17. Personalization, Precision, Programming, and the “Big Three”

So, what do I mean by the “Big Three”? The Big Three is a minimalist exercise program that focuses on three basic movements the human body is built to perform. These movements are tailored to your level of function and put together in a way that maximizes their benefit.

Wait a minute … the entire program is only three exercises? Yes, that’s what I’m telling you. And there’s a good reason: research shows that humans may only be able to hold three or four things in the conscious mind at one time. 50

My experience working with thousands of clients over the years confirms this finding. When I ask people to focus on more than three exercises on their own, the quality of movement generally goes down the drain. This can result in either time wasted on ineffective workouts in the best-case scenario, or injuries in the worst-case scenario.

But removing this mental clutter isn’t the only thing that makes the Big Three work, and it goes much deeper than just performing three exercises. The program is super effective because it combines functional training and higher-intensity training adapted for older adults. You will remember that functional training is exercise that mimics activities or specific skills you perform at home, at work, or in sports to help you thrive in your daily life. You may also recall that HIIT is an approach to training that alternates between short periods of higher-intensity exercise and less intense recovery periods.

The Big Three’s combination of functional training and higher-intensity training adapted for older adults stimulates the body in powerful ways to generate results fast.

The important concepts behind the Big Three are personalization, precision, and programming.

Personalization

The Big Three adapts exercise to different levels of function, physical limitations, and fitness goals common in older adults. This type of personalization makes exercise safe and effective while fulfilling the needs of most people.

The Big Three has four levels:

• Level I is designed for older adults who can’t stand or have difficulty standing for at least six minutes with or without support (e.g., a walker), due to limitations in strength, balance, or energy.
• Level II is designed for older adults who have no difficulty standing but who lack the strength or energy to walk at a vigorous pace for at least six minutes. This level is also appropriate for those who have difficulty going up and down a flight of stairs.
• Level III is designed for older adults who are high functioning. This means they can walk at a vigorous pace for more than six minutes and can go up and down several flights of stairs with no difficulty.
• Level IV is designed to exercise the upper body after eight weeks of Level II or Level III exercise.

Precision

Precision refers to the quality of the exercise as performed. Also known as proper form or technique, precision considers factors like body alignment, movement angle, and range of motion, all of which are essential for successful training.

With exercise, the difference between what is precise and not precise can be as little as an inch in alignment or movement. Just one inch can make the difference between injury and no injury, and between progress and no progress.

I’m big on precision, for obvious reasons. I’ll provide detailed yet simple instructions in the next few chapters to help you perform exercise with precision.

Programming

Programming refers to the design of the workout session: the number and type of exercises performed, the number of repetitions for each one, the length of rest breaks between exercises, and the order in which the exercises are performed. Programming also considers factors such as the number of times exercise is performed in a day, the time taken between exercise sessions if performed more than once daily, whether the same or different exercises are used, and how many times a week exercise is performed.

You need to consider these factors because the exact same exercises can be adapted to people with different needs—and even yield different results for the same person—depending on how the pieces are put together.

Programming for the Big Three is meant to maximize its ability to improve strength, balance, and energy safely, quickly, and effectively in adults from ages 60–100.

Here are the programming considerations for the Big Three:

• Number of exercises: Three.
• Sessions a day exercise is performed: Two times a day.
• Time spaced between sessions: At least three hours apart; exercises should preferably be performed before meals.
• Days a week exercise is performed: Exercise seven days a week for the first two weeks, with exercise reduced to six days a week after that.
• Repetitions: Each exercise is performed for up to 15 repetitions in sequence without rest. Whatever amount of repetitions you do should be the same for all exercises within a workout session. One round is counted every time you complete all three of the exercises. Your goal is to complete as many rounds as possible in six minutes, or until exhaustion.
• Rest break: Short rest breaks of up to 30 seconds are allowed, but only if you’re completely exhausted and only after a full round of exercise has been completed.
• Order of exercises: This changes daily in a rotational manner. For example, on day one, you’ll perform exercises in the order ABC, on day two CAB, and day three BCA.
• Same or different routines: Same set of exercises daily until you’re ready for a higher level. If you’re on the border between levels, you can perform the harder level for your first session and the easier one for your second session.
• Upper body exercises: Performed once daily after eight weeks of Level II or Level III.

Now you understand the concept behind the Big Three and how personalization, precision, and programming can bring rapid change to your body, no matter what your age or level of function.

In the next chapter, we’ll get into the nuts and bolts of how to perform Big Three Level I.

Key Takeaways

• The Big Three is a minimalist exercise program focusing on three basic movements. It combines functional training and higher-intensity training adapted for older adults to stimulate the body in a powerful way to generate results quickly.
• Personalization means exercise is adapted to the different levels of function, physical limitations, and fitness goals common in older adults. This makes exercise safe and effective and fulfills the needs of most people.
• Precision refers to the quality of the exercise as performed. Also known as proper form or technique, precision considers body alignment, movement angle, and range of motion, all of which are essential for success.
• Programming refers to how workout sessions are designed. In general, the programming for the Big Three involves performing up to 15 repetitions of three exercises for as many rounds as possible in six minutes with minimal rest breaks.

Action Steps

• Read the description of each level of the Big Three, and decide which one is the best fit for you. You can go through each chapter in this part of the book to help you decide, or you can skip directly to the chapter with the level of Big Three that you feel is the best fit for you.
• If you’re a family member or a caregiver for an older adult you’d like to help with exercise, assist them with the above action step to decide which level of Big Three is the best fit for them.