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

[@JeffNippard]

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!

[@weatheryourstorm1453]

Is this program good for endurance runners?

[@julienalexander6113]

I appreciate this. I'm a pre-med student and this will definitely help on time.

[@urizen2000]

Jeff, is that a machine similar to the Atlantis lateral raise machine? I live in Ontario and want to know what gym has this??

[@alfredusmagnus]

@@weatheryourstorm1453 no

[@codgerfiasco]

Is the fundamentals programme worth tweaking? Came out a long time ago and new information has come to light. Are you going to revisit it?

[@LawGarithmic]

This is what people need to make an impact on their health. There is too much info on how to make fitness your life and not enough on how to fit fitness into your life. Big props to Jeff for this. 👍

[@danielbrown001]

I know people like to dunk on Kinobody for a lot of stuff, but for years and years, he’s been one of the best go-to sources for people who want to fit fitness into their life instead of dedicating their life to fitness. Sure, he exaggerates the benefits of intermittent fasting a bit, but that’s how you can eat out socially with ease. Only spending ~3 days a week in the gym with ~45 mins training focused on progressive overload as well. So this stuff isn’t new. But it is good to see more people catching on to the idea that not everyone wants to live like a bodybuilder. 👍🏻

[@ic8537]

@@danielbrown001 Yeah that's why I liked his approach because I could always see the value in it, plus if you want to do more you can just build on minimalist training. Really useful for me because I like and want to do other physical activities without being limited by my training.

[@Braddaddyx]

That is because people do not want to do fitness for health, if they would want, they would do it theirselfes already :-D so you have to make 95% of the content for people who love the content.

[@potapotapotapotapotapota]

I spend 4 hours in gym a week, that is enough for me

[@connorman1993]

Very well said

[@simranbiryani3068]

I take it even one step further and do zero sets per week. It doesn’t get any more time efficient than this. Sometimes to really confuse my muscles, I will take my preworkout and drive to the gym, then turn around and go home at the last second. This has really shocked my muscles and sparked new growth.

[@Nick-bu2hr]

Lol

[@froNex1337]

I've taken preworkout and found out I couldn't get to the gym before... the preworkout made me a god in fps games though

[@fredjones554]

You max out bro

[@ronaldmccutcheon1329]

In all seriousness, that is as effective as gross overtraining.

[@fredjones554]

@@ronaldmccutcheon1329 good point. I have seen gains from more rest days.

[@Johan63]

I wish more content creators catered to the 80-90% of people who just wanna look fit, get stronger, feel good and enjoy life. Thank you for making this, I think there's room for a lot more content like this.

[@bigmac9800]

I think 80-90% of the guys want to be big, not fit

[@Johan63]

@@bigmac9800 Bigger for sure, I don't know a lot of people that really want to be as big as most fitness influencers though tbh

[@campusmuscle4303]

Listen to @mindpump

[@80X20FitnessXFinance]

You are right - on my channel I actually talk about what Jeff says ”putting the least amount of effort for maximum results” (80/20 rule). The basics matter whether or not you are beginner or even want to develop elite performance. I find the essentials really handy training o a tight time budget, busy in career etc. Personally I've found the most success (eg breaking the muscle up national record) the less effort I put into complex routines.

[@catwithagatt8826]

Unfortunately, the majority of people who just want to look fit, get stronger, and feel good (myself included) don't exactly need a lot of content in order to achieve those goals. We need to follow the basics with consistency and know that results will come with time. There's not much other content to provide to these people, thus making them a poor demographic to target.

[@IZR194]

Jeff. A big heartfelt thank you for this one. I'm 40. I have a wife, kids and a job. I've been struggling to find a routine that fits my life, for literally years. But this. This felt amazing. I can go HARD for 50 minutes and go home. Perfect. And it's much more effective than my old workout routine. Dude. Thank you. You saved my life.

[@Anonymous818]

You need Mike mentzer

[@NoyfaTabs]

​@@Anonymous818 he doesn't

[@dealkill2396]

@@Anonymous818why’s that? He got the results he wanted

[@noway6489533]

Couldn't agree more mate. I'm in the same boat and found that a 3 day full body works for me.

[@HakuCell]

0:45 his brother's minimalist workout (for health /strength). 1:34 for strength; 2:03 example of strength schedule (done twice a week): 1 set for 1-3 reps + 1-2 sets for 3-6 reps. 2:33 for health. 2:55 for muscle mass. 7:27 for maintenance: u can do as little as 1/9th the volume u were doing before for as long as 8 months. so if ur normal volume was 10 sets per body part per week, u could maintain at 1-2 sets to failure per week. 10:59 the general recommendation is to rest 1-4 minutes inbetween sets for max hypertrophy. 11:30 quicker warmup: 3-5 minutes on the treadmill and a few dynamic stretches. 11:42 squats e.g.: 5 warmup sets and 3 (or 2-4) working sets. 11:51 leg press e.g.: 2 warmup sets and 3 working sets.

[@me9497]

These time stamps are my favorite form of charity. Thank you

[@marcomartinez8062]

Seriously best comment. thanks

[@RobertRedway]

doing the lords work

[@ilyassvids23]

you are a legend

[@sultanaljuhani1571]

Please pin this comment.

