When you head out on a trip or vacation, you look ahead, plan your route, figure out your accommodations and what you're going to do when you get there. When you are hosting an event, you plan how many guests to invite, what are you going to serve etc. When you decide to buy a house, you get all your finances in order, determine your budget, and you work with a realtor. So what is the common denominator here? Planning!
Why do we plan everything in our lives, but then just dive straight into working out without a plan? We have all been there, you get to the gym, you have no workout designed for the day, so you just go through some exercises trying to piece together a workout and then you leave. Did you move and get some physical activity for the day? Sure! But did that workout do anything for you in terms of getting you one step closer to your goal?
Planning your workout program will set you up for success! If you want something accomplished, there has to be a plan. Although, going on a road trip without directions sounds like fun and you'll get to see various sites, you might get lost along the way and lose focus of your destination!
So how do you get started? First you have to set a realistic goal, determine how many days a week you'll be able to workout, what you will be doing during your workout, and the timeframe to accomplish this goal. This is called creating a SMART goal. What is a SMART goal? Specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound. Let's talk through an example together; a few years ago I gave myself the goal of completing an Ironman triathlon.
My specific goal was to complete Ironman Wisconsin 2014, it was measurable in the fact of finishing the race within the cut off time. The goal was attainable because I had been doing triathlons and marathons for many years previously and I knew what went into training for an Ironman and I was well seasoned in triathlon training, also showing that it was a relevant goal. And lastly it was time-bound. I gave myself 12 months to train for the race, starting with 3 months of base building. This goal was very specific to me, and not many people will relate to wanting to complete an Ironman, but this brings us back to setting a goal specific to you and relevant to what you want to accomplish! Side note: I finished Ironman Wisconsin 2014 and trained my butt off for a year, but without my SMART goal, I could have easily given up!
In addition to all of this, you want to think about your diet. You can't outwork a bad diet, so meal planning and prepping are key! Here's an older podcast that Coach Jonny did about getting started with meal prepping! "Intro to Meal Prepping"
If all of that sounds like a lot of work, it is! But don't let that scare you. Think about your goal! If you need some help, just ask for it! Straight Shot is here to help YOU! Click here to ask me anything you'd like about setting a goal that you can crush!
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