How to Get MORE Growth In Less Time (3 Gym Hacks)
Summary
TLDRThis script discusses the possibility of achieving muscle growth with fewer gym sessions through three time-saving strategies: optimizing workout volume, choosing effective exercises, and employing techniques like supersets and drop sets. It suggests that three sets per muscle per week can maintain gains, and 4-7 sets are optimal for maximum gains with minimal time. The script also emphasizes the importance of proper form, training close to failure, and long muscle length training for better results.
Takeaways
- πͺ It's possible to build muscle effectively with fewer workouts, according to scientific research.
- ποΈββοΈ The first strategy for time-efficient workouts is to focus on the optimal volume of sets per muscle group.
- π Studies suggest that three sets per muscle per week can maintain gains, while 4-7 sets are optimal for maximum gains with minimal time.
- β±οΈ A full-body workout can be completed in as little as 30 minutes by reducing sets and optimizing rest times.
- π« Training to failure is crucial when doing fewer sets to maximize muscle growth.
- π Choosing exercises that provide the most gains, like long muscle length training, is essential for minimal volume workouts.
- π§ Proper form is critical when doing fewer reps, as each rep has a greater impact on muscle growth.
- π€ΈββοΈ Supersets can save time by pairing exercises that work opposing muscle groups, allowing for continuous training with minimal rest.
- π Drop sets, where weight is decreased after reaching failure, can be effective for muscle growth despite reducing workout time.
- π A meta-analysis by Brad Schoenfeld showed a dose-response relationship between muscle growth and the number of sets, with higher sets leading to more growth.
- π½οΈ Nutrition plays a significant role in muscle building, and optimizing diet can lead to better results even with fewer workouts.
Q & A
Is it possible to build muscle with fewer workouts per week?
-Yes, according to the latest science, it is possible to build muscle with fewer workouts per week by focusing on effective strategies.
What is the first time-saving strategy mentioned for building muscle?
-The first strategy is to do the least number of sets that still provide a solid return in gains, which is suggested to be around three sets per muscle per week.
What did the 2002 study mentioned in the script find about muscle growth with minimal workout volume?
-The 2002 study found that even with an extremely low volume of just three sets per muscle per week, subjects were still able to build a bit of muscle.
What was the result of the study that had subjects do 27 sets for their quads every week?
-The study found that after reducing the volume to nine sets per week, subjects continued to gain muscle, and those who reduced to three sets maintained their gains.
What does the meta-analysis led by Brad Schoenfeld suggest about the relationship between muscle growth and the number of sets?
-The meta-analysis suggests a dose-response relationship, with 10-plus sets per muscle per week resulting in the most growth, but even one to five sets can yield about 60% of the maximum gains.
What is the recommended sweet spot for sets per muscle per week to maximize gains with minimal effort?
-The sweet spot is suggested to be 4 to 7 sets per muscle per week for maximizing gains with minimal time and effort.
What should be considered when applying the minimal volume strategy to workouts?
-When applying the minimal volume strategy, it's important to train close to failure, choose exercises that provide the most gains, and ensure proper form for every rep.
What is the concept of antagonist super sets and how can they save time during workouts?
-Antagonist super sets involve doing an exercise for one muscle group and then immediately doing an exercise for the opposing muscle group, allowing one muscle to rest while the other works, thus saving time.
What is the importance of keeping transition time short between antagonist super sets?
-Keeping the transition time short, no longer than a minute, can lead to unique benefits such as being able to do more reps compared to taking longer rest periods.
How does the drop set method work and how can it be time-efficient?
-The drop set method involves doing a set to failure, then immediately decreasing the weight and doing as many reps as possible, continuing this process for about two or three drop sets. This method can be time-efficient as it maximizes effective reps in a shorter period.
What is the recommended weight decrease per drop set according to the studies mentioned?
-The recommended weight decrease per drop set is usually around 20%, ensuring that each subsequent set is still challenging but allows for more reps.
