Are you curious how John Meadows and Jeff Nippard train when they work out together? Do you want to know their secrets to building a great physique? Then you’ve come to the right place.

In this comprehensive guide I will show you exactly how John Meadows and Jeff Nippard design their bodybuilding workouts to take their training to the next level.

John Meadows and Jeff Nippard have completely different training styles. Check it out:

John Meadows Stats

• Age: 49 years old
• Height: 5 feet 5 inches
• Weight: 225 pounds
• Title: IFBB professional bodybuilder
• Nickname: The Mountain Dog

 John Meadows is known for his high-volume bodybuilding-style workouts where he performs 3-5 exercises per muscle group.

John says the fastest way to build muscle mass is to blast each muscle group with a ton of volume, to sequence your exercises correctly, and to use different high-intensity techniques on the last set of each exercise.

So what about Jeff Nippard?

Jeff Nippard Stats

• Age: 31 years old
• Height: 5 feet 5 inches
• Weight: 160 pounds
• Title: Pro natural bodybuilder

Jeff Nippard takes a completely different approach to his training: he believes the best way to train is to use science-based high volume / high frequency workouts. Jeff says that training to failure has little benefit.

He thinks most people will make faster progress leaving “several reps left in the tank” on their sets, and making up for the reduced training intensity with more volume and frequency.

John Meadows and Jeff Nippard recently got together to perform 4 brutal bodybuilding workouts. John actually took Jeff through 4 brutal Mountain Dog workouts using his preferred training split. Check it out:

The Mountain Dog Training Split

• Day 1: Legs
• Day 2: Chest / Shoulders
• Day 3: Back
• Day 4: Arms

John Meadows says this is one of his all-time favorite training splits. Actually, this is the exact training split that he used for most of his bodybuilding career. Let’s start by looking at how John Meadows and Jeff Nippard trained their legs together.

John says that his leg day is by far the hardest workout of the week. Check it out:

John Meadows / Jeff Nippard Leg Day

• Exercise #1: Lying leg curl, 4 sets of 8 reps**
• Exercise #2: Machine leg extension, 4 sets of 8 reps**
• Exercise #3: Safety squat bar squat with chains, 4 sets of 6-8 reps
• Exercise #4: Smith machine split squat, 4 sets of 8 reps****

**On the last set perform a double drop set, then perform 10 partial reps in the stretched position, then perform a 10-second iso-hold in the stretched position

****Perform 8 reps, then do an 8-second iso-hold, then strip the weight off the bar and do 8 more reps, then do another 8-second iso-hold

Here is the training video:

This is what John Meadows would call a low-volume, high-intensity leg workout. For each exercise John performs several warm up sets, followed by one all-out working set.

For the squats John performs one heavy set of 6-7 reps and calls it a day. However, for the other leg exercises John actually trains beyond failure using different high-intensity techniques including drop sets, partial reps and iso-holds.

Here is John Meadows giving Jeff Nippard an overview of their leg workout:

“We’re going to kick it off with some leg curls, maybe a little bit of leg extensions. The plan is to do some squatting today.

One of the things I found through the years is that doing leg curls first makes your squats feel better.

And we’ll probably do some leg extensions too, just to get everything warmed up. And then we’re going to hammer the safety squat bar squats.”

John almost always starts his leg workouts with leg curls. He says this is a great way to bring up your hamstrings, and it warms up your knees really well for your other heavy leg exercises.

For the leg curls John performs several warm up sets, followed by his one all-out working set to failure.

“We’re going to work our way up the stack. So we’re going to take our time, the idea is to get a lot of blood in the hams. Generally I’m trying to control the weight on the way down, and squeeze my hams on the way up.

There’s only going to be one set that’s really, really difficult. We’ll have a set where we go beyond failure with some high-intensity techniques. But only one of those – that’s all you need!”

Next John Meadows and Jeff Nippard moved right into the seated leg extensions, where they did the exact same progression model. They performed several warm up sets, followed by one all-out double drop set with partial reps and a nasty 10-second iso-hold.

After the leg curls and leg extensions the bodybuilding duo moved onto squats. But these weren’t just any old squats – they were safety squat bar squats with chains.

Here is Jeff Nippard talking about the benefits of squatting with chains:

“The thing I like about the chain squat is it allows for more consistent tension throughout the whole range of motion.

Normally the squat feels tough out of the hole. But with the chains, it feels pretty tough the whole way through.”

