An Exercise Scientist Claims You Only Need 30 Minutes a Week to Build Muscle. Try His 6-Move Upper Body Plan

Less can absolutely be more, and that’s certainly the case when it comes to building your upper body in the gym. You don’t have to spend every day lifting weights to build muscle and develop the physique you’re after. According to one exercise scientist, choosing the right exercises, reps, and sets, along with structuring your workout effectively, is what matters more than simply beating up your muscles multiple times a week.

“One meta-analysis found that all you need is four sets for a single muscle in a single week to start building muscle,” says Milo Wolf, PhD, an exercise scientist and co-founder of MyoAdapt. “So if you can get four sets for your whole upper body in half an hour, you’re off to the races, and this workout will do exactly that. Just once a week is enough to build your upper body.”

Below, Wolf shares what he considers the “optimal” upper-body workout, which will take you only 30 minutes to complete and requires minimal equipment. Try it out yourself.

Related: Exercise Scientist Says These Are the Only 4 Exercises You Need to Build an Impressive Physique With Minimal Gym Time

30-Minute Upper-Body Workout

Move through the exercises in the order listed, completing the prescribed sets and reps for each. Exercises labeled A and B with the same number are a superset, meaning you should perform them back-to-back with minimal rest between exercises, then rest before repeating the pair.

1A. How to Do Dips

1. Grip the parallel bars and lift yourself until your arms are straight, keeping your shoulders down.

2. Bend your elbows to slowly lower your body until your upper arms are roughly parallel to the floor, or as far as you’re able to.

3. Press through your hands to extend your elbows and return to the starting position without swinging your legs.

4. Perform 4 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

1B. How to Do Dumbbell Bentover Rows

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, hinge at your hips, bend your knees slightly, and keep your back flat as your torso leans forward.

2. Pull the dumbbells toward your hips, keeping your elbows close to your body and squeezing your shoulder blades together.

3. Slowly lower the dumbbells until your arms are extended, maintaining a stable torso throughout the movement.

4. Perform 4 sets of 5 to 8 reps.

2A. How to Do Dumbbell Overhead Extensions

1. Hold one dumbbell with both hands and raise it overhead, keeping your upper arms close to your ears and your elbows pointing forward.

2. Bend your elbows to lower the dumbbell behind your head while keeping your upper arms relatively stationary.

3. Extend your elbows to raise the dumbbell back overhead, avoiding excessive arching in your lower back.

4. Perform 2 sets of 8 to 12 reps.

2B. How to Do Bayesian Curls

1. Attach a single handle to a low cable pulley and stand facing away from the machine, holding the handle in one hand with your arm extended slightly behind your body.

2. Keeping your upper arm behind your torso and your elbow close to your side, curl the handle toward your shoulder without swinging.

3. Slowly straighten your arm to return to the starting position, maintaining tension on your biceps throughout the movement.

4. Perform 2 sets of 8 to 12 reps.

3. How to Do Behind-the Back Cable Lateral Raises

1. Attach a single handle to a low cable pulley, stand with the machine behind you, and grip the handle with the hand farthest from the pulley so the cable passes behind your back.

2. With a slight bend in your elbow, raise your arm out to the side until it reaches roughly shoulder height, keeping your torso still.

3. Slowly lower your arm to the starting position under control, avoiding shrugging your shoulder or using momentum.

4. Perform 1 heavy set of 5 to 8 reps, followed by 3 drop sets of 20 percent weight reduction, on each arm.

4. How to Do Cable Rear Delt Crossovers

1. Stand between two cable pulleys set around shoulder height and grip the opposite handles, crossing the cables in front of your body.

2. With a slight bend in your elbows, pull your arms outward and backward in a wide arc, focusing on squeezing your rear shoulder muscles.

3. Return your arms across your body, keeping your torso stable and avoiding excessive swinging.

4. Perform 2 sets of 5 to 8 reps followed by 2 to 3 drop sets of 20 percent weight reduction.

Related: The Barbell Bench Press Isn’t Enough. Trainer Swears by 3 Chest Exercises for Building Chiseled Pecs

Experts

• Milo Wolf, PhD, an exercise scientist and co-founder of MyoAdapt via YouTube: OPTIMAL Upper-Body Workout in Just 30 MINUTES

Sources

• The Resistance Training Dose Response: Meta-Regressions Exploring the Effects of Weekly Volume and Frequency on Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Gains. Sports Medicine, 2026

This story was originally published by Men’s Journal on Oct 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the Fitness section. Add Men’s Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.