Fitness goals are important for holding yourself accountable and encouraging yourself to push through to achieve your end goal. Without setting your own fitness goals it’s difficult for you to set a clear path on how you are going to reach that end goal and what is needed from yourself to achieve this. Below you can find 3 key steps to consider when trying to set up personal training goals to measure success and understand some key benefits to having a fitness routine.
This isn’t to say you shouldn’t set challenging goals however when setting your personal training goals to measure success in your training, you need to ensure each goal is achievable at the set stage. Often people tend to rush goal setting by trying to achieve too much in a little time, this then has a negative impact on a training plan as it becomes overwhelming and seems obviously unachievable once it’s started.
It can be easy to use plans you find online or that you have come across on Instagram which claims to help you reach what you believe is your end goal. It is important to remember everybody is different which means steps to achieve the same end goal vary depending on the person. The best person to map out a fitness goal template is yourself, you can take into account the type of goals you want, your current lifestyle habits and what currently works for you.
Setting goals which are made personally to yourself will naturally be more achievable as a way to measure success in comparison to just following one which you have come across online. Take some time out to really think about what key goals you can set which relate to you, taking this time will help outline some clear goals for you to set and start actioning.
When setting your goals having them measurable is the best way to track progress, the more specific and time-related your goals are your mindset has a clear path to achieving the end goal. For example, your goal may be to increase strength, a good way to measure this would be to increase the number of pull-ups you can do. A specific point from this would be how many you can do within a minute, from this point you can then set an end time on working on this goal which becomes motivating as you push yourself in that given time.
Personal training Goal Setting Template – Download PDF Version here
Weighing yourself can be a key way to measure the success of your personal training plan, using scales can be an effective way to understand if your current training and eating habits are successful. However, this can also be misleading so in moderation you should track using weight. For example, you could be cutting out high fatty foods and eating more nutritious food whilst weight training yet scales could say you have gained weight. This is because you are likely to be losing fat but in turn, gaining muscle from weight training. Therefore, if the scales don’t seem to budge don’t think your training plan is ineffective, go back to your goal setting template and assess other contributing factors for what you want to achieve.
This can be one of the key ways to measure success and improvements throughout your fitness training plan. As you begin your fitness journey it’s likely you will begin with smaller weights and sets, as you progress in your training plan weight or reps will vary.
The best way to track your workouts is by making a record either in a notebook or on your phone where you can keep track of the number of reps and sets you achieved along with the weight you used if applicable. Tracking cardio-based workouts could be based more on duration or intensity, as you look back over your training plan you’ll see through the figures you have recorded the progress you have made.
Naturally, when you are improving your nutrition and workout routine your energy levels will change. At first, during a fitness routine, your body will become tired and may feel overworked, it’s important to give yourself enough time to let your body rest when it needs to.
However, as you start giving yourself more nutritious and healthy foods you will notice that your energy will come from natural sources rather than having to rely on caffeine. When exercising your oxygen levels are boosted, which allows your body to function better and to use its energy more efficiently. Therefore sleep can be a good way to measure your success within your personal training goals if you are feeling more energised and productive week on week you know that your body is in a healthier position than previously.
In addition to helping your body create and use more energy through an increased amount of exercise and a routine in place, this should promote a better nights sleep. Having deep sleep is crucial to your overall health and to feeling well-rested and energised ready for the following day. Generally, if you have previously found it difficult to get a decent nights sleep or struggled to fall asleep, this can be a great way to measure your fitness success. It is likely that once you start implementing a routine and improve your lifestyle in relation to both health and fitness you will benefit from your sleeping habits.
When you have started exercising more regularly and adopted healthier eating, think about how this may be impacting your sleep. Do you feel more restful? Are you sleeping through the night? Do you fall asleep quickly? All these are measurable in how successful your personal training goals are.