sets — 6×3 at ~67.5% of the matching power lift, moved as explosively as possible. They build rate of force development and groove technique without much fatigue, so you keep plenty in the tank for the volume work that follows. The load tracks your power lift and re-bases automatically as that lift climbs.
- How do I progress?
Add weight on the power-day compounds when you clear the low-rep target; use double progression (reps then weight) on the hypertrophy-day work.
- Is PHAT for beginners?
No — the volume and 5-day commitment suit intermediates and up who already have solid strength on the main lifts and can recover from the workload.
- Does PHAT build strength or size?
Both, by design — the power days keep you getting stronger while the hypertrophy days add muscle, with each muscle trained heavy and then for volume within the same week.
Start PHAT for free today.
Real programs, done right. Log your lifts — Iron Forge handles the maths.