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Body by science 15 minute workout one day a week
IntermediateFree

Body by science 15 minute workout one day a week

This program maximizes physiological maximizes strength and muscle development in only 15 minutes a week.

Dudley Fagan
Dudley Fagan· Dec 2024
5athletes running this program
iOS & Android

Overview

Length
5 weeks
Days / week
1 day
Level
Intermediate
Goal
Women's, Athletics, Muscle, Strength
Equipment
Full Gym
Session length
20 min
This program was developed by Dr Doug McGruff who wrote a book called Body by Science. Benefits of Method: Good strength and fitness with minimal time, improved cardio fitness, improved metabolic fitness (decreased inflammatory markers, increased insulin sensitivity, increased mitochondrial health). This program is especially good for people over 50 as it uses machine based exercises, is only once or twice a week, and only about 20 min, if you can move quickly between sets. You measure gains by both weight and time under tension. So will need stopwatch and note your time at failure and weight used. Increase the weight once you are exceeding 90 sec a few times in a row. Starting weights can be 60% of your 1 max rep(1RM). There are calculators online that estimate this based on multiple reps (So if you can do with good form and control 10 normal reps or more you can get a good estimate) On Slow Reps: This can be extremely difficult to do because each set requires maximum effort and there is no rest between reps and ideally between sets to keep the right metabolic conditions (If a machine is unavailable just move to another exercise, or keep moving). When performing the sets you go slow for 5- 10 seconds up in 5- 10 seconds down for each rep. The main thing is slow and smooth on both the eccentric and concentric contractions. If it's jerky or sticky due to the machine increase the speed or decrease the weight. Again always under load, so if you can rest at some point don't go to that point stop just before it keep the tension and reverse direction slowly. Always maintain good form and if you can' t complete a rep, try to do several partials until even they fail. Then move to the next exercise as quickly as possible. For the Advance program we split the upper and lower and put additional focus muscle groups into play that could use additional development work for your best look. Some of these muscle groups could use more than once a week to maximize growth as they are fatigue resistant. Forearms, biceps, calfs and abs are a few. So you can definitely train all these twice a week if recovery allows.

Who it's for

Intermediate athletes ready for a structured program
Athletes focused on gaining both size and strength
Athletes who can train 1 day per week
Athletes with access to a full gym (barbells, dumbbells, cables, and machines)

Muscle engagement

Front
Back
Front Delts
15%
Middle Delts
15%
Upper Back
10%
Lats
10%
Triceps
10%
Biceps
5%
Chest
5%
Quadriceps
5%
Hamstrings
5%
Glutes
5%
Calves
5%
Rear Delts
5%
Abs
2.5%
Abductors
2.5%
Week 1 Workouts
#ExerciseSetsRepsLoad
1Seated Row (Machine)190 sec@10
2Chest Press (Machine)190 sec@10
3Underhand Lat Pulldown190 sec@10
4Overhead Press (Machine)190 sec@10
5Leg Press190 sec@10
6Calf Raise (Leg Press)190 sec@10
7Incline Bicep Curl190 sec@10
8Lying Side Lateral Raise290 sec@10

Weeks 2–5 are in the app

Download Boostcamp to follow the full program with auto-progression and built-in coaching notes.

Common questions

Yes, Body by science 15 minute workout one day a week is completely free to follow on Boostcamp. Download the app on iOS or Android, find the program, and start your first workout immediately. All 5 weeks are fully unlocked.

This program is built around a full gym. Make sure you have consistent access before starting, since the progression model assumes you can perform the same movements week over week.

Each session typically takes around 20 minutes to complete. That estimate covers your working sets but doesn't account for warm-up or rest between sets, so budget a little extra time when you're first learning the movements.

Body by science 15 minute workout one day a week is structured around 1 training day per week, with rest days built in to allow for recovery. The Boostcamp app lets you reschedule sessions if your week doesn't go to plan.

The program runs for 5 weeks. The structure is designed so that each week builds on the last, with weights, volume, or intensity progressively increasing as you go.

Body by science 15 minute workout one day a week is available inside the Boostcamp app, free on iOS and Android. Once you download the app, you can search for the program by name. The app tracks all your sets and weights automatically, so you always know exactly what to do next session.

Get started

Boostcamp app
11,000+ free programsStrength, hypertrophy, powerlifting and more, from elite coaches. All free.
Auto-progressionWeights and targets update automatically based on how you perform.
Coaching notesBuilt-in cues from the creator inside every workout session.
Progress trackingLog every set and see your strength gains over weeks and months.
Advanced analyticsTrack volume, intensity, and 1RM trends to see exactly how your training is evolving.
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