Is GOAL setting worth it?

     Without a true destination, how will you ever know if you're really heading in the right direction? Or rather, if you don't have a measurable goal set, how can you possibly achieve it?
Just saying something vague like I want to look good for the summer or I want to pack on some muscle isn't an actual goal that can be measured. 

      To make the most out of setting goals, you really want to make a detailed description of what it is you hope to achieve. This is where you don't want to make a goal such as "lose some weight" or  "gain a few pounds of muscle". You want to make it really accurate, for example, "get my body fat down to 8% by August 17, 2014" or "pack on 3 pounds of lean muscle mass bySeptember 5, 2014". These are goals that can in fact be measured.

      These goals will take more effort because you have to put more into them to measure their success. For the first goal, you will need to measure your body fat and track it to make sure you are seeing body fat drop while also making sure you're not losing too much lean mass. Or if your gaining lean muscle you will have to use the scale to check your weight and also measure your body fat to make sure your gaining lean mass and not too much fat. 

      Set a deadline or a time frame on when you plan to achieve your goal. Be strict with this time frame and stay with it. This will hold you accountable in reaching your goal. By setting a strict date you ensure that you have a time frame to complete your goal. This makes cheating, such as a few beers at a cookout or a plate of wings and nachos a lot harder to justify. You have a specific goal you want to achieve and a set timeline to do it in, so those cheat meals are not going to help you get there on time. Or if you do over indulge, you're just going to have to work a lot harder in the gym.  And really, who wants to work any harder than they have to?

      Lastly you want to plan out the actions steps you plan to take to achieve your goal. If your goal is to drop the body fat, you have to learn how to measure your body fat and check the same measurements each week. You should record your results to make sure your going in the right direction and to keep track of your progress. If you are not seeing any progress you know right away you have to adjust your nutrition and exercise. If your goal is to add 3lbs of muscle then you should learn to measure your body fat and use the scale to make sure your gaining weight but that its lean muscle and not just body fat. 

      Your goal(s) should be practical. Something like 3-5 lbs of muscle in 2-3 months can happen. But something extreme like 25lbs of lean mass in a month is only setting you up for failure and discouragement. By achieving small the small reasonable goals you will gain motivation and feel good about yourself! These achievements will keep you on the track to success. It is all the small victories that will keep you motivated and happy.

     Remember when planning your goals, they should be as specific as possible. They should be measurable! That way you can keep track of your progress and make sure you're getting results. Goals should also be realistic, not something crazy and extreme that will just end up disappointing you. Lastly your goals need a deadline to keep you on track and on a reasonable timeline so you know where you have to be at certain dates leading up to your deadline.
Try setting a reasonable goal with all the above information above and really give it your all. I bet you will be surprised at how good it feels when you accomplish it.

Here's some links to get you started on measuring body fat:

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/07/02/body-fat-percentage/

http://www.muscleandstrength.com/tools/how-to-measure-bodyfat-using-calipers.html​

Loosening the Internet's Grasp

Want to learn how to pack on some muscle? How about add a hundred pounds to your bench press in a month? Lose fat while maintaining as much hard earned muscle as possible? Want to lose weight while still eating all of your favorite foods?  Well you’ve come to the right place! With just three small payments of $19.95 plus shipping & handling blah, blah, blah…

We have all heard these endless claims for the newest weightless miracle, the greatest workout supplements and the latest fad diet day in and day out. We are given false hope through many different sources, the internet being the biggest culprit of all. There is an endless amount of information available at our fingertips these days. Except it can be both a blessing and a curse. You can learn pretty much anything you want with a few simple clicks. And this folks, is where the real problem lies.

