Built With Science How to Work Out Like A Minimalist And Still Make Gains
11 snips
Apr 15, 2024 Built With Science researchers Max Coleman and Daniel Plotkin discuss maximizing muscle gains with minimal effort through workout techniques like super sets and drop sets. They touch on optimal exercise selection, the importance of sleep for muscle growth, and the benefits of creatine and caffeine supplements for enhancing performance.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Do 6 to 9 Hard Sets Per Muscle Weekly
- Do aim for roughly 6–9 hard sets per muscle group per week to make meaningful hypertrophy gains.
- This volume lets most people progress while keeping total weekly gym time low, especially with supersets or BFR.
Growth Can Occur Far From Failure
- Training far from failure can still produce growth; velocity and RIR data suggest growth at ~8 RIR for many sets.
- Studies and meta-analyses show even very low-effort sets (RPE≈2) can elicit measurable hypertrophy in some contexts.
Trade Volume For Intensity Based On Preference
- If you choose very low weekly volume, train closer to failure (0–3 RIR) to reliably stimulate growth.
- Alternatively accept slightly higher volume to stay farther from failure; pick the tradeoff that fits your preference.