Responding on a recent post on a fitness group I came up with the below which summarises how I see goal setting change across the time spent
training.
What makes my job amazing is watching how original 'goals' get surpassed and, above all, the how someone's mindset shifts:
- Week 10 goals= who says I can't Deadlift my body weight and how long until I can nail an unassisted chin up?
- Week 20 goals: no need for goals this is what I
do!
I'm sure you have heard it before..the 'scale' weight is just one measure and doesn't take into account body composition (fat mass to lean mass ratio)...so don't use them.
This is true, using what the scales read alone as a measure of your health/ success is like taking your current account balance as the only measure of your financial 'health'......without taking into account assets, investments, long term financial plans,
inheritance etc.
We must take into account the fact that lean tissue can increase with training. Muscle is denser than fat i.e. 1kg of fat takes up more space (and its wobblier!) than 1kg of muscle. It is ALWAYS better to go on how your clothes fit and how you look, feel and perform every time!
I've been two very different versions of my current weight twice in my life. Once I had more wobbly
bits than I liked with skinny arms and legs, and the other I seem to be at my natural weight with a good chunk of usable muscle. I look very different in both 'versions'.
With a female client yesterday and we did use the scales to weigh her...only to check to see if her deadlift was 100% of her bodyweight or not. It was, and I'm so proud of how strong she is getting! This milestone is a wonderful thing to see as a trainer and the look on
someone's face when they achieve this is empowering and they always stand up after with hands on hips!
That is when scales ARE needed. She is at such a solid place with her training and mindset that the fact she is maybe heavier than when she last weighed herself is a positive....as she has considerably changed her body composition and now fits into clothes she hasn't fitted into for a while.
Your health and strength is a product of your lifestyle.
Make movement, mobility, good nutrition and strength a focus ALL through your day...and then you won't be in the situation where your lifestyle is a product of your health and held back by it.
Put those scales away until it is the right time for
them,
J
