The High Performance Journal Written By Dan Go - January 20th, 2026

In the 1970s, bodybuilding had a simple formula: more sets, more exercises, and more hours in the gym.

Arnold was training twice a day, Franco Columbu lived in the weight room, and the consensus was that if you wanted to build muscle, you had to spend long hours and grind.

Then there was a mad scientist named ​Mike Mentzer​.

While everyone else was doing 20+ sets per body part, Mentzer was doing 2 sets. While others were spending 2-3 hours of training, he was in and out of the gym in 40 minutes. People thought he was crazy.

He ended up placing third at the 1979 Mr. Olympia with the first perfect score in history.

His philosophy was simple: "You can train hard, or you can train long, but you can't do both."

Once a muscle is fully stimulated, additional sets aren't just unnecessary; they're counterproductive. Your body doesn't care about volume; it cares about intensity.

My 6 Month Experiment

I've been testing what I call the 2S Training Method for the past six months. The premise is simple:

1. Two hard sets per exercise
2. 6-10 reps per set
3. 3 minutes of rest
4. Push close to failure
5. Hit each major muscle 2x per week

When I first tried it, my brain kept telling me that I wasn't doing enough. Years of conditioning made me feel like I was going to lose muscle.

But the results told a different story: I've hit PRs on my main lifts, my muscle definition has improved, and the last DEXA scan I took showed that, even while cutting, I gained 1.6 pounds of lean mass.

And the coolest part is my body actually feels good. It is great for recovery. And I find myself hitting the gym fresh each session.

The best part is I don't have to spend 60-90 minutes in the gym. I do only 30-40 minutes, three days a week. This approach has given me better results with less time, less fatigue, and more excitement to actually show up.

What The Research Says

Science is starting to catch up to what Mentzer was preaching.

Meta-analysis showed that the relationship between volume and muscle growth is logarithmic. Most of the benefit comes from the first few hard sets per muscle, after that, you're just mostly just accumulating fatigue.

Research on proximity to failure shows that hypertrophy improves as sets are taken close to failure, provided that you can recover.

A randomized trial found that doing a single set of nine exercises twice per week produced meaningful muscle and strength gains in trained lifters, whether sets were taken to failure or stopped at about 2 reps in reserve.

This is the key insight: low volume lets you push every set hard without the overtraining risk that comes with combining failure training with high volume.

How The 2S Method Works

Here's the structure I've been using:

You train three days per week, full-body sessions. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are my training days. You want at least one day of rest in between to facilitate recovery.

You want to focus on the core 6 compound movement patterns: squat, hip hinge, vertical push, vertical pull, horizontal push, and horizontal pull.

I won't get into actual exercise prescriptions, as everyone is different and responds to different exercises based on their body proportions and needs.

For each exercise, perform two working sets of 6-10 controlled reps. Rest 3 minutes between sets. Take each set close to failure. You want at least 0-2 reps in reserve.

Progression is built into the rep range. Hit 10 good reps? Add weight next time. Stuck at 6-7 reps? Keep the weight and chase one more rep.

Last, you want to be hitting each major muscle at least twice per week.

That's it, that's the whole system.

Who This Is For

First off, let me get this out of the way that this type of training is gender neutral. Men and women can use it to build muscle, boost metabolism, and perform at a high level regardless of their age.

The 2S Method works well if:

You're over 35 and want to build muscle without feeling wrecked for days.

You have limited time and need sessions under 45 minutes.

You're willing to train truly hard when it's time to work, and you can accept that more isn't always better.

Understand This

This isn't a hack or a shortcut. It's a philosophy: train hard, not long, and let recovery do the rest.

Mentzer knew this decades ago. The research supports it now. And after six months of testing it myself, I'm convinced.

Sometimes the person doing half the work gets better results. Not because they're lazy. Because they're smart.

This is exactly how we structure training for coaching clients: minimum effective dose, maximum results.

 Talk soon,

- Dan

Ps. This type of training seems to ​work really well​. I'm just saying.

When you're ready, here are 2 ways I can help:

1. The Lean Body 90 System: When you’re ready to get in great shape, Lean Body 90 is the obvious choice. You can get in great shape and reach your fitness goals in just 90 minutes a week. Lose weight and build muscle even without hours in the gym or highly restrictive diets. Join 1000+ students here.

2. Are you an entrepreneur who wants to get lean, boost energy, and get in your best shape? Apply for private one-on-one coaching here.

References

1. Brad J. Schoenfeld, Dan Ogborn & James W. Krieger (2017) Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass: A systematic review and meta-analysis, Journal of Sports Sciences, 35:11, 1073-1082, DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2016.1210197
2. Refalo MC, Helms ER, Trexler ET, Hamilton DL, Fyfe JJ. Influence of Resistance Training Proximity-to-Failure on Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2023 Mar;53(3):649-665. doi: 10.1007/s40279-022-01784-y. Epub 2022 Nov 5. PMID: 36334240; PMCID: PMC9935748. 
3. Hermann T, Mohan AE, Enes A, Sapuppo M, Piñero A, Zamanzadeh A, Roberts M, Coleman M, Korakakis PA, Wolf M, Refalo M, Swinton PA, Schoenfeld BJ. Without Fail: Muscular Adaptations in Single-Set Resistance Training Performed to Failure or with Repetitions-in-Reserve. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2025 Sep 1;57(9):2021-2031. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0000000000003728. Epub 2025 Apr 18. PMID: 40249908. 
   
   

Disclaimer: This email is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, and those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician.