Dan John’s Minimalist Training is a 2-day-per-week, full-body strength template. You train both days as full sessions and rest the other five or so days. There’s no fixed length to the program, and it’s built to run during busy stretches when you can’t give the gym much time.
It’s a good fit for busy lifters who still want real strength work. Two sessions a week covers the deadlift, squat, and press, plus enough accessory work to keep things balanced.
We built Dan John’s program into a clean Lift Vault spreadsheet. Enter your 10-rep max for each accessory once and the sheet works out every set load for you, so you just train and log what you hit.
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Dan John Minimalist Training Program Spreadsheet
Spreadsheet via Dan John
Enter your 10-rep max for each accessory in the green cells and the sheet fills in the loads for all three tiers. The deadlift and bench work off feel rather than a percentage, so you log what you actually lift there.
How the Program Works
You train two days a week, and both days are full-body. The rest of the week is rest. That’s the whole point, so don’t try to sneak in extra sessions.
The Two Days
Day One leads with the deadlift on the Rule of Ten, which is about 10 total reps in ascending sets. The default is 5×2, but you can run 5-3-2, 2×5, or 3×3 instead. After that you ramp the bench press up to a top set of as many reps as possible, then finish with upper-body work: a lat pulldown or pull-ups, military press, barbell curl, triceps, and side bends.
Day Two opens with the back squat, either 3-5 sets of 10 or one hard set of 30. Then it’s bench for 3×10 plus a heavy top set, leg curls, Romanian deadlifts, calf raises, and hyperextensions.
The Accessory Scheme
The accessories run on a 3-tier scheme anchored to your 10-rep max. You do 10 reps at 50% of your 10RM, 5 reps at 70 to 75%, then 10 reps at your full 10RM. Enter each 10RM on the sheet and it computes all three loads for you.
Progression
Progress by feel rather than a fixed jump. Add weight to the deadlift when it moves well, chase more reps on the heavy bench sets, and bump a 10RM up once the top tier stops feeling hard. Nothing here is on a schedule.
FAQ
Who is Minimalist Training for?
Busy lifters who still want real full-body strength work but can only commit to two days a week. It covers the deadlift, squat, and presses without asking for daily gym time.
How long do I run it?
As long as you need to. There’s no set length. Dan John built it for busy stretches, so you can run it for a few weeks while life is hectic and move to something else when you have more time.
What is the Rule of Ten?
It’s about 10 total deadlift reps spread across ascending sets. The default is 5×2, but 5-3-2, 2×5, and 3×3 all hit the same target. You pick whichever set and rep layout you like that week.
How is this different from the 40 Day program?
The 40 Day, or Easy Strength, program is higher frequency and built around daily practice of the same lifts. Minimalist Training goes the other way with just two full-body days a week. If you want the daily-practice style instead, Dan John’s 40 Day program is the one to look at.
Is it really free?
Yes. Dan John published the program for free, and our spreadsheet is free to copy. Open the sheet, then choose File then Make a Copy to save your own version.
