There is something called the Pareto Principle, which is commonly known as the 80/20 rule.

What this basically says is that 80% of the results you achieve come from 20% of the effort you put in.

Although the numbers aren’t meant to be an exact science, this principle can be applied to your fitness, your finances, your relationships, and other areas of your life as well. 

The good news is that if you want 80% of the results (which is pretty darn good for most people - especially as it relates to getting healthy or more fit), you don’t have to put in 80% of the effort. 20% of the right efforts are usually what is driving 80% of your results.

The sad part of that equation is that 80% of your effort that you’re doing with exercising, eating well, and other strategies might only be making up 20% of your results or less.

Notice that doesn’t mean you can be lazy, that it will be easy, or that it won’t take time and effort to get you there, it just means that if you put all your focus and effort into the right things consistently, the results will happen.

I've seen it time and time again in my own life and for so many others

This is especially good news if you don’t have lofty goals of competing in a sport or competition, but simply want to lose some fat, build some muscle, and look or feel better.

While this seems like great news for most of you, the only thing to be aware of to make this effective is that you’ll need to identify what that 20% is that is driving the most results, and you need to have the discipline to stick with it.

It’s common to develop shiny object syndrome (not a real diagnosis), where you’re always looking for the magic bullet, the next best thing, or the quick fix to get you to reach your goals.

You try something new, it works for a little while, it doesn't work anymore, and then you get discouraged or give up - and now you're watching Netflix and eating junk instead of taking care of yourself.

You get frustrated you don't like the way you look, so you start the process over again.

Rinse and Repeat.

Sound familiar?

And usually these extreme ways of doing things fall outside of the 20% that truly brings the most results, so you’re left always starting and stopping, never gaining traction or momentum, or never sticking with any of the foundations long enough to see true change.

Once you understand this concept of leverage, knowing that not all of your efforts are created equal, you can unlock new results with less effort. If you are spending too much time or energy focusing on things that don’t truly move the needle, then you might feel like you’re lacking willpower or discipline, when in reality you’re just chasing the wrong things.

This is especially important, if you’re like many of my clients, that are extremely busy and want to have a life outside of just going to the gym.

In these cases you can see incredible and life changing results with only 2 or 3 focused hours of exercise each week and some small (but significant) changes to your diet.

Instead of looking for something new, or something extra, it’s time to start focusing on what works.

It doesn’t matter what you’re doing if you’re not getting results.

I'm all about helping clients get the results they're after. That's more important to me than having some flashy process or program.

If you could reach your goals working out 3 days a week, why would you workout 6 days?

If you could reach your goals with simple nutrition tracking and eating the foods you enjoy, why would you choose to do some weird, never enjoyable, juice cleanse or 21 day detox?

The problem is that people get so caught up in changing the process that they lose sight of the outcome.

I believe in falling in love with the process, but that doesn’t mean always changing it or having to find something new when the fundamentals work time and time again.

Would you rather tell someone that you workout 6 days a week but you’re walking around 20 lbs from your goal weight, or that you workout 3 days a week at your ideal weight while having extra time to actually live life outside of the gym?

While that seems obvious, most people get too caught up in what the process actually looks like that they lose sight of the results they’re getting.

Don’t mistake more as being better.

There are a few fundamentals you need to focus on as a starting point.

These things alone get many clients 80% results at a minimum, but often even more if they’re newer to working out or have been away from strength training for a while.

Once you nail these for 3 months (or longer) you can start to change things to match your goals and reach the last 20% (although that’s not even necessary if you’re continuing to make progress and it feels sustainable)

Here are the fundamentals, the things I would argue you NEED to be successful (The 80%):

• Strength training 3 days a week
• Flexible nutrition that focuses on hitting your calorie and protein goals (without even having to log everything into an app or track every calorie you put in your mouth)
• Daily walks on off days from the gym
• Prioritize high quality sleep and stress management

What you don’t NEED to be successful, the last 20% that people get caught up in too early, that can often lead to confusion or distraction from the goal includes:

• A 6 week program you find online that gives you lots of variety to 'keep your muscles guessing' 
• Extra supplements and superfoods that aren’t proven to do what they say
• New workout shoes
• Foam rolling and massage guns
• Cycling calories or carbs
• Intermittent fasting
• Working out daily, or even most days
• Cardio, running, or burpees (can I get an Amen?)

Don’t spend time and energy focusing on things that aren’t bringing you closer to your goals.

Making lifestyle and health changes doesn’t have to be hard or complicated.

You want to look like you spend a lot of time at the gym without actually having to spend all your time there. It’s possible to get incredible results even on a busy schedule.

Focus on the key things that are driving you closer to your goals and stay consistent with it over time to see big changes.

Instead of pursuing the next ‘new’ thing, focus on the habits and changes you can make that bring you the most success.

More is not better.

Better is better.