Have you noticed how goals make fitness a lot of fun?

If you ever worked out at a traditional gym, you might have felt a little like a hamster on a wheel. You knew you were doing something, but it didn’t feel like you were going anywhere. The routine gets boring fast, and a lot of people quit the gym because doing chest on Monday and arms on Friday wears thin after a while.

But as soon as you start setting goals, everything changes. Suddenly, your work has a purpose. You aren’t just sweating for the sake of sweating. You’re training for a marathon, working hard to perform better in a sport, earning that next PR, sweating to stay healthy, grinding and grinning to set a positive example for a child.

It’s amazing how goals fire us up—and how accomplishing them is addictive.

Here’s a tip for how to set goals for your fitness. We already use this system with our members, but I wanted to let you in on it because it can have dramatic effects on many aspects of your life.

Set SMART goals:

S—Specific. Make sure you detail your goal. “Get stronger” isn’t enough. How about “squat 100 pounds” or “deadlift 150 pounds”? Those are specific goals.

M—Measurable. You need some way to measure your success. “Feel better” isn’t going to help. But this will: “Have the energy to walk my dog for 20 minutes in the evening every day.”

A—Achievable. Be aggressive but realistic. Winning the marathon? That’s going to take a lot of work over a lot of years! But completing a marathon? That’s doable with effort and smart training. If you tend to under- or overestimate yourself, talk to a coach for perspective on what you can accomplish when.

R—Relevant. Make sure your goal is part of something larger. If you set random goals or goals that don’t resonate with you, they won’t motivate you long term. Make sure your goal reflects your larger purpose. For example, don’t say, “I want to deadlift 100 pounds because it seems like a good goal.” Say, “I want to deadlift 100 pounds so I can pick up my child whenever I need to!” See how the second version carries more weight, so to speak? 

T—Time bound. Put your goals on a schedule. So many of us don’t act without a deadline and a little accountability. So set a goal like this: “I want to do 10 double-unders in a row within three months.”

If you follow this plan, you’ll create a list of short-term and long-term goals that will keep you motivated.

Here’s the next step: Book a No Sweat Intro with us and tell us your goals—all of them. Then we’ll tell you what we can do to help you cross them off.

Stay healthy out there,

Coach Josh