Everything you need to know about Minimum Viable Pump and efficient strength training
Minimum Viable Pump (MVP) is an intelligent strength training app that generates time-efficient, personalized workout programs based on scientific research. The app helps you achieve meaningful muscle growth with minimal time investment by using techniques like antagonist supersets and myo-reps.
MVP is designed for busy people. You can choose sessions as short as 10 minutes or up to 60 minutes. Most users train 1-4 days per week for 20-45 minutes per session. The app optimizes every minute to maximize efficiency.
Absolutely! MVP includes a capability assessment during onboarding that tailors the program to your current fitness level. The app filters exercises based on what you can perform and provides guidance on proper progression.
MVP works with whatever equipment you have. Options include: full gym access, home gym with dumbbells and a bench, or bodyweight only. During setup, you select your available equipment and the app generates workouts accordingly.
Research shows that 1-3 sets per muscle per week delivers approximately 55% of maximum muscle gains, while 10+ sets per week achieves 100%. This demonstrates rapidly diminishing returns, making low-to-moderate volume highly efficient for time-constrained individuals. MVP uses evidence-based volume recommendations from peer-reviewed meta-analyses.
Antagonist supersets pair opposing muscle groups (like chest and back, or biceps and triceps) in alternating fashion. While one muscle works, the other recovers. This technique saves 30-40% of workout time while maintaining performance and muscle activation. It's one of the most efficient training methods backed by research.
Myo-Reps is a high-efficiency technique involving 1 activation set followed by 3-5 mini-sets with just 5-second breaks. The activation set recruits all motor units, and the mini-sets maintain that recruitment with minimal fatigue. This delivers the hypertrophy stimulus of 3 traditional sets in one-third the time.
RIR stands for Reps in Reserve - how many more reps you could have done before failure. Training with RIR 0-2 provides the strongest growth stimulus. Tracking RIR helps quantify training intensity without always going to absolute failure, which can be unnecessarily fatiguing.
MVP uses E1RM (Estimated 1-Rep Max) calculations to intelligently recommend when to add weight or reps. The app tracks your performance history and calculates optimal progression per exercise, ensuring you advance at the right pace without stalling or overreaching.
The MVP Score (0-10 scale) quantifies your training efficiency - essentially 'gains per minute.' It combines your stimulus per minute (SPM), adherence rate, and training intensity (RIR). A higher MVP Score means you're training more efficiently.
Fractional sets recognize that not all exercises stimulate muscles equally. For example, bench press provides 1.0 sets to chest but only 0.6 sets to triceps and 0.4 sets to front delts. MVP tracks these fractional contributions to ensure balanced development across all muscle groups.
MVP automatically detects PRs across multiple categories: most reps at a given weight, heaviest weight at specific reps, highest single-set tonnage (reps × load), and greatest exercise volume in a session. This helps you see progress beyond just the numbers going up.
Yes! You can swap any exercise either for a single session or permanently across all future workouts. MVP suggests intelligent replacements that target the same muscles and work with your available equipment.
Express Mode reduces all rest periods by 25% when you're short on time. Same exercises, same sets, just shorter breaks. It's perfect for those days when you're pressed for time but still want to get your workout done.
Currently, MVP requires an internet connection to log workouts and sync data. We're working on offline capabilities for future releases.
MVP generates your plan based on your preferences (training days, session length, equipment, split type). You can regenerate the plan anytime for variety or edit preferences to create a completely new program. You also have full control to swap individual exercises.
Yes. MVP is built on peer-reviewed research, particularly meta-analyses by Schoenfeld, Krieger, and others demonstrating the dose-response relationship between training volume and muscle growth. The app cites 5+ major studies supporting its methodology.
Recent research suggests exercises that provide peak tension at long muscle lengths (like Romanian deadlifts, incline curls, and Bulgarian split squats) may produce 10-15% more hypertrophy than exercises emphasizing shortened positions. MVP tracks your lengthened-biased volume percentage.
MVP uses multiple validated E1RM equations (Epley, Brzycki, Wathan, Lombardi) and intelligently selects the best formula based on rep range and exercise type. Multiple data points from your training history improve accuracy over time.
MVP is available on both iOS (App Store) and Android (Google Play). The app is built with React Native and Expo for a native experience on both platforms.
Your data is securely stored using Convex real-time database with authentication managed by Clerk. All workout data is associated with your account and protected by industry-standard security practices.
Data export functionality is planned for a future release. Currently, all your workout history is accessible within the app indefinitely.
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