Where can viewers find the time-saving workout routines mentioned in the script?
-Viewers can find the time-saving workout routines by visiting builtwithscience.com and downloading them from there.
Outlines
πͺ Maximizing Muscle Growth with Minimal Workouts
The paragraph discusses the possibility of achieving significant muscle growth with fewer workouts by applying time-saving strategies backed by scientific research. It emphasizes the concept of workout volume, suggesting that the first few sets in a workout are the most effective for muscle growth, with diminishing returns for additional sets. The text references studies that show even a minimal volume of one to three sets per muscle per week can lead to muscle growth. A meta-analysis by Brad Schenfeld is mentioned, which found a dose-response relationship between muscle growth and the number of sets, with 10+ sets per muscle per week being optimal but 5-9 sets still yielding about 80% of maximum gains. The paragraph concludes with a recommendation for a 3-day full-body workout that trains each muscle with around six sets per week, which could be completed in 30 minutes, including rest and transition times.
ποΈββοΈ Time-Saving Strategies for Efficient Workouts
This paragraph introduces three time-saving strategies to enhance workout efficiency. The first strategy focuses on training close to muscle failure to maximize growth with fewer sets. The second strategy is about selecting exercises that provide the most gains, with an emphasis on 'long muscle length training', which suggests that muscles respond better to exercises that stretch them. The importance of proper form is also highlighted to ensure that each rep contributes to muscle growth. The paragraph then introduces the concept of 'super sets', where two exercises are performed back-to-back with minimal rest, specifically antagonist super sets that work opposing muscle groups. The benefits of keeping transition times short are discussed, along with a list of effective antagonist super sets. The third strategy involves 'drop sets', where after reaching failure on a set, the weight is immediately decreased and the exercise is performed again until failure, repeated two or three times. The paragraph explains that drop sets capitalize on 'effective reps', where the last few reps of an exercise contribute most to muscle growth. It suggests that drop sets can provide similar or even greater growth compared to traditional sets, despite reducing workout time. The paragraph concludes with advice on the number of drop sets and the appropriate weight reduction for each set.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Workout Volume
π‘Muscle Growth
π‘Training to Failure
π‘Long Muscle Length Training
π‘Antagonist Super Sets
π‘Drop Sets
π‘Effective Reps
π‘Time-Saving Strategies
π‘Meta-Analysis
π‘Nutrition
π‘Optimal Volume
Highlights
It is possible to build muscle effectively with fewer workouts per week.
Three time-saving strategies have been shown to be effective for muscle growth.
The first strategy involves optimizing workout volume to maximize gains with fewer sets.
Research suggests that the first few sets in a workout are the most effective for muscle growth.
Doing more sets beyond a certain point may not contribute to additional growth and could lead to muscle loss.
A study found that training with just one set per exercise, three times a week, can still lead to muscle growth.
Another study showed that reducing the volume to nine sets per week after an initial high volume period still allowed for muscle maintenance.
A meta-analysis by Brad Schenfeld found a dose-response relationship between muscle growth and the number of sets.
Three sets per muscle per week may be enough to maintain gains, while 4-7 sets are optimal for maximum gains with minimal time.
A full-body workout that trains each muscle with around six sets per week can be completed in as little as 30 minutes.
To maximize gains with minimal volume, train close to failure on every set.
Select exercises that are most likely to give the most gains, especially those that involve long muscle length training.
Proper form is crucial when doing fewer sets to ensure each rep counts.
The second strategy involves using antagonist supersets to save time while working out.
Antagonist supersets involve working one muscle and then immediately working the opposite muscle.
Keeping transition time between supersets short can lead to increased reps and gains.
The third strategy is using drop sets, which involve decreasing weight and continuing reps after reaching failure.
Drop sets can provide the same or even more growth despite reducing workout time significantly.
It's important to ensure that each drop set still pushes the muscle to failure for optimal gains.
The study protocols for drop sets usually involve decreasing the weight by 20% after each set.
