5 Day PHAT Workout – Power Hypertrophy Adaptive Training

• Squats - 3 sets of 3-5 reps
• Hack squats - 2 sets of 6-10 reps
• Leg press - 2 sets of 6-10 reps
• Romanian deadlifts - 3 sets of 5-8 reps
• Lying leg curls - 2 sets of 6-10 reps
• Raised step calf raises - 3 sets of 6-10 reps
• Seated calf raises - 2 sets of 6-10 reps

• Bent-over row (at 60% of 1RM) - 6 sets of 3-5 reps
• Wide-grip lat pulldowns - 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Seated cable row - 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Dumbbell rows - 2 sets of 10-15 reps
• Close grip pull downs - 2 sets of 10-15 reps
• Seated dumbbell shoulder press - 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Side lateral raises - 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Face pulls - 3 sets of 8-12 reps

• Squats (at 60% of 1RM) - 6 sets of 3-5 reps
• Hack squats - 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Leg press - 2 sets of 12-15 reps
• Leg extensions - 3 sets of 15-20 reps
• Romanian deadlifts - 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Lying leg curls - 2 sets of 12-15 reps
• Seated leg curls - 2 sets of 15-20 reps
• Raised step calf raises - 3 sets of 15-20 reps
• Seated calf raises - 3 sets of 15-20 reps

• Flat bench dumbbell press (at 60% of 1RM) - 6 sets of 3-5 reps
• Incline dumbbell press - 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Hammer strength bench press - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
• Incline cable flyes - 2 sets of 15-20 reps
• Preacher curls - 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Dumbbell concentration curls - 2 sets of 12-15 reps
• Spider curls - 2 sets of 15-20 reps
• Seated overhead tricep extension - 3 sets of 8-12 reps
• Tricep pushdowns - 2 sets of 12-15 reps
• Tricep kickbacks - 2 sets of 15-20 reps

PHAT is a challenging workout routine that demands you train 5 days per week. There's a limited time for rest between workouts, so it's important you follow the schedule closely. Ensure you prioritize rest and recovery, as this will enhance your progress and avoid the risk of injury.

Because PHAT is an intense workout routine, it's important you do not rush into lifting heavy weights right away. Start with lighter weights to get your body adjusted to the routine. Also consider dropping some sets to reduce the overall volume as you first start the PHAT routine.

Gradually increase the intensity of your workouts overtime. This will reduce the risk of injury.

Push, pull, legs (PPL) is a more popular split that divides workouts into push exercises (chest, shoulders and triceps), pull exercises (back, biceps and forearms) and leg exercises. Unlike PHAT, which strikes a balance between powerlifting and bodybuilding, PPL primarily focuses on bodybuilding.

PPL encourages you to focus on specific muscle groups on each day of the routine. But it lacks the strength training component that PHAT provides with its Power Days. This could limit your overall strength development.

PPL splits are typically trained 6 days per week, although it's possible to follow a 5 day PPL split, too. If you workout 5 days per week, it is worth looking closely at PHAT as an alternative to the more traditional PPL workouts.

The 5x5 workout routine focuses on compound movements and improving your overall strength. It sees you workout three days per week. On each day, you work five sets of five reps of each exercise. The exercises are primarily compound movements like squats, deadlifts, bench press, overhead press and barbell rows. The routine is typically performed with a day of rest in between each workout.

While 5x5 is an excellent routine for building strength, it may not be as effective for hypertrophy when compared with a PHAT workout. It also has less variety of exercises compared to PHAT, which makes the risk of plateau more likely.

Changelog

• 17 January 2024 - 5 day PHAT routine first published by Jane Litfin.
• 6 January 2025 - Substantial content update and layout change by Jane Litfin. Adopted a more user-friendly content layout, by including the routine workout days, routine structure, tips and comparison sections at the top of the page.