How to Use Via Negativa (The Power of Subtraction) to Achieve Your Fitness Goals
You’ve been told your whole fitness life that more is better. More sets. More supplements. More cardio. More meal prep containers. More “hacks.”
But what if the secret to your best physique isn’t adding more—but subtracting the stuff that’s been holding you back?
Welcome to Via Negativa: the Latin term for “the negative way” or “the way of removal.” It’s the counterintuitive approach that says the fastest path to your fitness goals isn’t piling on new routines—it’s systematically removing the bad habits, unnecessary complexity, and counterproductive actions that are quietly sabotaging your progress.
In a fitness industry built on selling you more stuff, subtraction is a radical act. And it works.
What You Need
- A notebook or notes app (for your audit)
- 30 days of commitment
- Willingness to question everything you think is “necessary”
- A clear primary fitness goal (strength, fat loss, endurance, etc.)
Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Audit Everything You’re Currently Doing
You can’t subtract what you haven’t identified. Spend one week tracking:
- Every exercise you do (including warm-ups and cool-downs)
- Every meal and snack (especially liquid calories)
- Every supplement you take
- Every piece of “fitness content” you consume
- Every habit that surrounds your training (phone scrolling between sets, late-night eating, etc.)
Tip: Don’t judge anything yet. Just observe. You’re collecting data, not assigning blame.
Step 2: Apply the “Does This Serve My Goal?” Test
Look at your list. For each item, ask one brutally honest question:
“Does this directly help me achieve my primary fitness goal?”
If the answer is no, it’s a candidate for removal.
Real-world example: You’re training for strength but spending 20 minutes on mobility warm-ups that leave you drained. That warm-up might be hurting more than helping. Remove it. Try 5 minutes of light cardio and dynamic stretching instead.
Warning: Be honest here. Don’t keep something just because it feels productive. A long, complicated warm-up feels productive. It might just be wasting your energy.
Step 3: Pick One Thing to Remove for 30 Days
This is the “Remove One Thing” Challenge. Do not try to overhaul everything at once. Pick the single most obvious candidate from your audit.
Good candidates for removal:
– Liquid calories (soda, juice, fancy coffee drinks)
– The “junk set” at the end of each exercise (the one with terrible form)
– Pre-workout supplements that make you jittery
– Phone checking during rest periods
– Daily weigh-ins that mess with your head
– Unnecessary isolation exercises when your goal is strength
Example: Sarah wanted to lose fat. She was doing 45 minutes of steady-state cardio every morning, followed by weight training. She was exhausted, hungry, and not losing weight. She removed the morning cardio (subtraction) and added two high-intensity interval sessions per week (addition was minimal). Result: She had more energy, better lifts, and started losing fat within three weeks.
Step 4: Remove Friction from Good Habits
Via Negativa isn’t just about removing bad habits—it’s about removing barriers to good ones.
Remove the friction:
– Remove the decision: Sleep in your workout clothes
– Remove the time cost: Pack your gym bag the night before
– Remove temptation: Don’t buy junk food (remove it from your environment)
– Remove complexity: Stop following a 12-step meal prep routine. Eat whole foods simply.
James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, calls this “making it invisible.” If the bad option isn’t there, you don’t have to resist it. That’s subtraction in action.
Step 5: Create Your “Stop Doing” List
Write down 3-5 things you will stop doing starting today. Post it on your fridge, your gym bag, or your phone wallpaper.
Examples:
– Stop checking my phone during rest periods (removes distraction, improves focus)
– Stop doing cardio before lifting (removes fatigue, improves strength output)
– Stop weighing myself daily (removes emotional volatility)
– Stop eating after 9 PM (removes unnecessary calories and improves sleep)
– Stop doing exercises that hurt my joints (removes injury risk)
The key: This list is non-negotiable. You don’t “try” to stop. You just stop.
Real-World Examples
The Minimalist Strength Gain
Mike was doing 20+ sets per muscle group per week, plus two hours of cardio. He was overtrained, injured, and stalled. He subtracted:
– 10 sets per muscle group (went from 20 to 10)
– All isolation exercises that didn’t serve his primary lifts
– One hour of weekly cardio
Result: Within 6 weeks, his bench press went up 15 pounds, his shoulder pain disappeared, and he had more energy.
The Subtraction Diet
Jen was following a complicated meal plan with 6 meals a day, specific macros, and expensive ingredients. She was overwhelmed and consistently falling off. She subtracted:
– All liquid calories (removed 300-500 calories daily)
– All ultra-processed snacks (removed decision fatigue)
– The complex meal plan (replaced with simple whole foods)
Result: She lost 8 pounds in 30 days without tracking a single macro. She reported feeling “free” for the first time in years.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
1. Confusing Subtraction with Under-Training
Removing all volume leads to detraining. The goal is to remove excess, not essentials. You still need progressive overload. Subtract the problem, not the solution.
2. Removing the Wrong Thing
A beginner might remove squats because they’re hard. The right move is to remove the ego—lower the weight and fix form. Subtract the barrier, not the exercise.
3. The “All or Nothing” Trap
Removing one bad habit is great. Don’t feel you must remove everything at once. That leads to burnout. One subtraction per month is a win.
4. Ignoring the “Why”
If you remove stress eating without addressing the stress, you’ll find another outlet. Subtraction works best when paired with awareness.
5. Over-Optimizing
Spending weeks analyzing what to remove is itself a form of addition (analysis paralysis). Just pick one obvious candidate and act.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to see results with Via Negativa?
Most people notice changes in energy, sleep, and body composition within 2-4 weeks. The first week is often uncomfortable as you break habits—push through it.
What if I’m a beginner? Should I subtract anything?
Yes, but carefully. Beginners should focus on removing bad form and junk volume (sets done poorly). Don’t remove compound lifts or basic nutrition. Subtract the complexity, not the fundamentals.
Can I use this for nutrition?
Absolutely. The most powerful dietary change is often subtraction: remove sugary drinks, ultra-processed foods, alcohol, or late-night eating. This is far more effective than adding a single “superfood.”
Isn’t this just laziness?
No. Via Negativa requires more discipline than adding. It’s easy to buy a new supplement or try a new workout. It’s hard to stop doing something you think is helping. The “bare minimum” is often the maximum effective dose.
How do I know I’m subtracting the right thing?
Track your results for 30 days. If your primary metric (strength, weight, energy, sleep) improves, you subtracted the right thing. If not, try something else. The process is iterative.
Conclusion
The fitness industry wants you to believe that progress requires constant addition. More workouts. More supplements. More complexity. More money.
But the most powerful intervention is often the simplest: stop doing the thing that’s causing the problem.
Via Negativa isn’t about doing less for the sake of laziness. It’s about doing less of the wrong things so you can do more of the right things—with focus, energy, and consistency.
Your challenge: Pick one thing to remove today. Not ten things. Not five. One. Do it for 30 days. See what happens.
You might be surprised at how much progress you make by doing less.
Sources:
– Taleb, Nassim Nicholas. Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder. Random House, 2012.
– Clear, James. Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. Avery, 2018.
– Attia, Peter. Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity. Harmony, 2023.
– John, Dan. Intervention: Course Corrections for the Athlete and Trainer. On Target Publications, 2011.
– Schoenfeld, Brad, et al. “Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass: A systematic review and meta-analysis.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2017.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before making significant changes to your diet or exercise routine.
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