We are often inspired by the hard work you all are putting in at the gym, and so proud of your progress. But, do YOU really know how effective your work is? And what does “effective” even mean?
In determining effectiveness of any program, you first need to ask: effective for what? The “what” when it comes to training and conditioning are goals. So now ask yourself: is my training and conditioning effective for me in reaching my goals? The me and my are not meant to infer some sort of pride or selfish ambition, but more that goals and even genetic potential are very individual. Therefore, only you can formulate your goals. Not only can you make goals, but you need to. And in order to know if you are meeting your goals, they need to be realistic, specific, and measurable.
You may have already subconsciously made goals, because goals are related to purpose. Goals are the why behind the decisions you make. Why did you show up to the gym this morning? Why did you push yourself to finish those last few reps when you could have rested first? Why did you decide to turn off the TV and go to bed a few minutes early? Why did you choose to skip that delicious dessert? Because you thought by making these decisions, you would be one step closer to reaching your goals; that’s why you did those things. And if you can clearly articulate your goals - or why you’re doing what you’re doing - you will be much more successful in achieving them.
For example, if I ask you why you are deadlifting 100 pounds, you’ll probably say “because you said we had to do 4 sets of 5 reps on the deadlift.” And I’ll reply, “Yes, you are correct. But think more deeply, why are you doing 100 pounds and not 95?” Your response might be, “Because I want to deadlift 150 pounds some day, so I keep adding weight when I can.” Great answer! And how do you know you are on the road to deadlifting 150 pounds? The answer is in the numbers. It is all about objective measurements. You know why you’re doing it: to achieve your goals. You know what you’re trying to do: it is specific. You can see if you’re doing it: it is measurable. Measuring your results to ensure that you are making progress towards those goals is how you track your effectiveness. Clearly measurable progress is the best way to justify your actions, and to track the effectiveness in reaching the goals that you made for yourself.
- Coach Mike