Upper East Side

Every day is an opportunity to get stronger, eat better, live healthier, and become the best version of you. The new year offers an opportunity to set new goals and build on the previous year, but understand that every day, week and month is the best opportunity to set newer and higher goals for yourself!

It’s one thing to set a goal for yourself — it’s another to have a process for achieving it. Set yourself up for success by using the following steps. I use this template for setting my own fitness and life goals. I encourage all of you to do the same heading into 2019 and see what you can achieve for yourself, your fitness, and your health.

Make sure your goals are SMART:
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Time bound

SPECIFIC
Your goal should be clear and concise, like “Get 1 muscle-up.” Being vague, such as “I want to get better at gymnastics,” doesn’t clearly define what skills you want to improve and therefore decreases your chances of obtaining your goal or even knowing when you achieved it. Make it as easy as giving someone directions to EVF. If you are vague, they will never find our awesome fitness family!

MEASURABLE
Use exact dates, amounts/quantities, and other specifics for what you want to achieve. It’s easy to know whether you hit your goal of a 300-pound squat or 10 unbroken pull-ups.

ATTAINABLE
Time to be realistic. Make sure the goals you set for yourself are feasible. It doesn’t make much sense to set a goal of 10 muscle-ups when you have just learned the kipping pull-up. Although it would be an impressive feat, you have better odds starting small (1 rep or hitting a chest-to-bar pull-up) and build from there. Look to add 3 to 5 reps to a gymnastics skill you currently have before moving up a progression.

Example: If you have 1 to 3 kipping pull-ups, look to get that to 5 to 8 before you attempt that kipping chest to bar. If you are still unsure what’s feasible for you, you should speak to your coach and have them help you set skill goals!

RELEVANT
This one may seem obvious, but it’s always good to make sure your goals align with where you want to go as an athlete, in your career, with your health and in life in general. If you set the goal of qualifying for the CrossFit Games, that may take away time you would have otherwise allotted to your family, career, and relationships, making the goals you set in those categories harder to achieve. Set goals that align with your overall plan for a successful 2019.

TIME BOUND
Great goal setting should comprise of not only short and medium-term goals, but also long-term goals. Setting deadlines can help keep you accountable and increase your chances of success.

• Short = 1 to 3 weeks
• Medium = 1 to 3 months
• Long = 8 to 12 months

I suggest coming up with 2 to 3 in each category. Check in periodically to make sure you are still on track to achieve your goals or if you need to make modifications along the way!

Here are some logical progressions you can take on your own:

• Make sure your strict strength is great enough to support you in more advanced gymnastics exercises as you progress from: Strict Pull-ups -> Kipping Pull-ups -> Strict Chest to Bar Pull-ups -> Kipping Chest to Bar Pull-ups -> Bar Muscle-ups -> Ring Muscle-ups
• If you looking to progress in your Olympic lifts I like to use a “top-down” progression with my clients. Spend some quality time working on the following positions in order: High-Hang Clean Pull, Hang (above knee) Clean Pull, Mid-Shin Clean Pull, Hi-Hang Power Clean, Hang Power Clean, Mid-Shin Power Clean, then progress to Full Squat variations. Keep the barbell light and focus on the quality of movement. Your best bet is to have a coach’s eye on you or video review. (Need help? Ask us about personal training. We offer 30-minute skill sessions!)

Make 2019 the best year yet for your fitness and health with these quick and easy tips for building goals!