| Staying motivated is the biggest roadblock on | | | | objective. |
| your path to fitness. Luckily, there is a | | | | STEP FOUR: PAGE 3 - YOUR BEGINNING |
| bomb-proof shield against lack of motivation; the | | | | MEASUREMENTS |
| solution is a well constructed plan. Lets roll up our | | | | Every race has a starting line. With your fitness |
| sleeves and line out exactly what you will need to | | | | log, you plan to get stronger, leaner, more active, |
| lock in your fitness success. | | | | and feel younger. It is difficult to track your |
| STEP ONE: YOUR FITNESS JOURNAL | | | | success if you can't look back and see how far |
| Start with a fitness journal. Don't just grab an | | | | you have come. You must take a snapshot of |
| off-the-shelf, spiral bound notebook. Go for | | | | your stasis at the beginning of your journey. |
| something cool. You will be pasting photographs of | | | | You must put three essential elements on your |
| yourself, writing notes, attaching clippings. You | | | | beginning measurements page: |
| need a robust book that can hold all of these | | | | 1. A photograph of yourself. |
| materials. But you also need something portable | | | | 2.Measurements of your body. will need a vinyl |
| that you can pick up and take with you to the | | | | tape-measuring device and possibly the help of a |
| gym. | | | | friend to get these measurements. You should |
| STEP TWO: PAGE 1 - YOUR MISSION | | | | write down the circumferences of each of the |
| STATEMENT | | | | following body-parts in inches:a. Neckb. Shouldersc. |
| Any good plan starts with a compelling mission | | | | Left and right upper arms (biceps/triceps)d. Left |
| statement. Writing your thoughts out on paper | | | | and right lower armse. Chestf. Belly (at naval |
| turns nebulous notions into tangible reality. You | | | | level)g. Hips (around the largest area of the |
| can't pick up an intention and show it to someone. | | | | glutes)h. Upper legs (thighs)i. Lower legs (calves)j. |
| You can pick up a sheet of paper with your | | | | You should also log your scale weight and body |
| intentions written on it and show it off. Your | | | | fat percentage |
| mission statement might read: | | | | 3. Notes about your physical/mental well-being. |
| I, Jane Johnson, am an active person. I love to | | | | You will regularly take measurements of yourself |
| exercise because it makes me fit. Exercise trims | | | | along the way and will want to flip back to your |
| me down and tones my body. When I exercise, I | | | | original measurements to compare your body |
| feel more powerful and motivated to accomplish | | | | changes to your original data. |
| many other worthwhile endeavors. I exercise to | | | | STEP FIVE: WORKOUT SHEETS |
| have more energy and focus at work. I exercise | | | | Write all measurable data into your training journal. |
| to have the energy to keep up with my two | | | | You should commit one sheet to each workout |
| children. I exercise to stay attractive to my | | | | and bind them chronologically. Any workout |
| husband. I know that, with my good habits of | | | | system has concrete, measurable data. If you are |
| exercising and maintaining a healthy diet, I will live | | | | on a strength training system, you should write |
| longer and improve the quality of my life in every | | | | your lifting weight and the quantity of sets and |
| aspect. | | | | reps. If you are training for running speed, you |
| With a mission statement like this, why wouldn't | | | | should write distance and speed. Without |
| Jane stick to her fitness program? | | | | consistent measurable data, you can't hope to |
| STEP THREE: PAGE 2 - YOUR GOALS | | | | see progress in your training endeavors. |
| A study at Harvard Business School between | | | | As you workout, you can use data from your |
| 1979 and 1989 attacked the effectiveness of | | | | last workout to push yourself even harder on |
| written goals head-on. The 1979 Harvard MBA | | | | your next workout. |
| graduates were asked this simple question: have | | | | STEP SIX: MONTHLY MEASUREMENT SHEETS |
| you set clear, written goals for your future and | | | | If you see positive changes in your performance, |
| made plans to accomplish them? Of the | | | | if you see your body fat melting away, if you |
| graduates asked, 84% didn't have any specific | | | | feel consistently happier and more energetic, |
| goals, 13% had set goals but had not written | | | | there is no way you will give up on your fitness |
| them down, and only 3% had taken the time to | | | | training. The best way to track progress is to |
| sit down and draft their goals and plans in ink. Ten | | | | insert monthly measurement sheets. Each |
| years later, the same graduates were reviewed | | | | monthly measurement sheet should include all the |
| again. The 13% who had mentally set goals but | | | | elements of your beginning measurement sheet: a |
| not written them down had made twice the | | | | photograph of yourself, your body |
| income of the 84% who had no defined goals. | | | | measurements, and notes about your physical |
| The most staggering fact was that the 3% who | | | | mental well-being (see STEP FOUR). |
| had actually committed their goals and plans to | | | | Monthly measurement allows you to check in with |
| paper were making, on the average, ten times | | | | your body, to diagnose your progress, both |
| the income of the other 97%. This study shows | | | | physically and mentally. These sheets will become |
| that the mere act of committing goals to paper | | | | one of your greatest motivators. |
| can increase your success by up to ten times. | | | | STEP SEVEN: GOAL CLOSEOUT SHEETS |
| With that in mind, why wouldn't you take a few | | | | If you are dedicated, you will hit your goals. |
| minutes to write your goals and review them | | | | Include a new sheet in your training journal to |
| often? | | | | close out attained goals. Put down improvements |
| There are three components to a well-written | | | | in your life that have resulted from reaching your |
| goal: | | | | goals. Pictures work. If you set a goal to tone |
| 1. A well-written goal is measurable. | | | | your stomach, take a picture of your ripped abs |
| 2.A well-written goal is realistic. | | | | and paste it on your goal closeout sheet to |
| 3.A well-written goal has a time limit. | | | | proove that you followed through on your |
| A sensible goal might be to lose 24 lbs. in 12 | | | | commitment to yourself. |
| weeks. This goal adheres to all three components; | | | | STEP EIGHT: NEW GOAL SHEETS |
| it is measurable, realistic, and has a time limit. | | | | When you accomplish a goal, you must write a |
| Some ideas for goals might include steady | | | | new goal sheet and place it in your training journal. |
| performance gains, gain ten pounds to your bench | | | | Remember to include every aspect of a |
| press over the next eight weeks, perform | | | | well-written goal (see STEP THREE). |
| twenty pull-ups in one set within 12 weeks, run a | | | | IN CONCLUSION |
| 5k in twenty-five minutes within sixteen weeks. | | | | You can have the body you want. You can |
| Body measurement goals are excellent; such as, | | | | become leaner, stronger, and faster. But it will |
| lose two inches around the belly in ninety days, | | | | take time and work. One of the best ways to |
| gain a half-inch on the upper arms in ten weeks. | | | | speed your journey to good health and fitness is |
| Perhaps you are training to climb a mountain, run | | | | to keep an organized and up-to-date fitness |
| a marathon, play competitive sports; whatever | | | | journal. |
| your pleasure, base your goals around your final | | | | |