The 5 Steps to Actually Hitting Your Fitness Goals

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Whether you have been loving fitness for a long time, or just getting into it - sometimes we all get lost in the sauce. What could you be missing? Structure. A plan to look back on when you start to get derailed.

 

So today we have gathered info from multiple people who have achieved their fitness goals and put together a step-by-step structure on how to get where you want to be.

 

Without structure, it is easy to forget where you are and where you want to go. Whether that goal is to shed 30 pounds so your wife can look at you how she used to, gain 10 pounds of muscle so the guys at work can see you filling out your sleeves, or even just general health so you can keep up with your kids. Let's dive into understanding goals.

Step 1: Understand goals and what they lead to

What sets apart winners in the gym is… having a real goal. Most people in the gym have the mindset of “I want to lose weight” or “I want to gain muscle”. While this a good overall mindset, it is not enough.

 

So to understand your real goal you need to dig deeper. Here is a quick list to help you understand your goal(s) better:

 

  • What do I want to do? (Weight loss, gain muscle, general health, maintain, gain strength,  etc.)

 

  • Why do I want to do that? (Maybe to look better in my clothes, be faster at work, gain confidence, etc.)

 

  • Around when do I want to do this? (10 years, 10 months, 10 weeks, etc.)

 

  • How do I do this? (Weight training, bodyweight training, running, swimming, a mix of a couple of different training styles, etc.)

 

  • Exterior factors.(Fitting this into my daily schedule, what to eat, learning the exercises, etc.)

Once you have some general outlines such as these, you should start to understand yourself better. With that, you can move on to picking your goals, specifically. 

Step 2: Pick your goals

Okay great job, now you have a general direction to go in. But without a specific goal in mind, you are still flying blind. The best hack to use when picking goals is a structure called SMART goals.

SMART goals stand for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely.

 

  • Specific: The goal is concrete and close to exact.
    • Ex: I want to lose 30 pounds.

 

  • Measurable: The goal has an objective measure of success.
    • Ex: I will track (measure) my progress on the scale every day.

 

  • Attainable: The goal is challenging but, realistic within the time frame you set.
    • Ex: I aim to lose 1-2 pounds per week, which is a realistic and healthy rate.

 

  • Relevant: The goal is meaningful and contributes to a larger objective.
    • Ex: Weight loss aligns with my goals to be able to keep up with my kids and play with them the way I used to.

 

  • Timely: The goal has a deadline and/or timeline of progress.
    • Ex: I will achieve this goal within the next 10 weeks.

 

Having an understanding of your goals and why you want to do them allows you to have a structured plan to follow. Setting SMART goals will give you a game plan on how and when you will get there.

 

Step 3: Figure out what to do to achieve your goals

Now that you have specific goals, you are already five hundred steps ahead of everyone else. Good job. Now we need to figure out what methods are going to get you right to your goals.

 

For example -  if you wanted to grow a bigger chest and you start doing jumping jacks every day… you aren’t going to get a bigger chest. But if you focus on bench presses and other chest exercises you will get a bigger chest. Bingo. That’s what we need to figure out, and this will be different for everybody.

 

So this may require a bit of research, but hey, that’s where most people give up. Simply remember that when it comes to fitness and really just life, there are going to be some failure or hiccups here and there. Here are some good rules of thumb to get you started figuring out how to achieve your goals:

 

  • Determine what specific exercises will get you to your goal. And do them.
  • Figure out how often and how long you should be doing these exercises. And do that.
  • Determine how much or how little food you need to eat. And eat that amount.
  • Figure out the number of calories and macros that are best for your goals. And eat them. 

     

Step 4: Test and change up

If you are at this point, you are already on fire! Now all you need to do is keep doing it. Now, this is easier said than done. You would be surprised how many people give up when they are inches away from gold. Don’t be that person.

"Don't stop when you are tired, stop when you are finished"

During this time you should just be testing everything. Food, exercises, working out at different times of the day, the intensity, everything. We do this so you can find what works best for you, and what you can sustain.

 

Sustainability is everything and if you can’t do it forever, don’t do it at all. Fitness is a long-term game, and you need to have patience to get the reward you want. We are so used to having an immediate reward. Ditch that mindset.

Step 5: Track everything

Lastly, you need to track everything. This is a key step. If we asked you “How many words did you speak today?”, could you answer? Probably not, but if in the morning we told you “I am going to ask you how many words you spoke today.”, you will probably track them. Ah-ha!

 

If you don’t track your fitness, you are again… flying blind. You need to make sure you are hitting your tiny goals, that lead to your major goal. This will be different for most people depending on their goals.

 

So if your goal is to lower your resting heart rate, then you may track your BPM, or how many miles you ran. If your goal is to lose weight, you may track how many calories you burned today and how many calories you have eaten. Think about what pertains to your goals, tiny and big, and track them. 
 

Key takeaways

You can do this. It will all be worth it. Just remember why you started. Hopefully, this was helpful for you to get a jump on your goals. Remember the key points to hit were

 

  • Understand your goals and what they lead to: Figure out what your real goal is and everything surrounding it.
  • Pick your goals: Use the SMART goal format to really pinpoint what you want to do.
  • Figure out what to do to achieve your goals: Determine the nitty-gritty on how to get what you want.
  • Test and change up: Constantly test out what works best for you, and keep it interesting.
  • Track everything: Measure where you are at, as frequently as you can.
     

Engagement:

Have any more questions about the article? Email Newsletter@GymChomp.com to talk with us! Community support goes a long way in the fitness journey, and your insights might just be the motivation someone else needs.

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