Monday, November 1, 2010
by Alex Chaple
The 90/10 rule is not something I have invented. I have heard it so often from various sources that I actually have no idea who came up with the concept, but whoever it was knew their stuff! The 90/10 rule also has several names and variations. I have heard people use the "80/20" rule (however, these people tend not to achieve the best results) and I have heard people use the "95/5" rule (although these tend to be too strict and often do not get results in the long term). In my experience, "90/10" seems to produce the best results (and being result driven, this is a no-brainer).
The rule is applied to many areas of life but the area in which I choose to apply the rule (with those who come and see me to lose body fat) is when we discuss dietary practices. To really achieve a great physique you DO have to sacrifice certain things, sorry. There are those of course who will tell you that you can lose weight and eat what you like - "just eat everything in moderation blah blah blah". Well, in my experience, these people are not even in shape themselves! Whether we like it or not certain foods will make you fat. Very often these foods are some of our favourites and can be hard to give up at first.
The idea behind the rule is that 90% of the time you should be dedicated and focused on your goal. You follow whatever nutritional goals you have to the letter, always thinking of the task at hand and giving everything your best effort. This of course leaves 10% of the time in which you get to let your hair down and enjoy the small things in life that may be missed when focusing on your health as your number one priority; going out for a Sunday lunch with your family, buying a bag of popcorn at the cinema or going out for a drink after work - whatever it is that you may miss when eating well. Eating in this way 10% of the time will not hurt your progress in the long run. Quite the opposite in fact!
The 90/10 rule is a great way for beginner or intermediate trainees to get in shape fast! Many "DIETS" (a horrible word) fail to work in the long run simply because they ask for commitment 100% of the time. I have been at fault of this early in my career. Fortunately, I learned very quickly that applying this rule to your nutritional intake not only makes getting in shape more fun but it can actually improve the rate at which you drop body fat. They call it - a win-win situation!