Well, Happy February! How are your New Year’s resolutions coming? Are you on the way to the perfect body or, more mildly, better shape? If you’re not on that road right now, I can think of two explanations as to why: your goals may be unrealistic or you’re inconsistent.

As you begin a training routine, be it cardiovascular training, weight training or some blend of the two, the first thing you need to do is set some realistic, short-term goals for yourself. I emphasize the short-term because everyone’s long-term goal should be the same, to achieve the best physique you can attain naturally.

Your first step in setting goals for yourself is to go into the gym and work as hard as you can. Your goal for your first month should be to top your initial performance. The goals that you set up will vary based upon the physique you want to achieve. If you want to become muscular, then maybe your goal should be to have a 10-15 percent increase in weight you use after one month.

For instance, if you start with a bench press of 100 pounds, your goal should be to hit 115 pounds by the end of the month. If you want to lose weight, then maybe your goal should be to add 5-10 minutes to your cardio session after a month. Those are just examples, and if you’re having trouble setting some goals for yourself, shoot me an e-mail and I’d be happy to help you out.

Now, you could have the best-set goals ever, but they will never be achieved without consistency. Consistency does not mean that you need to train every day. It doesn’t even mean you need to train every other day. You need to find a way to fit at least three training sessions into your week. Obviously, life gets in the way sometimes and you may have to skip, but you’ll never reach your goals unless you make fitness a priority in your life.

Well, Happy February! How are your New Year’s resolutions coming? Are you on the way to the perfect body or, more mildly, better shape? If you’re not on that road right now, I can think of two explanations as to why: your goals may be unrealistic or you’re inconsistent. As you begin a training routine, be it cardiovascular training, weight training or some blend of the two, the first thing you need to do is set some realistic, short-term goals for yourself. I emphasize the short-term because everyone’s long-term goal should be the same, to achieve the best physique you can attain naturally. Your first step in setting goals for yourself is to go into the gym and work as hard as you can. Your goal for your first month should be to top your initial performance. The goals that you set up will vary based upon the physique you want to achieve. If you want to become muscular, then maybe your goal should be to have a 10-15 percent increase in weight you use after one month. For instance, if you start with a bench press of 100 pounds, your goal should be to hit 115 pounds by the end of the month. If you want to lose weight, then maybe your goal should be to add 5-10 minutes to your cardio session after a month. Those are just examples, and if you’re having trouble setting some goals for yourself, shoot me an e-mail and I’d be happy to help you out. Now, you could have the best-set goals ever, but they will never be achieved without consistency. Consistency does not mean that you need to train every day. It doesn’t even mean you need to train every other day. You need to find a way to fit at least three training sessions into your week. Obviously, life gets in the way sometimes and you may have to skip, but you’ll never reach your goals unless you make fitness a priority in your life.