The Rise Of The 3-2-8 Method

If you are a fitness social media scroller, you will likely have come across one of the viral 3-2-8 Pilates social media videos, which quickly went viral, racking up over 1.4million views or the hashtag #328pilates which has amassed millions of clicks extolling the virtual of a new form of workout.

What is the 3-2-8 method exactly?

The concept is actually very simple: three strength workouts per week with weights, two low impact Pilates or barre workouts per week, and accumulate 8000 steps per day.  3-2-8 barre, strength, training and walking workout program is credited to Natalie Rose, a UK based Pilates and barre instructor and founder of the virtual Body by Barre Studio.

Rose devised the concept as more of a workout plan or schedule than a specific Pilates workout, designed to help busy fitness enthusiasts make a time efficient workout plan, and recommends doing it over a three month period.

Why choose the 3-2-8 method?

The method offers a variety of benefits from reduced inflammation, period cycle regulation and weight loss.

The three-strength training workout per week will help you build muscle, which supports functional strength and improved physique. Walking daily steps will also help reduce risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, whilst the Pilates and Barre workouts will help improve flexibility, balance, coordination, core strength and mind body connection.

However, if you are looking for weight loss method, 3-2-8 might not be your best choice: the relatively low-intensity workouts and lack of longer cardio, HIIT workouts, or general interval training will limit caloric expenditure in the 328 barre Pilates workouts. 

How to do the 3-2-8 method

Start with the 3-2-8 Pilates Weighted Workouts 

This is the ‘strength training’ part. If you want to focus on different muscle groups, opt for one full body strength training workout per week, one upper body strength training per week, and one lower body strength training workout per week.

3-2-8 Pilates: Low-Impact Pilates or Barre Workouts

Although the 3-2-8 Pilates method has “Pilates“ right in the name, making you think that it is a Pilates-centric workout program, the 328 barre Pilates method actually considers the two low-impact Pilates or barre workouts per week to be the “active recovery” days.

The Pilates and barre workouts can be done at home on off days from the strength training workouts. You should still be taking 8000 steps per day on the 3 to 8 Pilates days.

3-2-8 Pilates: Walking

The daily step goal during the 328 Pilates routine is to accumulate an average of at least 8000 steps per day, which Natalie Rose says will help you burn an average of “300 extra calories.”

Because research indicates that most people take about 2000 steps per mile, walking 8000 steps per day equates to walking about 4 miles per day. For most adults, the number of calories burned walking 4 miles per day or taking 8000 steps per day is closer to 400 to 600 calories, depending on your body size.

It’s an online based phenomenon so you can find more at:

Started by Natalie Rose (AKA @natalieroseuk) Madeline Moves app