Goal setting
Before going to the gym and starting your health and fitness journey, you need to know where you are going. This can be a general view to the future, such as; ‘I want to lose a stone and tone up over 6 months’, or you may have a more short term goal such as; ‘I want to be lifting heavier this time next week’.
For the best results, it is important that you set goals and plans, and stick to them. That way you will get results, not only this but they will be measureable results. If you don’t set yourself realistic goals and are looking for immediate results you will more often than not, see no difference. Not only is this demoralising in itself, but it will also diminish motivation which is a dangerous downward cycle.
The trick is to set realistic and achievable goals. There is a fine line, as you can’t set them too easy, or you will get bored or frustrated. When setting the goals it is important to know your own ability, you want to make your goals relevant. If you go to the gym 3 times a week, then you won’t want to pick the same goals as a friend who goes 6 times a week, as chances are you just won’t hit them.
Always make sure that you know how you will measure your results, as you need to keep tabs on where you are with your goals, and if you need to review them or if you are achieving your targets.
If you think that you will struggle to moderate yourself or will be too lenient or even too strict, then why not tell someone your goals? This way they can ask you for updates and you will (hopefully) feel more compelled to give good answers, and hopefully hit the gym harder, running further/faster on the treadmills etc. in order to impress. The detriment to this plan is that you may put too much pressure on yourself. Your body does need a rest and you may push too hard in order to get some good results, which isn’t really a positive attitude.
Of course, with everything in life there are positive and negatives to each scenario. However, when making goals, it is imperative that you focus on yourself. Making sure that you are taking into account your attitudes and abilities before making goals. In the same way all of the plans need to be bespoke and tailored to suit your needs. There are thousands of resources available to anyone that needs help and advice, but ultimately, you need to take the information and use it to create something that will work for you. It will be very rare that you can ‘copy and paste’ someone else’s workout plan, then see the same benefits as that person had.
So the key is to focus on your own needs and make sure that you are getting the most from what you are doing. If you are feeling that you aren’t getting the maximum benefit you could be, then address the issue and review your plan to make it work. Focusing on the here and now will help you to train harder and more efficiently, and guarantee the return you deserve.
This article was written by Alex Wright; A fitness Journalist for Health Clubs at Home – UK’s sole distributor for Quickload 222 Adjustable Dumbbells
A Guide To Goal Setting
