How To Set Fitness Goals

Having clearly defined goals and objectives is just the first step in adding purpose and direction to your life, increasing your self-esteem, and improving your health.

While you're thinking about what you've done and what you haven't done, take a few minutes to rekindle the fire with new health and fitness goals. Consult with a fitness expert of fitness guru to help you determine your goals. Make them big; make yourself reach for them. These goals serve as a tremendous motivator to exercise regularly, eat right, and live life to the fullest.

Be Creative

A challenging goal causes you to step out of your comfort zone to accomplish it. Make your goal REALLY challenging. Something that you really want, and you're willing to do what it takes to get there. It also reflects who you are, your values.

Be More Consistent

As simple as getting to the gym, going to your workout area at home, or wherever you exercise. Are you working out 2, maybe 3 times a week? Aim for 5-6 days a week. LIFE is exercise!

Improve Your Strength

You can realistically increase your strength by about 5% per month, even if you're an advanced trainer. That's about a 5 lb. increase in the amount of weight you can lift. Set a goal for a particular exercise, like the bench press, and track your progress with a log to see how far you've come.

Improve Your Muscular Endurance

Your reps will increase by 2-3 over a month, if you use the same weight for the entire month. Here's a thought: if you can't do very many chin ups, set a goal for how many you can do at the end of 4 weeks. Improving muscle endurance is great for carving out definition.

Increase Your Distance

Doesn't matter if it's walking, jogging, Stairmaster, biking, indoor, outdoor etc. How long does it take you to walk/run/etc. a mile? 15 minutes? See how much further you can cover in those same 15 minutes.

Learn A New Exercise Or Routine

Add variety to your workouts by adding or replacing exercises with new ones. Try in-line skating. Elliptical training. Jump-roping. An exercise class like kickboxing or Tai-chi. Just try something different. Then be a master at it.

Enter A Contest

Enter fitness contests including run/walks, cycling events, fitness and physique competitions, marathons, powerlifting and weightlifting events, etc. If you've never participated at a competition before, find a low-key competitive opportunity, train for it, and for cripes sakes, have FUN.

Enter DIFFERENT Contests

If you've been doing 5K runs for a long time, try running a marathon. Or maybe you want a break from it, so you concentrate on developing more muscle to enter into a fitness or physique competition.

Strengthen Your Community - Make New Friends

This comes almost naturally when you're involved with friendly competition. Be conscious to reach out and meet new friends at the gym and competitive events. The camaraderie with your fellow "competitors" inspires and motivates you to achieve more.

Hire A Coach

The advice of a knowledgeable, competent, personable coach can make your road to success a more enjoyable journey. A good coach advises and empowers you on how to set goals, and craft a plan to achieve them faster.

Keep A Training Log

Record how you feel, physically and mentally, in addition to your training notes (weight, reps, rest periods, sets, etc.). You'll understand your training better. Are you especially sluggish in mid-afternoon? Then you know you need to schedule your workouts when your energy levels are higher.

Enjoy The Journey

Nothing is more important in reaching your goal than to enjoy the passion of the pursuit. Celebrate the smaller victories along the way, and learn from life's lessons. Share your success with your coach, friends, and family. You deserve a pat on the back! Keep it up!

Nitin Chhoda is a fitness guru, licensed physical therapist and bestselling fitness author. Learn his philosophy at www.totalactivation.com and join his fitness boot camp at www.jerseybootcamp.com. You can also read all his articles on weight loss and fitness at http://www.best-weight-loss-programs.net/