[@UnknownUser_0000]

I've got 2 kids, work 60 hrs weeks, and have a very small window to workout before work. This was very beneficial to hear. Thanks brother. ✌️

[@LasseLundster]

Hey idk if anyone reads comments but I exercise a total of 2h a week and according to the vid I'm around 90% efficiency.. Monday top body with supersets, tuesday leg day superset curl/ext but do calf raise/squat independently. Friday I do full body but only muscles I need to work on so for me its bicep/tri, bench/lat and squat + leg press, breaks between 1.5-4 min depending on what.. Over a year I gained 11kg weight and went from 30kg bench to 94orm (bodyweight 84).. So I vouch for this 100%, I just stop omw to work and I change the exercises around but same muscle group setup. For me the ABSOLUTE KEY is protein, calories, and that I never, ever skip a week (that every week has the 3 workouts in it, there's no excuse not to 3 times a day have 40 min spare, except for the weeks there is an excuse). I was really skinny so just going from 1800-3000 kcal and 0 protein to 150+ helps out, my job is actually somewhat physical which surely helps. But there's no voodoo, put in the days, be really strict on form, execution and failure and it'll just work.

[@Derek_1111]

@@LasseLundster very nice. I just recently switched to 3x a week with Monday=upper, Tuesday = lower, and Friday =full body. Monday and Tuesday i put in more volume and Friday i do just 1 set to failure on each exercise. originally i was doing full body 1 set to failure 2x per weak. I never stopped making consistent gains with that but I am liking this new routine.

[@mihailmilev9909]

@@LasseLundster this really inspired me to go out there and put in the work. Thank you!

[@mihailmilev9909]

@@Derek_1111 that's very cool thanks for the ideas!

[@matthiassventoest6800]

right there with you ‘unknown’ .., it doesn’t stop. but we just have to get it in. keep at it

[@Eclipse1374]

This video came at the right time. It's midterm season for some college students and between studying, assignments, and work, the minimalist approach is great when I just don't have the time.

[@RR-et6zp]

do. kinobody

[@bigbrother4059]

Lmao I agree even though it’s a year later

[@movies-pr1ux]

It's always the right time to save time

[@RageCricket007]

As a college student, stretched for time and trying to focus on fitness, this video is extremely interesting and helpful. This is the video that I didn't realize I needed

[@D4NKN4]

Really glad he caters for literally every single type of lifter.

[@jonathangreenwell5540]

I also needed this, but this is coming from the perspective of a dad with a full time job and 4 kids, also trying to focus on fitness.

[@nAcolz]

As someone who trained all the time and I was quite buff, and then fell off during corona restrictions (closed gyms and I hated training at home), this is exactly the video I also didn't realize I need. I may try to get back into working out with this minimalist approach

[@WithTheBears]

In undergrad I worked 24 hrs per week and was a full time student and still had over an hour for the gym every day. Now in my doctorate degree, with an infant son I still get 1 hr in per day. People just have to find the time because it is there

[@chrisbaltazar7164]

Highly recommend kettlebells if you want minimal weights at the house

[@fromnothingtoeverything1419]

Half the battle is litterally just showing up

[@taylorferreira2041]

Tell em😊

[@BeefIntoCake]

I like how you phrased: : most people see fitness as PART of their lives, and not their WHOLE lives" That was an excellent way of putting the situation for me personally. I enjoy it a lot, but I do not revolve my whole life around it. I also strongly perfer a minimalist approach. Where I tend to train 3-4 days a week for about 45 min each time.

[@PACHOUSEFITNESS]

That's kind of normal for most people.

[@anamorphicalan]

exactly what I do 45-60 min max 6

[@spreadPLUR224]

Thank you for this video. As someone who works 50-60 hrs/week, I get so discouraged with hearing I need to train every body part 5xs/week, full body, etc it’s simply impossible for me. I always thought it was pointless if I wasn’t doing it all. Thank you so much this gives me so much hope!

[@hobosapien7735]

3 times a week is fine - Hitting a muscle twice a month. There was a video of a guy who measured his muscle size after a month of no working out because of illness. He hadn't lost size and strength. So a person with no illness won't lose it either, and that too in half the time - 15 days. You can even test it out - you'll always be able to lift more even after two weeks. Don't be discouraged with the 6 days workout thing - most of it is really hype by the body building business. You don't even recover from the nervous system fatigue if you work out 6 days a week. Most of the people who work out that much are on some enhancement drugs and are young enough to not realise that you can not make gym a priority in life.

[@Marr987]

If you are listening to someone who says you NEED < to train every body part 5x a week you are most likely getting info from the wrong source. There's people who train their whole body less than 5 times a week with no prob.

[@dragonslayergeorge898]

I feel you man. My work takes up 50-60 hours a week so I try to fit 45mins, 3x/week in for building muscle and have seen solid progress. You don't need to much, just stick to the basics and try to get consistency. It's tough though, good luck.

[@elduderino1329]

I don't think anyone ever said you need to train every body part 5xs/week, full body to make progress. It is only one of the lot's of options. You have to be really dumb to jump into a conclusion like that. Some people just don't understand basic things because they lack of intelligence. They see only black and white and take things out of context. They also believe everything because they can't figure things out by themselves they have to rely on belief . Fucking sheeple.

[@fdddff47]

You can train every muscle once per week and will see great progress

[@suspiciouspole9171]

This needs more attention in the community. Kino body does a good job of it to be honest. And as someone who has consistently lifted for a decade now, if I hit each body part once a week I’m happy. Once you build the muscle it’s immensely easier to maintain it. And as this said, yes you won’t be growing as fast as you could. But it is so conducive to turning your health into a habit and not a hinderance on balancing the rest of your life.

[@AK47_.]

I agree. I never took to kinobody. But I’ve wholeheartedly changed my mind. His advice is actually incredible. Him and Alpha Destiny are underrated KZbinrs. If you’re natural they and Jeff are the ones you should listen to.

[@starmorpheus]

@@AK47_. I think the issue with Kino is that he's got a strong douche energy surrounding him, but he's got solid advice for the every-man.

[@adam-lt8iy]

@@starmorpheus exactly my experience. Always thought he was a douche but when I actually sat down and listened to him, I could tell he was a smart guy.

