Goals

I am always surprised at how many people I talk to in the gym that are not satisfied with the result they are getting.  There are many factors that may be causing their lack of results, but I always try to look for the factors that are most common.  Lack of consistency is usually the biggest factor, but I also notice that these people almost universally lack clear goals.
Now don't get me wrong, I admire anyone who steps into the gym in order to improve their quality of life. I am just surprised at how many people tell me their goal is to "lose weight" or get "fit".  While the desire to get "fit" is a step in the right direction I think we can do better. In order for a goal to have real power it has to meet certain requirements. I like to use the acronym SMART to help refine my clients goals. It stands for:

Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Timeline

I will give a personal example. " I want to get stronger".  That alone is not specific enough. "I want to get stronger at weighted chin ups". Now it is more specific, but needs a way to be measured. "I want to increase my chin up 1 rep max from 165lbs to 200lbs".  Now it is measurable, but is it attainable?
This is where the goal setting process gets a little harder.  Sometimes it can be difficult to tell if a goal is attainable or not. This mostly comes down to common sense. I once had a women ask me to train her son to be able to bench press 300 lbs for his final test in his high school weight lifting class.  The test was in 3 weeks and when I asked where his 1 rep max was currently he told me around 215-225lbs.  Needless to say I had to inform them his goal was probably unattainable. If they had given me a couple months than we might have had a shot, but in three weeks the most likely result would be an injury. With my goal of a 200lbs chin up it will defiantly be a battle, but I am allowing enough time to hopefully avoid injury and build up slowly. 
Realistic is the next consideration.  It seems like almost everybody I talk to has a "Friend" who has lost 40lbs in 3 weeks, or put on 20lbs of muscle in one month.  Now either of those is actually possible, but is it realistic? Probably not.  Most of us have jobs, families, and other commitments that limit our time for exercise. Does this mean you can't have ambitious goals? Of course not!  It just means you have to realistic with your expectations.
The last part is having a time line.  "I want to increase my weighted chin up 1 rep max from 165lbs to 200lbs" helps shape the goal, but it needs a deadline in order to really be effective.  Just make sure the deadline is attainable and realistic.  "I want to increase my weighted chin up 1 rep max from 165lbs to 200lbs by April 23rd (my birthday)".  Now we have a goal that meets all the requirements.  Having a solid goal will give you the purpose, direction, and motivation that you need to achieve results. />

Today's workout:
1.Standing Barbell Military Press
-100lbs x 5
-110lbs x 4
-120lbs x 3
-130lbs x 2
-140lbs x 1
-100lbs x 10


2. Weighted Chin Up
-45lbs x 5
-70lbs x 4
-90lbs x 3
-115lbs x 2
-135lbs x 1
-Body weight x 11


3. Deadlift
-245lbs x 5
-265lbs x 4
-285lbs x 3
-305lbs x 2
-315lbs x 1
-225lbs x 10

4. Barefoot Jogging(easy) for 15 min

Todays workout felt good.  The weights felt much lighter than a few weeks ago.