The Importance of Setting Realistic Goals
- Feb 24, 2024
- 3 min read
Goal setting is a good way to track progress and improve in almost any topic including in the gym.
In an article for Forbes Health, Joseph Galasso, Psy D., a sports psychologist at the Baker Street Behavioral Health in New Jersey stated that "goal setting is a simple yet very powerful sport psychology tool" it "helps you improve motivation and commitment, stay focused on what you want to accomplish and track your performance".
I'm sure over the years we've all heard the term SMART goals. If you haven't, SMART is an acronym for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time.
By using the SMART goal method, you can ensure that your objectives can be attained in a reasonable time frame. SMART goals work best for process-orientated goals which can be used to achieve your overall objective.
By process goals, I mean exactly what the name suggests, goals that focus on the process and steps you need to take to achieve your desired outcome. For example if your goal was to run a triathlon for the first time, you could set smaller goals using the SMART method to help you achieve the individual skills required for each leg of the triathlon.
This can help the end goal to feel more achievable for you as you complete each individual goal along the way.
My goal
Using the SMART method, my first goal was to be able to bench press 30kg after 5 weeks of getting back into my training.
This is specific as its one specific, individual workout: the bench press. It's measurable, I can track and record the weight I bench each session which allows me to keep a record of my progress. It's achievable, its not too heavy for me to achieve in a relatively small time period as it's something I used to be able to do back when I trained regularly. It's relevant to my fitness journey. It's time bound, I set a time frame of 5 weeks.
Starting with just benching the weight of the bar (20kg) and progressing in small increments, coupled with other upper body workouts, I was able to accomplish my goal.
Week one: I started with 2 sets of 10 reps at 20kg followed by 2 sets of 10 reps at 22.5kg
Week four: I started with 1 set of 12 reps at 20kg, 1 set of 10 reps at 25kg and then 1 set of 10 reps at 27kg. It was at this moment my wonderful PT Lucia decided to push me. She loaded up the bar with another 3kg and I managed to complete 9 reps (to failure) at 30kg.
I was on a high for the rest of my session. Hitting that goal left me feeling so accomplished and like I could do absolutely anything!
I felt so strong after spending the last few years feeling so weak compared my past self.
For the next 45 minutes of my session I pushed myself more than I would of done ha I not be able to hit that goal.
If you set a goal that isn't realistic to your own skill set then you're likely to feel disheartened when you fail to complete it. This can cause you to lose motivation and could lead to you just giving up entirely.
If I had said that I wanted to bench something like 60kg, twice the weight of my capabilities even when I was at my strongest, I would never have been able to do this. If I had failed this goal, it would of created aa negative mind-set that could have completely derailed my fitness journey.
After each session in the gym, I make a note of everything that I did. What workouts I had done, how heavy the weights were, how many sets/reps of each task. This allows me to have a physical record of my progress and I'm able to know whether I'm on track and how close I am to reaching my goals.
Comments