[@Trener_Artem]

I started minimalistic approach few years ago. Still progressing after almost 20 years of training at high volume.👍

[@aura_daddy]

damn thats crazy

[@Trener_Artem]

@@aura_daddy well, i still do alot of volume for the bodyparts i want to progress. The point is, i do minimal volume for other bodyparts, also minimal warm-up, its basically 1 working set of exercise, for 25-30 reps, almost to failure.

[@aura_daddy]

@@Trener_Artem makes sense with your experience level

[@erickfernando18]

Smart AF, best aproach for those who put more value in the time spent in the gym

[@xnctrnl]

Whats your weekly routine like?

[@mandomusic368]

words cannot explain how relieved I am to see this video right now. I had trained at almost 20 sets per week per body part for 6 months and completely burned myself out. I am now doing 10 sets per week at max and only 3 sets per week on heavy lifting and have noticed much more change and this video is only confirming this for me. Thank you Jeff.

[@RR-et6zp]

do. kinobody

[@robertmatthews2721]

That’s because you listen to “science “ instead of your body .

[@stratdaddy]

4:17 😮😮😊😮 4:24 😮😮😮😅😮😮😂 😮😮😮😮😊😅😊😅😊😮😊😅😊😮😅😅😮😅😊😅

[@vrnvorona]

@@robertmatthews2721 Bruh. Without science you'd die from anti sanitary conditions at age of 1-3

[@venuescaleagency]

Hey mate can you give me the run down of each body part and how many sets you are doing

[@DrSwole]

Love this. So many people give up on fitness with the excuse of not having time when there’s a lot you can get done with minimalist training 💯

[@jakebash5003]

Yea, I have a good amount of friends who think the only way to see progress is to be in the gym for 6 days per week for at least 2-3 hours per day. As a nursing student it is impossible to balance gym and school this way and I find that 4 days per week with about an hour to hour and half each day is very sustainable for me

[@Ketobodybuilderajb]

Look at this guy right here..

[@matteofogacci6399]

The fitness industry is so full of people saying "you need to spend all of your time in the gym because it's the only thing that matters in your life" We needed someone like you 💕

[@alschirjaev9213]

the fitness industry is full of people on gear selling shitty supplements and work out programs to people that are clueless idiots.

[@KurokamiNajimi]

I was thinking about the opposite of this topic a few days ago ironically. I wrote a hypothetical of how many exercises you’d be doing weekly to get enough sets to all muscles (like doing 12+ full sets of work to muscles people tend to neglect like biceps, rear delts, etc) and if you workout 4 days a week you’d be doing at least 10 exercises a session assuming you don’t run out of energy. Realized part of why progression gets so slow is how much energy and time it takes to specialize in everything at once

[@Masked_madness09]

Damn, you're in the wrong fitness industry then buddy lol, Mike Mentzer (or rather his knowledgeable followers) would kill those people in debate.

[@BobbyJ529]

i dunno, man. I feel like the industry is full of people saying " the industry is full of people saying you need to spend all your time in the gym for it to matter", "buy my ebook(or get it for free so I can upsale you later)." Its getting tiring.

[@mikehinson5935]

Anyone in the “industry” knows diet is king if they know or look like anything.

[@TheInsanePhil]

Emphasizing the effectiveness of low volume is a very welcome change for once. Since everyone always talks about how important high volume is its very easy to get stressed about not doing enough which can slump motivation. I have recently struggled with this. My workout week includes 2 days of cardio, 2 days of upper body and one day of leg and core each and for some time I was contemplating whether just having 1 day of leg exercise is even worth it. But after this video I don't feel so bad about it anymore. Thanks for the vid jeff!

[@ancientcolors]

@Joel Bäckman Thats like the opposite of what is mentioned in the video.

[@StatzGee]

@Joel Bäckman this is so absolutely incorrect. Fluff volume is not a driver of hypertrophy. You can get jacked on 7 to 8 sets per week. Best rep: 5 to 8 reps at or near failure.

[@rayperezjr22]

20 minutes 1 time per week Push Exercise: 3 Sets x 10 Reps - Push-up or dumbbell shoulder press Pull Exercise: 3 Sets x 10 Reps - Dumbbell row or chin-up Leg Exercise: 3 Sets x 10 Reps - Goblet squat or lunge 1 heavy set done 1-3x per week will induce strength gains for most people You can maximize most health benefits with just 30-60 minutes of weight lifting per week Around 10 sets per body part per week is good for most people If you do 4 sets, you’ll get up to 64% of muscle gain, so can be quicker Push yourself harder: Most sets should be taken to failure Use dropsets: Extend a set beyond failure by lowering the weight and performing more reps after your usual stopping point After reaching failure once, reduce the weight by 25-50% and go to failure again, without rest Use supersets: Two exercises back to back without resting in between Ex: Bench press and dumbbell row Leg press and lateral raise Rest 1-4 minutes between sets Decrease rest periods each week, until you get to 1 minute

[@Abelius]

Yup. I'm 48. Been seven months doing push/pull/legs. Just three days per week. Never been bigger and stronger. Perfect is the enemy of good.

[@thierry974801]

3 days a week, you mean 1 day push, 1 day pull and 1 day legs ?

[@moayadalqaisi6744]

@@thierry974801 Most likely yes

[@ridenm7748]

Yes​@@thierry974801

[@eddiemachado2621]

@@thierry974801 How many excercise per muscle per week you perform ?, and how many sets per excercise ?, btw, glad you´re in your peak at 48.

[@diegolopezzz18]

One of the most helpful things I ever heard in my life, “anything worth doing in life, is worth doing badly”. Meaning doing even a small, or “poor” amount of an activity that is good for you, is significantly better for you than doing nine of that at all.

[@dscarmo]

This is even defined mathematically, there is no number that multiplied to 0 is different from 0. so a day doing something is always better then infinite days doing nothing.

