Setting Goals for Fitness

[Nicholls]

I'm a 17 year old male who is just recovering from a shoulder injury. I have surgery scheduled for this November and in the mean time I am banned from contact sports, racket sports and cycling.

(For those interested, it's a shoulder dislocation where the labrum has broken down to an extent my arm can just pop out of its socket through an odd sharp movement, although it's relatively stable now. They are going to do a labrum repair through keyhole surgery.)

I have two aims related to health: I want to keep a high level of fitness and I want to tone my body, as I've got a bit of excess podge around the midriff that is somewhat unattractive :P. I'm also a boney ****er, somehow achieving both of these contradictory states at the same time lol.

While I really want to do this I am struggling to think of a single concise goal of where to go next in order to improve myself until the end of 2009. In other areas of my life, such as Music, I have had great success because I had a clear aim from the outset and found it easy to put the effort in because I could visualise the end result and the result is measurable.

I can't specifically visualise what I want my body to look like and since I am not concerned with losing weight I am struggling to set a proper measurable goal that I can tick off once it is done. How do you assess whether you have "Got a toned body" yet? Any ideas?

[Brutha]

Not everything has to be measureable.
Unfortunately most things in life can't really be measured.

[Orecle]

Originally Posted by Brutha

Not everything has to be measureable.
Unfortunately most things in life can't really be measured.

Where did you get that? All the important things in life can be measured.

If i stop breathing for 5 seconds vs 5 mins, this is the difference between life and death. how do you know what serves you or harms you, whether you are getting better or deteriorating, what is quality from what is crap? MEASUREMENT. This is the only way to know progress.
Everything in life that is relevant is measured. Even the air we breath is a measure. there are studies that say breathing in 100% oxygen is detrimental to the brain, where as 95% oxygen, 5% carbon dioxide was measurably better. To keep you alive your body maintains a steady measurable temperature

Without measures there is no progress,

even homeostasis is a definite measure, comfort zone is a measure. To live without measure is to live on 100% guesswork and faith.

Originally Posted by Nicholls

I'm a 17 year old male who is just recovering from a shoulder injury. I have surgery scheduled for this November and in the mean time I am banned from contact sports, racket sports and cycling.

(For those interested, it's a shoulder dislocation where the labrum has broken down to an extent my arm can just pop out of its socket through an odd sharp movement, although it's relatively stable now. They are going to do a labrum repair through keyhole surgery.)

I have two aims related to health: I want to keep a high level of fitness and I want to tone my body, as I've got a bit of excess podge around the midriff that is somewhat unattractive :P. I'm also a boney ****er, somehow achieving both of these contradictory states at the same time lol.

While I really want to do this I am struggling to think of a single concise goal of where to go next in order to improve myself until the end of 2009. In other areas of my life, such as Music, I have had great success because I had a clear aim from the outset and found it easy to put the effort in because I could visualise the end result and the result is measurable.

I can't specifically visualise what I want my body to look like and since I am not concerned with losing weight I am struggling to set a proper measurable goal that I can tick off once it is done. How do you assess whether you have "Got a toned body" yet? Any ideas?

The fastest way (for me and fellow endomorphs) to get rid of the midriff will be low carb (less than 100g carbs daily, this includes fruit) and cardio of a high intensity for about 45 mins daily, mon - sun, losing about 2lb weekly until your abs are clearly visable

as for the being boney, there is pretty much nothing you can do cos to do any resistance work will require the use of your shoulders

as for the measures for your goals if i understand

1. be fitter
2. to not be boney aka be more muscular

1. be fitter. this is to eiether to be able to go faster and/or go faster for longer periods of time. ie sprinters can go the fastest but not the longest or the longest at the fastest time. marathoners cannot do the all out speeds sprinters do, but they can go very far at very quick times
ps fitness in 1 sport doesnt necessarily translate to all. ie fitness in running might noot translate to fitness in swimming or even cycling


find your all out max fitness for both all out speed and endurance in running for instance then look to improve by a certain percentage. ie if you can jog for 30 mins at 8kmph set a goal to do 30 mins at 10km, then 12km or 30 min at 8km, then 40 mins, then an hour

2. to be more muscular is very measurable. once you acheive the 6 pack. if you over time gain 7lbs while maintaining your 6 pack you can be sure it is a measurable gain. if you are getting stronger, you are getting bigger

[JRhodes]

You shold buy yourself a high quality pair of weighing scales that can ready your fat % as well as weight. This will allow you to set positive goals that are easy to measure such as "reduce my body fat by 1% this month". It's much better to have goals such as my example above that are possible to achieve and give a time specific deadline.

With the gradual loss of body fat you should find your excess weight around the stomach area decreases. If you also wish to gain muscle I suggest you start visiting a gym and take a protein power once a day to help build muscle. Again you can give yourself goals to reach such as "I want to be able to bench press ___lbs by ___".

Good luck.