Hypertrophy programs to build muscle
PHUL, PHAT, Reddit PPL, Alberto Nuñez programs. Volume-focused programs for size and definition, with per-muscle volume tracking that shows you what's actually growing and what's getting under-trained.
What hypertrophy training requires
Building muscle isn't about hitting one-rep maxes. It's about accumulating productive volume per muscle, week over week, with enough recovery to actually grow between sessions.
Hypertrophy programs from real coaches
Volume-focused programs from Alberto Nuñez, Eric Helms, Layne Norton, Brandon Campbell, and others. All free, with the full block structure and progressive overload built in.
Tools built for hypertrophy
The features that matter when volume-per-muscle is the central lever: a heatmap that shows weekly volume distribution, supersets and drop sets in the logger, and progress photos to track what the scale doesn't show.
How to run a hypertrophy block
Six steps from "I want to build muscle" to "first 12-week block done." The same loop most serious lifters run for a hypertrophy mesocycle.
- 1Pick a hypertrophy programPHUL or PHAT for a 4-day power-and-hypertrophy split. Reddit PPL for a 5-day classic. Alberto Nuñez programs for advanced specialization. Pick the one that fits your schedule and current experience.
- 2Set your starting volumeOpen Boostcamp's Muscle Tracker (Pro) and check your current weekly volume per muscle. The first week of a new block should sit at maintenance volume. The block builds from there.
- 3Log every set, including isolationHypertrophy blocks live and die on accumulated volume. Log every working set, including isolation work that lifters often skip. If it isn't logged, the heatmap doesn't see it.
- 4Track volume per muscle weeklyOpen the Muscle Tracker heatmap once a week. If a muscle is consistently below target, add an exercise or extra set. If a muscle is over-trained and recovery is suffering, pull back.
- 5Take the programmed deloadMost hypertrophy programs include a deload every 4-8 weeks. Run it as written. Skipping deloads is the fastest way to stall a hypertrophy block before it pays off.
- 6Reassess body composition at the endCompare progress photos, bodyweight trend, and lift numbers from the start of the block to the end. Decide whether to start another hypertrophy block, transition to a cut, or shift to a strength block.
Track every set.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on your experience and how many days a week you want to train. Beginners and early intermediates do well on the 4 Day Upper/Lower Program or Alberto Nuñez's Upper/Lower split. Intermediate-to-advanced lifters often run Eric Helms's Muscle and Strength Pyramid programs, Bald Omni-Man's Bald Swordman or Power Bomb PPL, or classic high-volume splits like Arnold Schwarzenegger's Golden Six. All free in Boostcamp.
Yes. The major hypertrophy programs (Alberto Nuñez Upper/Lower, Eric Helms's Muscle and Strength Pyramid, Bald Swordman, Arnold's Volume Workout, Strong Curves for women) are free, along with the workout tracker, supersets, drop sets, RPE logging, and live PR badges and PR boards. Boostcamp Pro adds the Muscle Tracker (per-muscle volume heatmap), Personalized Programs, Auto Progression, and 20+ exclusive coach programs.
Yes. Boostcamp has multiple Alberto Nuñez programs (Upper Lower, full-body, specialization blocks) and several Eric Helms programs from Stronger By Science. Both coaches publish program content directly on Boostcamp, with the full block structure and progression logic built in. Most are in the free library.
Boostcamp's Muscle Tracker (Pro) shows volume for each muscle group as a front and back body heatmap, a radar chart, and a table. Volume tracking is the central lever for hypertrophy progress, so most serious lifters use Pro for this.
Yes. The workout editor supports supersets (group exercises that you alternate through), drop sets, customizable warmup templates, and tempo notation. All set types are stored in the PR tracker so an AMRAP or a drop-set top single is logged the same way as a straight set.
Most hypertrophy blocks run 8 to 12 weeks before a deload, with the volume building each week (a 'mesocycle') and then dropping for one deload week. Lifters typically run 2 to 4 hypertrophy blocks back to back during a bulk, then transition to a strength or maintenance phase. Boostcamp tracks where you are in the block and prompts the deload.
Yes. Boostcamp's bodyweight tracker logs daily weight over time and stores progress photos with dates. The trend line is what matters for a bulk or cut, and the photo timeline gives you a visual record of how your physique actually changes (which the scale alone doesn't capture).
Hypertrophy programs lean on higher rep ranges (typically 6 to 15+), more sets per muscle group per week (10 to 20+), and a wider variety of exercises (compounds plus isolation). Strength programs use lower rep ranges (1 to 5), fewer total sets, and stay closer to the competition lifts. Many programs combine both (PHUL, PHAT, powerbuilding splits) so you don't have to choose.