[@Momo969602]

Was that Jordan Peterson? I remember him saying that in an interview. Amazing advice for sure! Helps me when I become self conscious and remember this exact phrase. Cheers

[@thomashanham723]

Exactly the video I needed! Having university dictate basically all of my time, I was looking for ways to optimise my gym routine. Thanks!

[@julienalexander6113]

Mannnn Me and you both!

[@kendawgthemasterdude]

@@julienalexander6113 same here, aside from some tips in this video another thing that helped me was doing a half body split, so switch off between one workout that is: Chest Quads Front delts Abs Side delts Triceps And: Lats Hams Traps Calves Rear delts Biceps Forearms With just one exercise with three sets for each body part. Really cuts down on gym time but everything is getting hit 3x a week if you work out 6x a week

[@theamazingguy150]

Same

[@NapoMMC]

Jeff Alberts working out in his garage and looking like that is crazy. I've been reccomended some videos of some guys talking about what equip is better, what weight discs are better, what lifting shoes are better and having a wall full of all the shoes in existance, having 13 different benches and looking like the tipical dad in his 40's. I've learned from this quite a lot: focus on lifting, buy less useless crap.

[@tylerriggs95]

What also helps me is doing an upper/lower split. I also only do legs once a week because I want them to be fit and functional, not massive. Therefore, I’m working out a total of less than 4 hours per week, and I look great.

[@elijahrichards5055]

Jeff- thanks for being so dedicated to the content game for such a long time. It’s super easy for creators to get burnt out yet you’re still producing content for the community you’ve built. Another great video as always.

[@AjaychinuShah]

EXCUSE me Mr., do you know its not CREATOR just Content Supplier or Distribution. Lets be punctual once.

[@johncannon3593]

I've been doing the "sensible supersets" approach for a long time now and I love it because it cuts way down on time spent just resting. I do full body workouts, so like you said, you can do a push/pull or chest/back superset so one is resting while the other is working. The ancillary benefit (I believe) is that since you are spending zero time actually resting while doing that superset, you are adding more metabolic stress and CNS load, which we know has other benefits. Love the content, Jeff.

[@whereeaglesdare9584]

What's a sensible superset?

[@marredcheese]

​@@whereeaglesdare9584exercises using different muscles (from this video)

[@keatonlovlyn2848]

This is the epitome of “smarter not harder”. It also reinforces what I have come to understand as the fundamental rule for working out: consistent quality>quantity/intensity/duration.

[@112starwarsfan]

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!

[@raghavendraparipelli5647]

Dude, you just delivered a wholesome banger in these 13mins. I mean what can I say, all the points were freaking on point. This is what the main problem is : people overcomplicate fitness by overthinking about sets, reps and all bullshit, and end up procrastinating. But the real truth has been very clearly shown by you. Consistency is what matters the most. Much needed video for the young guns. Haha!!

[@sophiarose8541]

How cool of the body’s adaptive response!! Most of my clients only go to the gym on the days they see me (1-3 days per week) and are still seeing decent gains! I always attributed it to newbie gains but it’s definitely interesting to see that it still applies to varying degrees throughout levels of experience:)

[@FitLabb]

The big caveat to building muscle w/ less volume is like you mentioned around 8:17 which is that enough effort is put in for each set by getting enough hard reps in by getting very close to, or even hitting failure.

[@mytruthslays1303]

Exactly.

[@clover6480]

But it ain‘t a caveat for saving time;)

[@user-en5vj6vr2u]

(Set volume) * (intensity) = constant

[@JR-pt8oz]

Or the biggest advantage, why do 20 sets when you can get the same result with 12. Plus most people could use a good while training to technical failure to learn how to train with real intensity.

[@nick8670]

Always go to failure if your using low volume

[@dasshape00]

I heard about this about 7 years ago. I did one warmup set and one heavy set. And I still made gains and this is how I workout as a old man now. And my joints love me for it.

[@ACSteph-i4o]

Nit trying to be condescending when I ask - what's your endurance like?

[@IForgetWhatISay]

@@ACSteph-i4osounds more condescending cuz you said that… you can just ask your questions.

[@RR-et6zp]

do. kinobody

[@richierich2594]

thats great ur keeping ur workouts brief but it takes more than one warmup set to get the muscle fully warmed up and when they are fully warmed up u can do even more weight and reps for ur working set.

[@jayoh2023]

@K Carter i dont see why not. It might take longer towards your goal. But if you watch what you eat and plus any workout is better than no workout.

[@soulshinobi]

Probably your single most useful and actionable video yet, thank you.

[@laufert7100]

As someone who started university this year and is having trouble finding time to go to the gym, this will be very helpful! Thanks!

[@mikailcf]

Man this is perfect, I've spent the last 6 months trying to make a minimalist workout routine for myself from what I've learned from you and Dr. Mike and I'm glad you finally tackled the topic. One thing I'm doing to help save time is that actually each day is a long multi-exercise superset, that way I maximize rest time (which seems to have a good relation to hypertrophy) without having to really stop and do nothing. This might not be feasible when you're becoming more advanced because of the more crazy loads and overall fatigue but it might get beginners far with very little time spent in comparison.

[@zerrodefex]

I do similar, sitting around for minutes at a time just feels tedious especially when you often only have two days a week to do a proper session rather than just 30 minutes in the evening.

[@juancontreras1256]

Just preordered your program. For 4 years you've been an inspiration to me, and this is what I needed for studying and being more productive in other areas of my life.

[@akashvyas5070]

You're very innovative, you solve problems that others are not addressing, and you do it in the good ol' Jeff Nippard way by researching the hell out of it. This is very helpful to me because I'm a college kid who is extremely busy but would still like to workout, so this is exactly what i was looking for. Before you made a video about this i didn't even know something like this existed😆 I am sharing this to friends and family who this is perfect for and know would greatly benefit from this!