Finally, John and Jeff finished the workout with a few sets of smith machine lunges to really stretch out their quads and hamstrings. The next day John Meadows took Jeff Nippard through a brutal Mountain Dog chest workout.

John usually trains his chest and shoulders together on the same training day. However, for this workout he decided to just train his chest. Check it out:

John Meadows / Jeff Nippard Chest Day

• Exercise #1: Flat machine press, 5 sets of 8 reps
• Exercise #2: Incline bench press, 4 sets of 6 reps
• Exercise #3: Decline smith machine press, 3 sets of 25, 15, 8 reps**
• Exercise #4: Flat DB press, 3 sets of 8 reps****

**On your last set train to failure and perform a double drop set

****On your last set perform 8 reps, then perform a 10 second static hold in the bottom position with extra manual resistance

Here is the training video:

John Meadows is known for the way he likes to sequence his exercises during his chest workouts.

John likes to start his chest workouts with a joint-friendly exercise (like a machine or dumbbell press), then perform a heavy compound exercise (like an incline barbell press), and then finish the workout with 1-2 exercises to stretch out the chest and pump it full of blood (dips, chest flies, dumbbell presses etc.).

As usual John likes to perform several warm up sets, followed by 1 all-out working set on most exercises.

Jeff Nippard says that this approach makes it easier to survive these high-volume workouts.

“A bunch of people were asking me after my last leg day with John, how was the leg day? Like how much did it hurt?

It was one of the more challenging leg workouts I’ve ever done. But psychologically, the reason you can get through it, is the approach that John takes.

All the sets leading up to the last one are not all-out sets. So they’re preparing you for the one set. And then mentally you know, all you have to do is give it your all on the one set, so it’s bearable.”

Now let’s look at the epic back workout that these two bodybuilders performed together. Check it out:

John Meadows / Jeff Nippard Back Day

• Exercise #1: One-arm cable pulldown, 2 sets of 8-10 reps
• Exercise #2: Trap bar row, 2 sets of 8-10 reps
• Exercise #3: Band-assisted pull up (wide / pronated grip), 2 sets of 8-10 reps
• Exercise #4: Chest supported row, 2 sets of 8-10 reps, 2 sets of 8-10 reps
• Exercise #5: 45 degree back extension (holding barbell with snatch grip), 2 sets of 10 reps

Here is the training video:

John Meadows says that this was a lat-focused back workout. He wanted to start the workout with an exercise that really activated the lower lats, and then progress to exercises that target the mid-upper lats. Let’s take a closer look at how John did this.

John started the workout with one of his favorite lower lat exercises: the one-arm supinating lat pulldown. Here is Jeff Nippard describing this exercise:

“What we’re doing here is a unilateral pulldown, but it’s very lat focused. So we’re not squeezing the shoulder blades together – we’re pretty much driving straight down.

We’re also getting a little bit of lateral flexion at the bottom, because the lats don’t only extend the shoulder, they also laterally flex the spine a little bit.”

Next John moved onto the bent-over trap bar row. John likes this exercise because it allows you to get a much greater range of motion than a regular straight bar.

For John, this means a stronger contraction in his lats – especially his mid-lat area.

“That’s really nice because you’re not limited by the bar hitting your torso.”

Next John performed another one of his favorite lat exercises: the band-assisted pull up. John sasy that this exercise is unique, because you can get a massive contraction in your lats in the top part of the exercise.

“This is just a band-assisted chin up. But the way I do these, I like people to get really high up in the range of motion.

That’s like an untapped range of motion. You’re going to get a pump under your armpit that’s amazing.”

Finally John finished the workout with some chest supported rows to target his traps and rhomboids. Here is the arm workout that John Meadows and Jeff Nippard performed together. Check it out:

John Meadows / Jeff Nippard Arm Day

• Exercise #1: Standing barbell curl, 4 sets of 6-8 reps*
• Exercise #2: Dual handle cable pushdown, 4 sets of 6-8 reps**
• Exercise #3: Standing DB hammer curl, 3 sets of 10-12 reps***
• Exercise #4: Overhead dual handle cable extension (high pulley), 3 sets of 10-12 reps****
• Exercise #5: Machine preacher curl (narrow / semi-supinated grip), 3 sets of 10-12 reps*****
• Exercise #6: Lying cross-body kettlebell tricep extension, 3 sets of 10-12 reps

*On your last set perform 6-8 reps with chains, then perform 6-8 reps with a 10-pound plate, then perform 3 “one-and-a-quarter” reps with just the bar (raise the bar halfway up, the lower all the way down, then raise the bar all the way up, then lower all the way back down), then perform 10 partial reps in the bottom position.

