Speaker A
A few days ago, I got a comment from someone saying they spent $2,500 on a workout program and nutrition guidance.
Discover the simple 4 by 4 workout program designed for all levels to build muscle efficiently without overcomplicating fitness.
Key Takeaways
- Simplicity and consistency in training are more effective than complicated programs.
- The 4 by 4 method adapts to all experience levels with scalable sets and exercises.
- Balancing gym time with other life activities is crucial for long-term adherence.
- Progressive overload is achieved by increasing reps first, then weight.
- Nutrition, recovery, and staying active outside the gym are essential components.
Summary
- The video introduces the 4 by 4 workout program, a simple and effective method for building muscle.
- The program is free and aims to avoid expensive paywalls common in fitness coaching.
- There are three versions: 3 by 4 for beginners, 2 by 4 for intermediate lifters, and 1 by 4 for advanced lifters.
- Each workout consists of four core exercises with a set number of working sets depending on experience.
- The weekly schedule includes three main lifting days with an optional fourth day for additional training.
- Recommended rep ranges are 6-10 for compound lifts and 8-15 for isolation exercises.
- Progression involves gradually increasing reps within the range before adding weight and resetting reps.
- Rest periods are 2-3 minutes for larger lifts and 1-2 minutes for smaller isolation exercises.
- The program emphasizes consistency, simplicity, and balancing gym time with life outside the gym.
- Additional support and community access are offered through the Average to Jacked program.
Chapters
- 00:00Introduction and Critique of Expensive Programs
- 00:18Offering a Free Workout Program
- 00:41Philosophy Behind the 4 by 4 Method
- 01:02Balancing Gym with Life
- 01:21Program Structure and Versions Explained
- 01:38Experience Levels and Consistency Importance
- 02:20Weekly Workout Schedule and Optional Fourth Day
- 03:20Rep Ranges and Progression Strategy
- 04:22Rest Periods and Warm-Up Routine
- 04:44Summary and Invitation to Join Average to Jacked
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
And after coming across my YouTube channel and just learning how simple fitness is, they completely regretted it. Charging someone thousands of dollars just to tell them which exercises to do and how many sets and reps to perform and what to eat, I
Speaker A
honestly don't think information should ever cost that much. So, instead of being another influencer who gatekeeps everything behind a massive paywall, I'm going to give you an entire workout program for free. And this workout [clears throat]
Speaker A
plan is called the 4 by 4 method. One of the biggest realizations I've had after more than 10 years of lifting is that building muscle is much simpler than most people make it out to be. And that's really where the 4 by 4 or the X4 method came from. I kept
Speaker A
asking myself just one question. What's the simplest workout program that can still build a great physique, it can get you strong, and it leaves you enough time and energy to actually enjoy life outside of the gym? And for me, that's
Speaker A
being able to follow a workout program that's still going to leave me with plenty of energy left in the tank to surf and skateboard. For you, maybe it's boxing or jujitsu or basketball, running, or hiking, or simply just
Speaker A
having more time to spend with your family. I always say I don't think the gym has to consume your life. I think it should complement your life and make everything else better. And that's exactly why I created this program. And
Speaker A
there are three versions: the 3 by 4, the 2 by 4, and the 1 by 4. So, the number before the X is going to tell you how many working sets you'll perform for each exercise. And this isn't counting
Speaker A
your warm-up sets. The four is going to represent the core four exercises you're going to perform during each workout.
Speaker A
And as a general guideline, I want you to follow the 3 by 4 if you're somewhere around your first zero to two years of consistent lifting, basically a complete beginner. The 2 by 4, you're somewhere around two to three plus years of
Speaker A
consistent lifting. And then the 1 by 4 is going to be if you're an advanced lifter. So, that means you've been training three plus years or you've built enough experience to truly take a set to failure and you have a very solid
Speaker A
base built. And the 1 by 4 is what I personally follow. But understand that these aren't strict rules at all. What's going to matter far more than how many years you've had a gym membership is how consistently you've trained during those
Speaker A
years. Because when you really think about it, just 2 years of like focused progressive training is almost always going to beat 5 years of constantly changing programs and just overthinking fitness. I also want to be clear that you don't have to graduate to the next
Speaker A
version. If you've been lifting for years and you just really enjoy doing three working sets instead of one, then that's completely fine. I'm not dogmatic about which version you follow. The point I'm trying to make is to find a
Speaker A
program you enjoy enough to stick with for years because consistency will almost always beat whatever happens to be considered optimal. So now let's talk about the weekly schedule. The 4 by 4 method is built around three lifting days each week with an optional fourth
Speaker A
day. You're going to leave one rest day between each workout and two rest days after the last workout before repeating.