[@squirrellsquats8428]

If you really want to learn about minimalist or abbreviated training, you may want to research Stuart McRobert and his book Beyond Brawn. His has been recommending this sort of training for the last forty years!!

[@ilovepickles7427]

Pre-ordered your new routine. I'm a huge fan of your stuff. Over the last 3 years I've run your Push/Pull/Legs, Upper/Lower, and Full Body. Full Body has been my go to for 1.5 years now, with the occasional change to the others for a month. What I love about the Full Body is that my whole body feels like it got a workout, as opposed to a full "Back Day" which can leave my posture kind of hunched for a day. My biggest issue with it has been that the workouts are just very long. Some of the days I can't get through it in less than 1 hour 40 minutes. Life is getting busy and I just don't have that time right now, and cutting my Full Body workouts short leaves me feeling slightly defeated (which obviously isn't mentally healthy). So a new shorter routine is very welcome!

[@hipstar1]

arguably the best channel for bodybuilding..ever.

[@nunya2122]

I'm working full-time and taking night classes. It has been so hard keeping motivated when I only have 30 minutes every few days to get a workout in. Knowing I can still maximize that time is so helpful!

[@ciullix1758]

after 2 years into training and getting blasted with informations, i can say that this is the best video i’ve ever seen… thank you jeff!

[@darkydoom]

As a working mother of three and chronic health issues, I need to know this! 5 days a week work outs always fall through eventually

[@lucasvarley9764]

Great video! These tips are super useful. Question for you... have you ever tried Next Level Diet? I got a fat-loss meal plan from them that's worked wonders for me.

[@kippmajors]

its videos like this that show you why you have the following numbers that you do. Do indepth, informative but also balanced. Absolute gold. Thsi video made 100% gains

[@anarchisttutor7423]

I like Ellington Darden's books on hypertrophy. I don't believe everything he writes, but his main ideas jive with this video: brief, less frequent, more intense lifting; walking; and a modest calorie deficit to make your stronger and leaner. This video also makes me think of a photography saying: The best camera is the one you have with you-implying that taking a sub-optimal picture is better than taking no picture at all, and that you need to have a camera with you always. Having a brief but effective workout on my list of workouts has helped me overcome my legitimate lack-of-time excuse.

[@Escanor89]

Dude you cant imagine how much I love you right now for this video. New semester is starting and I am still sore from the months of training 5 times with my old sets and reps. I was thinking why I always felt so good in my deload weeks but my deloads need to become my regular training 😂 consistency is King

[@jakemalloy]

Thanks. This was really encouraging. I've been kind of avoiding working out, because I felt disappointed that I don't have time to get a "full" workout in. This gave me motivation to cram a set here or there into the spaces I can.

[@rupiik]

Doing something than nothing is much higher difference than doing something compared to much.

[@FITNASBYRAMI]

“The last three or four reps is what makes the muscle grow. This area of pain divides a champion from someone who is not a champion.”- Arnold Schwarzenegger

[@occultsymbols]

99.9% of people have zero intentions of becoming a champion so thats fine

[@rapturestudios3179]

Top tier production quality, relevant topic and informed and concise explanations - as always. Jeff you outdo yourself. The quality of this video is even better than your previous uploads, it seems to be evolving with time. Still can't believe this content is free! Hands down best fitness content producer on KZbin

[@rabiahmed9600]

Agreed

[@mertkaaner8622]

I love this attitude. Everyone promotes working your ass off till you are sore but I am a senior math major. How the f am I supposed spend 2 hours at gym for 3 days a week and be sore all week while I graduate university? This minimalist approach has been working for me. You just need to be patient and consistent.

[@Aldersandfirs]

This might the most important video you’ve ever released, it’s hope for all the people that feel behind on all the 4 hour Instagram workouts, and it applies to so many people. Well done king

[@myopiniondoesntmatter7068]

I went from basically being a coma patient for 15 years (chronic pain condition) to having a medicine change finally giving me some increased physical ability (still pathetic compared to healthy people) to starting super basic dumbbell exercises 2-4 times a week for 30-60 mins (depending on soreness). After the first 5 or 6 weeks the difference was incredible. Even after the first 2-3 weeks I could straight up the difference. I'm sure my form isn't perfect or the exercises I'm doing aren't hitting everything properly (a messed up lower back prevents quite a few common exercises like squats etc). Honestly just doing something (I started with 5kg dumbells and was struggling - thats how much I had degraded) has made a huge difference. I can't really go to a gym because by time I get there I'm already in a pretty significant level of pain (extremely heat sensitive lower leg neuropathy - so footwear is a big deal). Doing this basic stuff at home is the only option but has already made a huge difference. Surprisingly there wasn't a lot of content for the average person starting from zero or below zero and especially at home. Its all way too high level focused and always assumes the very very basic stuff is just understood for some reason. People who have never done any work with weights are significant group of people out there, yet all everyone focuses on is super specific stuff that is non-applicable to the average person. Let alone how useless most of the "beginner" videos are from most people seriously. There's definitely more room in this space to answer questions (shit, even go through a full uncut session) and showcase super basic stuff that would help more people than the people who are already well on their way or know what they are doing. The amount of random questions I had to dig through google, reddit and youtube for was something I was not something I expected in 2024. A few unanswered stuff in "beginner guides" I get. But after watching multiple absolute beginner videos from 3-4 different people I had 20+ questions that ended up being actually important and about the same that didn't really matter.

