I Tried the Viral 3-2-8 Workout Plan For 30 Days — Now, I Get the Hype

When I begrudgingly decided to download TikTok in 2020 in fear of missing out on the latest social media app, I didn’t think I’d still be religiously scrolling my FYP every night before bed five years later. It’s safe to say I’ve seen my fair share of workout trends — the 12-3-30 workout, the 3-2-1 method, the 25-7-2 StairMaster workout, I could keep going.

The latest fitness fad? The 3-2-8 workout, which involves three days of strength training per week, two days of Pilates or barre sessions per week, and 8,000 steps per day. As a fan of lifting, Pilates, and walking, I just had to find out more about the trend and give it a try.

Experts Featured in This Article

Or Artzi is a certified personal trainer, lead group fitness instructor at Equinox and creator of the fitness platform Orriors.

What Is the 3-2-8 Workout?

“Rather than calling it a workout, I would think of it as a weekly training framework,” says certified personal trainer Or Artzi, CPT, lead group fitness instructor at Equinox and creator of the fitness platform Orriors. Here’s the breakdown:

The method was created by Natalie Rose, a UK-based Pilates and barre instructor, back in 2022, but search the term on TikTok today and you’ll find thousands of people still swearing by it.

What Are the Benefits of the 3-2-8 Workout?

There are a few notable perks to the 3-2-8 workout, according to Artzi.

1. It offers a realistic, structured approach to fitness that can be done anywhere.

“One of the biggest struggles people face with fitness is time and consistency,” Artzi says. “This framework provides a clear, structured plan, making it easier to stay committed without feeling overwhelmed.”

The fact that you can do it at home, at a gym, or while traveling is also a plus. Pilates and barre require minimal space and equipment, and you can also find many strength training routines that can be done at home with your body weight or a set of dumbbells. “This means you can stay consistent even when you can’t make it to the gym or while traveling,” Artzi says.

2. It can prevent boredom in your routine.

“If you’re someone who enjoys more than one style of training, this framework adds structured variety to your weekly routine,” Artzi says. It can also help eliminate the intimidation factor that often comes with trying new workout styles, she says. Doing so many different styles of training on your own can make it easier to walk into a gym or group fitness class with more confidence.

3. It boosts overall health and fitness.

“Both Pilates and barre provide a low-impact approach suitable for all fitness levels, focusing on often-overlooked areas like foot strength, ankle, shoulder, and core stability, coordination, pelvic floor activation, and overall mobility,” Artzi says.

Strength training, Artzi says, helps you do everyday tasks — like carrying heavy groceries or a laundry basket — with ease. Not to mention, resistance exercise improves bone health, prevents injury, and can reduce the risk of conditions like heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers.

A 2023 study in JAMA Network Open found that walking around 8,000 steps per day can decrease your risk of early death. And a 2023 review in GeroScience states that walking 8,000 to 10,000 steps per day can reduce your risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.

Are There Any Drawbacks to the 3-2-8 Workout?

“The most important factor in any training program is your goal,” Artzi says. ” If you’re training for bodybuilding, powerlifting or other high-performance athletic events, this type of program won’t be the best fit.”

That said, if your goals include building overall strength, moving in a pain-free way, and following a structured training schedule, this program is a “solid, well-balanced approach to weekly training,” Artzi says.

Always clear a new workout program with your doctor before getting started, especially if you have any medical conditions or are recovering from an injury.

My Experience Trying the 3-2-8 Workout Program

I’ll admit, I’m not the best at following structured workout routines. I’m more of a “I’m going to do what I feel like doing that day” type of person. With that being said, I found this program to have a little less structure than others I’ve tried in the past. For instance, as long as I completed my three strength training and two Pilates sessions, it didn’t matter which days I did them on.

I have a Peloton subscription, so I followed along with their strength and Pilates workouts on demand from the comfort of my own home for one month. I’m used to carving 30 minutes out of my day to exercise — I typically either do a Peloton cycling class or Pilates class — so the strength and Pilates workouts weren’t difficult for me to stay consistent with. (Though I was pretty sore from the strength workouts since I admittedly wasn’t doing enough of them before this challenge — I don’t think my triceps have ever ached so much!)

Where I struggled most was getting 8,000 steps every day. While I love going on walks, it’s usually a supplemental activity for me. For instance, if I don’t feel like doing a more intense workout one day, I’ll go for a walk instead. I usually don’t do both in one day, so it was definitely a mindset change for me.

At first, I started out doing a strength or Pilates workout in the afternoon and getting my steps in (either outside or on my walking pad) in the evening. On the days I walked my normal outdoor route, 8,000 steps was easy for me to hit — it’s roughly 3.5 miles.

However, getting outside didn’t happen as often as I would have liked since winter temps in the Northeast often mean 20 degrees and windy. So I’d drag out my living room walking pad and catch up on TV, but found hitting 8,000 steps mentally tough — I was bored and ready to call it quits after hitting about 5,000 or 6,000 steps.

I decided that if I had to resort to my walking pad, I’d need to break up my steps on it throughout the day. While that made it easy to hit 8,000 steps, I wasn’t used to exercising three times a day (one strength or Pilates workout and two walking sessions). At first, it stressed me out — I didn’t feel like I had the time to be doing this — I decided to use my mini exercise breaks to focus on the present moment. After the first week, it felt really good to take more “me” time than I ever would have had I not been doing this workout challenge.

All in all, this workout helped me get more movement during my day than I was getting before I tried it, and I’ve never felt better. Because I work from home, it was pretty sustainable once I figured out what worked for me. But I could see this being a tough workout plan to stick to if your days are full of commuting to and from an office or taking your kids to school and to various activities. This workout plan isn’t for everyone — and that’s okay. Finding ways to move that fit your lifestyle is what’s most important.