i felt like i needed to elaborate a bit more on goals and determining the proper training for those goals. there are so many goals you will here about while training in the gym. some are short term (1-2 months)
some are long term (6 months to a year). you also have different types of goals. physical appearance goals, weight loss goals, strength goals, and over all heath goals. the big thing is entering a training program or entering a gym for that matter with out having goals is like walking into a store to buy something with no money. you will walk around for an hour or so and pick a couple things but ultimately there was no goal for that trip it was just wasted time with an empty purpose. it is the same when you walk into the gym with out a goal determined and a mindset to achieve it. there is so often times i ask people in the gym what are you trying to achieve and the typical answer i get is "i just want to lose a couple pounds" or "i want to add a little size" well those are goals but they are goals that you have already set yourself for failure. the term "losing a couple pounds" just sets your mindset the same as saying " i am not looking to do a whole lot". you have limited yourself before you even started. now if that same person would have said "i want to lose 25lbs in 3 months" thats a goal! that means you have a purpose and need to set a plan to achieve that goal in a certain time period.
so for example with myself. i have a long term goal of my body building competition in march on 2015. thats long term but i have short term goals to help me achieve that long term goal. my short term goal currently is lowering my body fat to 11% by December and focus on my trouble areas and add mass on to those areas in the same time period. having short term goals to help you achieve your long term goal is the best thing you can do, it makes you focus more and have more drive so it puts you at a better pace to achieve that long term goal.
last night i helped a guy that i know out with training. i know what he does for a living and for fun. and he told me he wanted to get stronger. i know he rides bulls for fun and as a passion. so i am going to have a different approach for him than i will other people. i want him to be functional in his passion. so things he needs to do strengthen forearms, core, back, and legs. but at the same time i cant beef him up to much because he has to be mobile and limber and light so he can continue to ride bulls successfully. so i am not going to have him gain 20lbs of muscle in unnecessary areas that he doesnt need and that will slow him down. knowing your goals and making them functional in everyday life is crucial to training.
so set a goal both short term and long term and visualize that goal everyday before training. i spend 30 min. driving home from work before i go train. that 30 minutes i am literally visualizing every set and i am visualizing what i want my training to be like and the intensity. i also think about my long term goal and short term goals and before i train i make sure that the upcoming training is going to be beneficial to my goals if its not i change it up and make it more goal oriented. knowing your goals and making those goals happen is what will make your training more rewarding and more intense. if i get down in the dumps about the direction of my training i know something is wrong i know that i have messed up somewhere and i need to take a step back and redo it. if you are passionate about your goals nothing should be a chore it should be fun and should be rewarding everytime you walk in and walk out of the gym.
*Wolfman*
some are long term (6 months to a year). you also have different types of goals. physical appearance goals, weight loss goals, strength goals, and over all heath goals. the big thing is entering a training program or entering a gym for that matter with out having goals is like walking into a store to buy something with no money. you will walk around for an hour or so and pick a couple things but ultimately there was no goal for that trip it was just wasted time with an empty purpose. it is the same when you walk into the gym with out a goal determined and a mindset to achieve it. there is so often times i ask people in the gym what are you trying to achieve and the typical answer i get is "i just want to lose a couple pounds" or "i want to add a little size" well those are goals but they are goals that you have already set yourself for failure. the term "losing a couple pounds" just sets your mindset the same as saying " i am not looking to do a whole lot". you have limited yourself before you even started. now if that same person would have said "i want to lose 25lbs in 3 months" thats a goal! that means you have a purpose and need to set a plan to achieve that goal in a certain time period.
so for example with myself. i have a long term goal of my body building competition in march on 2015. thats long term but i have short term goals to help me achieve that long term goal. my short term goal currently is lowering my body fat to 11% by December and focus on my trouble areas and add mass on to those areas in the same time period. having short term goals to help you achieve your long term goal is the best thing you can do, it makes you focus more and have more drive so it puts you at a better pace to achieve that long term goal.
last night i helped a guy that i know out with training. i know what he does for a living and for fun. and he told me he wanted to get stronger. i know he rides bulls for fun and as a passion. so i am going to have a different approach for him than i will other people. i want him to be functional in his passion. so things he needs to do strengthen forearms, core, back, and legs. but at the same time i cant beef him up to much because he has to be mobile and limber and light so he can continue to ride bulls successfully. so i am not going to have him gain 20lbs of muscle in unnecessary areas that he doesnt need and that will slow him down. knowing your goals and making them functional in everyday life is crucial to training.
so set a goal both short term and long term and visualize that goal everyday before training. i spend 30 min. driving home from work before i go train. that 30 minutes i am literally visualizing every set and i am visualizing what i want my training to be like and the intensity. i also think about my long term goal and short term goals and before i train i make sure that the upcoming training is going to be beneficial to my goals if its not i change it up and make it more goal oriented. knowing your goals and making those goals happen is what will make your training more rewarding and more intense. if i get down in the dumps about the direction of my training i know something is wrong i know that i have messed up somewhere and i need to take a step back and redo it. if you are passionate about your goals nothing should be a chore it should be fun and should be rewarding everytime you walk in and walk out of the gym.
*Wolfman*