Sunday, July 3, 2011

Setting Specific Goals = Success

Came across this story that is AMAZING
go to this link!
This is what the article writer learned from it. And I had to agree also. So here you go, read below.
Set specific goals - don’t “try to get in shape.”  Determine specifically what “in shape” means to you.  Quantify it, put a timestamp on it, and then start taking direct steps in that directions.
DECIDE IF YOU REALLY WANT IT – People come to me all the time and say they want to “get abs” or “pack on muscle” but immediately start to backtrack once I tell them what to do.  “But I can’t give that up” or “but what if I did this instead?”  Remember: if what you were doing was working, you’d already want to be where you want to be.  If you want incredible results, you’re going to need to make incredible sacrifices.  If you’re satisfied with 80% of the way there, there’s nothing wrong with that…just don’t expect to get into the 99th percentile with anything less than 99% of your potential effort.
Make it a challenge - I’m not telling you to put up 500 bucks to force yourself into exercise…but I’m not telling you that it’s a bad idea either.  Rather than being angry and associating exercise with a negative feeling (which makes it easier to skip), focus on realigning your attitude.  Saint created a negative association with not exercising (losing $500), and as he started exercising he added a positive correlation to it (feeling better and looking better).  This shift in his thinking built up momentum and carried him forward.
Your diet is the most important thing – Don’t try to outrun your fork; hours of cardio can only get you so far when it comes to getting into elite shape.  Instead, focusing on CLEANING UP YOUR DIET and you will have far greater success more quickly.  More real foods, less fake foods, grains, and other carbs, and maximize vegetables.  It doesn’t need to be difficult.  
Strength train – Had Saint never started lifting weights, he might have made it down to 10% body fat but certainly wouldn’t have the muscle mass that he does now.  Fortunately, he put his time and effort into getting stronger and faster, which helped him keep the muscle he already had while also adding new muscle; it also allowed him to only shred the fat and keep the good stuff.  I’m not telling you to join a gym, but I am telling you to start doing some form of strength training because it’s so damn important.  Although I haven’t set foot in a gym in five months, I’ve been able to pack on eight to ten pounds of muscle in that time by following the body weight routines outside. You don’t need a gym, but you do need a plan that pushes you to get stronger.
“But I’m a woman and I don’t want to get too bulky!” Unless you’re on steroids or eating 5000 calories a day, you will NOT get bulky…not only that, but heavy strength training is the only way to get that “toned” look you’re after.  I’ll be featuring a female success story soon that is full of strength training with barbells and heavy weights…and awesome results (with that look you’re after).  Trust me on this one.
Track your results – And I don’t just mean stepping on a scale.  Take measurements.  Take photos.  buy a body fat caliper and test yourself every few weeks.  You’ll be able to tell through comparison if what you’re doing is working.  If you’re not getting the results you’d like, then you’ll have to make changes – Saint decided to go full Paleo and strength training after deciding his measurements, photos, and body fat weren’t where they should be.  The more you can track, the better chance you’ll have to succeed.
Who’s on your support team? Who do you turn to when you’re having a bad day?  Who do you share your successes and struggles with?  It’s okay if you exercise alone – there’s a whole community of people waiting to welcome you with open arms and help.  You don’t need to go it alone.