How To Train Like A Minimalist (More Gains In Less Time)

Working on a few minimalistic workout videos next to build off the foundation laid here! In the meantime, if you're in the market for a new program that has fast, intense 45-min workouts, check out the link in the description. See you all again soon. Peace!

For the last few years I've trained before work 5 days a week. I can only manage 45 minutes with an Upper-Lower-Push-Pull-Legs split. This has worked amazingly for me, and I just make it efficient by including supersets and training close to failure, prioritising compound lifts. It was nice to see this video reaffirm that what I'm doing is okay!

What is the outcome if you don’t rest more than a minute? Will it give you more endurance and limit size? I’m trying to get in fight shape rather than get huge.

I reduced mine to 2 HARD sets per exercises, with 4 exercises per body part. In this split..
Chest/back
Legs
Shoulders
Arms
Rest
Rest
Rest

All supersets, with rest/pause and a drop set for the second set of each exercises. This takes 45-60min

Socializing with gym noobs :)

When you say x amounts of sets per muscle. Would that for example include the whole back muscle group. or is it x amount of sets for rhomboids, lats, traps etc. individually?

Excellent video 🎉

Very good and useful video

You take the piss mate need to rest less

Mike Metzner FTW. If you're getting 80% of the gains in 1 HIT set, what's the point in building up more fatigue for a measly 10-15% gain

I’m doing 1-4 sets for both hamstrings and quads. This is perfect for me because I don’t want them to grow as much anymore and I want to focus on mobility.

For last month Ive been training only at home with dumbels and one barbel. Literally 3-4 sets of 2 exercises a day when I have time to do it. (One time in the morning, one evening, two more througout the day). I got huuge like good all days when I was training 4-5 times per week for 1-2 hours. And then I started searching on the internet if Im onto something. And then I found this video. THX Super helpful to know that Im actually onto something.

Spooky timing, before watching this I created a new minimalist winter workout for myself that focuses on higher reps and lower weight in 5 basic exercises,
Compound Upper body, alternating push and pull.
I train the last set to failure and then add some drop sets.
I’m doing this twice a week. Each workout takes about an hour.
I was really struggling to motivate myself with my old routine due to the cold dark wet UK winter. Changing my workout and also simplifying it by taking out the isolation exercises has really helped re motivate me.
My leg workouts are cardio and plyometric based, I do this outside without equipment and I don’t count it as gym time.

I am surprised that lengthened partials were not among your suggestions if not the most effective one 🧐

Might as well share my experience. It's been 1.5 yrs since i started training efficiently and now i only stay in the gym 4h a week and got bigger. Since i was 20 i bench 350 lbs, always natural so kinda legit lifter. Turns out that 3 exercise for each big muscle group twice a week (always to failure) was more than enough. And more important, since i want all this gym thing to be life long companion of mine, training less means less articulations wear and better longevity. Bench didnt got better in the last 3 yrs since i hit 350 but pretty much never actually trained seriously so i kinda expected it.

As I've gotten older now 36 the. 2 hr workout just aren't practical. 45 to an hour is plenty. Congratulations on 4M

Only Manlets like roided Willow over here make gains through minimalism.

The notes on Yates are slightly wrong... The HIT method of working out didn't do warm up sets that shouldn't be counted. The two warm up sets before the set to or past failure was only within 1-2 reps of failure anyways. So it was most People's hypertrophy set. Therefore, Yates really did 12 sets not 4.

Good

Nyc work.

Good work

Nice video

Awesome 👌

Good job

Okjuhg my iphone screen

It almost feels silly to do the 70-90 minute workouts I'm currently doing lol

This is exactly the video I needed. My plan is to train with higher volume 5-7 months during the winter/early spring followed by 5-7 months of minimal work (1 day a week if possible with maybe an out of gym workout). The main things I want to maintain is strength and at least the majority of my work capacity.

From driving to the gym to getting back home, I spend 2 hours a day in total

I’m 47, been training for 20 years, I can get as many sets in 25 minutes as I used to get done in 45-60. Gainz are constant

Can you do all the sets on the same day Jeffrey or do you have to split them up over the week?

minimalism only works if you have the genetics to back up the lack of volume. Using Dorian Yates as an example is misleading not only from a pharma angle.

This is incredibly helpful, especially for people who are not really looking to be bodybuilders but still desire tangible gains/improvements with less time commitment. I love how each recommendation is backed by studies. Thank you for making videos like these Jeff, please keep them up!

