Anyone tried the PHAT, PHUL or SHUL weightlifting programs?

[benther]

I've been lifting serious for a year now, with a five day split bodybuilding program and experienced pretty good results in size, but not in strength. I deffinently want more strength, because I feel like I should be able to lift more.
I've come across some training programs, that focus both on strength and size, and they seem very interesting.
I want to ask if anyone has tried some of these programs, and how the results have been ao far, what they like and don't like.

Links to each program:

Layne Norton PHAT: http://www.directlyfitness.com/store/p-h-a-t-training-layne-nortons-workout-system/

Brandon Campbell PHUL: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/phul-workout

Raymond Querido SHUL: http://the-online-coach.com/product...-u-l-strength-hypertrophy-upper-lower-workout

 

[dawn16]

@benther Personally I'd recommend PHUL. PHAT has an excessive amount of volume in my opinion; it'll take forever to get each session done and it's just unnecessary in my opinion. SHUL? There's simply no reason to pay for a program these days.

PHUL is good but I'd personally do the upper body compounds in a push-pull-push-pull fashion instead of a push-push-pull-pull as they're written. I'd also change a few of the movements and do more calf work, but I guess that's just personal preference.

 

[benther]

@dawn16 I always did push-pull before, but I kinda lost the pump, when doing it like that. PHUL seems like a good fit for me

 

[mekinney01]

@dawn16

PHAT has an excessive amount of volume in my opinion; it'll take forever to get each session done and it's just unnecessary in my opinion.

100% agree. If you're gonna do PHAT, you must remove a lot of the accessory work and add deadlifts

 

[benther]

@mekinney01 I think that PHUL seems like the best fitting. It's always possible to add or change some of the exercises, and deadlifts are a most IMO

 

[taskid2]

@mekinney01 If you want hypertrophy? Hell no.

E: nvm, OP wants to increase his strength.

 

[swiderskial]

@benther Loved phat. Been running it 3 months, I've been lifting for a year and a half. Bench has gone from
195x3 to 235x3
Squat from 285x3 to 315x3
Dead 315x3 to 355x3
Great program, a lot of fun too

 

[benther]

@swiderskial Did you increase those weights in the three months or the year and a half? Maybe a stupid question.
How were the size gains?

 

[swiderskial]

@benther 3 months. Size gains have been fantastic, really noticed it in my upper chest, hamstrings, and triceps

 

[benther]

@swiderskial Okey that's really great!

 

[notazionist]

@benther lol that S.H.U.L looks like a scam

 

[gilforchrist65]

@benther I've been doing a mixture between PHAT and PHUL for quite a few months now with great success and absolutely love it.

My biggest problem is that in old programs I would get really stuck in to chasing strength numbers or increasing hypertrophy capabilities very single-mindedly.

Whereas the even mixture of strength and hypertrophy on a weekly basis lets me work on both and I never ever ever get bored. I look forward to each workout because I've structured it so that the exercises used for each muscle group are quite different.

 

[benther]

@gilforchrist65 That sounds really good! I don't see many strength gains, but I'm deffinently hyped about lifting heavy.
How often a week do you train?

 

[gilforchrist65]

@benther I commit to 4 days a week (Heavy upper, heavy lower, hypertrophy upper, hypertrophy lower).

If I have enough fuel in the tank I add in a 5th or even 6th day with either a full-body callisthenics/bootcamp type of workout or with some kind of HIIT training.

I like this method because it lets me easily self-regulate my training based on how I feel while still maintaining a certain level of commitment. I also then get to play around with whatever I feel like doing on the extra days to keep things fun and interesting.

 

[lisa42]

@benther You could always do PHUL/PHAT/whathaveyou and just add a proven progression, 5/3/1 for example.

 

[benther]

@lisa42 Yea ofcourse

 

[somethingon]

@benther I go old school, chest/back, shoulders/arms, legs/abs

 

[dawn16]

@benther i've just started PHUL i'll let you fellas know how it goes, i'm hoping to get swoll and strong af brah

 

[benther]

@dawn16 Sounds good! Best of luck

 

[fargonic]

@benther Honestly don't worry about whether a program places too much emphasis on strength, if you increase your strength enough you will make some gains, and when you choose to increase the volume you will be at a better position to make gains as high volume at high weight will create a better response than high volume at low weight.