Posting my workout schedule yesterday got me thinking about exercise goals and how mine have changed over the years.

Since I’ve been exercising consistently, I’ve had a plethora of goals. I’ve had simple goals, such as wanting to be able to run one mile non-stop. I’ve had goals that were career based, like training to become a Group Exercise Instructor, and I’ve had goals where I wanted to increase the weight I was able to lift and increase my strength.

Currently I don’t have a specific goal other than to maintain my current level of fitness.  Since I typically teach 7 classes (sometimes more) per week, most of my time is spent prepping and practicing choreography.  When I do get a chance to do my own thing, I’ve been in the mood to run with my dogs or do a quick treadmill workout on my lunch break.

Physique Goals and Exercise Goals

While maintaining my current level of fitness works for me right now (and perhaps some of you out there as well), those with specific goals should take a closer look at the workouts they’re doing as well their eating habits and how it pertains to reaching a specific goal. Perhaps your goal is to run a race or to compete in a Figure or Physique Competition.  Either way, it’s important to get specific with regards to how you train and what you eat.

Same Eating Habits = Same Body

I’ve been consistently working out each week for about 10 years. While my fitness level has improved greatly and I have gotten stronger from heavy strength training, I feel my body stays pretty consistent in terms of how I look.

The reason for this is because I eat exactly the same.

Even when I change my workouts, I look relatively the same. The only change I’ve seen with the way I look is when my eating changes.

In my opinion, the diet is the most important part of changing your physique (if that’s your goal) as well as improving your training. Otherwise, you will pretty much look the same and potentially perform the same.

Looks to me are not the most important thing when it comes to working out (been there, done that) and I realize other positive changes matter, such as feeling better and sleeping better. But regardless of your goal, it’s important to remember that eating right is crucial to making changes.

When I was training to compete in a Figure Competition a couple of years ago, my body began to change not from my workouts, but because of my diet (or lack there of!). When I began to eat less, I began losing weight (imagine that!).  My muscles began to show through more. I looked leaner.

The physique changes I experienced happened in a matter of weeks, sometimes days, and no it was not because I was lifting weights. Sure, weight training does help shape your body, but those short term changes came about because I was eating less and getting leaner. To visibly see your muscles and have “muscle tone”, you need to lose weight.  It’s the simplest and hardest thing for people to accept, in my opinion. 

Exercise and Calories

I work with a lot of clients whose goal is to lose weight and I think the hardest concept for them to accept is that their body is not going to change with just adding in exercise to their life. Sure, at first they may drop some pounds, but in the long run it’s making those nutrition changes that are going to yield results.

Exercise doesn’t burn as many calories as people are lead to believe. I have people in my Group Exercise classes comment that I will turn into a skeleton and disappear because I teach a lot of classes and spend exra time practicing choreography. But have I disappeared yet? Nah, I don’t think so.  Still here and still weighing in at the same weight, no matter if I teach an hour a day or two.  It all comes down to calories and believe me, I make up for the extra activity at dinner time!

It’s OK to not want a 6-Pack – But DO know what YOUR goal is!

Having a super lean body was what I thought I always wanted.  I figured once I had that hot bod my life would suddenly be perfection.  Because we all know having a perfect body = a perfect life (NOT!)

I have come to the realization that that type of lifestyle and strict dieting that it required to have that certain “look” was not what was important to me. I just simply couldn’t keep it up! And it made me very unhappy. Knowing what my personal goal was and what I knew I could maintain when it came to my exercise and diet, I decided what was best for me.

For me, it’s not about being obsessive with exercise and food.  It’s about eating and exercising in a way that allows me to feel and look my best, and all of that is relative to each of us.  What looks “good” to me may be different to someone else. It comes down to knowing what YOU want and being realistic.  I don’t sit at home and complain that I don’t have a 6-pack because let’s face it, I eat a lot of pizza and ice cream.  But I’m OK with enjoying those treats and still having what I consider a healthy lifestyle and a healthy body.

Since I’ve made those changes and changed the way I view exercise and dieting, I have been happier as a whole, and especially much happier with my appearance.  There’s something to that whole self acceptance thing after all

I’m happy that I can run, teach classes, lift weights, or do Yoga and still have energy to do all the other stuff that life requires. I feel great and I attribute that to regular exercise and eating well.

But I don’t look like a Fitness Model.  And I don’t care. I don’t think wanting to be fit means you have to meet some societal standard of what “fit” looks like. But if being a Fitness Model is your thing, then by all means go for it! It all comes down to personal goals.

I think that the bottom line when it comes to your own goals is to eat and train in a way that allows you to reach your goals, whether it’s training for a marathon, doing a physique competition, increasing the weight you lift, or maintaining your current level of fitness. Work with what YOU have and be honest with yourself. Ask yourself what is is that you want to achieve. How do you want to feel? What’s important to you? What is realistic for you and your lifestyle? Then set your goals, make a plan and work towards it.

Question:

Do you have a current exercise or physique goal that you’re working towards?