The Best Way To Set Fitness Goals

​If you are like most people, you will have embarked on your fitness journey because you
feel the need for change. Perhaps you want to change the way your body looks, how
strong you are, or how well you perform on the sporting field.

If you are like most people, you will have embarked on your fitness journey because you
feel the need for change. Perhaps you want to change the way your body looks, how
strong you are, or how well you perform on the sporting field.

It is much easier to achieve these kinds of long-term changes if you start with well-defined
fitness goals. Fitness goals will help you remain motivated and focussed throughout your
journey. They can also help you develop a fitness plan that is effective and ensure that you
remain accountable to that plan.

In this post, I’m going to share some essential tips that will help you create effective fitness
goals that lead to long-lasting change. With the right goals and fitness strategies in place,
you will be able to change your life in ways that you never thought possible.

Setting Fitness Goals
1. Define What You “Really” Want To Achieve

The first step is to define your overall objectives in clear terms. This objective will give you
a starting point, which you can use to devise a series of fitness goals, fitness milestones,
and workout plans.

Be honest about what you want to achieve. Think about the “why” behind your overall
objective, as you may discover that your fitness goals are different to what you expected.

For example, instead of saying “I want to lose weight”. Think about the reasons for having
this objective. Do you want to look great in a swimsuit? Do you want to get fit so you can
play with your kids more easily? Do you simply want to get fit so you can stay healthy and
avoid illness? Understanding the “why” will make it easier to create effective fitness goals.

2. Create SMART Fitness Goals
The best approach for developing fitness goals is to create “SMART” goals. A SMART goal
is one that is:

Specific
SMART goals should be clearly defined and unambiguous. This makes the goal easier to
quantify and track, which helps you understand how well you are progressing. The easiest
way to create specific goals is to keep these five “W” questions in mind:

What do I want to accomplish?
Who is involved in achieving this goal?
Where will I be when achieving this goal?
When do I want to achieve the goal by?
Why do I want to achieve this goal?

A goal like “Get fit” does not fulfil this criteria. However a goal like “I will ride my stationary
bike for at least 40 minutes a day” does.

Measurable
Measurable goals use metrics that can be easily tracked. An example of a measurable
goal would be “I will ride my stationary bike for at least 40 minutes a day, 5 times a week
achieving an average of 170 Watts of power”. Your ability to reach this goal can easily be
measured using a stopwatch, calendar, and power metre.

Achievable
Any fitness goal you create needs to be realistic. You must have the resources and
capabilities necessary to reach the goal or you are destined for failure. For example, you
can’t use a goal like “Go to the gym 5 times a week” if you don’t have the money for a gym
membership!

Realistic/Relevant
Do you have the time, resources, and knowledge necessary to reach the goal? You can’t
set a goal for riding 40 minutes a day, 5 days a week if you don’t have that much time
available, don’t own a bike, don’t know how to ride, and have a persistent knee injury
which flares up after riding.

You should also consider if the goal is relevant to your overall objectives. There is no point
performing 60 minutes of cardio a day if your overall objective is to build muscle. You
would obtain more benefit by focusing on lifting weights and performing body weight
exercises.

Time-based
There should be a time component attached to all goals, so you know when they must be
completed by. Instead of defining your goal as “Lose 10 kilograms”, make it “Lose 10
kilograms by July, at a rate of at least 1.5 kilograms per month”. Having this deadline will
help with your motivation levels and give you a more tangible ambition to work towards.

3. Identify High Priority Goals and Focus on Them First
Although it is possible to work towards multiple goals simultaneously, many people find it
easier to focus on a single goal initially. Start by focussing on a goal that aligns with your
long-term objectives. If you want to lose weight, start by focussing on diet. If you want to
build muscle, focus on your weight training program etc.

4. Turn Goals Into Habits
Repeated behaviours eventually become habits and habits eventually create a lifestyle.
Keep this in mind as you work towards achieving your goals. Always work towards each
goal long enough for it to become habit. You can then add another goal on top of it. This
will help you develop a track record of success and build healthy habits.

5. Use Both Long-term and Short-term goals
It’s important to look at both the short game and the long game. Define where you want to
be in 6 months, in 12 months, in two years. Then, define where you need to be next
month, next week, and tomorrow to reach those longer-term goals.

You will soon discover that a long-term goal like “Lose 10 kilograms by March” will require
a wide variety of short term goals like:

• Eat a diet prescribed by a dietician
• Perform at least 25 minutes of cardio on an exercise bike Monday to Friday at moderate
intensity (135 BPM+)
• Be in bed by 10pm each week night and awake by 7am
• Perform intermittent fasting between 6pm and 10am each weekday
• Perform 2 x 30 minute weight training sessions with my personal trainer each week

When you start hitting these short-term goals, the long term goals will fall into place.

6. Constantly review and revise goals
Document your fitness goals and your progress towards achieving them in a journal or
web app. This makes it easy to review your progress and identify any issues preventing
you from reaching those goals. Having your progress documented can also be a massive
motivation booster.

7. Work With a Personal Trainer
One of the easiest ways to set effective fitness goals is to work with a professional
personal trainer. They will be able to help you identify SMART goals that will be effective
for helping you reach long-term objectives.

A personal trainer will use a comprehensive approach for setting and achieving fitness
goals that involves nutrition, training, mindset and community. They will help you develop
positive fitness habits that stay with you for the rest of your life.

Thanks for reading! To learn more about fitness goal setting and how a personal trainer
can help, contact me at dean@mindbodylift.com or via 0785 211 2100.