**Perform a triple drop set, then perform a 10-second iso-hold in the mid-range position with extra manual resistance

***On the last set train to failure, then perform 12-15 partial reps in the bottom position

****On the last set train to failure, then perform a 20-second iso-hold in the stretched position

*****Perform 10 reps with extra manual resistance on the lowering phase of each rep, then perform 3-4 full range of motion reps, then perform several partial reps in the bottom position, then perform a static hold in the stretched position

Here is the training video:

https://youtu.be/0rLFKv26nV8?t=205

Talk about an intense workout! John Meadows and Jeff Nippard performed 3 exercises for their biceps and 3 exercises for their triceps.

For each exercise John performed several warm up sets, followed by 1 all-out working set to failure. John even performed different high-intensity techniques on 5 out of the 6 exercises for this workout. During the workout John gives some great advice on how to sequence your exercises.

For example, John likes to start his tricep routines with some type of cable pushdown, and finish his tricep workout with an exercise that really stretches out the triceps.

“For triceps, if you can really get a crazy stretch, that’s gold. Because they’re used to pushdowns and other exercises, but that big stretch is amazing.”

And now for something completely different! Jeff Nippard is a huge fan of full body workouts where you train your entire body together.

Here is a brutal full body workout that Jeff Nippard performed with the Mountain Dog. Check it out:

Bonus: John Meadows / Jeff Nippard Full Body Workout!

• Exercise #1: Spider bar squat, 3 sets of 6 reps
• Exercise #2: Decline hammer strength press with bands, 4 sets of 10-12 reps
• Exercise #3: Inverse leg curl machine, 4 sets of 10-12 reps
• Exercise #4: Lying kettlebell pullovers, 4 sets of 15-20 reps
• Exercise #5: Standing DB lateral raise, 3 sets of 10 reps**
• Exercise #6: Incline DB curls (hammer grip), 3 sets of 15-20 reps
• Exercise #7: Seated calf raise, 3 sets of 10-12 reps

**Perform all reps through a partial range of motion in the bottom position of the exercise. On your last set perform a drop set.

Here is the training video:

This is a medium-volume full body workout for Jeff. His plan was to perform 1 exercise for each major muscle group.

When Jeff Nippard performs his full body workouts, he likes to avoid failure so that he doesn’t build up too much fatigue. He prefers to leave several reps in the tank so that he can perform more sets and accumulate more overall volume.

“I’m focused more on volume accumulation and getting to something around an RPE of 7 or so. That should still feel pretty heavy for me.”

One of Jeff Nippard’s more interesting strategies is to space out the exercises for any one region of the body. For example, in this workout Jeff spaced out his squats and leg curls so that his legs had more time to recover in between sets.

“Something I do to manage my fatigue during the workout is to space out any leg work that I have. A lot of people have in their head that they have to hit all of their leg work first, or all of their back work first.

But it doesn’t really matter, as long as you get your volume in during the workout.

It might seem unconventional to move from a squat to a chest press, and then back to leg curls. But you will recover a little better by spacing out your leg exercises.”

Full body workouts are probably not a good choice for most trainees. However, if you respond well to them, then you may want to give Jeff Nippard’s full body workout a shot.

Conclusion | The John Meadows / Jeff Nippard Workouts!

John Meadows and Jeff Nippard are two of the biggest experts in the fitness industry today. One thing that makes them so interesting is they both have very different training styles.

John Meadows likes to smash each body part with a ton of volume and intensity, while Jeff Nippard prefers to perform less intense but more frequent workouts.

Both training styles work for different people. For example, beginners often respond well to full body workouts, as it gives them the chance to practice movement patterns more frequently, while advanced bodybuilders often respond better to high-volume workouts, as they often need to perform more volume in a single workout to create a stimulus for muscle growth.

At the end of the day, both training styles work. All that matters is what works for YOU! Who knows – one of these training programs may be just what you need to take your training to the next level.

“I looked up to guys who could really take their training to another level. They would not leave the gym until they had won. And that’s the mentality that I’ve always had. I’m not leaving this gym until I’ve put everything I have into it!”

Thank you for reading and I wish you the best of luck on your strength training journey!