Setting Fitness Training Goals
Under the surface, every body
is built the same. Each of us has an athlete’s body buried down there somewhere
— and we all have the ability to move like athletes. Some of us are just ahead
of others in terms of our fitness progress. However, with appropriate nutrition,
sleep and exercise, everyone can jump and move just like athletes do. This is
how life is meant to be played, and our bodies are built for exactly this kind
of movement!
Before you begin a training
regimen, it is important to determine your specific training goals. Are you a
professional athlete training to increase your level of performance? Are you a
general health-and-fitness enthusiast who wants to slim down and feel great? Are
you a physical laborer who wants a permanent solution for your back pain so you
can start feeling strong and healthy again? Are you seriously overweight, and
ready to make and stick to a life-changing commitment?
Only after you have determined
your major health and/or fitness concern can you begin working toward that goal.
For example, it wouldn’t be very productive to train like a bodybuilder and put
on a lot of nonfunctional muscle that weighs a ton if you had a goal to compete
as a professional boxer. It is essential to identify your primary goal and
remain focused on it without getting sidetracked into a training agenda that
will only detour your success.
You must be specific when you
design your training program, ensuring that it will accomplish the specific
things you desire from it. Be clear and precise with your goals. Have a
realistic timeframe. How much time are you willing to commit to this exercise
program — per day, per week, per month? What is the best time of day to fit
exercise into your busy schedule? Determine a time that will work, and adhere to
it — no excuses. Admit honestly how far you are from achieving this goal, so you
can gauge how long it’s going to take to get from your starting point to that
goal.
The most important thing is to
design a program that is specifically tailored to your needs. A general
one-size-fits-all plan, or one created for another individual, will not
necessarily work for you. Your level and ability are different from others’, as
are your goals. So don’t look to train like anyone else, and don’t expect others
to train like you.
Once you’ve identified your
goals and designed a program to help you accomplish them, all that’s left is to
begin!
Scott White is a certified personal trainer and nutritionist
located in Scottsdale, Ariz. For more information about nutrition and fitness or
for info about a consultation, call or e-mail Scott today. 480-628-1607 or swhite@personalpowertraining.net.
This
article introduces ways to set attainable fitness training goals. It lays out
realistic steps for designing a personal program tailored to one's particular
goals. A professional fitness trainer, Scott White has a degree in kinesiology
from Arizona State University and is a certified ISSA trainer |
