Copyright 2005 Jeremy Markum
The 'Rule Of 3' Meets Pareto's '80/20'--And You Get Fit Faster
As A Result!
Everybody likes simple lists.
Everybody likes Rules Of Thumb.
And as far as I can tell, everyone wants tighter abs and more
energy.
So, naturally, we all look for the “best” diets and the “best”
training routines to bring us closer to that six-pack...ideally,
in the least amount of time possible…
...Oh yeah--and we don’t want to think too hard either!
The Old Way:
Counting calories? Fuh-ged-a-bow-dit!
Getting a bodyfat measurement each week? No way!
Calculating our new “estimated 1-rep max” for 27 different
exercises? Puh-leeze.
So what’s the solution?
Well, if you don’t mind limiting our example to exercise for the
moment, I think I have a few things that can help you in your
endless search for the most efficient use of your fitness time…
(which is like, what? about 45 minutes a day 3-4 times a week if
you’re lucky?) ...It’s OK--you’re human! I do this stuff for a
living, and I don’t spend much more time than that myself.
Introducing: “The Rule Of 3-80/20 (Principle)"
Any activity of importance (like exercise) can be broken down
into three, and only three Critical Success Factors.
Furthermore, one of these critical success factors should
account for 80% of your efforts. And the other two, on average,
just 10% of your time, energy, and effort (that is, of course,
if you actually want to get anything done).
Thus sayeth The Fitness Sage (that’s me).
And you should listen to me when it comes to getting things
done, because I have a Masters Degree *and* ADD! (attention
deficit disorder). Without principles like the above, I would be
hocking blackmarket Pi-Tae-Boga-Lates tapes to out-of-work
actors in LA...
Yeah, so I’m ripping off the Pareto Principle and the Rule Of
3--but you’ll forgive me real quick when you see how this
applies to your exercise routine.
Now that I’ve circumnavigated my point a few times, here it is
real simple, in 3 (surprise, surprise) easy steps:
The Three Critical Exercise Routine Success Factors
1. Consistent Progression: Needs 80% of your time and
attention. 2. Sufficient Intensity: Needs 15% of your time and
attention. 3. Intelligent Evolution: Needs 5% of your time and
attention.
Simple huh?
But maybe you need some clarification, so here goes…
Consistent Progression Explained:
There are really just 3-4 workout parameters that even matter to
the average Jane or Joe who wants a good body and excellent
health: Rest Period, Load, Reps-Per-Set, and Total # Of Sets.
So your job is to simply pick one of these, hold all the rest
constant, and improve your chosen workout parameter from
week-to-week, workout-to-workout until you can no longer do so
(just remember to hold everything else constant! especially
total workout duration).
When you can’t improve on your chosen parameter, pick a
different one and repeat.
That’s it. It really is that simple. Tools needed: 1
pocket-sized notebook and a stopwatch.
Of course, you might want some proven, superior methods to
“improve on your chosen parameter.” At the bottom of this
article, you'll get your wish! But first...
Sufficient Intensity Explained:
Make sure you’re doing resistance training folks. Not aerobics.
Not LSD (long slow distance cardio). Or any other fitness fad
that makes your lungs burn more than your muscles. If you’re
consistently getting 20+ reps on all your exercises, then you
need to choose more difficult exercises. Period.
Cardio and aerobics have health benefits no doubt, but if you’re
really looking for “bang-for-your-fitness-buck”, and you’re
short on time, then stick with resistance training. It’s the
only kind of exercise that builds muscle and boosts your
metabolism permanently--not just during your workout.
Shoot for exercises that are so difficult, you can only perform
between 1 and 15 reps. This could be weightlifting (if you lack
the creativity and sophistication of a "Tao Of Functional
Fitness" devotee who relies solely on portable exercise
equipment--like Fitness Bands--and their own bodyweight), but it
doesn’t have to be. If you know how to manipulate leverage, even
bodyweight only exercises can be made difficult enough.
Why just 15% of your time worrying about this? Because all you
have to do is make sure most of your exercise (excluding a
proper warmup of course) falls within this rep range. Not
exactly rocket-science. Nuff said.
Intelligent Evolution:
This is just another term for “periodization” or “cyclic
training.” Basically it means that you need a strategy for
changing your exercise routine over the long haul as you get
stronger and closer to realizing your goals. Most of the time
the Consistent Progression rule takes care of this, hence the
paltry 5% of your noggin that’s required to intelligently evolve.
But over the long haul, you sometimes need to dramatically
change your workout protocol. There’s not space here to explore
all the ins-and-outs of doing this, but a simplified
recommendation would be to cycle between phases where you focus
on increasing the Average Load you handle during your workouts,
and phases where you’re more concerned with the Amount Of Work
Per Unit Time you perform (i.e. “Strength” vs. “Density").
Conclusion
Consistent Progression (80%) + Sufficient Intensity (15%) +
Intelligent Evolution (5%).
Find an exercise routine that gives you that, and you’re on to
something!
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