Goal setting

Whether you’re training for health reasons, sports performance or to feel/look good, everyone has a goal in mind that they would aspire to achieve. In a perfect world, it would be a straightforward path to this goal, however, there will be ups and downs and setbacks along the way. Having an effective method of goal setting can help you stay focused and keep you on track. Using our modified SMART target system, you can measure your success in order to achieve your results.

Specific

Measurable

Achievable

Repeatable

Timed

 

Specific

Your goal must be clearly defined in order for you to progress. As coaches, you hear a lot of people say they want to burn fat, build muscle, improve their fitness, fix an injury, get ready for an event….the list goes on, but these people are the very same people that are stagnant in their journey. You must have a specific goal you want to achieve, I.E. I want to reduce my body fat percentage by 5%.

 

Measurable

Your goal must have a value that can be measured. You’re essentially conducting a science experiment with multiple variables involved. Your outcome must be measurable against your input. There’s no point just simply saying ‘I want to reduce my body fat percentage’ if you have no means to record the data needed to quantify your results. QUICK TIP: Don’t try to change too many variables at once (we’ll come onto this later)

 

Achievable

Don’t set goals which are so extreme that you set yourself up for failure. For example, losing 5% body fat is more than achievable in say, a 3-month program designed specifically to do so. Saying you want to drop 5% in 3 weeks, however, is a bit extreme and you will fail.

 

Repeatable

This is where our modification fits in. Repeatability in fitness ultimately boils down to controlling your variables effectively. You need to know what change resulted in an adaptation. I.E. If you did, in fact, drop 5% body fat how would you tell what worked best if you changed 8 things at once? How would you isolate that dominant force in your change so that you can become more and more effective at achieving your goals? You need to gradually implement change so that you can assess what works, what doesn’t work and what you need to include more/less of in the future. For example, if you are just starting to work out, do 3 total body training sessions/week and don’t change anything else. When you are comfortable with that, begin to introduce some healthier options in your nutrition and see what effect that has, etc etc. Gradually layer your changes on so that it becomes a habit rather than a chore.

 

Timed

Placing a timescale on any goal is really important in achieving it. Without that timescale, you can make excuses for yourself that it won’t affect your goals that much, but that’s how you end up stuck and not achieving anything. Setting a goal of losing 5% body fat in 3 months will help keep your focus, especially when you break that down into smaller ‘sub-goals’ which will break down into months/weeks. It’s a lot easier to say no to that pizza when you know you’ve only got 4 weeks left to achieve your goal.

 

For exercise demonstrations, check out our FREE app (click the picture below) to view videos, pictures and exercise cues for over 250 exercises!

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Coaching Couch – Bang for Your Buck

In a world where complicated training systems and ‘new’ exercises are popping up every day, how do you know that your training is effective enough to guarantee results? In this week’s blog, we discuss the concept of ‘bang for your buck’ so that you can get the best out of your own, or a clients training program.

What Does Bang For Your Buck Mean?

Bang for your buck simply means to get the most output for a minimum input.  In short, it’s a process where you optimise the expenditure of your resources to attain the highest possible yield. In regards to exercise, this basically boils down to spending more time/energy on the exercises/movements or training systems which give you the best progress for your specific goals. Exercises that work multiple large muscles (compound movements) are a great place to start as a general rule.

Squats & deadlifts are classic exercises which can be used for a wide variety of training goals and many pressing/rowing movements can be used effectively in the right programs. Whilst programming and periodization is a complex subject, ensuring you have the ‘best’ exercises included is a solid foundation to work from.

The easiest way to visualise this is if you have an empty jar. This is your total capacity for a single training session. You have 3 different sized balls which you can put in the jar; large, medium and small. The large balls represent your compound lifts, the medium balls represent your accessory exercises and the small balls represent everything else you could include in a training session. So the idea is that you fit as many large balls in the jar as possible, then as many medium balls and then as many small balls in the leftover space. What you are left with is a training session with the key components as the main focus (squats etc), your accessory exercises next (RDL’s) and finally, everything else (bicep curls, calf raises etc).

Use this thought process when you’re planning your own or a clients training programs and you’ll be well on the way to producing an effective training program.

For exercise demonstrations, check out our FREE app (click the picture below) to view videos, pictures and exercise cues for over 250 exercises!

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Why group training is the key to health in under 500 words.

Group training is becoming an increasingly popular way to workout. Classes included in your gym membership, a bootcamp or semi-private PT session all provide people with the opportunity to follow a coach led session at a fraction of the cost of a 1-on-1 session. Here’s a quick post on the main benefits of group training and why you should start today.

Blueprint for success

Everything about group training is designed for your success; the fun, social environment created by working out as a group is a major component of this. Everyone attending the session has the same goal in mind so you can all push each other to succeed and, make a few new friends whilst you’re at it.

Accountability

Not only do you have your amazing coach, you’ve also got a group of like-minded people who want you to achieve incredible results. You’ve learnt new workouts, pushed and supported each other so everyone gets it done. Group training offers comradery and a support network so you can count on your peers to keep you accountable.

Lifestyle

Group sessions are normally 30-45 minute classes which have a specific outcome such as fat loss, conditioning, and core strength. The shorter, more intense classes are a lot easier to fit around a busy lifestyle and can help you stay on track with your fitness goals. More and more people are sticking to group fitness classes and are reaping the rewards for doing so.

Beginners welcome

Group exercise is great for people who want to start but aren’t quite sure where to begin. We can’t all be ‘fitness fanatics’ and finding a good coach will really empower you to better yourself. A good coach will understand your goals, take the time to teach you new exercises and make you feel comfortable exercising so you can get the best out of their expertise.

Yeah! Science b****

Any good exercise program is based on key scientific principles, without that, we’re just getting out of breath and not really doing anything useful. The science doesn’t just stop there; it’s the music, the warm-up/cool down, the exercise selection and more. Exercise science is an innovating subject and any coach worth their salt will have a solid grasp of what’s current.

 

And the one everyone loves the most…

Group training is incredibly cost effective so you can exercise more for less. Where else can you get coach led structured exercise designed for your success for a fraction of the price of a 1-on-1 PT session. As long as your coach prioritizes safe and effective practice within their sessions then you are onto a winner!

 

To try group training for FREE today, click the picture above and just send us an email! Alternatively, just drop us a message on our Facebook page and we’ll get you booked in today!

 

For exercise demonstrations, check out our FREE app (click the picture below) to view videos, pictures and exercise cues for over 250 exercises!

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D.N.A S&C