So you’ve made the gains and you want to maintain you precious muscle. Cool. Lucky for you it’s much easier to maintain muscle mass than it is to build it.
You can actually build muscle if you tweak the routine to your exact specification and couple it with good nutrition and recovery.
The minimum effective does is the least amount of training required to get the results you want.
Whether it’s building muscle of maintaining muscle, there’s a minimum effective does that’s right for you.
If just takes some time and experimentation to find it.
What is the Minimum Effective Does?
It’s the Sweet Spot that Gives You Maximum Strength Gains, Muscle Mass, and Fat Burning Potential with Minimal Time and Effort.
Tim Ferris created this concept on the premise that everyone wants more for less.
When it comes to making progress in the gym that rule stands true.
Who wouldn’t want to do a single pushup and look like Superman if that was a choice?
Most people hate the process of getting in shape. It’s a hard and arduous road most people look for a detour.
There is no way around the work to build a physique. But if you trainin smart you can make gains faster than normal.
This post shows you the workout program that gives you the most benefit for your time in the gym.
Finding Your Minimum Effective Dose
This is the optimum amount of training get the maximum results for your time and effort. Efficient training is the best training. Especially because most people don’t live in a gym. Life is busy.
I weigh my variables and proceed accordingly. I track my progress and adjust accordingly.
The variables for determining your Minimum Effective Dose are:
- Movements and lifts performed
- Weight used
- Rep range, sets, total volume, total tonnage
- Training intensity
- Training frequency
- Programming (training method and workout routine)
- Rest and recovery
- Nutrition
- Supplementation
- Genetics
You job is to find the right combination of these variables to maximize muscle gain, strength, and overall fitness in the least amount of time.
To find the answer I used the 80/20 Rule. The 80/20 rule is also called the Occam’s Razor Principle. The Law of Diminishing Returns also comes into play.
The 80/20 Rule
The 80/20 rule states that 80% of your results will come from 20% of your exercises.
This means a handful of exercises will give you most of the results you’re looking for.
Therefore, focus your effort on those critical few lifts and forget about the trivial many.
Occam’s Razor Principle
The Occam’s Razor Principle states that only the minimum needed to accomplish something should be done. Everything more than the minimum is in vain.
Minimize any unnecessary movement. Focus on perfect form. All of your energy should be directed at the current exercise you are performing and the muscles it is working.
Law of Diminishing Returns
Once you hit a certain threshold, the Law of Diminishing returns kicks in. Progress in bodybuilding isn’t always linear in terms of physique development. It is in terms of strength gains, but in terms of physique development, it’s an S-Curve. Slow at first then you pick up momentum, then the gains begin to slow as you approach your genetic potential. You can still develop size and muscle density, muscle maturity and look more refined.
As it applies to weight lifting, Once you hit that last repetition of a set that requires MAXIMUM effort to complete, every rep after than will contribute less and less to your results.
But, keep in mind that you want to reach that rep that requires maximum effort. Because that’s where the muscle-growing magic happens.
And if you stop before this rep, you will waste ALL your effort up to that point.
How to Find Your Minimum Effective Dose
I’ve found that I can get bigger and stronger training 3 times a week. Each workout takes about an hour.
To maximize my results each workout I hone in on the following critical points:
- Lift heavy, with moderate volume
- Increase the weight lifted each workout
- High Intensity Training is critical
- Adequate rest and recovery
- Proper nutrition
Use Time Wisely To Maximize Results
Why spend 15 minutes doing curls when you could spend that time doing deadlifts? You see, you can use that same 15 minutes to train 100% of your body instead of 5% of your body. Deadlifts win.
Think of things economically. You have a limited amount of time, so you need to focus on lifts that yield the most benefit. These are the lifts that give you the most benefit:
The Best Minimum Effective Dose Exercises
These lifts work the most muscle, therefore are the most efficient. That goes for all categories: Strength, Muscle Building, and Fat Burning.
The best exercises for minimum effective does training are:
Deadlifts, Squats, Lunges, Bench Press, Dips, Pull ups, Heavy rows, Military Press.
You could perform only these lifts and build a rock solid physique.
Don’t waste your precious time on lifts that don’t maximize your overall results. Focus on the best, and lift hard and heavy, and forget the rest.
