The 3-2-8 method is a viral fitness phenomenon that’s swept our favourite platform for health advice: TikTok.
What’s it all about? Like many fitness and diet trends, the 3-2-8 promises dramatic results in a short period. It involves a combination of low-impact pilates or barre exercises combined with 8,000 steps a day (that’s the 8 in the 3-2-8).
The 3-2-8 method was designed Natalie Rose, founder of Body by Barre Studio and trained pilates and barre instructor. She sent the 3-2-8 method viral in 2022, when her six second video wracked up over two million views.
In the video, Natalie suggests the 3-2-8 method helps regulate your menstrual cycle, reduces inflammation, and, in her own words, makes you drop weight fast. Since then, the hashtag 328 pilates has racked up almost four billion views, with TikTok users tracking their progress.
@natalieroseuk Your legs will be on FIRE after this routine! Workout with me ⬆️ #legworkout #pilatesworkout #barrefitness #homeworkout ♬ Balenciaga – T3NZU
What Does the 3-2-8 Method Involve?
The 3-2-8 method is pretty simple!
It involves three weekly weighted workouts, two days of pilates or barre exercise and 8,000 steps a day. Essentially, it blends cardio, strength and stretch in a way that’s easy to understand.
While three days of weighted workouts a week might feel like a lot, the 328 method grants participants permission to break those weighted workouts in specific sections.
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For instance, you can do arms one day, lower body the next, and then one full-body workout a week. If you’re fully committed to this routine, prepare to invest in a lot of hand weights. Rose says that every four to six weeks, you should level up your weights.
What about a break? That’s where pilates and barre comes in! Your two pilates days a week are considered “active recovery” days. What fun! Of course, there are two more days in the week when 3-2-8ers have a short reprieve from activity, so long as they’re still clocking their 8,000 steps.
@natalieroseuk Ladies your body gives you signals. If your feeling burnt out and have no 🩸. Please adjust your training schedule. Join my community for daily tips #pcosfriendly #pilateslovers ♬ limerence – ✿
Is the 3-2-8 Method Good For You?
The general consensus is there’s nothing wrong with the 3-2-8 method. Strength training is vital for women and people who menstruate, and most of us don’t do enough of it. Walking is also a low-impact form of cardio. However, as we’ve covered, the number of steps generally recommended for health benefits is exaggerated. Meanwhile, Pilates and Barre assist with balance and mobility. So far, the 3-2-8 method seems like a pretty well-rounded workout routine.
Can the 3-2-8 Method Help With Your Menstrual Cycle?
This is a tricky area. It’s generally accepted that keeping fit and healthy supports your menstrual cycle. Gentle exercise like yoga can reduce tension and improve blood flow. This can ease premenstrual symptoms like cramps and reduce stress, something that has been shown to impact the regularity of a menstrual cycle.
This comes with a big caveat, though! Overexercising can have serious adverse effects on your menstrual cycle. More studies demonstrate that over-exercising can cause periods to become irregular or cease. In a study published by The National Library of Medicine, 40 female-identifying participants were enrolled in an intensive training course for eight weeks. During this time, seventy percent of participants developed irregular periods, showing that very intensive training can have seriously adverse effects on menstruation.
Is the 3-2-8 Method Promoting Bad Body Image?
This brings us to the other issue with the 3-2-8 method. Many of the videos promoting the method created by Natalie Rose, and seen under the hashtag, celebrate the attainment of a particular body type in a very short time.
One post featuring text overlaid on a figure of a slender, super-tanned woman says “POV The 3-2-8 method helped you drop 14lbs [6kg], tighten the waist and build an hourglass shape.” Other posts are heavily focused on achieving “summer bodies,” suggesting participants are working to short term deadlines.
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As noted by the National Eating Disorders Association, “before and after” style imagery, even when used with the best intentions, can correlate with disordered eating and trigger relapses in people with experiences of disordered eating.
While there’s nothing objectively wrong with the 3-2-8 method, like all TikTok health trends, it’s unwise to take it, or any TikTok health trend, at face value. Always check in with your GP, or relevant health expert before starting a new fitness routine.
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