Written by Hamza J
Based on Layne Norton's PHAT program, with some minor adaptations.
A 5-day per week split created by natural pro bodybuilder and powerlifter Layne Norton. Two heavy power days build strength in the 3-5 rep range, then three hypertrophy days pile on volume in the 8-20 rep range, each opened with explosive speed work. Designed to run in blocks of roughly 12 weeks between deloads.
PHAT is for experienced intermediate and advanced lifters who want to be strong and muscular at the same time. Norton's core idea: getting stronger in low rep ranges raises the weights you can handle for high reps, which increases the total growth stimulus over time.
The program focuses on:
If you can already handle serious workloads and want a bridge between powerlifting and bodybuilding, this is it.
| Day | Workout |
|---|---|
| 1 | Upper Body Power |
| 2 | Lower Body Power |
| 3 | Rest |
| 4 | Back and Shoulders Hypertrophy |
| 5 | Lower Body Hypertrophy |
| 6 | Chest and Arms Hypertrophy |
| 7 | Rest |
| Exercise | Sets x Reps |
|---|---|
| Bent Over or Pendlay Row | 3 x 3-5 |
| Weighted Pull-up | 2 x 6-10 |
| Rack Chin | 2 x 6-10 |
| Flat Dumbbell Press | 3 x 3-5 |
| Weighted Dip | 2 x 6-10 |
| Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 3 x 6-10 |
| Cambered Bar Curl | 3 x 6-10 |
| Skullcrusher | 3 x 6-10 |
| Exercise | Sets x Reps |
|---|---|
| Squat | 3 x 3-5 |
| Hack Squat | 2 x 6-10 |
| Leg Extension | 2 x 6-10 |
| Stiff-Legged Deadlift | 3 x 5-8 |
| Glute Ham Raise or Lying Leg Curl | 2 x 6-10 |
| Standing Calf Raise | 3 x 6-10 |
| Seated Calf Raise | 2 x 6-10 |
| Exercise | Sets x Reps |
|---|---|
| Bent Over or Pendlay Row (speed work) | 6 x 3 @ 65-70% |
| Rack Chin | 3 x 8-12 |
| Seated Cable Row | 3 x 8-12 |
| Dumbbell Row or Shrug | 2 x 12-15 |
| Close Grip Pulldown | 2 x 15-20 |
| Seated Dumbbell Press | 3 x 8-12 |
| Upright Row | 2 x 12-15 |
| Side Lateral Raise | 3 x 12-20 |
| Exercise | Sets x Reps |
|---|---|
| Squat (speed work) | 6 x 3 @ 65-70% |
| Hack Squat | 3 x 8-12 |
| Leg Press | 2 x 12-15 |
| Leg Extension | 3 x 15-20 |
| Romanian Deadlift | 3 x 8-12 |
| Lying Leg Curl | 2 x 12-15 |
| Seated Leg Curl | 2 x 15-20 |
| Donkey Calf Raise | 4 x 10-15 |
| Seated Calf Raise | 3 x 15-20 |
| Exercise | Sets x Reps |
|---|---|
| Flat Dumbbell Press (speed work) | 6 x 3 @ 65-70% |
| Incline Dumbbell Press | 3 x 8-12 |
| Machine Chest Press | 3 x 12-15 |
| Incline Cable Flye | 2 x 15-20 |
| Cambered Bar Preacher Curl | 3 x 8-12 |
| Dumbbell Concentration Curl | 2 x 12-15 |
| Spider Curl | 2 x 15-20 |
| Seated Cambered Bar Triceps Extension | 3 x 8-12 |
| Rope Cable Pressdown | 2 x 15-20 |
| Cable Kickback | 2 x 15-20 |
The two power days are built around compound movements for 3-5 reps with heavy loads and full recovery between sets. Move the weight with maximal intent. Norton recommends rotating your main power exercises every 2-3 weeks (for example, flat dumbbell press to flat barbell press) to keep progressing without burning out on one movement.
Each hypertrophy day starts with speed work: 6 sets of 3 reps (Norton allows 6-8 sets) using 65-70% of the weight you use for 3-5 reps on your power day, with the concentric (lifting) phase performed as explosively as possible.
Example: If you squat 140 kg (310 lbs) for 3-5 reps on power day, your speed squat weight is roughly 91-98 kg (200-215 lbs).
The bar should move fast on every rep. If bar speed slows, the weight is too heavy.
Do not train to absolute failure during the first weeks. Once adapted to the workload, only the final 1-2 sets of an exercise should approach failure. Everything else stops with reps in reserve.
PHAT uses double progression inside every rep range.
On the power lifts, when you complete all sets of 5, add weight and drop back to sets of 3. Speed work weights update automatically since they are a percentage of your power-day weight.
Everything below assumes your form is already solid. Finding your working weight, adding weight, chasing reps, all of it only works if you can perform the lift correctly. While your form is not locked in, that is your only job. Make good form the goal of every set, not the weight on the bar. Drilling the movement with an empty bar beats loading plates onto a lift you cannot control yet.
To learn, don't hesitate to search Google and YouTube (there is a lot of good free material) and record yourself from the side to compare against a proper demonstration. In general, good form means a full controlled range of motion, a braced neutral spine, no bouncing or momentum, a consistent setup every rep, and ending the set when technique breaks down rather than grinding sloppy reps.
For the power lifts:
For hypertrophy exercises, pick a weight you can lift for the bottom of the rep range with 1-2 reps in reserve. It's better to start too light than too heavy; PHAT's volume punishes overreaching quickly.
Before the first heavy lift of each day, perform 3-4 warm-up sets with increasing weight:
| Set | Weight | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ~40% of working weight | 5 | 45 seconds |
| 2 | ~60% of working weight | 3 | 60 seconds |
| 3 | ~80% of working weight | 2 | 60 seconds |
| Work sets | 100% | As prescribed | See rest times |
Speed work needs only 1-2 light ramp-up sets since the loads are submaximal. Accessory exercises generally don't need dedicated warm-up sets.
| Exercise Type | Rest Period |
|---|---|
| Power day main lifts (3-5 reps) | 3-6 minutes, full recovery |
| Speed work sets | 1-2 minutes |
| Hypertrophy work (8-20 reps) | 1-2 minutes |
Norton emphasizes complete recovery between heavy power sets. Do not rush them. On hypertrophy days, keep rests shorter to maintain density.
PHAT has a built-in deload rule: every 6-12 weeks, take 1-3 weeks using 60-70% of your normal weights while keeping the same movements. Treat it as active recovery, not a challenge.
Outside scheduled deloads, if a lift stalls for three consecutive sessions:
Run PHAT in blocks of 12 weeks (12 weeks at 5 sessions per week, totaling 60 workouts), then take a deload week before starting the next block.
Why 12 weeks?
If you would like to read the original program article:
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