Three time-saving workout routines are provided, each designed to be completed in as little as 30 minutes.
Nutrition plays a critical role in muscle growth and can significantly impact results regardless of workout volume.
Transcripts
is it possible to work out half as much
as you are right now do just a few 30
minute workouts per week and build just
as much if not more muscle according to
the latest science yes there's three
time-saving strategies that have been
shown to be most effective I'll show you
how to properly apply them to your
workouts to get more gains and less time
so the first strategy has to do with
your workout volume during a workout the
first few sets you do for a muscle give
the most gains but as you do more and
more sets you get less growth relative
to the additional effort you're putting
in eventually you actually reach a point
where you don't get any additional
growth from doing more sets and may even
result in muscle loss if you take it way
too AP so to save time in the gym you
want to do the least number of sets that
still gets you a solid return in gains
and there's a few studies we can look at
to find what that amount is one study
from back in 2002 had trained subjects
to just one set of bench press and one
set of leg press three times a week for
12 weeks despite the extremely low
volume in this case just three sets per
muscle per week they were still able to
build a bit of muscle another study took
a different approach they had subjects
do 27 sets for their quads every single
week after 4 months they measured how
much muscle was built and then split the
subjects into one of three groups one
group dropped their volume to just nine
sets per week another dropped to just
three cents per week and the final group
didn't lift at all after 8 months at
this new volume the no lifting group's
muscles returned back to normal the
three set per week group were able to
maintain their new gains whereas the
nine set per week group ended up gaining
even more muscle now the last study I
want to look at before providing some
recommendations is a metaanalysis led by
Brad shenfeld they compared 1 to 5 5 to9
and 10 plus sets per muscle per week
what they discovered is a dose response
relationship between muscle growth and
the number of sets per form with 10 plus
sets per muscle per week resulting in
the most growth but what's interesting
is that the 5 to n set group still
experience about 80% of the max gains
and the one to five set group we still
able to get about 60% of it so based on
the research we have so far it seems
likely that three sets per muscle per
week is probably enough to maintain your
gains and maybe even build a little
muscle depending on how inexperienced
you are but 4 to seven sets per muscle
per week is likely the sweet spot to get
the most gains with the least amount of
time and effort now at the end of the
video I'll give you guys some free
time-saving workout routines that take
care of all the sets reps and exercises
for you but for now here's an example of
what this could look like with a 3-day
per week full body workout that would
train each muscle with around six sets
per week assuming 2 minutes rest between
sets and 1 minute transition time
between exercises the whole workout
could be completed in as little as 30
minutes and you can also just apply this
strategy to your current routine by
cutting down the number of sets and or
exercises on all your workouts or just
do so on days where you're busy or just
not feeling it and need a quick workout
however if you are going to go with this
minimal volume there's three things you
need to start doing in all your workouts
to continue making almost as much or
possibly even more gains than you were
before first off research has shown that
The Closer you train to failure the more
growth you'll get but also the more
fatigue you'll create in your case you
don't have that many sets to recover
from so to get the most growth possible
every single set you should be pushing
at least one to two reps short of
failure and even going all the way to
failure on exercises where it's safe to
do so second since you're only doing a
limited number of exercises it's
crucially you pick the ones that are
most likely to give the most Gaines and
there is a really exciting area of
research called long muscle length
training basically it seems like some
muscles May respond better to exercises
that challenge them the most when
they're in a stretch position I cover
this research in more depth than and
explain exactly what exercises to do for
what muscle groups in my past video
which I'll link in the description box
down below and at the end of the video
and lastly you need to dial in your form
every single rep you do matters that
much more now some of you may be
wondering what if I don't want to do
less what if I still want to train at
the optimal volume and use other ways to
cut down my time or what if I want to
make my minimalist workout even more
time efficient this is where the next
two time saving strategies coming handy
so you've probably heard of super sets
where you do two exercises back to back
with no rest while this can cut your
workout time down in half most people
don't do them properly and end up
