Want to get ripped by only going to the gym 2-3 times per week (under half an hour each time), and grocery shop 20 minutes per week? Read below to learn how:
In The 4 Hour Body, Tim Ferriss gave his approach to losing fat, gaining muscle, and getting ripped…all in under 4 hours per week. My plan takes 2 hours per week…JMaximum. Either way, both plans work great (if you follow them).
Great book. Even better author.
Exercise Minimalism
Pull out your calendar and mark down what I’m about to tell you. On today’s date, write down “Workout A”. Skip ahead two more days. On that day, write down “Workout B”. Keep going in this fashion until you’ve filled out the whole month. If done properly, your calendar will look similar to the one below:
This took me 30 seconds. Minimalism.
Got it? Good. Let’s go on.
Here’s what you will do on Workout A:
Rack Deadlift – Work up to heaviest set of either 8 or 5 reps (if you did 8 reps last time, do 5 this time, and vice versa). The heaviest set is the one in which you leave 2 reps in the tank…no more. Rest 2 minutes in between work-up sets.
During your rest period, do a set of as many pushups as possible (but leave 2 reps in the tank each set).
Keep doing this until you hit your heaviest set of that day.
If you’re confused, keep reading on until you hit the FAQ section. If not, read my FAQ section anyways.
Here’s what you will do on Workout B:
Bulgarian Split Squat – Work up to heaviest set of either 8 or 5 reps on each leg (if you did 8 reps last time, do 5 this time, and vice versa). The heaviest set is the one in which you leave 2 reps in the tank…no more. Rest 2 minutes in between work-up sets.
During your rest period, do a set of as many horizontal pull-ups, or chinups as possible (but leave 2 reps in the tank each set).
Keep doing this until you hit your heaviest set of that day.
FAQ
How do I do work-up sets?
Let’s use Workout A as an example. We’ll pretend that you’re doing 8 reps today. Lift the empty bar 8 times. Rest 2 minutes. During your “rest” period, do as many pushups as you can, but leave 2 quality reps in the tank. This means that your last rep should look just as beautiful as your first rep. AKA Don’t go until failure. After your 2 minute rest, put some weight on the bar, and lift it 8 times. Keep repeating this until you have lifted the heaviest weight possible (with 2 good quality reps left in the tank). In the end, this could add up to approximately 5-10 sets for that day. That’s a lot of pushups and rack deadlifts.
How much weight do I increase by in work-up sets?
Guys increase in 10-20 lb increments. Girls increase in 5-10 lb increments (if possible).
I can lift 400 lbs, this means that I’ll be in the gym all day doing this workout.
Let’s be serious here. This is supposed to be a minimalist program. Start your warm-up sets at 225 lbs, do your next set at 315 lbs, then work up from there in 10-20 lb increments. Aim for approximately 5 work-up sets before your heaviest weight lifted.
How often do I try to lift more weight?
The goal of every workout should be to lift 2.5 lb to 5 lbs more than your last time doing that rep range. For example, if you’re lifting for 5 reps today, and your previous weight lifted at 5 reps was 200 lbs, then today you would lift either 202.5 lbs (if you have fractional plates), or 205 lbs in your heaviest set. Make sure that you’re still leaving 2 quality reps in the tank.
I can only do 5 pushups the first set, then 2 the next set, then 1, then I can’t do any. What should I do?
This is super common. Stop doing pushups when you can’t get 1 quality rep (and leave 2 reps in the tank). For some people, this might only be 2 sets. Don’t worry, you’ll get stronger. If this is the case, in your latter rest periods, do some mobility drills.
How long will each workout take?
15-30 minutes from start until finish. The first couple workouts will always take the longest because you don’t know how much weight to use yet.
Nutritional Minimalism
This one is simple. Here are the rules:
- Drink only water and coffee.
- Only buy your food from grocery stores (not from restaurants or fast food places).
- Stay away from the deli section.
- Only buy food that doesn’t have a nutritional label. (These foods are generally located on the perimeter of the grocery store).
- Cook all your meat as soon as you get home from the grocery store. After cooking, put it in tupperware containers in either your fridge or freezer.
- Repeat once a week.
If your food has one of these on the package, don’t buy it.
The Beginning
If you’re a super busy person, and Extreme Exercise and Nutritional Minimalism sounds like something for you. Give it a try. Don’t start tomorrow though. Start today. This is a super simple way to get lean, and save time. Let me know how it goes (when you have time).
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