I often hear in the gym from various clients within my fitness classes based in Cheltenham, my goal is to lose weight or I need to get more toned. I’m sure many of you have heard the same before and unfortunately, it’s this style of “goal” that makes exercise hard and an upward battle to success. It’s in my DNA to want to help and advise all of my clients on how best to shape their fitness goals to make them realistic, manageable and measurable because ultimately having the correct focus will increase motivation.

It’s important to remember that exercise should make you happy and healthy first, so when the positivity begins to drop, you know that it’s perhaps time to change something within your routine.

After completing a whole host of fitness goals during my career, throughout this blog, I will be explaining fitness goals and how to set them correctly.

Why is it important to set fitness goals?

If you don’t have a goal with a timeline and set a target then what are you working towards? Setting a target of becoming fit and active is great, however, you will never really get there because it’s a daunting task and is one that isn’t easily measurable, inevitably leading to you losing motivation. Having goals allows you to see that change is possible.

It’s important to break these goals into manageable chunks with regular flag points along the way to ensure you are remaining on track. Reviewing your training brings huge motivation when reaching these flag points because you can then reward yourself with a down week. Seeing yourself hit these milestones pushes you on to hit the next milestone/goal.

Without setting fitness goals, you might feel like you never achieve success or that some workouts aren’t beneficial to what you truly want to achieve. When you set the right goal, you will be able to see progression.

What is an example of a good fitness goal?

A goal is relatable to everyone’s individual needs. Some people might wish to lose weight and some might dream of running a marathon. If you use the acronym SMART you cannot go wrong when setting your fitness goals. I used a SMART goal for setting up GL52, running marathons, and gaining weight.

SMART is an acronym that you can use as a guide to ensure your goals are effective. I often use SMART goals when working with my Cheltenham based clients. Here is what it stands for:

Specific 

Your goals should be specific to you, your lifestyle and what you want to achieve. You should ask yourself what you want to accomplish? Why is it important? And what is involved?

Measurable 

Like any goal of KPI you need to make it measurable so you can track your progress. This is so you can stay focused and know when the goal is complete.

Attainable 

There is no point in setting a goal that isn’t achievable as this will only demotivate you. I believe you should always stretch yourself but stay within the remit of achievable success. Before setting the goal ask yourself, are there any constraints to achieving this goal such as finances, time or injuries?

Relevant

There is no point in setting yourself a goal just because someone else did it. You should ask yourself, does this align with my other goals? Is it worthwhile? And is this something I truly want to achieve?

Time 

Giving yourself a deadline helps you to remain motivated. The time element focuses your training and helps you to prioritise long-term goals. I always suggest 6-12 month goals.

A great example goal is if I would like to deadlift one and a half times my body weight. In order to get there within a 12 month period than within six months, I should aim to deadlift my body weight. These check-in points allow you to see if you are on track. If you check-in at six months and have achieved your goal of lifting one and a half times your body weight then you shouldn’t waste that time and instead, you should review and tweak your goal.

What is an example of a poor fitness goal and why could this cause more damage than good?

Setting yourself the goal of weight loss can become a negative fitness goal unless managed correctly. There is a huge stigma within the fitness industry surrounding weight loss and striving to get down to a certain weight. Fixating on a figure can cause such physiological and mental damage making exercise a chore. I always remind my clients that exercise is there to make them healthier, happier and enjoy life. Exercise is there to assist rather than force you into something that won’t truly make you happy. If you’re looking for a group of like-minded people who enjoy fitness, why not attend one of our fitness classes in Cheltenham?

Recognising when a goal is perhaps not the right one can be challenging. Many clients I have met throughout my career are trying to lose weight and fixate on a certain dress size. This “goal” can then lead to an obsession and eventually mental health issues. I would always advise talking to a trained professional when taking on a challenge to ensure you are going about it in a healthy way.

What are some common mistakes people make when setting their fitness goals?

I would say setting big goals too soon and not setting midway goals and review points is a common mistake. People who don’t review and tweak their goals is where mistakes begin to happen and this is why the SMART acronym is so great. There needs to be a certain degree of flexibility when it comes to goals because if you hit a mid waypoint and you are not where you believed you could be then the goal needs to be adapted to ensure it is achievable.

You should never be afraid of adjusting goals and you should never punish failures. They’re what shape us. In a recent blog where I talk about diets and the mental side of nutrition, I discuss the importance of a flexible mindset and tracking your diet without getting obsessed. I would advise giving that blog a read.

If you would like any help or advice on reaching your fitness goals, get in touch with our team of personal trainers where you can start the journey today. We have a wide variety of fitness classes based in Cheltenham which are available for all fitness levels available to book here.

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GL52 Fitness
Furlong Business Park
Bishops Cleeve
Cheltenham
GL52 8TW

hello@gl52fitness.com
01242 437 341