The Minimalists Workout
Posted on 20 January 2010
Some people manage to stay naturally fit and healthy. They look radiant. They have no problem maintaining a stable and desirable body weight, yet they seem to do little in terms of working out or paying attention to their health and fitness.
Or so it seems…
How Do They Do It?
These people don’t need to train in a gym every day or stay dialed in to a perfect diet. Why? Because they naturally follow these rules:
- Eat a REAL FOOD diet and don’t pig out on junk
- Walk lots daily or Commute to work by bike
- Have time for Relaxation
- Enjoys Social sports or stay active on weekends/free-time (tennis, hiking, skiing etc)
- Do something they enjoy
- Know how to deal with tough situations or people
- Fit in 7-9 hours of good sleep every night
If you’re doing all of this daily or can make at least 80% of it part of your life, then how often do you really need to go to the gym or work out? Not much. If you want to stay in optimal shape and gain muscle, 2 times per week is plenty. If you want to maintain shape or achieve a lean and athletic body composition, once per week will be just fine.
2 Day Muscle Building
This a simple split of pushing and pulling. It works well to build volume without requiring too much time in the gym.
Day 1 Push – This day will be 3 sets of 8-12 reps of compound pushing exercises.
- Squat 3 x 8-12
- Shoulder Press 3 x 8-12
- Dips 2 x 8-12
- Pushups 2 x 10-15
Day 2 Pull – This day will be 3 sets of 8-12 reps of compound pulling exercises.
- Deadlift 3 x 6-10
- Pullups 2 x Maximum Reps (Without straining)
- Bent Over Row 2 x 10-15
- Upright Row 2 x 8-12
1 Day Athletic Training
A simple full body split, for those of you who simply want a bit of extra muscle, improved performance in sports, and a better body composition. It’s made up of compound exercises, which will work your entire body without the need for isolation movements.
- Overhead Squat (Dumbbell or Barbell) 2 x 8-12
- Pull-ups 2 x Max Reps plus some Negatives
- Dips 2 x 10-15 (Add weight if necessary)
- Stiff Leg Deadlifts 2 x 10-12
- Shoulder Press 2 x 10-12
- Plank 2 x 1 minute
- 5 Minute Row
With all of these exercises, keep the momentum up, but take a short rest (45-90 seconds) between sets, then move onto the next exercise.
That’s It! Keep healthy with fundamentals outside of the gym, and use workouts as a tool for increased performance, body composition and athleticism!
Thanks again! If you enjoyed this article please share it on Twitter. Many Thanks for Reading.
26 comments so far
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Comment by Chris
20 January 2010
What a fantastic post.
Things really are this simple, but people rarely commit to the work and discipline involved.
Comment by Mike OD - Fitness Spotlight
20 January 2010
You trying to put personal trainers out of business? lol
That 2 day split is all anyone needs, and just stick with it for a minimum of 12 weeks while slowly incrementing weights.
The just eat enough real foods, relax, cool it on cardio overload, and sleep. It’s that simple!
Unfortunately most have to overcomplicate everything and think there are better results coming because of it. Simple works!!!
Comment by Grok
20 January 2010
Very short and simple. Follow a program like this and you have almost no excuse for not working out.
Comment by meredith
20 January 2010
Right on. Although I don’t buy into it in its entirety, the Blues Zones populations live like this – no real formal training and simple living. I just posted about it today!
Comment by Adam
21 January 2010
This dovetails nicely with Taleb’s draft Why I Walk. http://tinyurl.com/yevlfwk
One thought, in line with Taleb’s piece, the occasional sprinting session, whether on a track, up a hill, or in the pool may provide benefits for those that are not involved in social sports or individual athletics.
Comment by Tammy Strobel
21 January 2010
Awesome post. I agree!
Selling our car and walking/biking everywhere helped me lose 10 pounds over the period of a year.
Workouts don’t have to be complex. I do a lot of yoga and running too. But getting out of the car and moving more really helped shed extra weight. Plus it’s so nice being outside.
Comment by Miles - DB30
21 January 2010
Too many want to do it all at once. So they go to the gym 3 to 5 times a week but after 2 months they stop. I think the key is to make it part of a life style where you never have to stress about it.
I stopped going to gyms and just use the park next to my house to do pull ups, push ups, etc… Maybe once a week i go to crossfit and do some weights but it’s only because i want to gain muscle.
And it Works.
Great Content, Thank You.
Miles Fitzgerald
Inspire the young and ambitious
Miles: That sounds awesome, wish I had a CrossFit affiliate near me for a weekly session. Sounds like the perfect balance you have going….
