Minimum effective dose training as a beginner
Hey,
as I always struggled with classic workout plans I recently stumbled upon MED training for hypertrophy. Trying to focus on the basics with limited knowledge I came up with the following plan:
Day 1
Chest press- 3 Sets
Leg press - 2 Sets
Row on a bench with dumbells - 2 sets
Triceps extensions - 2 Sets
Day 2
Chin ups - 2-3 sets
Shoulder press with dumbells - 2 sets
Hip thrust - 2 Sets
Bicep Curls - 2 Sets
I normally do 3 workouts a week, but consider 2 workouts a week as sufficient, when my week is busy.
I try to take every set to failure or 1 RIR.
This way it's the first time in my life, that a plan feels sustainable. I have been training consistently for the last 5 months. Past attempts with higher volume plans caused me to "burn out" after a few weeks or months. Progressive overload works good to this point.
As I'm very interested in this approach I got the book Train smarter not harder by Dr. Paks. This caused some confusion for me:
Sometimes he refers to 6 basic movement patterns (vert. and horiz. pull, vert. and horiz. push, squat and hip hinge). Other times he refers to muscle groups.
As a threshold for hypertrophy he states at least 4 sets/muscle per week.
This makes it hard for me to understand, what an actual science base minimalistc workout routine might look like.
The example plans in the book caused even more confusion (summarized by AI):
1-Day Routine
Exercises & Sets per Session:
Squat pattern: 2 sets
Hip hinge pattern: 2 sets
Horizontal press: 2 sets
Horizontal pull: 2 sets
Vertical pull: 2 sets
Biceps isolation: 2 sets
Triceps isolation: 2 sets
Weekly Muscle Group Tally:
Quads: 2 sets (Squat) — Below 4-set target
Hamstrings: 2 sets (Hip Hinge) — Below 4-set target
Chest: 2 sets (Horizontal Press) — Below 4-set target
Back: 4 sets (Horizontal + Vertical Pull) — Meets target
Shoulders: 2 sets (Indirect via Horizontal Press)
Arms (Biceps/Triceps): 4–6 sets (2 direct isolation + 2–4 compound synergy) — Meets target
Glutes: 4 sets (Squat + Hip Hinge) — Meets target
Calves: 0 sets
2-Day Routine
Exercises & Sets per Session:
Day 1: Squat pattern (2–3 sets), Hip hinge pattern (2–3 sets), Leg Extension machine (2 sets), Leg Curl machine (2 sets), Vertical pull (3 sets), Calf raises (2 sets)
Day 2: Horizontal press (3–4 sets), Vertical press (2 sets), Horizontal pull (2–3 sets), Lateral raises (2 sets), Triceps isolation (2 sets), Biceps isolation (2 sets)
Weekly Muscle Group Tally:
Quads: 4–5 sets (Squat + Leg Extension) — Meets target
Hamstrings: 4–5 sets (Hip Hinge + Leg Curl) — Meets target
Chest: 3–4 sets (Horizontal Press) — Meets target
Back: 5–6 sets (Vertical + Horizontal Pull) — Meets target
Shoulders: 4 direct sets (Vertical Press + Lateral Raises) + indirect chest overlap — Meets target
Arms (Biceps/Triceps): 7–8 sets (2 direct isolation + 5–6 compound synergy) — Meets target
Glutes: 4–6 sets (Squat + Hip Hinge) — Meets target
Calves: 2 sets (Calf raises)
3-Day Routine
Exercises & Sets per Session:
Day 1: Horizontal press (2–3 sets), Vertical press (2–3 sets), Triceps isolation (2–3 sets)
Day 2: Hip hinge pattern (2–3 sets), Horizontal pull (2–3 sets), Vertical pull (2–3 sets), Biceps isolation (2–3 sets)
Day 3: Squat pattern (2–3 sets), Lateral raises (2–3 sets), Horizontal pull (2–3 sets), Calf raises (2–3 sets)
Weekly Muscle Group Tally:
Quads: 2–3 sets (Squat) — Below 4-set target
Hamstrings: 2–3 sets (Hip Hinge) — Below 4-set target
Chest: 2–3 sets (Horizontal Press) — Below 4-set target
Back: 6–9 sets (3 pulling movements across Days 2 and 3) — Meets target
Shoulders: 4–6 direct sets (Vertical Press + Lateral Raises) + indirect chest overlap — Meets target
Arms (Biceps/Triceps): 6–9+ sets (2–3 direct isolation + 4–6 compound synergy) — Meets target
Glutes: 4–6 sets (Squat + Hip Hinge) — Meets target
Calves: 2–3 sets (Calf raises)
As you can see, there is no vertical push in the 1 day routine. Some muscle groups clearly stay under the states threshold of 4 sets/week. While the 2 day workout mostly meets the target, the 3 day plan has some areas under the threshold, while others (eg back) go up to 6-9 sets/week.
Probably I'm just confused because of the mix up between muscle, muscle group and movement pattern, but I really want to understand the underlying principle.
I'm convinced that a minimalistic routine would help a lot of people, who struggle with higher volume plans - as it is for me.
Maybe someone could break it down to a simple principle for me, that I can use for future adaptations?
Thanks for reading and sorry for rough english!