Are your goals A to B or A to Z?

If someone come to me and says 'I want to do 20 chin ups'. 

The first thing I'd ask is 'Can you do 1?'

No? Well then we'll call 20 your Z goal.

You see more often than not the lot of you set unrealistic goals in an unrealistic amount of time.

Whether the goal is weight loss, muscle development, strength or anything non fitness related. You need to give yourself stepping stones to get you to the final Z goal and not try the quick long jump approach. 

As the majority of enquiries I receive are health and weight loss related, we'll use this as an example. 

So your GP tells you you're 25kgs (4 Stone) overweight and you need to sort it. 

So here are some examples I know you've done:

  • Take up Jogging/walking

  • Eat porridge with banana and honey every morning

  • Eat salads for lunch

  • Eat only chicken an broccoli for dinner

  • Strip all fat from your diet

  • Go for soya lattes

The list is endless and I don't give a crap what initial reaction your body had simply because I’m quite confident that you’re heavier now than you ever were. 

If I've said it once............Whatever method you choose to achieve your goals is pretty much the method going to be required to maintain them. So using the bullet points above, if that's an example of how you lost weight in the past then it's also the reason you've failed to keep the weight off you. Simple, you can't live by that diet every single day for the rest of your life. 

So your Z goal is 25 kgs, then what are B, C and D?

Is it breakfast? Water intake? Sleep? No it's your mental attitude. Without the correct mental approach you’re always going to fail. You'll constantly be lying to yourself...screw it I'm keeping the original line in. I think it's safe to say we all know I'm well beyond being politically correct...You'll constantly be bullshitting yourself with what you’re eating and doing. 'Oh I did a 30 minute walk so I deserve this pastry'. If a toddler walks 30 minutes do you think he looks for a reward? No, Why? Because we're bipeds and walking is how you’re meant to get from point A to point B. 

Does this sort of talk piss you off? Good. I'm not that friend that will shove a cream cake in your mouth and tell you how wonderful you are for burning up as much calories in a week from walking that my five year old will knock out in a day from playing. Seriously people, cut the crap. Leave the bullshit for our politicians and take accountability for your actions. 

So goal B, by far the most important. Have the right attitude!

So what's next? Will we count calories, measure out our protein shakes? How about talk. Talk to someone who's already where you want to be. Seriously, find a blood relative who is not overweight, doesn't smoke, drinks moderately, is just active (we're not talking about marathon runners) but most importantly IS HAPPY DOING WHAT THEY DO.  Find out this relatives weekly routine, their eating, sleeping and training habits. Maybe they'll fill out a food diary for the week for you. This is to give you a platform to start with.

I always laugh when I think of this. A female client of mine once told me 'My sister was always the skinny one' until she asked the sister to do a week’s food diary for her. And yes the sister was always the 'skinny one' but my client realised her sister was also the one with better habits. 

There's another stepping stone towards your goal. 

So let's jump one or two more with EDUCATION! This is a massive one. You’re not always going to have someone there telling you what you can or can't eat. You need to figure it out for yourself. Let me give you a few topics you should read up on to get started. Just understanding the basics will do but you can dive as deep into these topics as you want because really they're never ending. 

  • Macronutrients - Carbs, Fats, Proteins

  • Essentials - Vitamins, Fats, Aminos

  • Food Labels

  • Water

Also there are two books I tell everyone to read

Finally for this email but certainty not for reaching your final goals we'll discuss training. I honestly believe when it comes to what we now call ‘Exercise’ just winging it has little purpose. I know quite well that the majority of you will not get anywhere unless you have someone to guide and educate you in Physical exercise.

Last week I told you how to revamp that old gym program. If you missed it click HERE.

I hate to break bad news but if you want to do it right you’ll need to hand money to someone and you’ll get what you pay for. If you can only afford €30 a month for a commercial gyms membership well then do the best and make the most with what you’ve got. Use the instructors on the floor to show you technique or to give you a four week program. That’s what they’re there for. For those of you with deeper pocket one to one personal training is definitely the way to go. Whether you want continuous training or just an education. I’ve taken on a number of clients over the years for a ten week gym education program. In this I’ll teach them how to lift, understand sets, reps, tempos and rest times and how to write your own programs. You need to be doing the work and study but for the right people it’s a great investment.

I hope you find this or any of my blogs useful. I don’t expect to inspire every single subscriber every week. Some weeks my blog may appear pointless to you but could be like that answers to life to someone else. If any of you have any questions and would like me to discuss a certain topic, just ask.

Until next week,

Love and Happiness,

John T.

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