Changing Goals

Life is a tale told by an idiot. (According to Shakespeare anyway).
I'm not so sure I agree, but in a sense we are all idiots.
We strut around the stage, thinking we have it all figured out, only to prove ourselves wrong most of the time.
If you think back on the different goals that you have had throughout life, you will realise that many have changed.
What you wanted out of life at 5 changed when you reached 10, again when you made it to 15, ad infinitum.

This is neither good nor bad, it simply is. And when I look back on my lifting "career", I realise that I've done it several times.
Certain goals are still there, but the priority shifts and changes like the tides.
Strong...Big...Lean...Big And Lean...Strong And Lean... etc.
Lifting weights is constant. Striving to improve is constant. The finer details shift.
As life happens, things change. Sh!t Happens, as they say. You gotta roll with it.
Do I still want to be strong? Hell, yes. Is that all I train for? Hell, No.
I adapt to my age, my lifestyle, my current desires.
I think Long-term AND Short-term, and try to weave it all together into something meaningful.
But, I may wake up tomorrow with a completely new perspective, and that will change everything.
C'est La Vie.
Don't fight it, just work with it...

Swimming In The Wild Seas

Life is like a box of chocolates...
I‘m sure that everyone is familiar with that quote. I think it may be a little too Hollywood. (i.e. not based in reality).
I say this because I am currently in the firing line of a business restructuring process. This is a fancy way to say that they want to cut employee numbers. Even a chocolate with orange centre (yuk!) is better than losing your job.
I think life is more like the end-result of a collision between a hardware truck and a confectionery van. Then you really wouldn‘t know what you‘re going to get.
And exercise is very similar. You can train with the best plan, and put in all the effort only to discover that you chose the wrong parents for your goals. Or that you can get sweet rewards from little effort.
The problem is you can‘t be sure your results (or lack thereof) are the result of genetics or effort, until you have really given every option a fair chance. That could take years.
So its better to enjoy both the journey and the destination, otherwise you might never look at what you have as a chocolate and not a screw...

Balancing Wants And Needs

When it comes to training we usually focus on our wants. Our goals seldom revolve around what we need.
That is not necessarily a bad thing from a certain point of view. I've written before on methods that will make your goals more necessary from an achievement perspective. Today I'm referring to the content of your training sessions as you pursue those goals.
For example: I need to do more stretching, but I want to do more direct arm work.
Once you have laid out your goals, you will quickly realise that you have a limited amount of time in which to accomplish them. (Unless you are a shiftless layabout with stacks of cash and loads of time). For most employed people it will come down to balancing your time with what you need to do to reach your goals.
Generally there will be some boring but necessary stuff that will need to be in your program.
Next you can add in those things that directly support and lead to achievement of the goal.
Now, if you have any space left you can squeeze in the things you want to do, but aren't really tied to your goals.
This is hard for some people to deal with. They prefer to just do the fun stuff. Well, its up to you, but you can't blame anyone if you never get anywhere.
If you want to remain healthy, and be in this for life, then there are some things you should pay attention to, before they turn into big problems:
Flexibility and Mobility.
Left-to-Right, Front-to-Back balance.
Core strength.
As long as you maintain these you will be less prone to injury and more likely to keep training for a long time.
Yes, we want many things, but often we don't need them in order to achieve our goals.
Make sure that the things you need are in place, after that feel free to add what you want.

Are You A GAMER

I (re)read an article by Joe Defranco a little while ago. 

In that article he defined what it means to be a GAMER. Basically, he reckons that the people he trains who have the qualities defined by this acronym are the athletes who are/will be  successful.

In a large part I agree:
Goal-oriented. If you dont know where you are going, you are never going to get there. You need to sit down and define those goals.
Accountable. If you dont achieve, you admit your guilt. You are the one who has to drive the process. If you fail fail, its your fault.
Motivated. Sure, Guru-Bob can help raise your motvation, but he wont be there every morning with a speech to psych you up. Ultimately you need to develop the internal drive that will keep you on the road to your goals.

Exact. Goal=Method. You train for what you want to achieve. No messing around with fluff.
Resilient. Every now and then life will kick you between the goalposts and you will fall down. You need to have the strength to stand back up. Setbacks, problems and unforeseen occurrences may slow you down. They should never stop you. 

This list is not a bad place to start looking if you are failing to reach your goals.
If I think about the number of people I know that have achieved their goals, I realise that its a very short list. Most never get very far.
Are you one of the achiever or one of the dropouts?
In the end its all about you. 

If you want to read the actual article: Are you a gamer?

Patience

They say patience is a virtue. That means our modern world is not very virtuous.
Everything is about immediate instantaneous results. "six week" abs anyone?
Nobody wants to try the "6 years to a big bench" routine. No thanks, I want to do it in 12 weeks or less.
The same people who avoid setting a 6 year goal, are the same ones who haven't changed very much 6 years later.
I am one of them. I hate long-term. I want results now. This makes it extremely difficult for me to stick to a plan. So, I developed a plan to counteract my lack of patience.
I call it my "long term instant gratification" plan. (Not in public, though).
I take my long-term goals and break them down into specific exercises. Those get targeted with progressions that I can measure. Then I pad some other stuff around that. Currently that is some rehab work on my gimpy shoulder. I may even move things around within the week, but the main exercise will get trained at least once a week, and checked against the goal.
My real desire is to jump around and try everything, but that achieves nothing. Sometimes, even the variety that I have built in is not enough to overcome my impatience to be awesome right now. On those days, I simply have to buckle down and force myself to keep going. A bit of hard graft builds character, I've been told.
Progress is a lifetime pursuit, not a drive-thru takeout order.
.

