Who?

Most have heard of the 80/20 rule as it applies to sales.  Vilfredo Pareto’s (1848 – 1923) law of income distribution was and still is ridiculously predictable. 

Pareto’s brilliance dictates that 80% of sales comes from 20% of customers.  After closer inspection most businesses find this not only true but sometimes skewed even further – 90/10, 95/5 or even 99/1.

Stick with me on this one…I promise I will tie it in to fitness in general and most importantly how it relates to two things:  1.)  Why this principle will directly affect your ability to lose fat while working out at home.  2)  How this principle is the underlying reason why you have had trouble getting in shape in the past.

It stands to reason that when the 20 percent is defined, you strip away as much of the fat in the remaining 80% as possible for more results thus creating more efficiency.

Example with easy math:  If company X has 100 customers that it services then 80% of the revenue comes from 20 leads or customers.  Usually the 80 customers in this example don’t order often, complain the most and require the most customer service.

Does it make sense to spend 80% of the time working hard for 20%, or less, of the sales?

What if Company X profiled the 20 customers that bring in 80+ percent of the revenue and go out and find more customers like them while essentially firing the most of the 80 customers that hardly ever order product and or complain all the time?

Revenue would go through the roof and headaches would diminish.

Simple – but it works.

According to Pareto this principle can be applied to almost anything.  Let me explain with a series of questions.  (Be careful as the answers will be very eye opening)

• What things are the 20% in your life that bring you 80% of your joy?
• What aspects of your life are the 20% that bring you 80% of the unhappiness?
• Who in your life brings you the most happiness?
• Who in your life brings you the most sadness?

Here comes the fitness tie in…you knew it was comin’!

Look at your fitness program and diet.  Evaluate it according to the 80/20 rule.  Here are some suggestions:

• What foods represent the 20% that is causing you to gain 80% of your fat weight?
• What foods in your diet are the 20% that are providing 80% of the fuel you need for recovery from your workouts and to keep you healthy?
• Is there 20% of your schedule that is causing 80% of the reasons you skip workouts?
• What exercises are you doing in your workouts that will give you 80%, or better, results than the rest?
• Are your workouts designed to keep you consistent at least 80% of the time – week in and week out?

I was re-introduced to the 80/20 rule recently as I was reading The Four Hour Work Week, by Tim Ferris.  I immediately thought of my 10 minute whole body workouts and how they fit the 80/20 model perfectly.

Actually for the members of HomeOfficeWorkouts.com it looks more like 90/10!

How would you like to get 90% or your results in less time?

Using complex movements (multiple muscle groups at once) and combining strength training and an increased heart rate – 10 minute whole body workouts are fast, repeatable, efficient and effective.

Is it the big things or a laundry list of obstacles that keep you from your fitness dreams?  Or is it just a few actions or in-actions that pruduce most of your failure?

Find the 20%.  Discover the 80%.  Win.

Dave
www.homeofficeworkouts.com
“Fast , Repeatable, Efficient, Effective”

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How many times have you heard “if you don’t have your health…what do you have”?

I personally would rather be fit and broke than fat, unhealthy and broke.  Why not be in shape and have money?

If you are unhealthy and unfit, all the money in the world won’t matter in the grand scheme of things.  Fitness professionals have been pressing this and similar points for years.  In this economic environment many people are “feeling” the money crunch and just praying they are not hit with a sickness.

The worst case scenario is no money and no health.

If you are exercising and taking care of yourself then this is NOT the time to stop, but to forge ahead.  I want to encourage you to keep up the great work!
If are not exercising and eating well than you need to know two things:

1. It’s NOT too late.
2. This is a perfect time to begin!

The fitness industry and professional who drive it are on top of things.  There are low cost (and even free) fitness bootcamps in communities everywhere.  There are online services that provide credible fitness information on how to get in shape right where you live – at home, in the office or even in the gym.

The most up to date programming has tested true and is scientifically proven to help you lose fat fast, keep it off and get you in the best physical condition possible.

There are meal plans that work, and diets that don’t.  One way to stay “economically sound” in your own household is to not waste your money on programs and diets that won’t work.  The are credible professionals that have created low cost solutions for eating in a way to boost your metabolism and stick to it 90% of the time – forever.

Throwing money out the window on supplements that are ineffective when you can have access to the very best in quality, taste and ingredients is not wise.  There are better choices.

Then there are all of the other little tidbits we have been talking about forever:

Park in the furthest parking spot you can find.
Take the stairs, not the elevator.
Actually play with your kids at the park
Speed mow the lawn
Ride you bike to work on a nice day
Perform body weight exercises

Need I continue?

It is not just a trite comment when I tell you to invest in yourself.  The return will far outweigh any profit from monetary investments.  Don’t allow yourself to be left wishing you had invested in your health instead of the stock market.

Invest Wisely.  Be Fit.  Win.

Dave Gleason
www.homeofficeworkouts.com
“Fast, repeatable, effecient and effective”

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This morning I when I finished my bootcamp class with a brand new group of great women, we were talking about long term strategies.  Their goals are like most – fat loss.  They are actually enrolled in a pseudo “biggest Loser” contest at a local gym and were looking for a better way to lose fat faster.  I was explaining the importance of not just taking my bootcamp classes for 4 weeks – but how to develop a plan that works.

I spoke of how I subscribe to the 90% rule…if you can’t do it 90% of the time then ultimately you will have to start over again.  They all agreed, having pesonallly suffered that fate in the past.  Part of what I do is help people develop a way to allow exercise to fit into their lives, rather than trying to force their lives to fit around exercise.

Then came the quote.

“Either make time for exercise now or make time for sickness later”

Perfect.

Immediately I asked her if I could use her quote and blog about it a she obviously agreed.

Keep learning.  Keep Sharing.  Win.

Dave
www.homeofficeworkouts.com

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This morning (ok it’s still morning) my first client was telling me that Madonna’s trainer is now working with Gweneth Paltrow.  Gweneth was apparently talking about how she works out for an hour and 45 minutes – 6 days per week.

Do you have the resources or TIME for that?

Does it take that much time and effort to lose fat?

Trainers all over the country are still training their clients for 60 minutes.  Who came up with that?  It may be due to the little we knew, compared to today, about the acute and chronic adaptations the body goes through depending on time, intensity, etc.  What we thought was absolute truth about our physiology and how are bodies react to exercise has changed. 

Think of how far we have come from doing the same old boring 8 – 10 Nautilus machines at the gym.

You, however, are in the know.  If you weren’t before…now you are.

You can get it done in less time and get better results doing it.

My 10 minute whole body workouts are making waves, big waves.  In fact, the guys from Beach Body now have informercials on television for a 10 minute workout system and Bob Greene (Oprah’s) trainer has also released an in your home 10 minute workout plan.

Try one of my workouts and see how doing 4 complex (big) movements back to back for 10 minutes will leave you feeling like you did workout for an hour and 45 minutes!

1. Squats
2. Push ups
3. Rows
4. Jumping Jacks

10 reps each for as many rounds as possible.

This simple example of one of my workouts is what has spawned over 11 months worth of workouts on my site. 

You are busy.  You don’t have a celebrity trainer.  You do have the desire to make a change and that is where it all starts.

10 minutes.  Workout.  Win.

Dave
www.homeofficeworkouts.com

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