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Is the 3-2-8 workout the secret to weight loss?

This workout plan is pretty easy to implement

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The health and fitness worlds are cluttered with diets, supplements, and workouts that purportedly promote weight loss. It’s difficult to pinpoint what workout or diet plan is right for you. Most health and fitness experts and advocates believe variety is best, and the 3-2-8 workout certainly brings variety. Here’s the scoop on how to do it and how it might contribute to weight loss. 

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What is the 3-2-8 workout?

The 3-2-8 workout involves 8,000 steps daily and three weekly pilates or barre workouts. The 8,000 steps are the gentle cardio that complements the five individual workouts. You can adjust this plan to suit your personal preferences and fitness level. 

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TikTok users are swearing by the 3-2-8 workout to trim and slim the waistline, shed pounds, and boost metabolism and muscle strength. A certified personal trainer and Pilates instructor, Natalie Rose, conjured up the popular workout, which has gone viral and garnered millions of views. Not everything that goes viral is worth thinking about or doing, but the 3-2-8 exercise schedule stands out from the rest. 

After coming off birth control, Natalie Rose realized she had gained weight and didn’t know where to turn. Doctors told her to do low-impact training and reduce the stress hormone called cortisol or go back on birth control. Natalie didn’t want to go back on birth control, so she created the 3-2-8 workout schedule instead and shared it on TikTok. She suggests people can generate results and see progress in just six weeks, with many people achieving a full transformation in three months.

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How do you do the 3-2-8 workout? 

There are five active days and two days of rest. On the 3-2-8 plan, each week, you can choose either:

  • An average of 8,000 steps every active day, three days of barre or pilates workouts, and two days of strength training. 
  • Or an average of 8,000 steps daily, three days of strength training, and two days of low-impact exercises.

There are no steadfast rules on how long or how intensely you have to work out, so you can modify the plan and increase or decrease the duration and difficulty level to suit you. Staying consistent and making it more challenging might enhance your weight loss and fitness results. 

You can also try the 3-2-8 method at home, at the gym, on your own, with friends, or even in group classes. Many personal trainers are familiar with and often recommend this effective exercise plan.

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What are the benefits?

TikTok users and people all over the internet are raving about how they started experiencing results within the first two or three weeks of implementing this workout plan. It’s a well-rounded routine that contains important fundamentals like strength training, cardio, and flexibility training. 

Implementing cardio and strength training can help you build muscle mass, tone your muscles, and fine-tune your metabolism, which also promotes weight loss. The daily steps help you burn off additional calories to bring you closer to your weight loss goals. 

Here are just some of the many benefits of Natalie’s plan:

  • You won’t get bored.
  • It brings variety that keeps you on your toes.
  • You’re more likely to achieve your weight loss goals and stay on track because you won’t be bored.
  • Avoid burnout by mixing it up and staying consistent.
  • Improve your posture with a range of movements and exercises.
  • Pilates and barre workouts are low-impact and reduce the wear and tear on your joints.
  • Pilates and barre exercises are excellent for flexibility, core strength, and muscle toning.
  • 3-2-8 works out your whole body.
  • Strength and resistance training can increase bone density.
  • The daily steps release endorphins, reduce stress, and could help boost your mental and heart health.

The different exercises provide more benefits overall compared to focusing on one form of training. 

man wearing hat walking through winding hiking trail
Norbert Buduczki / Unsplash

Top tips for implementing the 3-2-8 workout plan

The 3-2-8 workout plan is suitable for most people. Here are some top tips for getting started:

  • Make sure your rest days are truly rest days.
  • Do strength training your way with dumbbells, kettlebells, and other additions or modifications.
  • For the three days of strength training, you could try focusing on the lower body one day, the upper body another day, and your whole body the third day.
  • Mix it up so you don’t have three days of strength training in a row.
  • Don’t forget your 8,000 steps and try power walking in new, interesting places, like a new hiking trail or town.
  • Not every day has to involve the same duration or intensity of exercise.
  • Decide if you’d like the benefits and assistance of a personal trainer to help you reach your goals.
  • Ask a friend or family member to try the 3-2-8 plan with you and be your accountability partner.
  • Try a Pilates class or another group class if you think it will motivate you.
  • Barre requires a ballet barre, so you may need to find a studio.
  • You don’t have to power walk every day. You can choose a brisk power walk one day and a relaxed, low-intensity walk the next.

There’s a buzz about the 3-2-8 workout for good reason. If you’re trying to lose weight or level up your fitness routine, the 3-2-8 workout is a trend worth following.

Steph Green
Steph Green
Steph Green (Steph Zee) is a singer-songwriter and professional writer with over 12 years of experience in healthcare and… Read Full Bio
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