The Essentials Program | Jeff Nippard Fitness

The Essentials Program

This program is perfect for anyone that wants to maximize their results with a minimalist program.
All Experience Levels
Sale price$39.99
Training Split:

Training Split

Instant Access
Free e-Delivery
Money Back Guarantee

WHAT’S NEW?

This program is perfect for anyone who wants to make the most of their time in the gym, but not spend half their day there. In these workouts we’ll be using high levels of intensity and advanced time-saving techniques to make each workout as efficient as possible!

The primary goal of this program is to optimize hypertrophy within 45 minute training sessions done 2-5x per week. There simply won’t be enough time to have 3-4 sets of each exercise, so most compound exercises will have 2-3 hard sets, while most isolation exercises will be limited to just 1-2 hard sets per exercise. This offers the unique opportunity to focus much more on the quality, rather than quantity, of the sets you perform. The reduction in set quantity will ensure that set quality is maximized for each and every set you do.

In my coaching experience, a lower volume high intensity approach almost always leads to better focus and execution in the gym. Rather than just “going through the motions” for the first few sets of an exercise, most people find that they execute better when they only have 1-2 sets to get the job done. In turn, this can help to reduce junk volume, as there is no chance of doing “wasted” extra sets or sets that are not sufficiently stimulating the target muscle.

To avoid monotony and increase enjoyment through periodic novelty, this program is divided into three training blocks. You will progress with the same exercises for four weeks before they are swapped out for new ones. You will find exercise substitutions next to each exercise that you can use according to your own preferences and availability.

TRAINING SPLIT BREAKDOWN

Day 1 – Full Body

Day 2 – Rest

Day 3 – Rest 

Day 4 – Full Body

Day 5 – Rest

Day 6 – Rest 

Day 7 – Rest 

*Note: Split is flexible and training days be modified to fit your schedule

Day 1 – Full Body

Day 2 – Rest

Day 3 – Upper Body

Day 4 – Rest

Day 5 – Lower Body

Day 6 – Rest 

Day 7 – Rest 

*Note: Split is flexible and training days be modified to fit your schedule

Day 1 – Upper Body

Day 2 – Lower Body

Day 3 – Rest

Day 4 – Upper Body

Day 5 – Lower Body

Day 6 – Rest 

Day 7 – Rest 

*Note: Split is flexible and training days be modified to fit your schedule

Day 1 – Upper Body

Day 2 – Lower Body

Day 3 – Rest

Day 4 – Push

Day 5 – Pull

Day 6 – Legs 

Day 7 – Rest 

*Note: Split is flexible and training days be modified to fit your schedule

WHAT’S INCLUDED

Rather than being able to rely on increasing the volume from week to week, this program places a heavy emphasis on strength progression or “beating the logbook.” You can log your workouts by printing out the PDF and writing on the paper.

This program is NOT just an eBook. In addition to everything above, you also get a full excel sheet for recording the exact weights you use for each lift.

  • Over 30 video demos by Jeff, illustrating every exercise
  • Exact warmups, sets, reps, rest periods, and RPE
  • Exercise substitutions for individualization
  • Science explained: why the program works (+ references)

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

I designed this program so it can be run with minimal equipment. Because of the exercise substitutions included, you can easily run it with very basic equipment. There are a few cable and machine exercises included as well, but in the event you don’t have access, there are always substitutions provided.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Yes. As long as you are pushing your sets close enough to failure, and following the progression outlined, you should reach a sufficient level of tension to trigger new muscle growth. A 2017 meta-analysis found that even just 1-4 sets per muscle per week was enough to stimulate measurable hypertrophy. Two meta-analyses from 2019 also found that trained lifters were able to make significant strength gains with just 1 set per exercise, taken to failure 2-3x per week. All of this data shows that not only can a minimalistic approach to training be effective, it can even be effective for more experienced lifters. Of course, at a certain point in your development you may need to increase volume to continue maximizing your gains, but there is no question that measurable gains can occur from short, intense workouts.

Every exercise includes two substitution options, which are listed in order of preference. This means that if you can’t perform the original exercise, you should go with Substitution Option 1 first, and then Substitution Option 2, if you can’t perform Option 1. 

Yes. Whether you just prefer the other exercise or it’s one you have easier access to, feel free to go with either of the Substitution Options over the original exercise. The program was designed so that all substitution options will elicit a very similar training effect.

Yes, to further reduce the time commitment of each session, you can try supersetting antagonist muscle groups (or exercises that would not fatigue one another). For example, Seated DB Shoulder Press could be supersetted with Seated Cable Rows. In this instance, you would perform your set of Seated DB Shoulder Press, rest approximately 0.5-1 min, then perform Seated Cable Rows, rest ~0.5-1 min, and then go back to Seated DB Shoulder Press to repeat this process. The goal is to still get ~1-2 minutes of rest before returning to each exercise while the act of supersetting allows one muscle to rest while the other works. An example of a superset that you wouldn’t want to perform would be DB Bench Press and Seated DB Shoulder Press, as these are both pushing exercises and both involve your front delts to a high degree. The DB Bench Press would be better paired with Lat Pulldowns or a DB Row.

Each workout will take you under approximately 45 minutes from start to finish, including the warm-up, if you adhere to the rest periods given. If you take your time with the warm up and are more flexible with rest times between sets, your workouts may take ~45-60 minutes.

Yes, but try your best to keep compound movements at the beginning of the workout and save isolation movements for the end. This is to prevent the isolation exercises from interfering with your strength on the compound lifts.

Customer Reviews

Based on 140 reviews
82%
(115)
9%
(12)
6%
(8)
3%
(4)
1%
(1)
R
Rahul Sivaji
Happy client

I absolutely love the minimalist workout, fits right into my schedule. So many substitute exercises as well. I just had one doubt, does it target all muscle parts of one muscle? For example for chest, it's mainly bench press or cable press, so will it be sufficient to train my upper chest as well? Just trying to learn.

E
Elliot Cook
Essentials Programme

I have found it beneficial using this 4 day split as it works alongside my shift pattern of 4 on 4 off. Keeps me fit for fighting crime 👍🏾

M
Matthew Philleo
Excellent Workout Program for Busy Middle-Aged Guy

I used to lift weights in my 20’s for about a year and then nothing for many years. I’m in my mid 40’s now. I was working out for a year and a half with cobbled together exercises, but not making a lot of progress.

But Jeff’s program is great because, instead of spreading myself too thin with duplicate exercises I can go all in on the ones that count.

I love the upper/ lower, push/pull/legs split. It works perfectly for my schedule. I’ve already seen excellent strength and rep gains in my workout log. Last night, my daughter said, “you have muscles.” :)

Thanks again for your excellent program!

D
Dylan Dixon
Great, straightforward program

I am just getting back into fitness after a while away, and I needed a program to set my pace, track my progress easily, and give me attainable goals. The Essentials Program from Nippard is just that, and has exceeded my expectations

A
A. Hackman
So far so good!

I'm enjoying the program a lot. I got the 3 day Essentials program. I love the variety in exercises as well as the flexibility in movement substitutes. The video links to each exercise is invaluable. I don't have a lot f experience with RPE and RIR in resistance training so I'm also getting a nice education. I'm starting the 2nd block of exercises this weekend. Looking forward to it.