Habit Two:
Avoid Schizoid Goal-settingWe're all familiar with that ambitious teenager that comes into the gym with his Xeroxed workout of the week. The sweat-soaked mass-building program he has clutched in his bony hands will most likely be replaced by Chris Cormier's pre-contest routine next week. After that he will apply Mentzer's Heavy-Duty principles before graduating to German Volume Training. Obviously this kid will spend a lot of time spinning his wheels with counter-productive goals and approaches.
Unfortunately, this can also be seen in the more seasoned lifter. Take the example of the lifter pursuing maximum strength that begins to get nervous when his bulk-up plan starts to cause the glazing over of his once-shredded abdominals. Sometimes the specificity demanded of certain goals requires the loosening up of other priorities, even if only for a temporary period of time.
In order to make the type of dramatic changes most people crave; a consistent long-term game plan should be designed and followed. What the previously-mentioned teenager should do is firmly identify their goals, and then read a variety of books and magazine articles, soaking in the knowledge they contain, but being ever conscious of the rationale behind each of these training and nutrition strategies. Those that apply to his goals and current status can be applied, while other concepts can be mentally shelved for possible later use.
By setting, and writing down, a twelve-month goal, one can design a consistent strategy for reaching it and arrange for the necessary time and resources to make it a reality.
Joe Mobareki makes daily, weekly, monthly,
and yearly goal setting a top priority.
Living the Seven Habits
• Get out a calendar and plan your training over an extended period of time.
• Pick some major long-term goals (bodyweight increase or decrease, new exercise max PRs, lean body mass increase, competition goals)
size and strength increase
Goal: Gain 8 pounds of solid muscle over the next year
• Squat 405 pounds
• Squat 315 for 12 reps
• Incline dumbell press 110-pound dumbells for 6 reps
• Deadlift 455 x 3
• Compete in the Tri-State Powerlifting Meet next April, totaling 1,200 pounds
• Figure out your corresponding dietary regimen over the course of the year, including your base grocery and supplement list.
• Arrange your daily schedule around your workout and meals.
• Try to find a good workout partner. The primary criteria here is that the person is supportive, doesn’t miss or arrive late for training, and has similar goals. If you find someone with these traits, and they also have decent hygiene habits, you’ve found a keeper!
• Go to the gym with one major and maybe one minor goal for the day. A major goal might be Military Pressing 225 for a triple while a minor one would involve a small weight or rep increase for an assistance movement such as Triceps Extensions or Donkey Calf Raises. While it may seem tempting to go to the gym with more goals, the mind seems more powerful and effective when goals are focussed and simple.
• Have fun with it!