Goals and You

I’ve seen it time and time again... bodybuilders who lost their way over the holidays trying to make up for it with bold New Year’s fitness goals.  They swear this will be the year when they train harder than ever before while experiencing unbelievable muscle gains.  This will be the year when they stick to a strict diet and avoid any lapses in their workout plan.  This will be the year when everything finally comes together, and they become more ripped than ever before!  This will be the year...

Unfortunately, very few people actually ever stick to their fitness goals, and most of them end up falling off before the spring.  Their grand illusions of staying with an intense 12 month training program eventually end in defeat due to their unrealistic expectations.

And the reason why so many bodybuilders never make it through a whole year with their fitness goals is because they don’t know how to set smart fitness goals.  With that in mind, let’s take a look at the top 12 fitness goals which will help keep you motivated and packing on muscle.

Top Fitness Goal #1. I resolve to keep realistic expectations.

The number one problem with anybody who can’t stick to their fitness goals is that they set the bar too high.  You want to work hard and try to become the best you possibly can, but you also need to keep your previous history in mind too.  For instance, if your biceps are only 13’’, it’s a little unrealistic to be shooting for 20’’ arms within a year.  Plus, it’s defeating mentally when you aren’t even coming close to what you were hoping for.  So keep your fitness goals realistic while working for optimal gains.

Top Fitness Goal #2. I resolve to change my fitness goals if need be.
In addition to keeping your fitness goals realistic, you should also be willing to change them if an unforeseen event such as an injury occurs.  We’d all like to avoid the injury bug while working towards muscular growth, however, sometimes things happen that are out of our control.  If something does come up in the middle of your plan, you can’t just give up or start slacking; you need to be able to adapt, change your goals accordingly, and keep moving forward.

Top Fitness Goal #3. I resolve to workout at a certain time of the day

Nothing gets people out of a routine more than inconsistent workout times.  After all, it’s pretty difficult to stay focused and wanting to work hard when you’re going to the gym early in the morning one day, and late at night the next day.  So it is very important that you pick a workout time and stick to it – whether that be morning or night.  Keep in mind though that there will certainly be times when you can’t make it into the gym on schedule.  However, you should stick to your schedule as closely as possible.

Top Fitness Goal #4. I resolve to break my fitness goals into smaller parts.

Another huge reason why many people can’t stick with a New Year’s resolution is because a year is too long for a single goal.  Think about it….people have trouble sticking with 90-day goals, so how are they supposed to stick to a 365-day plan?  In fact, it’s almost impossible to stay with a resolution if you’re approaching it as a year-long task.  So, to avoid making it a task, you need to break your resolution down into segments and take things one step at a time.  A good idea is to break your resolution into 6 two month sections and work from there.

Top Fitness Goal #5. I resolve to improve upon one item in each meal.

Everybody who wants to cut fat and improve their image makes declarations to change their diet.  Unfortunately, most of these declarations are too vague which makes it pretty tough to keep up with the improvements.  That’s why you should resolve to improve upon one item within each meal.  For instance, if you normally eat applesauce with a meal, ditch the applesauce and go with an apple instead.  Now simply swapping out an apple for applesauce may not sound like a whole lot, but these kinds of changes will pay big dividends if you do them over the course of every meal.

Top Fitness Goal #6. I resolve to create several workout plans for myself.

After you’ve resolved to break your goals into smaller parts, you’ll also want to create several workout plans to accommodate these goals.  Anybody who has been a bodybuilder for a while knows that you need to switch up your workout routine every so often.  And you should be creating a new workout plan for every section of your New Year’s resolution.  Now you don’t have to create them all at the beginning of the year, but just be sure to make up new plans at different points.

Top Fitness Goal #7. I resolve to keep a workout journal.

Creating a workout plan (or several different workout plans) is an excellent way to get the New Year started off right.  However, these plans means little if you’re not keeping track of your results!  So it’s extremely important that you resolve to keep some sort of workout journal.  Many bodybuilders are used to charting their results already so this might be a mute resolution.  But for those who go through lapses within their workout charting, having a goal of making more detailed journals is extremely helpful.

Top Fitness Goal #8. I resolve to share my goals with at least one other person… if not more!

Setting fitness goals in regards to your training is an excellent thing to do.  However, it’s pretty hard to stick to your fitness goals when you’re the only person who knows about them.  That’s because people will slack off when their goal is a secret since there will be no one else to push them.  So it is important to tell at least one other person who you know about your goals.  When choosing people to tell about your fitness goals, make sure they are the type who will want you to succeed in your goals rather than the type that want you to stay the same. 
 
Top Fitness Goal #9. I resolve to get a personal trainer and find out where my fitness level stands.

Say what you will about personal trainers, but it never hurts to get a second opinion on your level of fitness.  Having someone critique your workout plan and dieting can be monumental in reaching the next level.  This being said, you don’t have to keep visiting the personal trainer or be relying on them for everything; it’s just a measure to find out where you’re at.  If you really don’t want to visit a personal trainer, you could opt to go with a personal consultation over the phone instead.

Top Fitness Goal #10. I resolve to stick to my goal deadlines.

It’s so easy to resolve to do something by a certain time, and then push your deadline back further and further as you start slacking off.  Before you know it, you’re back into the old routines that you vowed to snap out of.  That’s why sticking to goal deadlines is very important because you don’t want to be falling back into the same old rut.  When setting your deadlines, be sure to keep them realistic just like your original goals.  And once you’ve set a realistic deadline, stick with it!

Top Fitness Goal #11. I resolve to find a workout partner.

Some bodybuilders prefer solitude while they work out, and choose to go without a workout partner.  However, it is very tough to go all-out without a spotter, and it’s even tougher to keep yourself fully motivated without someone to train with.  If you don’t already have a workout partner, you should strongly consider finding one – at least on the intense days.  Going even further, you should try to find a training partner who is around the same fitness level as you so you’ll both on similar training paths.

Top Fitness Goal #12. I resolve to reward myself for a job well done.

Setting rigid fitness goals and deadlines are great and all, but there should definitely be a reward at the end of the tunnel when you accomplish goals.  For instance, if you meet certain fat loss goals, you should reward yourself with some kind of dessert (trust me; it won’t kill your physique).  Likewise, if you add a specific amount of weight to your bench press, you can reward yourself with a video game (or whatever makes you happy).