4 Tips For Setting SMART Training Goals in 2024

Have you ever seen someone in the gym who looks bewildered or lost? They go from one machine to another, they stare at one person and then another, and they end up doing a half-assed set of sloppy bicep curls with a pair of dumbbells, plus a couple other equally useless moves before they head home.

Chances are, they lack direction and didn’t set goals for themselves. But here’s the good news. You’re gonna zip right past them, cause you’re about to get handed some tips on goal-setting. Use this information to your full advantage and use today to set your training goals for 2024.

SMART defined

Before any tips get handed out, you should first learn what the acronym “SMART” means. This’ll put things into better perspective for you.

SMART stands for specific, measurable, action-based, realistic, and time-related. With me so far? Good, let’s move on.

1. Find out your overall vision

Where do you see yourself a year from now? How much weight have you lost? What is your definition like? How low is your body fat percentage? Ask yourself these questions and more like them.

Write it all down and keep it in a safe place. You wanna be able to refer to this often so you can stay on track.

This is your ideal self and the body you aspire to have. Simply doing this step will cause you to attract the energy and inspiration you need to work towards your training goals.

2. Locate some key motivators

You’re not going anywhere without a few motivators. It takes motivation to do anything, whether it’s great or small. And why would you want to jeopardize your training?

Think long and hard about these motivators, too. They need to be powerful enough to keep you out of bars, turn your head away from buffet tables, and to give you the will to get up at the crack of dawn to fit in your workout before work itself.

A good motivator could be that you want to avoid getting diabetes and becoming insulin-dependent like one of your parents. It could be to avoid a heart attack like your grandparent suffered. It could be to compete as a natural bodybuilder. Or it could simply be to inspire your kids to take good care of their health.

3. Figure out some obstacles (and strategies to get past them)

Obstacles are bound to happen when you’re trying to get into better shape at the gym. They can range from mild to severe, but rest assured, they will occur. For example, what will you do when you need to work out but the babysitter called and said she can’t get over to watch the peanut due to inclement weather?

This was the time you were supposed to go to the gym and get your swell on. Well, you need to figure out a strategy to get past this obstacle before it even crops up. This is called thinking ahead and being prepared.

Think of a handful of potential obstacles and write them down. Then, come up with strategies to overcome each one. By doing this, you’ll always be one step ahead and your training will be foolproof. Nothing will get in the way of you reaching your goals.

4. Prepare some short-term goals

You’ve gotta learn to walk before you can run. Although you have an overall vision for further down the road, you don’t wanna get ahead of yourself. You can avoid this pitfall by focusing your attention on the present moment and figuring out some goals you can work towards immediately.

Set some up that are just a month or two down the road, but also set up smaller goals each week. A simple two-month goal can be that you’re going to the gym three days a week at 6 a.m. and working out for 90 minutes.

A weekly goal can be that you’re going to the gym on Monday and Wednesday morning at 6 a.m. and Friday at 9 a.m. and working out for 60 minutes. Do you see how clear, specific, and precise that is? Always think in these terms.

Fail to plan, plan to fail

The key point here is you need a real plan. Without one, you’re just not gonna reach your goals. A well-thought-out plan is gonna be your saving grace when it comes to attaining your best body ever. As long as you’re patient and execute the tips mentioned above, there’ll be no stopping you. But you’ve gotta get that plan in place today.

Part of that plan should, of course, include a solid nutrition program and adequate supplementation which supports your goals. For natural bodybuilders, CrazyBulk has all you need to meet your training needs without resorting to dangerous substances.

So go ahead. Grab your notebook. Get your plan down on paper. Then get to work on it. In 2 or 3 months time, review your goals and achievements, and ask yourself whether you’re in the place you expected to be by now. Reset your goals at this time in line with your achievements. The truth is, you’re gonna have to reset your goals 3 or 4 times a year as you progress to make sure you really are still heading in the right direction.