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NIFS Healthy Living Blog

Specificity of Training: Know Your Fitness Goal and Plan Your Workouts

ThinkstockPhotos-500834439.jpgWhat would life be without mistakes? It would be pretty boring, if you ask me. Making mistakes is the best way to learn. One mistake that most people have made is arriving at the gym and thinking, “What am I going to do here today?” I know I have done this plenty of times. When this happens, your motivation for your workout might decrease because you may just end up picking something that doesn’t really light a fire under you.

How Can I Avoid Workout Uncertainty?

When it comes to exercise, there should always be a reason behind what you’re doing. Whatever that reason may be (heart health, losing some body fat to impress a significant other, or just looking good for beach season), you should know the purpose behind your exercise before you begin. (Here ’s how to get started on fitness goal setting.)

Once you have established your goal for exercise, the next step is to find a goal-specific training program to follow. I would highly recommend seeking a professional for assistance. They will assess where you are now, help you establish where you want to be physically, create a program that fits your needs, and help you get to that end goal you’ve been chasing.

What if I Enjoy the Freedom of Creating My Own Workouts?

Great! You are one of the few who stay on top of their own programs, and you like to concoct some fun workouts. However, this can be a bit tedious sometimes. Some days you feel rushed, and while getting to the gym for a workout is feasible, taking the time to plan for your workout may not fit into your schedule.

Also, there’s no shame in admitting that sometimes you just run out of ideas! That’s one of the best parts of the fitness community: sharing ideas. Other people in the fitness world are coming up with tons of different exercises and workouts, and you may not know about them unless you actively seek them out. Keep your eyes and ears open in the gym and you may just stumble upon your new favorite exercise.

The Bottom Line: You Don’t Become a Better Painter by Practicing Basketball

This is the idea of specificity. Practice the craft in which you wish to become better. Pick a goal and stick to it. If you are constantly switching up your goals, you will be trying to get to 100 different destinations all at the same time. Wait until you accomplish the task at hand before thinking, “What’s next?”

If you ever find yourself unsure of your goals, how to decide on a goal, or how to reach your goals, talk to any of the Health Fitness Specialists at NIFS. We can help to get you on a clear path toward a specific goal.

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This blog was written by Aaron Combs, NSCA CSCS and Health Fitness Instructor. To find out more about the NIFS bloggers, click here.

Topics: fitness goal setting workouts training specificity