It seems like I’m always telling people that the best way to get fit, boost your metabolism, and constantly burn fat is to make sure that you work out frequently. But much of the time, I think that this is interpreted as “working out five times a week”, or making sure to “get to the gym every day”. While this is a great habit to have, there is a way to incorporate frequency into your program at an even more practical level. For example, a great nutritional practice is to eat frequently, but that doesn’t mean that you try to eat “every day”. You should actually be eating up to 8-10 times per day. Guess what? Exercise is no different. This may cause some jaws to drop, but there is absolutely no reason why you should not be exercising up to 8-10 times per day!
Of course, this sounds absurd and extreme. No one in their right mind is going to come to the gym 8-10 times per day. The good news is that you don’t have to. A great secret to a lean and muscular body is to “grease the groove”. This means that constantly, throughout the entire day, you have small activities that you do to shoot your heart rate up just a little bit. This doesn’t mean you have to breathe hard, sweat or even spend 5 minutes in a routine outside of your normal daily workout at the gym or elsewhere. It just means that you have *something*, some set of rules that you follow, to force you to do just a little bit, now and then, throughout the whole day.
This is where the Three Rule concept fits in. This week, try something new. Give yourself three rules, based on three different exercises. In this case, let’s say the three exercises are: 1) a regular or knee pushup; 2) a body weight squat; and 3) a crunch. The next step is to generate a quantifiable goal that you will reach with each rule. Pick something that is achievable, let’s say 30 pushups, 30 body weight squats, and 45 crunches. So Rule 1 is that each day, you must complete 30 pushups, Rule 2 is that each day you must complete 30 body weight squats, and Rule 3 is that is that each day you must complete 45 crunches. Your regular workout in the gym does not count as a time to complete your three rules. You must finish them sometime outside of your normal workout.
So here’s how a sample day for a working professional might look. In the morning, before your cup of coffee or breakfast, you complete 10 pushups and 10 body weight squats. Then, in the mid-morning, next to your desk at work, you complete 15 crunches. Right before you head to lunch, you do 20 more body weight squats (by the way, this completes Rule 2, and if you get funny looks, just do them in the bathroom stall). After lunch, before you head in from the parking lot, you do 10 more pushups. In the mid-afternoon, it’s 15 more crunches next to the desk. Finally, after you’re off work, at home, next to the couch, or before bed, do 10 more pushups and 15 more crunches. When it’s spelled out all at once, it looks like quite a bit of work, but that entire day probably amounts to perhaps 5 total minutes of exercise. Obviously, that isn’t enough to see a huge response, but when combined with a daily routine of 30-60 minutes at the gym, it’s enough to make a difference, because each time you do something that gets the body and limbs moving, you’re pushing your metabolism up just a little bit. That little bit can amount to double digit pounds of fat in a single year! The added bonus is that after your quick 30-60 second exercise break, you’ll find yourself much more focused and productive.
This is something I do personally. Here are my 3 rules: Rule 1) 10 1 arm pushups or 10 1 leg squats; Rule 2) 50 regular pushups; and Rule 3) 25 body weight squats. I do them all at some point throughout the day. It’s a great reason (or excuse) to get up and take an active break from sitting at the computer or reading a book, as well as great way to jump start the morning. Try it out and tell me what you think – my e-mail is elite@pacificfit.net.
Head trainer Ben Greenfield runs the online training website Pacific Elite Fitness, and holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Sport Science and Exercise Physiology, as well as certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a Personal Trainer and Strength and Conditioning Coach (NSCA-CPT & CSCS). For over 6 years, Ben has coached and trained professional, collegiate, and recreational athletes, and helped hundreds of individuals achieve their personal fitness goals. For more information on online personal training and fitness, contact Ben at elite@pacificfit.net.
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