SMART Goals

With the holidays just around the corner and everyone wanting to set their New Years' Resolution for 2011, I was starting to think about my goals for 2011.  How often have you met goals that you set for yourself?

So, how do you set your goals?  Here is a short guide to help you along.  Set it out on a piece of paper and share it with as many of your friends as you can.  Make sure they hold you accountable for meeting your goals, even if it's just by asking how you are doing on your journey.  This will help you, I promise.  Support from family and friends is so important!

Your goals should be SMART.  By SMART, they should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time framed.  I am going to use losing 25 lbs as an example.

• Specific - I want to look good naked is great, but it is not specific.  I want to fit in size such and such jeans.  I can do this if I lose 25 lbs.  If you lose those 25 lbs, I'm sure you'll look good naked.
• Measurable - If you weigh 200 lbs and your goal is to lose 25 lbs in 6 months, it is measurable.  Just jump on the scale and you can see your results.
• Attainable - Losing 25 lbs in 6 months is more attainable than losing 25 lbs in 1 month.
• Realistic - Losing 25 lbs in 6 months or 26 weeks is very healthy and you'll more than likely keep that weight off in the long run.  Also, if you are a well built guy weighing in at 200 lbs, is losing 25 lbs realistic if you are already at 10% body fat?  Your lean mass is at 180 lbs with 10% body fat, getting to 175 would not be realistic.
• Time Frame - 6 months will allow you to have some structure.  Without this time frame, there is not an urgency to get 'er done.

I could go on and on about macro-, meso-, and micro-cycles, but just starting out with a SMART plan will help you reach your goals.  Please feel free to ask any questions or leave comments.  Good Luck!

Up the ladder (down the ladder)

I was putting together a workout for myself the other day and wanted something a little different than I have been doing and remembered my workouts I put trainers through on interviews where they would like to see me in action.

The ladder is challenging and will easily leave you out of breath by the end.  The main idea is to add an exercise to each set with increasing your rest periods.  Start off with 2 exercises that will last 20 seconds each and rest.  These exercises will mainly be bodyweight exercises and with a partner you can add med ball passes.

An example of this would look like:  (all exercises are for 20 sec, increase work time as you get better conditioned up to 30 sec)
jumping jacks - bodyweight squats with 20 sec rest
jj - bw squats - mtn climbers with 30 sec rest
jj - bw squats - mc's - russian twists w/med ball optional with 40 sec rest
jj - bw squats - mc's - rt's - lunges with 50 sec rest
jj - bw squats - mc's - rt's - lunges - plank
if you wanted to go back down the ladder, it'd be the opposite starting with:
jj - bw squats - mc's - rt's - lunges - plank set

These are just sample exercises.  You can add in any other exercises such as push ups and their many variations.  If you are close to a bar, you can add in pullups.  The options are nearly endless, let me know if you'd like some ideas.  I try to make sure there are lower body, upper body, core, and conditioning exercises sprinkled throughout.  If you aren't gassed after going through it, you weren't working to your peak effort.

Please let me know if you have any exercises to add or any comments.  Good Luck until next time.

Do you want your own PRIVATE gym?

I have been in several homes with their own personal fitness room, some have been grand while others were very boring.  I have no background in design but designing home gyms is something that I would like to get into.  If you ever want some consulting for building your own home gym, I would welcome the challenge.

In the meantime, here are some benefits of building your own workout space:

Cleanliness - - no worrying about getting sick from other members
Privacy - - allows for better focus on your workouts
Time - - no travel to and from the gym could save up to 1 hr of travel per day
Wait - - no waiting for someone to finish using a piece of equipment (unless of course another family member is working out with you)
Ambiance and Decor - - you pick the music, pictures, and colors that will help you stay motivated, fit, and invested in a healthy lifestyle
Leadership - - sets a good example for the rest of your household
Value - - increase in real estate value
Cost - - no more monthly gym fees

Please leave comments or ask questions.  Good Luck