Minimum Effective Dose Hypertrophy Workout Routine
The following is a workout routine I did for a while when time was tight.
It consists of three workouts – A, B, and C. I trained on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
I work full time, run two business, and have a girlfriend to spend time with.
This workout allows me to do those things and still workout and stay in shape.
It’s simple effective and gets the job done. 99% of guys will benefits from this workout routine. The other 1% are already jacked.
This is a minimum effective training dose for building muscle. Workout highlights:
- Lots of training volume
- Three training sessions per week
- Resistance training to build muscular strength
- Multi joint exercises
- Multiple sets per exercise
- Full body workouts to hit all muscle groups
- Apply strength training principles like linear progression.
Deploy training techniques to be even more time efficient:
- Drop sets and supersets
- Take sets to failure
Minimum Effective Dose Workout A
Day 1: Monday – Chest and Shoulders / 4-5 sets each / 4-12 reps per set
- Flat Bench Press
- Incline Dumbbell Bench
- Military Press
- Flyes
- Dips
Minimum Effective Dose Workout B
Day 2: Wednesday – Back and Arms / 4-5 sets each / 4-12 reps
- Deadlift (do your 5 reps then 3 sets of heavy singles 1, 1, 1 at 80-90% of your Max)
- Pull ups
- Pulldowns
- Rows
- Curls
Minimum Effective Dose Workout C
Day 3: Friday – Legs / 4-5 sets each / 4-12 reps
- Back Squat
- Front Squat
- Lunges
- Romain Deadlifts
- Calve raises (do 10-25 reps each set)
Take Saturday and Sunday off. Then start it all over again the following Monday.
Do this for 4 weeks. Increase the weight each workout.
This routine allows me plenty of time to recover, So you should notice your strength improve week over week.
I’ve gained strength and muscle mass in nearly every major muscle group in less than three weeks. This routine is perfect if you are busy and can only get to the gym a few times a week. I’m a believer that three days is all it takes as long as you push yourself and train hard.
There are easy ways to find one hour three times a week to complete this workout: Wake up an hour earlier. Problem solved. You’ll probably accomplish more every day of the week once you start working out because you will have more energy and feel better.
Minimum Effective Training Dose Workout Tips
Set Goals
Daily goals, weekly goal, workout goals, goals for each set.
Set goals for each cycle (a cycle is 4,6, or 8 weeks of a workout. Always have a goal to reach at the end of each cycle)
Track Workouts
Log each workout.
Keep track on your favorite workout app, a spreadsheet (I use google sheets), or good ol’ pencil and paper works great too. Keep a training journal. You’ll get flooded with ideas when you train. Because you’re firing synapses you’ve never used before. You’ll get good ideas from the ether.
Track every exercise, set, rep and amount of weight used. This is valuable data to show how you are progressing.
Understand Nutrition
Dial in your nutrition or you’ll be up shit creek without a paddle. Your body is a temple. take care of it. Keep it clean.
A bad diet with sabotage a workout program. Plan your meals ahead of time, or meal prep. Meal prep ensures you have healthy meals to eat at all times. this will reduce temptation.
One bad meal can erase a hard workout. You want to make sure you hit your minimum protein and nutrient requirements without spilling over by eating too many ’empty’ calories.
Nutrition is a major factor in your success in the gym and in life. I suggest you learn as much as you can about the food you eat.
Focus
Turn off your phone. Pick your playlist before you start training an GO. Keep a pace.
Take Supplements
Make the most of your limited training with supplements. These supplements provide a blast of energy, mental focus, build muscle and improve recovery.
Pre-workout – High quality pre-workout ingested 20 minutes before a workout will get you locked and loaded and ready to detonate your workout. Undoubtably helps provide energy and focus to sling iron with intent.
Liver tablets – Liver tablets are hands down the best all-around supplement for energy, endurance and increased strength. Makes you feel powerful with makes lifting weights more fun.
Intra-workout – Mix BCAAs with water and sip during your workout. BCAAs preserve muscle mass, which is especially important if you’re fasting and keeping your diet clean. You’re only training 1-3 times per week so take measures to preserve your hard earned muscle.
Protein – An all-natural protein powder provides quality protein for cheap and with low calories. To build muscle and stay lean.
Until next time,
-Jordan
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