Goal Setting Part 1 - SMART Planning

Its almost that time of year when gyms and training centres around the world are going to be full to the brim with New Years Resolutionees.  Both people new to the world of fitness and those who’s motivation has ‘lapsed’ with the winter festivities….

If you fall into one of those categories  - or even if you’re aready taking care of your health and fitness it can never hurt to sit back, take stock and figure out just what you want to achieve out of 2014.

[caption id="attachment_52" align="alignnone" width="300"] I think the word is 'cosy'[/caption]

It has been said that a dream is a dream until you write it down – then it becomes a goal.   By far the most effective way to get the most out of your training – or indeed any aspect of your life is to take the time to set clear goals for yourself and really think about what you want to achieve both long and short term.

The process of goal setting has been done to death by the corporate world – and over caffeinated, khaki chino wearing, acronym wielding, table thumping motivational speakers may seem to have no place in the world of sport, health and fitness – but  - there is a part of corporate speak that we can borrow…

[caption id="attachment_56" align="alignnone" width="300"] Say no more. Really.[/caption]

 

In his book ‘Attitude is Everything’ Paul Meyer described the application of SMART goals for every corporation, department, and individual.  Yes it is an acronym – but please bear with me.  Smart stands for:

Specific

Measurable

Attainable

Relevant

Time bound

Specific.  By far the most common thing I hear in the gym is ‘I want to get in shape’.   This is a goal that is set up to fail – how do you know when you’re ‘in shape’  what does ‘in shape’ mean to you?

I work with clients ranging from Olympic athletes to rehab cases and everything in between.   In shape for one group is going to be spectacularly different to the next.  I am working with an international bobsledder who needs an additional 3cm on his standing vertical jump., whilst a second client wants to improve her shoulder range of motion enough to be able to brush her own hair.

Think about what it is you specifically want to achieve and we’re in a much better place to start.

Measurable.  Intrinsically linked to the first point – a goal must be measurable.  If you want to ‘get in shape’ or ‘put on some muscle’ how do you know when you have done it?   In my experience people do well with numbers – you want to lose weight – how much?  You want to increase your bench press stick a number on it.  By quantifying our goals we make ourselves accountable.  You either achieved it or you didn’t.

Which brings me on nicely to…..

Attainable.  I would like to do a Jonny W and hit a last minute 3 pointer to clinch a world cup final.  I would also like to win worlds strongest man, a not been filmed yet series of Gladiators and become a Jedi master.I think you know where Im going with this one…  Make it challenging, but we have to be at least vaguely sensible about it.

[caption id="attachment_53" align="alignnone" width="300"] Everyone loves a trier[/caption]

Relevant.  I work in a gym, albeit a very well equipped one.  I can help you with human performance, injury prevention and management, body composition (as long as you do your bit in the kitchen!).   I can’t help you get that promotion at work or make you get around to painting your skirting boards.

Time bound.  Procrastination is the thief of time.  As well as attaching a number to what you want to achieve, you must attach a number to when you want to achieve it.

This works both ways – saying you want to add 20kilos to your bench press in 4 weeks would be ridiculous.  Targeting it over 12 months would be aggressive – but (depending on your training age)  - it could be done.

 

Hopefully you can see that  as well as being applicable in the boardroom – this also has a place in the weight room.

Sensible or SMART goal setting can be the difference between being one of the masses who will get into health and fitness this January yet lose their way by March.  And being one of those who makes long lasting, meaningful and positive changes to their health, lifestyle, and longevity.

Next post – Goal Setting Part 2:  Supercharge your goals.

Make Yourself Smarter

I love a quote from the Boston based rehab specialist Mike Reinold,

"If you aren't learning you aren't trying"

This , in my opinion, couldn't be more true.  If  - as fitness professionals, health professionals, rehab specialists or whatever we want to call ourselves  - we aren't doing the best for our clients then what are we really doing?

Shouting and counting?

I know I'd be wanting a little more than that for £1 per minute.

I have always thought that in any field the best way to learn and better yourself is to find someone who is better at it than you (time to put the egos away here, there is always someone!), and find out how they do things.

With this in mind I made a recent trip to Cressey Performance in Massachusetts, USA to observe two of the very best in the business of performance training - Eric Cressey and Tony Gentilcore -  two people who's work I follow closely and have immense respect for.

I knew I was going to see assessment and coaching of the highest order.  However, I was completely blown away at how hands on and accessible these guys are.  Not only are the clients of CP lucky to have two of Americas finest coaches under the same roof-  but they genuinely do get hands on coaching from these guys on each and every training session..

My last training session at CP saw Major League and Collegiate baseball players and a former US international rugby player - working out alongside a 50 year old local amateur golfer and a 13 year old softball hopeful.  Now there may not be anything too unusual in that - but - what was very special is that the main men of Cressey Performance gave just as much time and attention to these guys as they did their star athletes.  And perhaps more importantly the star athletes were very happy to wait their turn...

This for me was like a return to my days of team sports training sessions, Cressey Performance is run not like a club - but like a team  - and everyone is made to feel part of it.   Eric, Tony and Pete have put together something very special over in Hudson MA.  They have a huge CPFAMILY emblazoned on the wall by the warm up area, but far from being one of the many generic slogans you see on gym walls around the world this is a very accurate description.

Far from this being a love poem about the facility in Hudson - the take home point is that if you want to get better then surround yourself by people better than yourself.  I hear all the time about how courses, seminars, textbooks are prohibitively expensive - get out there and see how other coaches do things, and how other training facilities are run.  Try it - and you'll be amazed at what you can accomplish.

 

 

Visiting Cressey Performance

After a hectic tube ride across London my trip over to Cressey Performance in Boston got off to the best possible start….  “Change of seat sir?”  As I boarded the plane – not knowing if it was a question or an instruction I simply nodded bleary eyed and was guided upstairs – yes - this plane has a staircase.

I have a sneaky suspicion this isn’t a coincidence as the crew all came by one at a time to introduce themselves.  Pretty sure I have a long term client to thank for my transatlantic flat bed when I get back to blighty.

[caption id="attachment_41" align="alignnone" width="225"] It may look like a portaloo - but that soon became my flat bed[/caption]

 

So – 6 and a half hours to go according to the in flight entertainment system – plenty of time to catch up on some reading,   update all my programs and still have time for Hangover part III.