“How much is your total, bro?”, “Man, you pull sumo?!” – these are some common phrases that you’ll hear around the powerlifters, and they make sense – once you know what’s going on.
Squat, bench, and deadlift are the base measures of strength, and Layne Norton has developed a plan (Ph3) to make your strength skyrocket – apparently.
Let’s see if the science man can lift, too.
Before We Get Started, Let Me Say This…
Hey, it’s Kyle. I’m the founder of Noob Gains.
Thanks so much for stopping by! 🙂
I just wanted to jump in here to let you know that the program you’re about to learn about might be a total banger… or a complete flop.
(I’m not going to spoil it just yet.)
And while it might do a decent job of getting you the fitness results you want…
There’s one program that I continue to recommend to intermediates (and noobs) over and over again because of how effective it is at helping people build muscle and lose body fat with minimal effort.
Listen, if you want to build a lean and muscular physique that draws attention…
Without working out more than 4 days per week…
Without forcing down 5-6 bland, bodybuilder-style meals per day…
And without gouging your wallet…
You should consider Superhero X12 by Fit Mole.
Build a Superhero Body Without Training Like One
Getting in shape isn't easy. But this program gives you a real-life approach to building a leaner, more muscular body without obsessing over fitness 24/7.
“Kyle, I’ve never heard of whatever Superhero X12 is. Why should I trust you?”
First of all, you shouldn’t trust me. You shouldn’t trust anyone.
We’re all just strangers on the internet.
That being said, I’m going to do my best to show you why SX12 is a pretty good program for beginners that want to look muscular.
First of all, most workout programs are designed to leech your money and only help you accomplish one very specific goal.
“You want to lose body fat? Sounds good… here’s the program.”
“Oh, you want to build muscle too? Well, you need to buy another program.”
“Wait, you’re not a beginner anymore? OK, you’re gonna need to buy the intermediate program now.”
And on and on and on…
Wouldn’t you rather have everything you need to tackle multiple fitness goals in one place?
Superhero X12 is different because it covers ALL fitness goals.
It’s not just for losing body fat or building muscle. This program teaches you everything you need to…
- Gain muscle
- Build strength
- Improve muscle density
- Build definition
- Get completely shredded
- Take a more AGGRESSIVE shredding approach
- Or maintain the abs you already have
And it has workouts for both beginners and intermediates so you won’t outgrow the program!
| Feature | Superhero X12 | Other Programs |
| Fitness Levels | Multiple | 1 per program |
| Fitness Goals | Multiple | 1 per program |
| Workouts | 3-4x /week | 5x or more /week |
| Flexible Dieting |  | |
| Calorie Calculator |  | |
| Mindset Guide |  | |
| 2-Day Workout Option |  | |
You don’t have to waste money buying multiple programs because SX12 has specific workouts, diets, and strategies to help you do it all.
Second, a lot of programs completely kill your free time and force you to workout 5-7 days per week.
Often, brands use this as a big “selling point” for their program.
“Are you EXTREME enough to train EVERY SINGLE DAY?!”
Uh, maybe. But a better question is “why do this?”
Nowadays, we’re all busy as hell and we try our best to not let the few precious minutes of free time that we have slip through our fingers like grains of sand.
Personally, I’d rather train fewer days per week, and get back to watching Netflix.
On the other, Superhero X12 shows you how to transform your body in as few as 3-4 efficient workouts per week.
There are no unnecessary exercises and no time wasted.
If you can commit to 3 hours of training each week, you can create a great-looking physique…
And maintain it year round!
Finally, the diet portions of many programs are restrictive (and make you hate your life).
Bodybuilders have said for decades that you need to “eat multiple small meals throughout the day to build muscle”.
But guess what? Science doesn’t back this up.
For instance, evidence suggests it doesn’t really matter if you have protein coming in every 2-3 hours, and muscle maintenance is also unaffected by meal frequency.
Do you want to spend your free time portioning brown rice and packing tupperware containers? I didn’t think so!
