Many fitness programs promote a maximalist approach, encouraging long workouts to achieve optimal results. However, for those who view fitness as one part of a balanced life, a minimalist approach can be more practical and sustainable. Minimalist training involves shorter, more focused workouts that still deliver significant gains in strength, health, and muscle mass.
Scientific literature supports the effectiveness of minimalist training. A 2017 meta-analysis revealed that performing just one to four sets per exercise per week yielded 81% of potential strength gains. This means you can significantly increase your squat max, for example, by squatting two days a week and performing one heavy working set of one to three reps each day.
For overall health, even less training is required. A 2022 systematic review showed that just 30 to 60 minutes of lifting per week provides maximum risk reduction for mortality, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes.
Muscle growth, however, has a more complex relationship with training volume. While 10 sets per muscle group per week is often recommended, studies suggest that even one to four sets per week can achieve 64% of maximum gains. This highlights the potential for significant muscle growth with minimal time investment. Increasing the volume to five to nine sets per week bumps the potential gains to 84%.
Several strategies can enhance the effectiveness of minimalist training. The first is to maximize intensity. By pushing each set to failure or near failure (RPE 9-10), you compensate for the lower volume with higher quality work.
Drop sets offer another way to increase training volume without extending workout duration. After reaching failure, reduce the weight by 25-50% and continue the set to failure again. This allows for more high-tension reps, further stimulating muscle growth.
Sensible supersets can also optimize minimalist training. Instead of supersetting exercises for the same muscle group, which can hinder performance, combine exercises for different muscle groups. For instance, pair bench press with dumbbell rows, allowing one muscle group to rest while the other works. This strategy maximizes efficiency without compromising intensity.
Minimizing rest periods can significantly shorten workout times. While longer rest periods (1-4 minutes) are typically recommended for hypertrophy, gradually decreasing rest time over several weeks can improve cardiovascular endurance, enabling faster recovery and shorter rests without sacrificing gains.
Finally, streamlining your warm-up can save valuable time. A brief treadmill session, a few dynamic stretches, and then directly into the workout can be sufficient, especially when prioritizing machine exercises that require fewer warm-up sets compared to barbell exercises. This minimalist approach allows for efficient and effective workouts, even with limited time.