compromising their gains the key is to
use what's known as antagonist super
sets this involves doing an exercise
that works one muscle and then almost
immediately after doing an exercise that
works the opposite muscle this way one
muscle is resting while the other is
working but how long it takes you to
catch your breath between the two
exercises seems to be important one
study showed that keeping the transition
time as short as possible no longer than
a minute led to a unique benefit where
subjects could actually do more reps
than they could when they took longer
rest or just perform the exercises
without super sets however keep in mind
that suets will only work if you're
still pushing your muscles close to
failure every set so just take as long
as rest as you need to prevent your
cardio from holding your back now here
is a list of the best antagonist super
sets that you can start apply to your
routine but also don't feel limited to
just these you can basically superset
any two exercises that don't train the
exact same muscles and wouldn't be
overly fatiguing when done back to back
bench press with calf raises chest flies
with lateral raises and leg extensions
or leg curls with pretty much any nearby
upper body exercise are all great
examples but if there's any exercises
you can't end up super setting or would
just prefer not to this is where the
next method can come in handy so usually
you do a set of an exercise rest do
another set and repeat until you've
completed your desired number of sets
but with strategy three you do your
first set until you can't do any more
reps decrease the weight and immediately
do as many reps as you can and continue
dropping the weight until you complete
about two or three drop sets in total
now before I share what exercises you
should and should not apply this method
to I know what some of you may be
thinking won't this reduce the amount of
weight and Reps I can do leading to less
gain
while that is true drops has take
advantage of what's commonly known as
effective reps let's say you're doing a
set of 10 reps to failure the first few
reps you do contribute very little to
muscle growth it's the last few reps
when the muscles are being pushed to
their absolute limit where the most
growth happens so even though you're
decreasing the weight journe each drop
set your muscles are already exhausted
from your previous set to the point that
every additional rep it does now is far
more effective for growth this is likely
the mechanism behind why a handful of
studies and a recent 2022 metaanalysis
which is basically a study of Studies
have all shown drop sets to provide the
same and in some cases even more growth
despite cutting workouts down to a third
of the time but you should only use this
on certain exercises keep in mind that
during every set you have to train to
failure so you need to use exercises
where it's safe to do so and also really
quick to decrease the weight for each
drop set lateral raises arms exercises
dumbbell chest presses calf raises and
many machine exercises are all great
options I definitely wouldn't apply this
to squats and dead list and only with
bench press if you have a good spotter
now as for how many drop sets to do one
stud you replace three normal sets with
one normal set followed by two drop sets
whereas another study replaced three
normal sets with one normal set followed
by four drop sets in both studies the
drop set group led to similar growth as
a normal group so I'd say try to at at
least match the total number of sets
including your drop sets with how many
normal sets you usually do lastly as for
how much to lower the weight during each
drop set the study protocol is usually
decreased by 20% at a time so don't drop
by too much or too little you probably
won't be able to do as many reps as you
could do during the previous set but you
should definitely be able to get more
than a few just make sure you're still
tracking how much weight and how many
reps you're doing and try to progress
this over time just like you would with
normal sets so as promised I created
three timesaving workout routines for
you guys to download There's a 3-day
4-day and a 5day per week workout
routine for you guys to pick from each
workout can be done in as little as 30
minutes now I have designed these with
the optimal volume but within each PDF I
also explain how you could cut it down
to the minimalist volume we talked about
earlier if you wanted to save even more
time and you can download them all over
at builtwithscience
outcom fastworkout that said one thing
we have yet to discuss is nutrition you
can trade far less than someone else but
actually end up getting dramatically
better results by simply ding in your
nutrition and for a step-by-step
customize plan that shows you both how
to train and what to eat to build lean
muscle and lose fat faster and with less
effort then head over to build
science.com and take our quiz to find
the best plan for you also I highly
recommend giving this video watch next
to learn about a new training technique
that you should start applying to all
your workouts to build muscle even
faster thanks so much for watching and
I'll see you next time
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