Goals. Specific and Measurable.
2016!
The new year has begun and with that so have many people's new fitness routine to go along with their new fitness resolutions.
Many folks enter January with big plans of how they are going to look and feel in 2016, particularly by the summer or before ringing in 2017. Sadly, most people fail to change their physique or strength during the year because they fail to get specific about what they want to build or fail to plan how they will go about getting it.
"Failing to plan is a planning to fail."
When it comes to building the body, and life, you desire and deserve please please please do not let the excitement of the start of the year leave you before you have begun to execute the specific steps necessary to achieve your specific goal by a specific time.
If you don't have a definite goal you MUST get one. If you don't have a with a specific timeline, you must get one. Do so before today is over! Results will become your greatest motivational tool.
Too many people set out simply "to get into better shape" without any concrete picture of what that looks like or what that actually means and they fizzle out soon after the year has started because they do not get the results they hoped they would - but how can you get what you are looking for if you do not even know what that is?!
Set specific and measurable goals as to what you want to be able to do, what you want to look like as well as where & how you want to get better. Then write them down. Then get a definite plan of action to do achieve that definite goal. Did I mention that you must write all of this stuff down with a real pen on real paper? If I didn't, write it down.
Here are a few fundementals when setting a goal: 1. Make It Big! The goal must be big enough to scare you a little bit, to push you out of your comfort zone and to excite you at the very thought of achieving it.
2. Get A Plan. The plan - that is the specific you steps you take to reach that goal - will change as you work towards that goal. That's not only okay but necessary and part of evolving. Do not let not knowing how to get there exactly become the reason that you do not start moving towards the goal because it is much easier to redirect your course once moving than it is to start moving at all, remember the law of inertia - an object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion. So get moving.
3. Measure & Manage Hourly, Daily, Weekly & Monthly. In order to lead to your success, your plan must outline hourly, daily, weekly and monthly measurable goals. If you can measure the goal, you can manage the goal. If you can manage the goal, you can make it happen. Goals and dreams without specific measurable steps become hopes. And once we only hope that something happens we relinquish the control we have over our own lives in making that thing happen.
Do not leave your growth or your goals to chance because chances are they will not come to fruition without your direct focus.
Here's an example of setting a specific goal and the breakdown:
What do I want and why? I would like to increase my cardio conditioning and be able to complete 200 floors on the stairmill in 27 mins in 60 days.
Where am I at now? I can currently complete 100 floors in 15mins and 200 floors in 32 mins.
What is my plan? Month 1 In order to reach my goal I am going to do 5 StairMill workouts per week
Week 1: Climb a total of 625 floors this week which is 125 floors per workout. This allows me to make up the needed weekly floor count if I do happen to miss a workout.
On the last day of the week I will climb 210 floors and record my time. The goal is to complete 200 Floors in under 34 mins.
Week 2: Climb a total of 750 floors, which is 150 floors per workout. On the last day of the week I will climb 210 floors in under 33mins.
Week 3: Climb a total of 875 floors, which is 175 floors per workout. On the last day of the week, I will climb 200 floors in under 31mins.
Week 4: Climb a total of 900 floors, which is 200 floors x 3 workouts and 150 x 2 workout. I will not complete the 200 Floor Challenge at the end of the week.
At the end of week 4 I will gauge my progress. I will begin Month 2 with a 200 floor climb as fast as I can and then plan out my second month workouts knowing if I need to work on speed or endurance.
If you are looking for help and accountability in creating and holding to your goals, perhaps S.P.A.R.K.S Conditioning online coaching program is something you should look into. If so and you'd like to know more, please enter your info in the contact form (click here) with the subject heading "Help Me and Hold Me Accountable!"
Have a great, fit & strong start to your 2016! Let's make this year epic. Mark Sparks
Conditioning Specialist & Personal Trainer.
Follow me on instagram at Sparksconditioning.
