The 80/20 Rule of Fitness: How Should I Apply It?

Let’s put it this way: would you believe it if someone told you it was possible to boost your fitness progress by applying a principle commonly used in business and economics? Well, whether or not you’d believe them, this is TRUE with the 80/20 rule!

What is the 80/20 Rule?

It’s human nature to choose the path that requires less effort in all our actions. But a method has emerged in response to this tendency, which allows people to achieve greater efficiency by doing less work. This method, called the “80/20 Rule”, is actually an economic technique and is also known as the “Pareto Principle”. It has been used to increase productivity for over 200 years.

The 80/20 Rule is based on the fact that 80% of success comes from 20% of your efforts. The rule can be used to increase economic efficiency as well as to increase fitness training efficiency.

This means that pushing yourself too hard may not be a good strategy for reaching your fitness goals.

According to the 80/20 rule, 80% of the results (like losing weight or building muscles) that you achieve through your workouts come from 20% of the time (effort) you devote to training.

How to apply the 80/20 rule to your workouts

By paying attention to the following tips, you can get greater efficiency from your workouts in a shorter time.

Take control of your workout schedule: reduce time, increase efficiency

Here’s a hard pill to swallow: time in the gym isn’t an indicator of success. It simply isn’t. Results prove results, not time!

You can increase your workout efficiency by finding your optimal training time because this can vary according to age and sports background.

For example, if you’re too tired to even walk the day after your workout, it’s probably too much for you. Find out how much rest you need and minimize that, too. Time is everything!

Increase intensity and focus

When you shorten your training sessions as suggested above, you need to maximize efficiency.

During every rep and every second of your workout, you need to be focused mentally. That’s why you need to make sure you give your full attention to the workout you’re doing.

Lose the cell phone, cut the chit-chat, stop scrolling down your social media feed…FOCUS and be intense.

Examine your diet

Now, let’s examine your eating habits. Which foods make you feel full but light? Add more of these foods, like legumes and leafy greens to your diet.

Which foods make you feel tired after you consume them? Reduce them. For example, eat less refined sugar. A small amount of refined sugar can trigger your body to store more fat and crave more sugar afterward.

As you make small changes to your actions and they become habits, you’ll make great progress.

Get more out of your sleep

Sometimes what you need is not more sleep, but better quality sleep. Be sure to move your body throughout the day. Take a brisk walk, do some at-home cardio exercises, follow your workout program that Fitness Kompanion has customized for you, or if you can’t find time for these, do some stretching before you sleep.

As your body gets tired, you will sleep better at night. When you sleep better, you will work out more efficiently the following day.

Taking short naps during the day will also help you restore the energy you need. Thus, you can do more intense and effective workouts in a shorter time. Here are more tips to combat insomnia.

Last words

The 80/20 rule is a method worth trying in terms of the efficiency it promises. Will you give the 80/20 rule a chance when working out with Kompanion?