The Itch

You know the feeling. You suddenly develop an itch right in the middle of your back, and you just can't seem to reach it. Its infuriating.
Do you have a similar feeling about your training and goals? If, for some reason you can't train, does it annoy you? Not because you are missing training, but rather because you know that your ability to achieve your goals is being compromised.
For some reason my shoulder has been niggly this week. Thankfully I'm having a rest week, so it may not be a major issue. It has prevented me from entering a powerlifting comp, but that is secondary to my primary goals.
I have the itch that can only be scratched by training, and the thought that my shoulder might not be back to normal by Monday does annoy me. A lot.
That itch is a necessary evil in training. Without it you will lack the drive needed to persevere despite obstacles.
I know that even if the shoulder is an issue, I will find a way to accomodate it, fix it, and then work it all the way to success.
Yep, the itch is what keeps you going. Its what makes you work hard in order to soothe the irritation of not yet having reached the goal.
If its not there, its time to double-check your goals.
Do you truly want them? Cos if you do, the itch will be there.

Giving It Horns

How much do you bench?
How many pullups can you do?
How much do you weigh?
These are queations that we don't want to answer because the vast majority of the time we feel our number is not good enough.
Even if we have been working fervently towards a goal, the inevitable question often seems to pop up when we are least prepared for it.
Oh well, such is life.
But, I'm sure that there is a number that you can think of that you would be happy to give as an answer.
What prevents you from giving it? What has been responsible for you not being able to give it?
You may get asked the question again today, or next week. What will be different? Will you be closer to it than you are now, or still just as far off?
Now is the time to take action. Decide what your number should be.
Fix that number, and then plot the steps you need to accomplish in order to reach it.
When you have your goal, and you've created your plan - go for it!
Give it horns, and refuse to quit until the day when you get asked for your number, and you can reply with a number that you feel is good.

Use Your Needs

There is a need in each of us. It is not the same for everybody. But it is the most important motivator. It may be a need for security, or a need for affirmation, or even a need for admiration. It drives us to achieve actions which satisfy it. In order to achieve your health and fitness goals the best approach, then, is to link your goals to your needs.
The first step is to find out what your needs are. This is where some soul-searching and deep thought are needed. When that is done you can move to the next step.

What do you need?
Do you need to avoid embarrassment? Then tie your goal to an event or date that will result in embarrassment if you don't achieve it (making it public knowledge will help).
Do you need to gain admiration? Then tie your goal to something that will result in admiration for your achievements. (Something that will get you noticed)*.

These are just two simple examples, but with a bit of thought you can figure out how to link your needs and your goals. This will make your goals more achievable, because you will NEED to achieve them.

*If you feel that your need is a bit shallow, simply keep it to yourself. After all, people don't need to know WHY you do what you do. They only need to see that you are achieving your goals. The reason for it is none of their business!

Is Basic Boring?

Do you thrive on variety? Do you hate it when nothing changes. Do you love things being new?
Although it pays to keep abreast of developments and to be aware of the latest research, it's not necessary to try to implement it.
It's not terribly exciting to have your workouts planned out in advance and to know exactly what you will be doing until the end of the Summer.
But, it is usually more effective to do so. Say what you will about "shocking" your muscles, or "adapting" to your plan, mostly it's a desire for variety.
Your mind controls your muscles, and as long as you have a form of progression in place for your program, your mind is probably reaponsible for a lack of progress.
If you can keep your drive and motivation high, you will make progress.
It's often better to make a little progress on a basic plan, than no progress on a fancy high-variety one.
The guys with the fancy plans and the attempt to include all the latest research in their plans are often the guys who are at the same level year in and year out.
Don't make that mistake. Progress is the way you measure the success of a plan. Not weekly progress, but monthly and yearly progress.
It might be boring, but if it works there is nothing to complain about.
If you need more stimulation, take up a hobby, or learn something new.
Training is to achieve goals, not for being entertained.

New Year Resolutions

We are now well and truly in 2012. Did you make resolutions? Or did you simply take stock of your situation and reaffirm old goals? Perhaps you didn't bother this year?
I think many many people decided to achieve something in 2012. And I'm willing to bet that just 12 days later most have already given up after finding it to hard.
We live in a time when instantaneous gratification is the norm.
Want something? Buy it now, pay later.
Want to watch a show? Download and watch now. Nobody waits for it anymore.
This has affected the way people approach health and fitness. Nobody wants to work towards the goal, they just want the goal. Right now, thank you very much.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but there isn't a shortcut. If you want it, you have to put in the time and the effort.
This is actually a good thing. Quick, easy results have no lasting value.
You simply can't attach a high value to something that anybody can have at any time. But, if you have something that few people have, and many people would like, then you have a valuable commodity.
If you want to have it, be prepared for some deprivation and difficulty. Hang in there. Persevere. The reward is great for great effort.
I'm starting to see my goals being achieved, and I tell you this, it makes everything worthwhile. Nothing compares to the feeling you have when you arrive at the destination you set a course for so long ago.
You're gonna love it!