Minimalist Training

Strength

1 heavy set done 1-3x/week. (81% of strength gains can be achieved with 1-4 sets per week)

Health

Just 30-60 minutes of lifting per week is enough for maximum risk reduction (all cause mortality)

Muscle gain

Optimal Target: 10 sets per body part per week. Split across at least 2 workouts per body part.

1-4 sets per body part per week will yield 64% of the maximum muscle gains.

5-9 sets per body part per week will yield 84% of the maximum muscle gains.

Tips for a minimalist workout

1. Push yourself harder. The lower your volume, the higher your intensity should be. (RPE 9-10)

2. Utilize drop sets. After hitting failure, drop weight by 25-50% and go to failure again.

3. Use sensible supersets (different muscles) for more efficient workouts.

4. Cut down on warmup time.

References: Jeff Nippard YT video with links to scientific studies. https://youtu.be/xc4OtzAnVMI