Speaker A
Workout one or day one is going to be chest, shoulders, and triceps. Workout two is going to be legs. Workout three is going to be back and biceps. And that's the entire weekly program. The optional fourth day is where I do my
Speaker A
sprint session, but I also train my neck and my forearms, abs, and calves. But if it's easier for your schedule, you can also add those into your three lifting days instead and just opt out of the fourth day entirely. And I don't really
Speaker A
sweat the fourth day or overthink it. The way I look at it is if I have the time and energy, I'll train it. And if not, I just skip it and make sure I've hit my three other core lifting days. So
Speaker A
we've talked through the weekly schedule and how the workouts are structured. Now let's get into the rep ranges. For your larger compound lifts, I recommend around 6 to 10 repetitions. And then for the smaller isolation exercises, I recommend 8 to 15. And understand that
Speaker A
these aren't magical numbers at all. You can absolutely still build muscle outside of these ranges. I just think they provide one of the best balances between strength and muscle growth and just long-term progression, which actually leads me into talking about
Speaker A
progression. And just like the rest of this program, it's really simple and straightforward. Let's say your goal for a specific exercise is 6 to 10 repetitions. The goal would be to start at the bottom of that range. So let's
Speaker A
say you get six clean repetitions this week. Your goal next week is just to get seven across the sets. Eventually, and this may take weeks or even months as you're more experienced, you'll reach the top end of that range, which is 10.
Speaker A
And then once you reach that, you just increase the weight slightly. This could be from anywhere to like 1 to 2 to even 5 lbs. And then you drop your reps back down to six, and then you just simply
Speaker A
repeat the process. Now, the next question you have is probably about rest periods. For the larger exercises, just rest around 2 to 3 minutes between working sets. And then for the smaller isolation exercises, just 1 to 2 minutes
Speaker A
is usually enough. So, before each workout, I like to spend around 10 minutes doing an incline walk on the walking pad or just a treadmill, just whatever you have access to. And so once I've done the incline walk and I've
Speaker A
warmed up my shoulders, I'm going to perform a few lighter ramp-up sets before the first major exercise. So, you might take your working set's weight and just do a 25% set, and then a 50% set, and then a 75%, and then do a full rest,
Speaker A
and just jump straight into your working set. And to recap, I truly think because of social media, fitness has become far more complicated than it ever needs to be. And once again, if you're new to my channel, my philosophy is basically
Speaker A
this: Train your entire body at least once each week. Focus on getting stronger in a moderate rep range. Eat a mostly whole foods diet. Stay active outside of the gym in some way. Recover well and prioritize sleep. And then just
Speaker A
keep stacking the days and repeat that for years. I truly don't believe you have to train every muscle two or three times a week unless that's simply the style of training you enjoy. I also don't think you need a marathon workout
Speaker A
filled with endless exercises and 20-plus sets a week per muscle. But that being said, knowing what to do and consistently doing it are two very different things. Maybe you still have questions about your training, or maybe you have questions about nutrition and
Speaker A
what you should be eating, or maybe you just simply want accountability in a place where you can ask questions without sorting through a thousand conflicting opinions online. That's exactly why I created Average to Jacked.
Speaker A
If you're interested in learning more about my step-by-step program and private community, just click the link below in the pinned comment, and I'll talk to y'all in the next one. Peace.
Topics:workout program4 by 4 methodmuscle buildingprogressive overloadfitness simplicitylifting routinebeginner workoutadvanced trainingAverage to Jackedstrength training
