Posted July 18, 2011 by
Samer H.
Guest post by Ken Muise
Hey, Im back and it looks like Im just in time. You didn't listen at all, did you? Well, maybe that's my fault. You know, Sun Tzu took always took full responsibility when one of his soldiers didn't learn the first time. He would just retrain them, and if they failed the second time then he would kill them. "The first one is on me the second one is on you" leadership style.
So don't worry, Im not gonna kill you this time, instead let's go over setting up realistic fitness goals again. The easiest way to fail at, or quit, an exercise regime that is supposed to be leading to a goal is to set up challenges that are too difficult to reach. Or, impossible to reach. Instead:
Don't set your sights on a particular body style
You're never going to look like Brad Pitt or Scarlett Johansson. Only Brad and Scarlett can look like that. You may want a six pack like Brad's or legs like Scarlett but don't fall into the trap of becoming obsessed with a certain person's body type. You'll be disappointed every time you look in the mirror. You'll fail miserably and then try to blame me... but Im saving these posts and I'll have proof when you come whining.
Doesn't it bother you the way clothes look in stores when they're on models or perfectly sculpted mannequins? You like the way they look but when you finally get them on you're like "What the hell!? That's not the way I thought it would look!" This is the store selling you with visually appealing merchandise and calling to your vanity. Don't do it to yourself! So, instead
Do make all of your goals "quantifiable"
You dont have to put a number to everything but it helps. Remember the "I wants" from the last post? Use them. Even if you don't think your goal is numerical it really is.
I want to run and finish a marathon. (You actually want to be able to run 26 miles, 385 yards)
I want to look good in a swimsuit again. (You want to go from a size 6 to a size 3 or something like that.)
Numbers make the motivation set in. You can "count" the sizes that you drop or the miles that you run. Then your short-term goals become very important. I want to lose one size a month for three months, etc...
See? You can give everything a number even if your fitness goal isn't numerically based. Just be a little creative. Don't set yourself within conventional thinking! Break out, dammit, break out! Fight the power!
Do not set your fitness goals too high
In fact, I would say set them very reachable at first. They should be a challenge, sure, but they shouldn't be so high that most Olympic athletes would have issues reaching it.
You'll find that once you reach your initial fitness goals and start to crush your challenges that will be more and more difficult to reach further goals. This happens for two reasons. One, the body adjusts and your progress starts to slow down the dreaded "plateau" that you often hear about. Secondly, the deeper into the "goal fold" that you go the more difficult they will naturally become. Do you think Lance Armstrong's initial goal was to win 7 Tour De France? Do you think it was more difficult win the first or numbers 5, 6, and 7?
You set goals based on your current fitness level and then set another, more difficult one, and you drive hard at that one. See where we're going with this? Soon you will look back in amazement.
Fleetly Contributor Ken Muise is an active-duty Soldier and has loved the Army for 17 years. He is Master Fitness and Master Trainer qualified by the US Army and has spent time in Israel, Poland, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq.
As a Master Trainer for a Brigade size element Ken often advises commanders and senior officials on the goal setting necessities of units and individuals to form a comprehensively physically fit command. This includes physical, mental and emotional fitness.
Hey, Im back and it looks like Im just in time. You didn't listen at all, did you? Well, maybe that's my fault. You know, Sun Tzu took always took full responsibility when one of his soldiers didn't learn the first time. He would just retrain them, and if they failed the second time then he would kill them. "The first one is on me the second one is on you" leadership style.
So don't worry, Im not gonna kill you this time, instead let's go over setting up realistic fitness goals again. The easiest way to fail at, or quit, an exercise regime that is supposed to be leading to a goal is to set up challenges that are too difficult to reach. Or, impossible to reach. Instead:
Don't set your sights on a particular body style
You're never going to look like Brad Pitt or Scarlett Johansson. Only Brad and Scarlett can look like that. You may want a six pack like Brad's or legs like Scarlett but don't fall into the trap of becoming obsessed with a certain person's body type. You'll be disappointed every time you look in the mirror. You'll fail miserably and then try to blame me... but Im saving these posts and I'll have proof when you come whining.
Doesn't it bother you the way clothes look in stores when they're on models or perfectly sculpted mannequins? You like the way they look but when you finally get them on you're like "What the hell!? That's not the way I thought it would look!" This is the store selling you with visually appealing merchandise and calling to your vanity. Don't do it to yourself! So, instead
Do make all of your goals "quantifiable"
You dont have to put a number to everything but it helps. Remember the "I wants" from the last post? Use them. Even if you don't think your goal is numerical it really is.
See? You can give everything a number even if your fitness goal isn't numerically based. Just be a little creative. Don't set yourself within conventional thinking! Break out, dammit, break out! Fight the power!
Do not set your fitness goals too high
In fact, I would say set them very reachable at first. They should be a challenge, sure, but they shouldn't be so high that most Olympic athletes would have issues reaching it.
You'll find that once you reach your initial fitness goals and start to crush your challenges that will be more and more difficult to reach further goals. This happens for two reasons. One, the body adjusts and your progress starts to slow down the dreaded "plateau" that you often hear about. Secondly, the deeper into the "goal fold" that you go the more difficult they will naturally become. Do you think Lance Armstrong's initial goal was to win 7 Tour De France? Do you think it was more difficult win the first or numbers 5, 6, and 7?
You set goals based on your current fitness level and then set another, more difficult one, and you drive hard at that one. See where we're going with this? Soon you will look back in amazement.
Fleetly Contributor Ken Muise is an active-duty Soldier and has loved the Army for 17 years. He is Master Fitness and Master Trainer qualified by the US Army and has spent time in Israel, Poland, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq.
As a Master Trainer for a Brigade size element Ken often advises commanders and senior officials on the goal setting necessities of units and individuals to form a comprehensively physically fit command. This includes physical, mental and emotional fitness.
Posted in: Guest
Download the iPhone app!
