THE 3-2-8 method promises a strong, fit, toned body without spending hours on sweaty workouts in the gym. The concept hails from Natalie Rose, a British Pilates instructor followed by over 500,000 people on TikTok.
The technique takes its name from three key numbers. The 3 stands for the number of resistance training (muscle-building) workouts per week. The 2 represents the number of low-impact exercise sessions (low-intensity exercises, such as Pilates and yoga) per week. Finally, 8 stands for the 8,000 steps you need to take every day to achieve this goal.
The method has become a viral hit on TikTok, with over 300 million views. The hashtags #328method or #328workout abound with videos of young women who practice this exercise routine, and who claim to see effects on their bodies after just three months.
There are two ways to practice the 3-2-8 method. The first way is to do three resistance workouts, two Pilates sessions a week and 8,000 steps a day (included in this number of steps are three brisk walks a week).
Alternatively, you can do three Pilates sessions, two more intense workouts a week, and 8,000 steps a day. You'll need dumbbells for your Pilates and strength training sessions, and there are plenty of tutorials on TikTok to help you learn how to use these weights properly (and safely).
Speaking to Marie Claire UK, the personal trainer explains that she created this method after becoming aware of the exhausting and time-consuming pace of traditional workout schedules. "I realized that the common style of five days in the gym wasn't very sustainable for me and a lot of the women that I was training who couldn't commit to five intense workouts a week," she says.
By proposing a system that alternates different exercises, like Pilates with dumbbells, she hopes to enable people "to maintain consistency while also targeting different muscle groups and improve mobility and flexibility which aids recovery."
So can this trend have real health benefits? The British magazine cites a study published in the journal Sports Medicine, which concludes that mixing different training styles, such as strength, cardio and power exercises, offers women better benefits for overall health. And each of the 3-2-8 exercises offers different and complementary benefits for the body.
Natalie Rose also claims that the method can help remedy hormonal imbalance (often caused by stress and fatigue): "Before, I had a lot of burnout, mood swings, joint pain and injuries from overtraining and under resting, and I was told I had a hormonal imbalance because my cortisol was so high.
"Finding Pilates allowed me to restore some calm and balance and prioritize active recovery rest days which in turn lowered my overall stress levels," the fitness coach told Marie Claire UK. – ETX Daily Up, July 8, 2023