Superhero X12 let’s you eat your favorite foods every day, have as many meals as you want, and still build muscle.
Do you know why young guys just like you are getting noticeable results on SX12?
It’s because the nutrition plan is easy to follow over the long term and doesn’t turn your meals into a chore.
You don’t have to force down bland, tasteless meals 6 times a day.
You can eat your favorite foods when YOU want to eat them.
But these are the reasons I keep recommending Superhero X12 to everyone:
- You can save money with a program that’s designed for multiple goals and experience levels
- You can spend less time in the gym by working out only 3-4 times per week
- And you can enjoy the process by eating foods you love at your own pace
But like I said, you shouldn’t take my word for it.
I’m just a random internet person.
Check out Superhero X12 for yourself and see what’s up.
Build a Superhero Body Without Training Like One
Getting in shape isn't easy. But this program gives you a real-life approach to building a leaner, more muscular body without obsessing over fitness 24/7.
About the Creator – Layne Norton
Layne Norton should not actually need an introduction because he is really one of the most famous exercise scientists around. Regardless, Layne is a leading expert in the world of sports, fitness, and nutrition.
Layne has a Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences, and if you spend some time on Instagram, you’ll soon discover videos of Layne breaking down common misinformation we consume. He is also a prolific powerlifter, with numerous records and achievements to his name.
Layne has been on the journey of helping people – scientifically – for years. His approach is certainly not as flashy or as exhilarating as other influencers on the web, but you will certainly learn more this way.
Layne has also published books and has had an amazing career, which includes being the:
- Author of Fat Loss Forever: How to Lose Fat and KEEP it Off and The Complete Contest Prep Guide
- Founder of Biolayne
- Co-founder of the Carbon Diet app
Layne currently helps everyone from normal individuals to high-level athletes get on with their lives and reach new career heights, respectively. He has, of course, designed one-off programs, like the Ph3.
Let’s see if it is any good.
Layne Norton’s Ph3 Overview
If you are unaware, powerlifters and bodybuilders train vastly differently. Where bodybuilders try to make any movement as hard as possible, a powerlifter might want to make any movement as easy as possible.
The best way to make a move easier is by simply getting stronger, which is the goal of Layne Norton’s Ph3 Program. This plan is solely focused on getting stronger. This is why the workouts are all centered around the three big lifts – squat, bench, and deadlift.
- Fitness level: Advanced
- Duration: 13 Weeks
- Workouts per week: 5 workouts per week
- Average workout duration: 60 – 90 minutes per workout
- Equipment needed: Full gym
- Goal: Gain strength
This plan is also not geared towards beginners.
Powerlifting is a very particular sport and requires a massive amount of form, concentration, and strength. Thus, in order to reap the most rewards from any plan, it would be better to choose one that is centered around your current level of progress.
As you might expect from a Doctor in Nutrition, this plan isn’t just a few 3×3 workouts. You get plenty of additional information, nutrition, and supplementation guides as well.
Ph3 Details
Now, let’s take a closer look at Layne Norton’s Ph3 program.
Train Like a Norse God
Did Thor do powerlifting? Maybe. Regardless, you can expect some serious training coming from this plan.
All powerlifting training is focused on splitting lifts into two areas:
- Big Lifts: This includes your squat, bench, and deadlift. These are the ones you will be measured for at the contest, and they’re typically the hardest lifts to get better on.
- Accessories: The big lifts are great, but the recovery needed for those is immense. To train particular (and smaller) muscles, you might make use of accessories to improve those as well (especially if you want to build killer arms).
Your training with Layne will be very similar, with the big lifts making up most of each session. You will be building strength across four phases that eventually end up with a testing week, where you will test how far you have come.
While the sessions will largely be based around the three big lifts, you will still be doing some “hypertrophy” sessions as well. While hypertrophy is definitely not the sole goal of this plan, it does serve some purpose.
Layne Norton’s PH3 vs PHAT
The PHAT (Power Hypertrophy Adaptive Training) program is one that Layne designed some time ago, and you’ll actually struggle to find it online anymore.