Minimalist training…Mike Mentzer lol.

Just want to come back and say that this video has been pretty life changing. And let me build an exercise plan that I can fo sustainably, and gotten vastly greater strength improvements than I would have expected before watching.

Does the drop set counted as a seperate set or is it just taking the same set to failure?

So if I have 4 excercises for chest; Bench, Incline Bench, Incline DB Flyes, DB Pullovers, and do 3 sets of each, and train chest twice a week, does that mean that's 24 sets of volume per week? Meaning that's high volume training? Or is it I do 6 sets of bench a week and that's too low volume? How should I alter my training?

Arbitrarily doing 10 or more sets per muscle group per week means nothing if you can't recover. A better approach would be to do as many sets per muscle group that allows for adequate recovery before training that muscle group again. Consistency in training is better than obliterating your muscles to the point of rhabdo.

I tried your plan today. I'm a student with a hella task and assignments to done. Outside the institution, I'm a swimmer and a lifter. I was close to giving up my beloved sports due to time limitation until I found this video. Gotta say it worked well on me. There are plenty of workout plans out there that may be beneficial but for me, this is the one. Good for my timing, my budget and my energy (so I can focus well on my studies and health) . THANK YOU!

I hate this fitness shit. It is a scam. Of course, I trust medical science (i am not a conspiracy theorist or something), but I hate how the knowledge seems to be structured and controlled. You see, it is very easy for me to make commitments and follow through. I can go to the gym daily, count my calories, and control my diet; it's not a problem. It's straightforward to do that stuff. For me, it never seems to work. I always seem to yo-yo. For me, a fitness plan always begins with me trying to lose weight, having some moderate success, not seeing any more, or even regressing...all while keeping up with my plan. Nothing changes about what I am doing...I continue to diet and exercise...but I just gain weight. It's very frustrating.

It's usually around this time that some idiot will say "You are doing it wrong" or "You need to change what you're doing", but won't elaborate. What am I doing wrong? How can I learn? How can I do anything more?


Plus, WHY should i have to make changes? HOW do I make them? I am NOT willing to spend time doing research, trying new things, going through trial-and-error, reading books, blogs, or articles about weight lose or fitness, or whatever. That stuff is way more time-consuming than actually working out or dieting. Plus, the thing about research and experimentation, is that it is a gamble. When u try a new thing, ot might not work out...u moght fail worse than when you started. Things would be more efficient amd effective if others, who have done the research themselves, would just tell you what to do. Why fix my car myself when I can just ask a mechanic to explain it to me? Same thing here.


But then there is the money involved, and the time, and avoiding the pitfalls of pseudo-science and cults.


So then its about this time that I just end up quitting and doing something else.


I like to compare it to auto-maintenance. If have concerns with my automobile, I don't need to learn new things or do research. I just pay a modest fee to a mechanic. The mechanic will give me a set of instructions to follow, such as "dont drive over the speed limit, get your oil changed every 2 weeks, check your milaeage each year, rotate your tires regularly". This is HABIT-FORMATION changing your attitude and behavior, it can be difficult, but with work you can do it.

Note that the mechanic will NOT inundate the conversation with technical details about the science of automechanics, nor will he ask me to do my own research, experiment, try new things. Just follow the instructions, build better habits, don't be lazy.


Fitness isn't like this. It always involves personal research, trial-and-error, and even when u defer to the experts (physical trainers) they will confuse the conversation with discussions of the science behind whats happening, rebuttal or ambigious concepts, or ideas that are transitory (will wwork for a while, but not forever).


This is a failure of this system

Great video man

Video came on the right time !

Im doing 1 day per week, about 45min to 1hr. Im making progress and its easy to accomplish. Assisted dips, lat pulldowns, shoulder presses, biceps curls, body weight squats.

This video saved me. I haven't been able to get a decent upper body workout in ages because I don't have the time or energy to spend two hours in the gym after work. After reviewing this video I adjusted my plan. Today I did my whole upper body in 45 minutes and it feels great. Thanks! 👍

1 full body day a week with increasing weight and intensity each set, is enough for me to maintain a decent amount of muscle, the workout takes 2 hours with short intervals (1.30 min)

The best thing i did to cut down on time in the gym was to stop going to the gym! Instead i work out at home or outside. The time saved getting to the gym/getting changed etc has been enormous.