What is grease the groove?
The idea is that strength is partly a skill. The more often you practice a movement, the better your body gets at it. So instead of one hard workout where you do push-ups until your arms give out, you do a handful of easy push-ups over and over all day long.
There are 3 rules that pretty much everyone agrees on. The first is to pick one or two exercises, like push-ups or pull-ups. The second is to keep every set easy, around half of your max. The third is to never go to failure. You should walk away from every set feeling like you could have done a lot more.
That last part is what makes it different. You're not trying to wear yourself out. You're trying to get a lot of clean reps in without ever getting tired enough to skip the next set.
How is it different from a normal workout?
| Normal workout | Grease the groove | |
|---|---|---|
| Sets per day | 3-5, all at once | 5-10, spread out |
| Effort per set | Hard, often to failure | About half your max |
| Rest between sets | 1-3 minutes | An hour or more |
| Soreness | Common | Rare |
| Warm-up, gym, clothes | Usually | No |
| Good for | Building muscle, lots of exercises | Getting better at 1 or 2 movements |
It's a great fit if you work from home or sit at a desk all day. Every set takes about 20 seconds, and you can do it next to your desk between meetings.
How to grease the groove for push-ups
Start by testing your max. Do as many good push-ups as you can in one set, and write the number down. That's the only time you go all out.
From there, take about half of that number. That's your set size. Then do that set 5-10 times through the day, with at least an hour between sets, 5 or 6 days a week. Here's a rough guide.
| Your max | Reps per set | Sets per day | Push-ups per day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 2-3 | 6-8 | 12-24 |
| 10 | 5 | 6-8 | 30-40 |
| 20 | 8-10 | 5-8 | 40-80 |
| 40 | 15-20 | 5-6 | 75-120 |
Can you grease the groove for pull-ups?
Yes, and it's probably the most popular way people use it. Pull-ups are hard to practice because most people can only do a few, and a few sets to failure leaves you sore for days. Doing 1-3 pull-ups every time you walk past a doorway bar gets you way more practice.
The same rules apply. Half your max, never to failure, lots of sets. If your max is 1, do singles. If you can't do one yet, do slow lowering reps or hangs instead.
Why most people quit grease the groove
It's not the push-ups. 5 push-ups is easy. The problem is remembering to do them 6-8 times a day, every day, while you're also doing your job.
Most people try to tie the sets to something. Every time you go to the bathroom, every time you refill your water, every time you walk through a doorway. That works until you get busy, and then you look up and it's 4pm and you've done one set.
An hourly alarm is the other option. The trouble is you start tuning it out after a while.
How to grease the groove without having to remember
This is where Sporadic comes in. Our Daily Push-Ups stack sends you push-up challenges 2-4 times a day at random times and at different difficulties. You get a notification, do the push-ups, and mark it complete. You've got 1 hour to get each one done, so you can finish your meeting first.
Random timing helps more than you'd think. You don't get a chance to tune it out because you never know when it's coming. And you've got a streak on the line, which is a pretty good motivator on a lazy afternoon.
If you're a beginner, the Daily Push-Ups stack is good to go out of the box. If you need more, you can add another push-up stack on top of it and set the timing manually, so you can space them all out through the day.
If you sit at a desk all day, our movement at work page goes through the other stacks. And if you like the idea of short bursts through the day, read what are exercise snacks. It's the same idea, aimed at health instead of strength.
Grease the groove on autopilot.
Get up. Get Active. Get Sporadic!
Frequently asked questions
How many times a day should I grease the groove?
Most people aim for 5-10 sets a day, with at least an hour between them. More isn't always better though. If your sets start feeling hard or your joints get achy, cut back. You'll get more out of 5 easy sets every day than 10 sets for 3 days and then a week off.
Can I grease the groove every day?
Most people do it 5 or 6 days a week and take a day or two off. Since every set is easy and you never go to failure, it doesn't beat you up like a normal workout. If something starts to hurt, take a couple days off.
How long does it take to see results from grease the groove?
Plan on retesting your max every 2-4 weeks. The one direct test I found ran 3.5 weeks and people reported big gains, but it was small and self-reported, so I wouldn't count on those exact numbers. Stick with it for a month before you decide whether it's working for you.
Does grease the groove build muscle?
Some, especially if you're starting out, but that's not what it's best at. GTG is mostly about getting better at one movement, so you can do more push-ups or pull-ups. If building muscle is your main goal, you'll want a regular strength program. GTG works great on top of one.
Can I grease the groove with more than one exercise?
Yes, but keep it to one or two. Push-ups and pull-ups is a common pair since they work opposite sides of your upper body. Add too many and it turns back into a workout, which is the thing you were trying to avoid.
Sources
- Mountain Tactical Institute. "Mini Study: Grease the Groove Beats Density for Push Up & Pull Up Improvement." Unpublished, self-reported results. mtntactical.com/knowledge/mini-study-grease-the-groove-beats-density-for-push-up-pull-up-improvement/