Why the 70/30 Rule Matters: Diet Drives 70%, Exercise 30%

The 70/30 rule is a somewhat applied perspective grounded in science that suggests for body composition and health focus, nutrition trumps everything else while exercise is merely an effective but secondary contribution to the cause. In other words: The Bottom Line 70% = Nutrition What goes in drives energy balance, body fat, muscle recovery, health; 30% = Exercise What goes out builds strength, fitness and metabolism—but you can't out-exercise a poor diet. Why Nutrition Trumps Everything Else (70%) Caloric Management Happens at Home You can burn ~500 calories in a one hour workout. You can order a cheeseburger, fries and a coke at McDonald's and rack up 1,500+ calories. One meal can un-do one week's worth of effort. You Cannot Burn Off Poor Nutrition Exercising makes you hungrier. Oftentimes, people eat—and eat poorly. Quality calories (proteins, fibers and healthy fats) offer satiation and recovery. Body Composition = Calories In – Calories Out A deficit is required to lose fat. A surplus with additional protein is needed to gain muscle mass. Diet controls the equals sign and exercise influences the bracketed portion above. Health Markers Are Based on Nutrition Blood glucose, cholesterol, inflammation, hormones—all are regulated by what we consume. Exercise helps these markers but it doesn't burn off the excess we take in daily nor does it offset the negatives of poor consumption (as long as we don't consume at all). Why Exercise is Important (30%) Creates Muscle and Strength Quality calories create protein; exercise provides the stimulus. One cannot grow muscle without applied stress—no matter how much chicken they eat. Regulates Metabolism and Partitioning Increased muscle mass means increased resting metabolic rate; exercise tells the body to utilize the calories consumed from exercising to build as opposed to storing. Improves Insulin Sensitivity and Mood Exercise improves carbohydrate sensitivity. There is no substitute for endorphins, better sleep and clearer mindset as we traverse this world. Prevents Loss When In Caloric Deficit When people go on diets without exercise they lose muscle but gain fat. Training allows people to lose less muscle and they look better and feel better with a better maintained metabolism.