All of your questions and thoughts you type into Google or any other search forum will provide you with countless links showing you how to achieve your goals. But as you do your research, you will begin to find that many of these ideas conflict with other ideas you have found on the internet. One article tells you to go to the gym and leave it all on the floor (don’t forget to call into work since your body will hate you the next day); while another article tells you to leave the gym feeling better than when you went into the gym, all body parts still moveable. This is where your head starts to spin and you begin to feel helpless. Who is trustworthy and who isn’t? I have been here more times than I care to admit. With the vast amount of information out there, it is not easy to figure out which sources you can trust.

It doesn’t matter if you are looking up workout programs, nutrition advice or what supplements to take, everyone has an opinion. The sad part is, money is one of the biggest parts of many sources opinions. People who look the part for whatever the company is trying to sell next, get paid to endorse workouts, supplements and nutrition regimens. Honestly, who would you trust? Some mean, lean, sexy, ripped model or your average Joe? It is the way the world works sadly. If you are looking for the next big thing for your fitness or nutrition, you are obviously going to trust the person who looks the best. Clearly if it worked for them, it will work for you. You already look way better now than they did in their before picture! The same thing goes for the article you read online. It may say backed by scientific research and you think, how could they be wrong?! But a lot of these scientific studies have a lot of variables going into them that they never tell you about. “The new Muscle EXPLOSION supplements will make you arms grow 4 inches in 4 days!” Been there, tried that and my arms still look the same. Except now I’m down $60.

I don't want this to be all negative.  I do use supplements and trust some of them. But a proper diet will get you better results whether you want cannonball delts or a six pack. You have to eat right before you worry about most supplements. That is just a plain fact. I used to buy a ton of supplements at once and if it worked I was pumped but I had no idea which supplement was actually giving me the results. My advice, add one thing at a time that way you can pinpoint if it is truly working or you’re just pissing it out.

As far as workout plans, and nutrition or “diets”, try something out for a few weeks. Give it a honest effort, as Dan John says and then you can talk about it, See if it worked or if it didn't and move on. Consistency will triumph the quick fixes.

Getting in shape is a lifestyle and something you are always working on. So whatever plan of action you decide to take, make sure it is one you can live with and it’s not going to make you an unsocial hermit. Because really if you can’t go out and enjoy your life I genuinely don't think any amount of muscle or a chiseled 6 pack is going to make you happy. I mean if 60 second abs or fake chocolate cake for breakfast are what you want, by all means go for it. But if you’re looking for real life workouts and good, wholesome nutrition, skip the quick fixes! 

Priorities

 Ever hear someone say, “I don’t have enough time” or “I can’t afford that” when referring to the gym or clean eating? These phrases, or excuses as I like to call them, get thrown around without people actually taking a moment to think about what they are saying.

Saying you don’t have enough time to complete a 30 minute workout when you just spent a half an hour looking at Faceboook updates or looking through all the latest pins on Pinterest is just a flat our poor excuse. You also get people saying that the gym membership or personal training sessions are too expensive. Yet these same people are wearing the new Jordan sneakers, which can run you a pretty penny. Or they're driving a car that is the cost of a gym membership for life. I'm not saying don't have nice things or never buy myself something I might not necessarily need, but people need to be aware of their priorities. If you want to work on your fitness, make yourself goals and work towards them every day.

The other infamous saying, “I can’t afford that” is usually said when discussing buying organic or healthier options for food. This might even be coming from someone who is wearing nice clothes and driving an expensive car with “DUBS”. You get the idea. But what I am really getting at is the way to make these things happen is to make them a priority. Think about how much you spent when you go out to eat at a normal restaurant with a significant other, you probably spend $80-100. That right there can buy you some quality food that will last you the whole week. 

          When you make working out and buying higher quality foods a priority, you will see just how much time you do have to accomplish these small tasks or how affordable these healthy options can be. But next time you say something like " I can’t afford that" or " I don't have enough time" think about it for a minute and I bet you will see that the problem isn't the " time" or "money", its' about you not making it a priority in your life. There are mothers and fathers who find a way to raise a family, workout, and eat healthy. We all have the same 24hrs in a day to get what we need to get done, so stop making excuses and start changing your priorities.