{"id":637676,"date":"2026-04-30T02:47:15","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T02:47:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/637676\/"},"modified":"2026-04-30T02:47:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T02:47:15","slug":"build-muscle-with-just-4-exercises-per-workout-how-to-use-the-1x4-method","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/637676\/","title":{"rendered":"Build Muscle with Just 4 Exercises per Workout \u2013 How to Use the 1\u00d74 Method"},"content":{"rendered":"

If your training<\/a> has started to feel overly complicated, the 1×4 method strips things back to basics. Built around minimal volume and high effort, the approach centres on just 4 exercises per session, each performed for a single working set.<\/p>\n

Rather than spending hours in the gym accumulating volume, you focus on a small number of movements and push each one hard. According to Eric Evans, known as Average to Jacked<\/a> on YouTube, the shift came after years of high-volume training. \u2018I used to be like most gym bros who train for two hours a day. But over time, my progress stalled, and I was always dealing with injuries from working out so much.\u2019<\/p>\n

Each session is built around key movement patterns rather than fixed exercises, allowing flexibility depending on equipment and preference. \u2018I don\u2019t care as much about the exact exercise. I care about the movement pattern,\u2019 says Evans. It\u2019s a minimalist approach, but one that can still deliver hypertrophy<\/a> \u2013 provided you\u2019re training close to failure<\/a> with good form.<\/p>\n

What Is the 1×4 Training Method?How to Do the 1×4 Method<\/p>\n

\u2018You train just three days a week, with a fourth optional day,\u2019 says Evans. Each session includes:<\/p>\n

4 exercises1 warm-up set at around 50%1 working set taken to failure<\/p>\n

\u2018Each exercise has just 1 warm-up set at 50% of the working weight, then 1 working set where you push to failure with good form,\u2019 he says. Work in a moderate rep range, typically 6-10 reps, and take the set as far as possible while maintaining control.<\/p>\n

\u2018When the weight stops moving cleanly and you can no longer perform a full range-of-motion<\/a> rep, that\u2019s what I would consider failure.\u2019<\/p>\n

A typical weekly split might look like:<\/p>\n

Day 1: Chest, shoulders, tricepsDay 2: LegsDay 3: Back, bicepsDay 4 (optional): Accessories and conditioning<\/p>\n

Track your reps and aim to improve week to week. Evans says, \u2018If you got 8 reps last week, your goal this week is going to be 9.\u2019 Once you reach the top of your rep range, increase the load slightly and repeat the process.<\/p>\n

Is Low-Volume Training Effective for Muscle Growth?<\/p>\n

The method is simple and removes much of the decision-making that comes with programming. For more experienced lifters who can safely push close to failure, it can be a useful way to reduce training time while maintaining intensity. It may also suit those balancing training with busy schedules.<\/p>\n

Research<\/a> suggests there can be diminishing returns when it comes to volume. Some evidence indicates that around 5-10 sets per muscle group per week is effective for hypertrophy, while as little as 2 sets per week can support strength gains \u2013 meaning more minimalist approaches can still deliver results.<\/p>\n

Like most low-volume methods, effectiveness comes down to how hard your sets are pushed and whether total weekly work is sufficient for your goals.<\/p>\n

Related Stories<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If your training has started to feel overly complicated, the 1×4 method strips things back to basics. Built…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":637677,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[49,48,4671,238197,784,407,84,237154,783,238196,185266],"class_list":["post-637676","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-fitness","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-content-type-default","tag-contentid-47e4cf46-c5a7-47b9-af78-40358a869e88","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-issyndicated-false","tag-locale-gb","tag-shorttitle-build-muscle-with-just-4-exercises-per-workout","tag-subsection-train-smarter"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/637676","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=637676"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/637676\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/637677"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=637676"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=637676"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=637676"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}