1% Better than Yesterday...

The Power of the 1% Rule: Lessons from Dave Brailsford and Team Sky

Discover how the “aggregation of marginal gains” can transform habits, performance, and success through small daily improvements.

The Challenge in 2010

In 2010, Dave Brailsford faced a tough job.

No British cyclist had ever won the Tour de France, but as the new General Manager and Performance Director for Team Sky (Great Britain’s professional cycling team), that’s what Brailsford was asked to do.

The Strategy: Aggregation of Marginal Gains

His approach was simple.

Brailsford believed in a concept he referred to as the “aggregation of marginal gains.” He explained it as the “1 percent margin for improvement in everything you do.”

His belief was that if you improved every area related to cycling by just 1 percent, those small gains would add up to remarkable improvement.

Areas They Optimized

• Nutrition of riders

• Weekly training programs

• Ergonomics of the bike seat

• Weight of the tires

  
  

The Unexpected Small Wins

But Brailsford and his team didn’t stop there. They searched for 1 percent improvements in tiny areas that were overlooked by almost everyone else:

• Discovering the pillow that offered the best sleep and taking it with them to hotels

• Testing for the most effective type of massage gel

• Teaching riders the best way to wash their hands to avoid infection

They searched for 1 percent improvements everywhere.

Faster Than Expected

Brailsford believed that if they could successfully execute this strategy, Team Sky would win the Tour de France in five years.

He was wrong. They won it in three years.

In 2012, Team Sky rider Sir Bradley Wiggins became the first British cyclist to win the Tour de France. That same year, Brailsford coached the British cycling team at the 2012 Olympic Games and dominated the competition by winning 70% of the gold medals available.

In 2013, Team Sky repeated their feat by winning the Tour de France again, this time with rider Chris Froome.

Many have referred to the British cycling feats in the Olympics and the Tour de France over the past decade as the most successful run in modern cycling history.

What Can We Learn?

The Aggregation of Marginal Gains

It’s easy to:

• Overestimate the importance of one defining moment

• Underestimate the value of making better decisions on a daily basis

Almost every habit you have — good or bad — is the result of many small decisions over time.

Why We Overlook Small Changes

So often, we convince ourselves that change is only meaningful if there is a large, visible outcome.

Whether it’s:

• Losing weight

• Building a business

• Traveling the world

...we put pressure on ourselves to make some earth-shattering improvement that everyone will notice.

Meanwhile, improving by just 1 percent isn’t notable (and sometimes it isn’t even noticeable) — but it can be hugely meaningful in the long run.

The Reverse Is Also True

Bad results don’t usually happen overnight.

They’re the sum of many small poor choices — a 1 percent decline here and there — that eventually lead to a bigger problem.

The Compounding Effect

In the beginning, there’s almost no difference between making a choice that’s 1% better or 1% worse.

Over time, these small decisions compound, creating a large gap between those who consistently make better daily choices and those who don’t.

Examples:

• Choosing “a burger and fries” once won’t change much today, but over time it adds up.

• Missing a workout once isn’t harmful, but repeatedly skipping them will lead to decline.

  
  

Simple Strategies That Work

• Set a schedule for important habits

• Plan for failure

• Use the “never miss twice” rule — it’s not a big deal to miss once, but getting back on track quickly prevents a small slip from snowballing.

  
  

The Bottom Line

You probably won’t find yourself in the Tour de France, but the concept of aggregating marginal gains applies to all areas of life.

Most significant achievements aren’t stand-alone events — they’re the sum of small moments when you chose to do things 1% better (or worse).

There is power in:

• Small wins

• Slow gains

• Consistency over intensity

This is why:

• Average speed yields above-average results

• The system is greater than the goal

• Mastering habits matters more than reaching a single milestone

  
  

Where are the 1 percent improvements in your life?

Want support with this? Contact us at Beyond Fitness and let us help you build your system.