The definition of a goal is ‘the object of a person's ambition or effort; an aim or desired result.’ People often start their fitness journey with aesthetic goals in mind and while there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, it’s important to emphasize that you’re more likely to achieve a goal with a more specific action plan in place. A great way to start is to adopt a “SMART” mindset; this acronym will help focus your efforts and hopefully get you to your goal faster!

S (Specific): Be as specific about your goal as possible. Instead of saying “I want to have stronger arms” think more about what that means to you (YOU being the key word!). Maybe you’ve always wanted to improve your push ups or perhaps you’d like to achieve bodyweight pull-ups. In this case, let’s pretend that you decide you’d like to strengthen your upper body so that you can do ONE FULL pull-up.

M (Measureable): How are you measuring your progress? Are you just doing some random program every so often and hoping you get better at pull-ups? At BSF, we consider your goals and create a program that will measure your progress week by week. We’ll do a lot of pull-ups (over and over again) as well as other accessory movements to strengthen the muscles that assist in getting that first pull-up! 

A (Achievable): Do you have the right support system in place? It’s important to surround yourself with people who will motivate you, coaches and clients alike!  If you’re coming to BSF 1/week and not working towards your goal outside of that time, your pull-up goal is still achievable but it may take longer than you’d like. Maybe it’s time to upgrade to training 2/week at BSF!

R (Realistic): Similar to asking yourself whether your pull-up goal is achievable, you need to ask yourself if it’s realistic. Do you have the time to commit to this goal? Are you willing to put in the work and not give up? Pull-ups are hard! Progress isn’t always going to come easy and you’ll probably have to be more patient than you would like.

T (Timely): Giving yourself a reasonable deadline is important. Unless you’re VERY CLOSE to achieving a bodyweight pull-up, 1 month probably won’t be enough time. Again, you must consider where you are in your fitness journey, how much time you have to dedicate to training, and if you have the right program/support in place. At that point, you and your coach can decide what would be a reasonable time frame.