Power and Hypertrophy Program (3 Day)
Heavy compounds for power, hypertrophy accessories after, three sessions a week. Each day covers squat, hinge, push, pull and core work.
Routines
Day 1 — Upper Power
Heavy press and pull focus with arm and core accessories.
Day 2 — Lower Power
Squat and hinge emphasis with unilateral, hamstrings, calves, and anti-rotation core.
Day 3 — Hypertrophy Blend
Push, pull, and leg accessories with shoulder health, arms, calves, and rotational core.
About this plan
Three sessions a week that open heavy and finish with volume: sets of six on the first movements, then eight to twelve on everything after.
Day one is upper — parallel chest press and lat pulldown at three sets of six, then T-bar rows, incline front raises and arm work. Day two is lower — Smith squats at three sets of six, then cable pull-throughs, forward-leaning lunges, leg curls and calf raises. Day three is the volume day, all at ten to twelve reps: standing chest press, single-arm pulldowns, suspension rows, Y raises, kickbacks and curls.
The structure is in the name. The heavy sets at the front recruit the largest motor units while you are fresh, which is where strength comes from. The higher-rep work afterwards accumulates the volume that drives size. Doing them in the other order gets you neither.
Day three having no heavy work at all is not an oversight. Three heavy sessions a week on the same patterns is more than most intermediate lifters recover from, and a dedicated volume day lets the joints and connective tissue catch up while the muscles still get worked.
Machines, cables and suspension straps throughout rather than free weights. That is a deliberate fit for the goal — when the aim is muscle rather than a competition total, the fixed path lets you take sets closer to failure with less technical risk and less fatigue that carries into the next session.
Add weight when all three sets of six finish with two reps in reserve. On the twelve-rep work, add reps first and weight second — connective tissue adapts more slowly than muscle and the higher-rep work is where that shows.
Train this plan in the app
LoadMuscle carries all 3 routines with a demo for every exercise, and logs your sets as you go, so next session you can see what to beat. Free on iPhone and Android.
Want something built around your own schedule and equipment instead? Try the free workout planner.
