I left off last time with some crazy talk about the fitness journey being similar to a road trip: It takes careful thought and planning in order to reach your destination. Continuing on with that chain of thought, I think this can be broken down into three parts:

Individual workouts

I think of these as being the mile markers. There are a whole heck of a lot of them, and at times they can seem very insignificant. However, each one that you put in your rearview mirror puts you a step closer to the prize. Now just doing any “workout” won’t do. Each one should be planned to achieve a specific purpose. I’m not saying there shouldn’t be any spontaneity in the exercise regimen, but you can get creative while staying on track towards your….

Short term goals

These are the exits off the highway. Without short term goals, I’d probably never get anywhere. I know every guy wants to be 5% body fat with the ability to deadlift a Geo Metro, flip tractor tires, and juggle baby ligers. I am no exception. But unless you have some Odysseus-like patience and determination, it can be pretty easy to feel defeated when you’re nowhere close to your ultimate idea of fitness. By setting realistic, yet challenging, short term goals for yourself, you’ll always be working towards something that’s attainable within a relatively short period of time. This helps keep you motivated on a day to day basis, and every goal that you hit will keep you confident and driven to hit your….

Long term goal(s)

So this is where the analogy breaks. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “fitness is a journey, not a destination.” Sorry to say, it’s absolutely true. Still though, there should be pinnacles and highlights during the journey. Whether it be finishing a race in a particular time, or hoisting an ungodly amount of weight that years before seemed impossible, when the feat has finally been done you should think you’re Kratos incarnate (or something as equally awesome and epic if Greek mythology isn’t your thing.) Point is, even you should be impressed and amazed at your accomplishment. Have a t-shirt made or something…

I’m not saying this is the only way to view fitness or reach your goals, but I find that it keeps me motivated and on track.

Now that I’ve laid out my idea of how to go about the journey, the last entry in this little series will give the gritty details in how this applies to me getting yoked.