Comment by sangita
21 January 2010
Superb superb post! One of the reasons I read this site. I am going to take a print out of this and keep it handy at all time and read it many times! Oh why did’nt I know this 10 years ago?!
Now learn how to deal with tough situations /people and get sleep and I’m almost there!
What can I do instead of the pull up or can I just leave that out? Still (a little) new in working out so I can see I’m not going to be able to do everything. Also what is 5 minute row? Do the machine for 5 mins continuous? Thanks!
@ Sangita: Yes the rower means just go at a moderate pace for 5 minutes. I like to throw in some rowing sprints as well for 10-20 seconds.
Comment by Suzanne
21 January 2010
I like how you mention fitting in everyday fitness such as biking, walking, and fun. And YES enjoyment and rest are both so important!
Comment by Anotherambition
22 January 2010
I have been following the same push/pull split for months. Mostly only one set just short of failure. Slowburn on the cocentric and hard push on the lift phase. Approximately 3 workouts a fortnight.
The results have been terrific. Packing on muscles all over in a well balanced symmetrical way.
Full of energy and never tired from working out. Only downside is I like going to the gym and have had to fill time others ways. Cheers Anotherambition.
Comment by joe
22 January 2010
This was a great post…You are so right!!!
If only people would understand that its that simple..The most important thing I believe is the the food you eat and how much of it you consume..I basically do 2 days of 35 mins heavy resistance. 1 day of body weight circuit (20 mins) and 1 day intense cardio which I do 20 mins jump rope. Thats it…By doing just the minimal I maintain a 8-10% body fat all year round…
Comment by Perri
22 January 2010
This is great! What’s the difference between dead lifts and stiff leg dead lifts?
Thanks!
@ Perri: Stiff Leg Deadlifts are more targeted at the lower back and hamstrings they are a great exercise to build power and improve posture. I like doing them with dumbells or a kettlebell, here is a good article on form and benefits…..
Comment by Hugh
22 January 2010
I love your list of 7 rules at the beginning of this post. A common thread among people whom I know who want to lose weight or get fit is that they think it takes a crash diet or 4 hours per day in the gym. The reality is that it is all about small lifestyle changes that develop into habits. Hopefully lifelong habits. A little here and a little there really adds up. I wish people knew how very simple it is to maintain a health weight and fit lifestyle.
Comment by Brandon
22 January 2010
very realistic and helpful. Keep things simple and most often you will see results fast.
I rotate between Deadlifts, Squats, Pullups, shoulder presses, and bench presses. 2-3 times a week. I choose one lower body and one upper body exercise from that list. I do 5 sets of 5 reps each. That’s it for my gym days.
Comment by Anastasiya
23 January 2010
A very simple yet valuable post. You are right that most of us do not need much to stay fit and healthy. A lot of people view exercise at the gym as the only type of exercise that they must do in order to lose weight and look great. And even though this type of exercise is great for the body (and I personally like it) it is much more important to stay active throughout the day. Stand and move more than you sit and here you have a perfect workout for everyday!
Thanks for this post again. It was simply put but a lot of people really need o read it.
By the way, maybe it’s not my business, but why don’t you add some kind of retweet button to your blog? I often want to retweet your posts but I do not have enough time to do it usually. Just a suggestion that could make this great blog even better
Thanks for the feedback! will be adding a Twitter button in the upcoming posts….
Comment by Janice - The Fitness Cheerleader
24 January 2010
Do you have a minimalist workout plan for those of us without access to a gym – ie: no extra money and a solo parent? If so, would you like to be a guest blogger on my blog? I love the message you convey because it’s right on the money!
Comment by Lanette
24 January 2010
I think being healthy and fit is a way of life. Your 7-point list incorporates this way of thinking and we should all tape it to our fridge as a reminder on how to take care of ourselves.
Comment by fitnessequipment
26 January 2010
I am one of those people that follow the minimalist workout. I make sure I eat healthy food without starving myself, I also drink lots of water and make sure I get enought sleep.
Comment by Aletheia
28 January 2010
WOW. Now I FINALLY know why I’m in such good shape after decreasing my cardio (overload) workouts from 7 days a week to 2! Sweet!
Comment by Nhan-Esteban Khuong, L.Ac.
30 January 2010
Rules to live by.
Great post!
Comment by Crumple it Up
30 January 2010
Another fantastic post. People need to realize there is not a magic science to it, there are just simple rules. The crazy contraptions, HUGE gym fees and infomercial crap doesn’t do it, consistency and effort does. Thanks for showing how simple it could, and Should be.
Comment by Chelsey
3 February 2010
This is awesome! So true how a simple diet, exercise and rest can do wonders for your body. Thank you for sharing!