Goal-setting is a common practice in any fitness studio, but the trouble is this: most people are vague about their fitness goals.
- I want to be faster!
- I want to be stronger!
- I want to lose weight!
None of these statements means much, because they can’t be measured the way they’re described. How do you know when you’re faster or stronger? Is it a successful weight loss story if the only thing you lose is muscle?
You’ve probably heard of SMART goals, and when it comes to fitness, they’re pretty important. The Transformation Challenge is underway at Orangetheory Applewood, so this is on my mind this week.
What are SMART Goals?
SMART goals are:
- Specific: You describe exactly what you want to accomplish. “Lose weight” is not specific. “Lose 1% body fat” is specific. “Get faster” is not specific. “Run a mile in under 8 minutes” is specific. You have to know what it is you’re after, otherwise you won’t know when you get there.
- Measurable: You have to be able to measure progress. “Eat better” isn’t a measurable goal. “Eat ten vegetables a day” is measurable. Many fitness goals are naturally trackable, because you can perform the effort today (say, a mile run, or as many push-ups as possible in a minute), then do it again a few weeks later. At OTF, we use the InBody scan to determine body composition, scanning at the beginning and end of the challenge to see how body fat and muscle mass have changed.
- Attainable: You need to choose a reasonable goal. Running a marathon next month if you’ve never ran around the block is not attainable. (And may be a dangerous or at least miserable endeavor.) For body fat, a change of 1-3% in 8-12 weeks is reasonable.
- Relevant: Your goal has to matter to you. You can’t pursue it for someone else’s sake. It’ll be hard to stay consistent with your workouts if you don’t really care about running that marathon or losing that weight or doing all those pushups. Choose a goal with some “why” behind it.
- Timely: Giving yourself a time frame helps you stay accountable and creates urgency, and it lets you know when it’s time to test and measure your progress.
What If I Work Out for Mental Clarity or to Be a Good Example for My Kids and Don’t Care About Any Fitness Goals?
SMART goals help people stay on track with their workout routine, because you know that missing a week will hinder your progress. Having a powerful reason behind why you workout can serve that purpose for you.
Little goals can help keep things interesting along the way, but if you truly have no interest in running a faster mile just for the sake of running faster, setting that as a goal won’t do much for you. In this case, think about how it could serve your overall purpose:
If you’re motivated by staying healthy for your kids:
- Building your endurance makes it easier to keep up with them, whatever they want to do. Running a faster mile is evidence that your endurance is improving.
- Getting stronger makes you less likely to hurt yourself while performing a daily task like picking up your child, and it makes those tasks more comfortable. Squatting a heavier weight helps you get stronger and proves that you’re getting stronger.
- Strengthening your core makes it less likely for your back to hurt, so you’re better able to get on the floor to play, pick up your kids, or join them playing a sport. Setting a goal to hold a plank for two minutes will help you improve that core strength.
You may not actually care about the two-minute plank hold or the 8-minute mile, but you care about what it represents: a stronger you that’s better able to be there for your kids. It gives you a way to track that the work you’re putting in is helping you make progress.
When Should I Set SMART Goals?
Right now. Any time.
- Decide what you want to accomplish.
- Figure out how you’ll test or measure your progress.
- Give yourself a time frame that’s reasonable for the goal you want to achieve.
- Get to work.
If you have a big goal, it’s nice to give yourself a handful of little ones to go along with it. I did this when I ran my first marathon in 2015. That way, even if you don’t achieve the lofty goal (yet), you still rack up a bunch of little wins that keep you smiling and motivated.
What fitness goals are you working toward right now—and are they SMART goals?