Archives for May 2009

In order to achieve a goal it needs to be a stretch, but it needs to be something you are capable of attaining.  In my case, I have set the following 4 goals:

Goal #1:  I have a body fat percentage of 12% by August 1, 2009
Goal #2:  I weigh 205 lbs. by August 1, 2009
Goal #3:  I measure 36 inches around my abdominal area by August 1, 2009
Goal #4:  I have biceps of 18 inches and quads of 28 inches by August 1, 2009

These goals are specific, measureable and attainable.  Consider the goal “I run a mile in 5:30 by August 1, 2009” and ask yourself if you think it is attainable when right now I run a mile in 9:00.  I would say that it is too big of a stretch.  A better goal would be:

Goal #5:  I run a mile in 7:30 by August 1, 2009

In order to attain this goal all I have to do is shave 7.5 seconds off my mile time each week of M7.  The progression would work like this:

Week 1 (end);  8:52.5
Week 2 (end):  8:45
Week 3 (end):  8:37.5
Week 4 (end):  8:30
Week 5 (end):  8:22.5
Week 6 (end):  8:15
Week 7 (end):  8:07.5
Week 8 (end):  8:00
Week 9 (end):  7:52.5
Week 10 (end): 7:45
Week 11 (end): 7:37.5
Week 12 (end): 7:30 (goal achieved!)

By shaving 7.5 seconds a week off my mile time I can definitely achieve the goal of 7:30 for a mile.  This goal is now attainable.

Those are the five goals I will start off Mission 7 with.  This time I am going to focus on small things that will help me with my ultimate goal of losing body fat.  Tomorrow we will examine all 5 goals and determine if they are realistic.
 
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I have already committed to two goals for Mission 7:

Goal #1:  I have a body fat percentage of 12% by August 1, 2009
Goal #2:  I weigh 205 lbs. by August 1, 2009

These goals are both specific and measureable.  They are specific in that they give you exactly what the end point is going to be—12% body fat and 205 lbs. body weight.  

For a goal to be measureable there has to be some way to track it.  In the case of Goals #1 and #2, they are clearly measureable.  This leads me to my third goal for Mission 7:

Goal #3:  I measure 36 inches around my abdominal area by August 1, 2009

Can I measure this? Of course I can!  Thus, Goal #3 is a measureable goal.  This has lead me to another goal:  I will increase the size of my arms and legs.  Is this a specific and measureable goal?  It is specific because it refers to the arms and legs, but it certainly is not measureable.  Thus, I change the goal as follows:

Goal #4:  I have biceps of 18 inches and quads 28 inches by August 1, 2009

This one is extremely measureable.  All I have to do is take my starting circumference measurements and track them weekly and see if I meet the goal.

Tomorrow we will discuss attainable goals.  Please come back to read that.

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I have already decided that Mission 7 will revolve around losing body fat.  I have been working for months on building muscle, so now I need to melt off the remaining fat to reveal the muscle I’ve worked so hard for. It is there, my measurements confirm that. 

First, what does S.M.A.R.T. statnd for?  Some of you may know that it is a system of setting goals that stands for Specific Measureable Attainable Realistic Time-sensitive.  Today we will discuss specific goals.

As I stated above, my next mission is going to revolve around losing body fat. Does this mean my goal should be “I will lose body fat”?  Do you think that is a very specific goal?  Let’s see what we think.

Does this goal tell me when I’ve accomplished it?  Do I have a way of knowing that I am done with the goal?  The obvious answer is that I do not have any way of knowing I’ve accomplished the goal. 

A better goal is “I have a body fat percentage of 12%” because it if very specific.  I know where I am starting and I have an exact idea of where I want to end up—12%.  There are other aspects of this goal that are still missing, but for sake of today’s discussion, this is a good goal. 

It is important for your goals to be specific because you want your brain working on accomplishing the goal right away.  The target is specific so you can’t go off track. 

Thus, my first goal for the mission will be:

Goal #1:  I have a body fat percentage of 12% on August 1, 2009

My second goal for the mission will arise as a result of the first goal. 

Goal #2:  I weigh 205 lbs. on August 1, 2009

Clearly I will be happy with any weight as long as Goal #1 is achieved.  In other words, I am more focused on the body fat percentage than I am on the scale weight. Goal #2 is also a very specific goal.

Tomorrow we will talk about making goals measureable.

I was once a “compound only” defender.  I know that compound movements recruit more of your muscles than isolation exercises.  I worked hard and used compound movements. I heard all about how you don’t have to train biceps directly as they will grow from just compound movements.  Being a proponent of the Experiment of One, I quickly learned that this is not true for me.  I get my best growth in my biceps when I train them directly. 

At the same time, I truly believe that if you focus too much on isolation movements you are shortchanging yourself.  Compound movements should dominate your routines.  Isolation movements should be there to assist.  In fact, if you are working on building strength and increasing mass, I’d focus mainly on compound movements.  They will give you the most bang for the buck.

The system I am using now mixes compound movements with isolation movements, resulting in some of the most brutal workouts I’ve ever experienced.  The pain that comes along with biceps exercises is exquisitely intense.  I love the feel of the pump in my biceps at the end of a hard fought set of curls.  There is no other feeling quite like it.

On the other hand, when you just finish blasting out a heavy compound set you feel like Hercules.  That feeling carries you through your workout with the knowledge that you can and will lift anything.  It is amazing!