[@latifoljic]

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! 👍

[@mhypi]

Minimum training required to make progress 1. for strength: 1 heavy set done 1 to 3 times / week will be in off 2. For health: 30 to 60 min of lifting / week are enough to maximum health risk reduction 3. For muscle gain: a. 1 to 4 set / week will give 64% of your max gains on average b. 5 to 9 set / week will give 84% of your max gains on average Best minimalist strategy: 1. Push yourself harder than usual 2. Use drop sets 3. Use supersets (not the same muscle group) 4. Gradually decrease your rest time 5. Choose exercise that don’t need many warm-up sets

[@MrTheAnthonyBielecki]

Exactly what I was hoping to find in the comments; thank you!

[@shahirali8235]

Bro watching with a pad and pen 👍.

[@dimitrikoblayev4423]

Thank you mate

[@mhypi]

@@MrTheAnthonyBielecki my pleasure mate

[@mhypi]

@@shahirali8235 🔥🔥

[@robo2000nitro]

I've recently started paying more attention to myself and looking up information/resources to aid me on my muscle journey and you are by far the best person I have found on my research time. You explain things so clearly but what I love the most is you back it all up with evidence via science based articles and being from a science based background myself it makes me even more interested in the topics you discuss. I appreciate the time and effort you put into making these videos to help people out there.

[@avatar098]

This is literally an application of the 80:20 rule. If my motivation is low.. I’ll keep this literature in mind and try my best :)

[@RR-et6zp]

do. kinobody

[@aajohnsoutube]

But keep your diet and sleep at 80+%

[@pmnt_]

Jeff, thank you for this video. 4:32 changed my entire mindset about training. I'm feeling so insecure about building muscle. Maybe I started to late. Maybe I'm not training hard enough. And those are the good days. It just gets worse when my depression hits. Being unable to leave the house for two days is one thing, but then I skip training on the slightly better days, because there is no way that I get the weekly sets in anyways. Followed by self-blame, fueling my paralysis. Suddenly, I lost a month of training. I can't explain how much this simple example at 4:32 helped me. I hope i remember this video the next time I need it.

[@yuussee]

I feel you

[@scene6289]

That's actually quite relieving to hear, been stressing about school for a while now and my training's been worse and basically cut in half. Good to know that it wasn't all pointless

[@scratchdatoff4abog]

love this! i’m in a weightlifting class where we do a upper lower split 2x per week and we’re only in their for 40 minutes so this was very helpful bro!

[@saviourr69]

Could you please tell us your workout routine? Been trying to save time from the gym because tbh its been really hard to properly attend school without having to be wheeled in by a wheelchair because i decided to destroy my legs the previous day

[@speedo._]

Thank you so much for this because honestly, I don’t enjoy the gym, not even a little. I only do it in order to stay strong and be healthy, so less time in the gym while maintaining gains is just amazing.

[@cawdpoints]

This came at the absolutely perfect time in my life, thank you Jeff for all the amazing work you do!

[@AppalachianAnglingAdventures]

An upper body chest, back, arms workout usually takes me about 70-75 mins. When supersetting the chest and back exercises and using rest pause/myoreps/dropsets for arms I can cut that down to 45 mins. (Bench/Row, Incline DB/Pulldown, Pushdown/Hammer Curl for ex) This really adds up during the week. Wish I had more days where the gym was empty enough to do this, though lol

[@mytruthslays1303]

Supersets are a waste of time. High intensity fundamentals with good form and you will pass up those who rely on such types of sets. An hour is all you need in the gym. If you are going longer than that, you are likely resting too long, too many sets, or just flat out over doing it.

[@AppalachianAnglingAdventures]

@@mytruthslays1303 I don’t know man, supsersetting antagonistic muscles like back/chest or biceps/triceps can even further lower your training time without negative consequences to the weight you’re lifting (dumbbell pressing to machine rows, as long as your breathing is back to baseline poundage lifted isn’t gonna be hurt). But I agree most people just need to do their sets close to or at failure

[@maxalaintwo3578]

@@mytruthslays1303 nah L take. Hitting biceps and triceps back and forth is better and more time-efficient than doing complete 100% focus for biceps one day and then triceps another day. That's a waste

[@SteveCabana-ir7jt]

I'm a kickboxer so I usually skip all the hypertrophy work. Despite that my lower body workouts still take around an hour lol.

[@AppalachianAnglingAdventures]

@@SteveCabana-ir7jt Yep my lower body days are a bit longer when I’m doing Squats + RDLs. 3-4 hard sets of squats and 2-3 hard sets of RDLs alone take me about 30+ minutes and my working weights are nothing too heavy. Can superset leg curls/leg extensions and do myorep calf raises to finish to cut that down closer to 45 mins though. Heavy leg exercises are one thing I would not superset for obvious reasons lol

[@mikeskylark1594]

This video made me SO HYPE & PROUD of myself. I was SO AHEAD OF TIME for the last few years. This is EXACTLY how I train (AND pretty much live in all the other areas of my life!). I've been preaching this for ages, yet NOBODY really understood OR agreed fully. MINIMALISM is the way to go!

[@mikeskylark1594]

@@kcarter8115 Any diet & training that butns more calories than consumed will decrease body fat. And any ressistance training that's progressivelly overloaded WILL increase muscle mass (if sufficient calories AND protein intake is there).

[@Mindova]

I'm a nursing student who struggles with a constantly shifting schedule and long days. I needed this reassurance when I started a lifting journey in April.

[@shaditurk91]

You're taking the game to a whole different level man, very well done :)

[@yunjay99]

This is what I love about this channel. Jeff is one of the few major personalities on this platform that aren't completely out of touch with the lives of ordinary people who are trying to fit bodybuilding/fitness into their lives with work, school, families and friends. Weight lifting has done wonders for my overall health, self image and confidence to go forward in life. Thanks for the great information and videos Jeff, you're always a tremendous help.

[@tryfanevans7047]

I'd also recommend Ivan Djuric for a look at someone in touch with the life of an ordinary person, although he certainly does not have an ordinary mindset. He works shifts as a nurse but also manages a maximalist training routine.

