The 80/20 Rule

In order to achieve your health and fitness goals it is vital to follow the 80/20 rule - eat nutritionally well and train hard 80% of the time and then rest and reward yourself the remaining 20%.

Too often when people start a new health and fitness programme, their enthusiasm gets the better of them and they end up following a 100/0 rule - they train every day (thinking this is best which we know is not!!) and end up cutting out all of their favourite foods and depriving themselves (again thinking this is best which we know is not!!). This may lead to short term progress e.g. weight loss in 4 weeks. However, this cannot be maintained and boredom and fatigue soon starts with their nutrition and then they 'fall off the horse' as they crave for their favourite foods and then start to make excuses not to exercise.

However, by eating nutritionally well and training effectively 80% of the time and then treating yourself for the remaining 20% you are more likely not to only achieve your goals but crucially to maintain them in the long term, e.g. 12 months plus, which is what we want. There is no harm treating yourself to your favourite glass of wine or slice of chocolate if you have done the hard work 80% of the time. For ease, I often say to clients use the 80% rule Monday to Friday during the week and then the 20% rule Saturday and Sunday on a weekend. After all, as crucial as it is to train hard and eat well nutritionally, it is also vital to reward yourself for your hard work.

Remember, achieving your goals is a constant journey,

Keep up the great work,

Matt