Get better results by spending less time in the gym!

Maximizing Gym Efficiency: A Science-Backed Thread 🧬💪 https://t.co/lGVlMuJyrv

📌 Common Gym Misconception: 

You need a plethora of exercises and lots of sets for maximum muscle growth. 

The truth is you don't have to spend anywhere near as much time as most people spend in the gym to get optimal results!

You must cover certain bases:

- Squat or similar
- Hip hinge
- Vertical push
- Vertical pull
- Horizontal push
- Horizontal pull

Toss in some calves and abs and you've covered your entire body.

There's no need to saturate your routine with multiple variations, like incline, decline, flys, raises, hitting muscles from "different angles" etc. 

Here's a reality check: They're essentially achieving the same thing.

Less is more—just pick one, lift hard & maintain form.

All you need to do is pick ONE lift for each category and lift to failure with good form.

Reaching failure (or close) creates the stimulus for adaptation.

Adding more work does not increase this stimulus, it just adds more muscle damage that you've got to recover from.

You don't need long sessions hammering a single muscle group over and over. 

Research shows 2-3 sets yield around 40% more growth than one set, but 4-6 sets doesn't add much more.

https://t.co/lOR3j5gvp8

And don't worry about rep ranges: Heavy or light loads, if you're pushing to failure the result is the same.

This study found no difference in strength or size gains for resistance trained men, based on the load used, as long as they worked to failure:

https://t.co/2RcUEUUh1P

Here's another study that analysed 21 others and came to the same conclusion - even sets up to 30 reps produce the same response as heavier sets:

https://t.co/0wWmtdWzNr

Based on this evidence, I prefer to use lighter loads as it's easier to make progress (going from 10-11 is 10% more, going from 4 to 5 is 25% more).

You can also avoid wasting time with lots of warmup sets working up to your heavy sets.

I jump straight into my working sets.

Muscles typically need a minimum of 48 hours for recovery. If you're older, your probably need more.

Most people are overdoing it.

This study found that only 20% of people had fully recovered after 48 hours:

https://t.co/PaHoAgt5aF

Even after 72 hours 63% of the subjects (trained men) were not recovered but the test had involved 12 sets to failure (strengthening the point about lots of sets being overkill)

In this study, 40% of the subjects (trained men between 18-30) were recovered after 48 hours and 80% after 72 hours.

https://t.co/gCLPu591eh

When the test was increased from 3 sets to 7 sets, recovery was increased to 96 hours.

Bearing this in mind, a workout schedule such as this may optimal for most people:

Monday: Full Body (1 set each)
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: Full Body (1 set each)
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Full Body (1 set each)
Monday: Rest

and so on.

An upper lower split may be preferable if you want to work out on consecutive days:

Day 1: Upper
Day 2: Lower
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Upper
Day 5: Lower
Day 6: Rest
Day 7: Upper (or rest to make a 7 day cycle)

There's no need for isolation exercises for muscles already worked to failure by compound exercises - e.g. direct biceps exercises after chinups.

Here's a study showing that adding this isolation work after compounds made NO DIFFERENCE.

https://t.co/FRjuwclGdb

Lastly - stop lifting so much weight.

The weight isn't anywhere near as important as how you lift it.

Slow down.

Each rep should be taking 8 seconds (4 seconds up, 4 seconds down).

Stop pausing and resting at the top of presses and squats. Keep moving continuously.

If you lift like this, you'll reach failure far more efficiently and safely.

When the weight stops moving, continue to exert force against it. You should be able to hold it in place, but not make it move.

That's when you've reached failure.

You'll have to use less weight, so check your ego at the door.

Be prepared for your numbers to go down, but for yoru workouts to get far more effective and take less time!

You'll feel the difference when you train like this.

Caveat: If your goal is lifting heavy - e.g. for competition - then you need to practise lifting heavy, as it is skill as well as strength.

You will get better at lifting in low rep ranges or high rep ranges, if that's what you primarily practise - but both increase strength.

My experience is that all of this works.

When my son was born and my job was busy, I was determined not to give up on working out.

I did the minimum, thinking I'd just cling to whatever gains I could.

In reality, I got stronger.

At first I maintained my muscle while getting lean. This took around 6 months. https://t.co/cRNuUdzYLP

And then I continued to gain muscle once I started eating more food.

My training routine didn't change for a year. I was doing 3 or 4 workouts per week of 20-30 minutes each.

This has totally transformed my approach to training.

I now don't stress about missing workouts and I generally tend to work out for 60-80 minutes per week (instead of 4-5x that amount!)

This has given me far more time to spend with my family and focus on my business.

That's the end of this thread!

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https://t.co/8erVgZfbku

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Dad to 2 with 1 on the way. I help dads overhaul their workout mindset to get them to Superhero Dad status with less than 60 mins/week.

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