There is a reason you're reading this blog post instead of looking at pictures of cats, which is what most of the rest of the internet is doing right now. In some way, shape, or form, you care about your fitness, and you're probably taking steps to make yourself more healthy. You are hopefully working out on a regular basis because you see value it provides, maybe you watch what you eat because you know it is key to weight control, and you are at this very moment putting forth effort to further your understanding of fitness. These, good people, are very admirable traits to have.
But why are you doing all these things?
Goal setting kind of takes a back seat to the ins and outs of training and nutrition, but it is absolutely as important. Nobody takes on a new task without having some sort of goal in mind. There was, after all, a reason you first stepped foot on that treadmill or picked up a weight in the first place.
Goals are the foundation of your fitness program, whether you've written them down or not.
Many of us, at this point, are going to the gym for the same reasons we brush our teeth: we know we should, and it's become a habit. There is definitely nothing wrong with this, but wouldn't you like a whiter smile? Wouldn't you get more out of your workouts and diet if you had a specific goal to be your driving force?
And let us not forget those of us who are on the brink of quitting. Exercise can be very hard, and working up the motivation to go to the gym after a long day of dealing with the rest of life can be even harder. But if your reason to keep going is stronger than the reasons to quit, you'll stick with your program and see results.
Here's your homework for the day, due by the next time you work out. Write down the answers to these questions, and keep them in mind as you work.
...Seriously, get out a pen and paper, it won't take five minutes, and you'll actually get something out of it.
Here's your homework for the day, due by the next time you work out. Write down the answers to these questions, and keep them in mind as you work.
...Seriously, get out a pen and paper, it won't take five minutes, and you'll actually get something out of it.
What is your end-game?
This goes beyond wanting to lose weight or look better; it's the foundation for your reasoning to work out, and it could be the hardest to answer. What do you want to ultimately achieve from working out?
-I want to be with my children as long as possible, and exercise will keep me going.
-I want definitive control over something in my life, and my body is completely up to me.
-I want the constant confidence that comes with having a powerful body.
Really think about this one, because "I want to bench 225" is a lame motivator without context. Remembering you end-game is the only thing that will keep you going during the times you really want to quit.
How are you going to get there?
What path will lead toward your end-game? This one is easier, since it's probably the first thing that comes to mind when you think about your fitness goals.
-I want to be with my children as long as possible, so I need to lose weight and be healthier.
-I want control over my body, so I need to go to the gym on a regular basis.
-I want the confidence that comes with a powerful body, so I need to build muscle.
These are the traditional goals, and they're easy to write down.
What steps are you going to take?
This might be the most complicated step. These are your programs, your diet plans, your workout schedule, your mousetraps in the cookie jar; the things you do to be closer to your end-game. This is what personal trainers do, which is awesome because it simplifies this step down to "Do what Justin says." This is a philosophy I recommend to all of those people close to me.
-I want to be with my children as long as possible, so I need to lose weight and be healthier. To do that, I'll start eating 1800 calories a day, and work with my trainer three days a week.
-I want control over my body, so I need to go to the gym on a regular basis. I'm going to make it to a Spin class twice a week, work out on my own twice more a week, and cut out junk food from my diet.
-I want the confidence that comes with a powerful body, so I need to build muscle. To do that, I'm going to work hard during the online program my trainer has laid out for me, and make sure to eat at least 150 grams of protein a day.
How are you going to measure your progress?
You need numbers to back up your progress, otherwise you're just guessing. Many of us ignore this step because we almost always guess in our favor, and that's much easier than confronting the numbers to see if we're on track. Pick one or two good indicators of progress, and measure them weekly, preferably on the same day at the same time.
-I want to be with my children as long as possible, so I need to lose weight and be healthier. To do that, I'll start eating 1800 calories a day, and work with my trainer three days a week. I will measure my waistline every Sunday to see if I am making progress.
-I want control over my body, so I need to go to the gym on a regular basis. I'm going to make it to a Lift class twice a week, work out on my own twice more a week, and cut out junk food from my diet. I've downloaded a fitness journal app, and I'll post the results to Facebook every week for my friends to see.
-I want the confidence that comes with a powerful body, so I need to build muscle. To do that, I'm going to work hard during the online program my trainer has laid out for me, and make sure to eat at least 150 grams of protein a day. I will gain weight while staying within 2% of my current bodyfat, and I will measure both every Tuesday before my workout.
Pick a S.M.A.R.T. number.
If you don't remember this acronym, it stand for "Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely."
This is your short-term goal, and it helps to keep your end-game in sight by breaking things down into doable chunks. There are literal books written about this acronym, but if you've read this far I trust your competency in figuring it out. Just don't be afraid to set lofty goals; falling just short of losing 20 lbs by June is still better than achieving your goal of losing 2 lbs by July, and you'll work harder to achieve the former.
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| Or the same thing with different words, for people who want to be difficult. |
-I want to be with my children as long as possible, so I need to lose weight and be healthier. To do that, I'll start eating 1800 calories a day, and work with my trainer three days a week. I will measure my waistline every Sunday to see if I am making progress. I want to lose two inches by June 1st.
-I want control over my body, so I need to go to the gym on a regular basis. I'm going to make it to a Lift class twice a week, work out on my own twice more a week, and cut out junk food from my diet. I've downloaded a fitness journal app, and I'll post the results to Facebook every week for my friends to see. I will not miss more than two workouts every month, and I will not have pizza more than once during that same month.
-I want the confidence that comes with a powerful body, so I need to build muscle. To do that, I'm going to work hard during the online program my trainer has laid out for me, and make sure to eat at least 150 grams of protein a day. I will gain weight while staying within 2% of my current bodyfat, and I will measure both every Tuesday before my workout. I want to gain 5 lbs at stay under 12% bodyfat by the time I go on vacation.
Look back over your paper, and see if it puts your goals in perspective. If you've been stuck in a rut for months, just going through the motions without getting closer to the end-game you had in mind when you started, it might be time for a change. Remember your end-game, and always work towards it.
Your goal today: lift a heavy thing.
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