The PHAT program is, of course, also focused on strength-building. However, it takes more of a “power-building” approach that PH3 does not take. What this means is that it will combine bodybuilding and powerlifting training to create something entirely new.
The PH3 is solely focused on strength, which means Layne only draws from hypertrophy training when needed – admittedly, not often.
So, where the PHAT program might actually get you slightly bigger and slightly stronger, PH3 will make you a lot stronger, but not much bigger.
Is PH3 Good for Hypertrophy?
Hypertrophy is the general term used to describe muscle growth by increasing the amount of muscle there is. This is actually relatively easy to achieve – provide a novel stimulus. Essentially, you have to increase your resistance over time to force the body to create new muscle tissue.
Any resistance plan has the potential to cause hypertrophy. However, the PH3 program is more focused on muscle strength. While training for strength could lead to some hypertrophy, the two training styles are completely different.
Training for hypertrophy typically means training with slightly higher reps and closer to failure, whereas strength training can utilize lower reps, higher loads, and “further” from failure.
Could you achieve hypertrophy with the PH3 program? Sure, but there are much better programs for that – like Blueprint to Mass, from bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger.
This is also what makes this plan great. This plan is specifically designed to only increase strength at the expense of other metrics. To be the best at something, you need to focus on that thing only – which is exactly what you will be doing with this plan.
Layne’s Nutrition
Layne is a Doctor in Nutrition, so the plan is bound to have some amazing nutrition tips. And it does. Included in the plan are:
- Various calculators for you to calculate calories and macros
- Dietary examples
- Meal timing guidelines
There is really no excuse not to have a perfect diet with these guides. It is seamlessly provided to you. All you need to do is fill in the foods that would fit your macros and get to squatting.
A supplement guide is also included, which should be small because your diet is supposed to be the bulk of your diet. There are only a few guidelines for you to follow (the same as most of the other BodyFit supplement guidelines).
Layne recommends the following supplements on Ph3:
- Whey protein
- Creatine
- BCAAs
- Omega 3
- Protein bars
- Pre-workout
- Multivitamin
2 Power Hypertrophy Workout Pros
- As advertised: The program is not trying to be anything it’s not. It doesn’t claim to be both for strength and hypertrophy, and it even has guidelines for “if you are good enough to do this plan.” I can respect this because it means the consumer is getting the best possible program – and not some hybrid thing.
- Near-perfect nutrition: As you might expect from a Doctor in Nutritional Sciences, the nutrition guides are literally the best I’ve ever seen from an online program. The science-based approach is what makes programs like Ph3 and BodyFit’s Built by Science extremely popular for those who take their training seriously.
The Biggest Con of Layne Norton’s Ph3
It’s really hard.
The program doesn’t shy from telling you just how strong you need to be to follow this plan – and for a good reason. By week 7, you will have various squat sessions per week that are pretty high on the RPE scale, so you better be prepared for some heavy metal music to psych you up.
(If you listen to anything but heavy metal, you are not a powerlifter. That is the law.)
Layne Norton’s Ph3 – Final Thoughts
It is very easy to want to dislike Layne. He is confident, adamant, and – almost always – he is right. This plan is no different. The plan is thought out well and beautifully constructed, and he is extremely clear about who this plan is for.
The greatest points of this plan are:
- Clear on its goal of increasing your strength at the expense of other goals
- Practically perfect nutrition and supplement guide
- Included testing week at week 13 to see how far you’ve progressed
This makes Layne Norton’s Ph3 virtually perfect. The only “drawback” it has is the fact that it is what it is. It is a high-performance plan that simply is not ideal for everyone to follow.
Before you decide to follow this plan, it would be very wise to read through it carefully and see if you would even be able to do it. Remember, the stress of life also plays a role, and if you have too much load outside of the gym – it won’t work.
Overall, this plan is almost flawless.
(Just like my squat depth.)
Rating: 4.9 out of 5
