Truth #1 - You need to have specific goals.
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| (By U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Lance Cheung [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons) |
Everyone has heard the "goal" speech a few times in their life (especially in sales and soccer), and when it comes to training, it's a pretty obvious principle. But sometimes the most obvious things are the things that need to be said over and over and over again. So here goes...
Have specific goals.
Let's face it, everyone wants to be strong and fast and beautiful, and look where it's gotten them: most people are fat and out of shape. (Sorry everyone.) Setting a goal of "looking good" is like pissing in the ocean: it doesn't really change anything, and nobody will know about it unless they're really close to you.
One huge difference between the average listless gym-goer and a driven, successful athlete is the goals they set (we'll leave genetics and years of training to be discussed in another post). No matter where you are in your training or where you want to be, one of the first steps to getting there is to set specific goals. This means goals which are, first and foremost, quantitative and time-bound. So instead of deciding that you'd like to be "in better shape" within "a few years," you need to stop, think reasonably and decide on a specific, attainable goal. This involves taking the time and thought to figure out where exactly you are in your training, and to do some thought and perhaps even research to figure out where you can and would like to be within a reasonable time-frame.
Specific goal-setting means focusing and being decisive.
Decide what you want to improve (example: you want to get stronger); set specific and pertinent goals which can be reasonably reached (squat 400lbs and bench 275lbs by May 2013); commit to these goals; and decide how you will reach them (proper training regimen, recovery).
1. Decide what you want to improve.
Depending on who you are, step one may be the hardest. Deciding what aspect of your fitness you'd like to focus on often means deciding what other aspects you'd like to not focus on for a while. We all want it all, but no one can improve everything all at once (that merits a post all its own). Fortunately, however, most aspects of fitness do consequently improve at least some other aspects of fitness. But being decisive is key.
2. Set specific goals.
Once you have step one down, step two is a matter of funneling your goals a bit further, and deciding what quantitative (use numbers) and time-bound (somewhere between 3 months and 1 year) goals pertain to your more general goal. For example: instead of "being better looking," decide on "having a 32 inch waist and 12% body-fat 6 months from today"; instead of "having better medium-distance endurance," decide on "running a 5k in 21 minutes by August"; instead of "being stronger and faster," decide on "running a 4.9s 40yd dash, power cleaning 275lbs, and benching 315lbs by January 1, 2014." Of course, your goals must be attainable as well. Figuring out what is, in-fact, attainable may take some research, trial and error, conversation with an experienced trainer/coach, etc. But setting absurd or unattainable goals for yourself does no good. It's also beneficial to set "sub-goals"--smaller, incremental goals to keep you on track and to give incremental benchmarks of achievement (for example, if setting a goal to be reached eight months from now, set three sub-goals to be reached every two months).
3. Do what you need to commit.
Step three is probably the simplest, but also probably the most important. If you don't commit to your specific goals, you're not going to succeed. Do whatever it takes to commit to your goals--write them on your bathroom mirror, set them as a daily reminder on your phone, write them in the margin of every page of your training log, tattoo them on your forehead (don't actually do that)--only you know what will keep you committed.
Commit, and allow your goals to be a driving force behind your training. If you truly want to reach your goals, the energy and focus will follow.
4. Make a plan and execute.
The final step, deciding how you will reach your specific goals, will vary for every person. You will either need to get a coach, have/procure some knowledge about training, programming, periodization, nutrition, recovery, etc., or be incredibly lucky. In addition to books and scholarly research on training, there is a practically infinite number of training resources on the internet, many of which actually have good information. There is also a whole heap of mis-leading garbage out there, so be armed with discernment. A knowledgeable trainer or coach is almost always the best resource for personalized programming and specific training advice; but, if a personal trainer/coach is not in your budget, some self-education would serve you well.
To summarize:
Set goals, be specific, and put hard, intelligent work in, and you will excel.
Swole is indeed the goal.
