Six Tips For Setting Workout Goals That Work For You

Whether shedding the lockdown pounds or just looking for the perfect routine, now that it looks like the end of the pandemic is near, goal setting is an important skill to have to ensure you succeed in all your fitness plans. Setting goals might seem easy at first- you can just pick a few and get to work, right? However, you may be setting yourself up for failure if you don’t learn how to effectively set goals. Here are our top tips for setting effective goals that will propel you to success!

1. Don’t go overboard- you should try to stick to a few concise goals as opposed to trying to do it all at once. Having too many goals can cause you to lose focus or struggle to keep up and is more likely to lead to burnout. Consistency is the key to long-term success.
2. Set ambitious, yet realistic goals- while you certainly don’t want to make your goals too easy and should strive to push yourself, you may not want to set your sights too high. Setting reasonable smaller goals will make them easier and more realistic to achieve. It is much more encouraging to make a goal progressively more ambitious than it is to be struggling to keep up or constantly needing to scale back.
3. Make your goals and progress markers measurable- without a way to measure your progress, you may find it difficult to tell whether you’ve been working towards your goal effectively. Whether you choose to measure in number of sets, inches and pounds, or even using a journal to record how you feel after each workout, you’ll want to find a metric that works for you and allows you to visualize your progress.
4. Build up to bigger goals- setting both long-term goals and steppingstone goals can help you achieve more while also celebrating and encouraging the smaller accomplishments along the way.  This can help to keep you motivated throughout your fitness journey.
5. Goals can and should be revised often- to best meet your fitness goals, you should be sure to revisit your goals as time goes on. Often, you may need to revise them to suit your changing needs or once you’ve already met a milestone you aimed to achieve.
6. Reward yourself and acknowledge your success- whether treating yourself to a nice glass of wine, a good book, or some new fitness gear, it can be helpful to have small incentives for achieving your goals in order to recognize your achievement and push you forward. Rewards can come in many forms and don’t need to be expensive- the best kind of rewards can be small and simple acts of self-care.

Whether you’re ready to put your new goals into action or you need a bit of extra help from one of our experienced trainers, make sure to stop by OT Fitness today! With over 20 years of experience in the Anaheim Hills area,

You can count on us to help you master your fitness goals.