Archives for 2009

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.

Related articles:

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!

• Intensity.  The higher intensity stimulates the body’s musculature to grow.  Intensity is increased by (a) progressively increasing the amount of weight you use; (b) progressively decreasing the amount of time it requires to perform a certain amount of work; or (c) by carrying each set to a point of total failure.
• Duration.  As intensity increases, duration must decrease.  Since we know that intensity stimulates the body’s musculature to grow, the less time you spend in the gym the better.  This is only true if you increase the intensity, thereby decreasing the duration.
• Frequency.  The number of times per week you workout is going to be important.  It is tough work hitting your body with extreme intensity.  Your body will need rest to recuperate from the pounding it takes.
• Adaptation.  Your body will adapt to the load being placed upon it.  Therefore, you must do everything you can to avoid that adaptation.  Change up the exercises, increase the weight, modify the frequency…it all helps to deal with adaptation.

When you apply the above principles you see bigger gains.  The more strict you are with these things the better your results tend to be.