[@benlatimer3164]

This is exactly what I need right now. Work and family life are taking over and time to train is scarce. Thanks Jeff!

[@romeobarraud]

This just comes at the right time for me. I currently am forced to transition from training 2+ hours, 6 times a week, to 1 or 2 shorter sessions (due to my studies). I felt like I would have to abandon all hopes of making hypertrophy and strength gains lol.

[@JZ-xu3vg]

I did this for a while and realized 8 hours of studying with a 18 hour load was enough. getting that workout in everyday was a good time to get into a good head space, safe space and meditate where you knew exactly what you wanted to do and you were getting it done. a little blood flow isnt bad for the brain either. The biggest thing was I changed my workouts to night time, because studies show you can learn the most in the morning but memorize better at night. if nothing else when I lived in the mountains I got a door pull up bar and would take a 10 minute study break to max out some pullups and do other stuff. you'll build reps fast!

[@romeobarraud]

​@@JZ-xu3vg Biggest issue preventing me from training often is that I mainly only train for powerlifting (so quick workouts at home aren't a real option). I also am studying filmmaking, a lot of my time is not spent actually studying, rather working on projects with other people, mostly not at home. That said, I agree that is always is possible to make time in most days to lift or do calisthenics, and I'm not planning to quit exercising even if I have to give up powerlifting (for the time being).

[@kolbyarnold]

same exact thing for me. Last year I was taking less credits and have time for a full ppl twice a week and now I am forced to do a max of 4 sessions. this video was clutch asf lol and reminded me that something is better than nothing.

[@djurius]

Wtf are you studying? If you can't even go to the gym and take care of yourself, I hope your degree is worth it

[@Alleyezonjimz]

How many sets of each musclegroup did you train a week when you did 2 hours+? I also train 6 days a week, and my workouts are almost exactly 1 hour, sometimers a little less sometimes a little more, and I do a total of 16 sets per week per musclegroup. (I should note that I'm only going for hypertrophy though, so my rest periods are never longer than 2 mins.)

[@RipVanWinkle7]

Finally the best routine for me! I study in the morning, and work in evening, so I just can go to the gym 3 pm to 5 pm. Thanks Jeff!

[@lilcrisjan]

I honestly don't want to say this but Greg O'gallager has been preaching about this for a long time now. Now that people are finding ways to cut time and take a step back from the gym everyone's searching for that minimalist approach, when 2 years ago people are sleeping on Greg's advice on training and recovery. Solid video Jeff!

[@RedKingJoker]

This is also useful for athletes that are regularly competing. So they can avoid fatigue buildup while still improving; great vid!

[@matiasoviedo5078]

This video is pure gold! It represents most people working 9 hours sitting in front of a computer (myself included) and struggle to get a complete workout while still trying to have a social/family life. Thanks Jeff!

[@deangilsenan3173]

Love your no-nonsense, science backed training content Jeff. As a Personal trainer, I teach my clients the proper - no gimmick / fads- way to achieve their lifestyle goals, and your content allows me to stay up to date with the latest information and techniques. Keep up this great work.! Thank you.

[@kimberlyheinz4490]

I freaking love this program! It is my favorite program I have ever done. I am on week 5 of the 5 day split. Thank you!

[@mikeluhrs4578]

I’ve been doing kettle bells workouts and HIIT for the last 2 months. And it has been allowing me to heal and gain. I bought the 4x a week from you Jeff and this is amazing. I can lift weights for 45 mins and hammer a good pump out and I also have these killer HIIT workouts. Im good with working out 6x a week it’s just the 60-90min sessions wear on me and I get injury prone. I’m stronger and my body is healing old injuries with short very focused sessions. Less is more for some of us!

[@DanielAx]

Love this, I'm all about value. Currently going to the Gym 1-2 times a week for about 1.5 hours each doing almost exclusively compound exercises to maximize the amount of muscles I hit per exercise.

[@KryssN1]

Should add that isolation work for Triceps, as Long Head of Triceps do not get hit enough from compounds. With some isolation work, it really progresses fast, especially with uick 4 set Dropset with 20 sec break in between and 20% drop in weight each set. Actually shoulders and triceps seem to love DropSet work instead of Normal Sets based on researches I read and in practice after 2 blocks. Quite surprisingly, the deltoids (shoulders) are the largest muscle in the upper body. Equally surprisingly is the fact the triceps are a close second. Lats are only third. Both of these muscles are larger than the pectoralis major and latissimus dorsi! People don't train Shoulders and Triceps close enough and focus too much on Chest.

[@stevenoneil47]

Brilliant video. Biggest problem with most advice is that it assumes people can prioritise training when most can’t. Also glad you point to the health benefits. A video of why it’s more important to train as you age would be great. As would a similar video on cutting calories and maintaining protein.

[@mikec1571]

Just started doing MAPS 15 from the Mind Pump guys this past Monday. Very similar to this. I’m feeling great only working out about 20 minutes a day… I was very skeptical. As someone who loves how I feel after working out but not wanting to spend 1-1.5 hours in a gym everyday this has been awesome!

[@rakhmahai]

This will probably get buried in the thousands, but I wanted to shout out Denise on your support team! They were incredibly helpful and quick!

[@saadpirzada9540]

Unbelievable timing! Was just writing down my goals for the next six months...and one of them was to make my workouts more time-efficient, as my new job requires me to commute over a long distance...got off Notion, opened KZbin and found this. This video is a lifesaver

[@c3st0fd3rk]

Before I watched you i would just do 1 muscle group a day and completely wreck it. Then i started watching you and videos like this, learning about junk volume helped so much. Finally feel like i'm training efficently, keep up the good work!

