Making Smart Goals
Goal setting does not have to be a daunting task, it is fairly simple if you understand what you need to look for. To start grab a sheet of paper and lets go over some of the things you need to consider.
Step 1
Take your sheet of paper and start writing down a list of everything you want out of your body. What do you think your ideal weight is? How many inches you think you want to lose? How often can you work out per week? What do you currently do while exercising?
Step 2
Try not to worry too much about the specifics or wording, just write it all down. If you can not come up with an answer to any of the above, that is okay. This is just to get some ideas down to develop a working model for what your goals are going to be.
Divide your goals into three major categories: short term, middle ground, and long term.
Short term -- things you would like to work towards that can be handled in a month. “I want to go to the gym three time a week.”
Middle Ground -- things you would like to see done in two to three months. “I would like to lose ten pounds” or “I would like to improve my mile by two minutes.”
Long term -- the end result, the long-haul, call it what you want, but this is the goals that are furthest away that you want to work toward. “I want to have a six-pack” or “I need to fit into that wedding dress.”
Step 3
Once you have the goals divided into the groups you need to make sure the goals meet the following criteria: SMART
Specific -- the goal needs to be very specific and have no room for guessing. “I want to fit into a size 32 pants by the end of the year.”
Measurable -- each goal needs to have a definite way to make sure it can be measured. “I want to lose one inch per week from my midsection.”
Attainable -- the goal needs to capable of completion. If you are overweight you do not want a goal that says “I want to bench 300 pounds in the
next two months.”
Realistic -- make sure each goal is possible. “I want increase my curl by 15% in the next two months.”
Time bound -- each goal needs to be bound by a time frame.
Step 4
Organize the goals in a way that work towards your final goal, starting with the smaller goals that build up to the middle goal, and make sure all of your middle goals go towards your final result.
Goal Layout Sample
Month 1
Week 1-2 --> Begin lifting moderate weight twice a week
Week 3-4 --> Begin lifting three times per week
Month 2 --> Lift four times per week
Month 3 --> Increase weight lifted by 10%
Month 4 --> Add one set and one day of core strength
Month 5 --> Increase weight by 15% and change routine
Month 6 --> Lift four days a week, complete two core days, and one day of intense cardio
Month 7 --> Increase weight by 5% and add one set
Month 8
Week 1-2 --> Lift three times a week, perform cardio daily, and do three core strength days
Week 3-4 --> Lift three times a week, begin cutting weight to develop definition.
At the end of every month take measurements, body fat, and record final weights for that month.