[@Chachu831]

Glad to know you're progressing brother 😃 If you don't mind, kindly share your workout routine. Would help me set up mine

[@c3st0fd3rk]

@@Chachu831 i mix it up a bit but I usually go 6 times a week and do 2 muscle groups for 6-8 sets till failiure. So like, Monday : Chest + Arms Tuesday : Back + Shoulders Wednesday : Legs + Abs Thursday : / Repeat 2nd half of the week And i mix up the excercises, so monday chest could be like dumbbel and benchpress and friday cable flys, seated flys and dip ups or whatever i feel like.

[@Alleyezonjimz]

@@c3st0fd3rk Much like my program, but I do chest + shoulders & back + arms, also I ditched the ab workout on legday, those legdays are hard enough. xD

[@alistairraginia354]

My minimalist plans looks like this 2day split for busy dad and running a company, would you agree this is optimal for strength and muscle building Jeff. Workout 1 - fullbody - Monday Back squat 3x3-5 Hip thrust 4x10/12 Incline bench barbell 3x4-6 Weighted pull up (superset) weighted dips 4x6-10 Face pulls (superset) pushdowns 3x10/15 Workout 2 - Thursday Deadlift 3x3-5 Reverse db lunge or squat 4x10 Ohp 3x4-6 Bent barbell row (superset) flat db press 4x10/12 Side raise (superset) db curls 3x10/15 Is this a good plan I have put together using your methods? What would you change if it was down to you? And advice would be great. All performed in straight sets, progressive overload with big compound.

[@Lars22J]

2 days a week program looks good! 🤝

[@anubhavdhull581]

I was looking the whole day for a video which can help me train almost as good in less time and your video came along just when I needed it, Thank you

[@Knightlife07]

Just pre ordered. Your the only person that I actually have ever purchased anything online. It’s been quality the first time and also, just thank you for all the awesome free info and quality content.

[@rospoho]

Thank you very much! Working on 2 companies + 2 hours of volunteering per day means I can't find more than 40 minutes per day, this video is GOLD!

[@adarshjadhav8877]

This is called being realistic and creating content for 80% of general population whose primary goal is not bodybuilding

[@thechosenone7875]

Even as a bodybuilder I do minimalist training. Quality over quantity.

[@nchahine]

I train for 3 days a week, only full body, compound exercises, 1hour 20 mins approx, 5-8 reps , a LOT of ring dips and pullups (I do them in each session), split squats, etc. In my first year, I gained 5-7 kg of muscle. IF YOU DON'T EAT, IT DOESNT MATTER HOW MUCH YOU TRAIN. I am 82 kg 180cm 17.5 body fat, I eat 3000 calories (slight surplus), my aim next year is to reach 15% bf and 85 kgs.

[@panizzutti]

thats shitty gains lol

[@nchahine]

@@panizzutti oh, so what are real gains iyo?

[@lilsheba]

“Time-saving workouts? That sounds great! I’m so hyped for this!” *two week preorder wait* 😅 Worth it to see Bro Jeff again.

[@soldierside365]

Real time saving would have had the workout come out immediately

[@Miuoshki]

mentzer knew all that shit such a long time ago, truly a gym hero

[@daswulf2694]

I'm digging all these minimalist workout videos coming out. Most folks don't have time to train 2 hours a day. 2-3 times a week is feasible. 🙏

[@nicolasb2723]

Super hyped by these future videos ! I find that lots of fitness influencers forget that people usually can’t or don’t want to spend 2 hours a day.

[@WARnTEA]

I agree. I’ve always hated how fitness youtubers suggest like 8 different exercise to target each muscle. The only people that have time for that are bodybuilders that spend all of their time in the gym. Also all of those exercises are super intimidating. As a normal person, I would end up wasting a lot of my gym time just watching videos to make sure I’m doing the workout right or trying to remember the workout. I’d rather just focus on 1 or 2 exercises for each muscle I want to grow with a couple fullbody type of workouts to try and make sure I don’t neglect something. I’m not trying to compete on stage I just want better than average strength that is functionally useful in my daily life that makes my body look decent.

[@westonlamb7305]

So hyped for this series! I just got done competing at my first bodybuilding competition last week, and it was taking up so much of my time(I got second in classic physique btw). I wanted to tone it down for a bit and focus on other aspects of my life that I neglected while prepping for the competition (primarily my social life). Looking forward to continuing gains while investing less time in the off-season!!

[@apropripinquo]

Congrats on your silver!

[@paathimself]

Whoever does your editing work and animations/infographic designs is a genius and has been killing it for awhile 🤝

[@JeffNippard]

I do all the editing and animations myself 🙏🏻😁

[@Toalen]

@@JeffNippard Nice, good job on that, looks clean

[@kingj282]

This is changing my mindset towards lifting entirely. And it should be motivating for most viewers if you've been out of the gym for a while

[@weardo100]

My training style is very much in line with this. Due to my job in the film industry I rarely have enough time to plan workouts on regular time slots. So I've adjusted my routine in a way I only have to go twice a week and still be able to see an increase in my strength.

[@Ace_of_Memes]

Mike Mentzer enters the chat…

[@TerrexoDesign]

was looking for this comment

[@soundmind383]

And says the same thing as Jeff….

[@MadGunny]

Mike Mentzer has entered the chat

[@jackiecarmichael4980]

I just watched this at 10:00 at night, and I was so encouraged by the effectiveness of a short( but intense) workout, that I went and blasted my arms with just my 20lb dumbells and push ups to failure. It was so simple, but it was perfect for a pregnant lady with a sleeping toddler and husband 😆 I love the practicality and inspiration of this information, i look forward to tomorrows workout, thank you!

[@buttmanjenkins3972]

9:16 That curl to tricep transition was as smooth as an FPS game reload animation.

[@meten90]

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.

[@DannyValchev]

I'll definitely buy this 45min workout. Next month I'll get a job and won't have much time for working out. So this video came out in the right time.