Fitness Goals: Tools for Success

, Today we welcome guest poster Marty Burian (a.k.a. @mjburian on Twitter) and his advice on how to achieve your fitness goals.

As it starts to get colder outside, I find myself spending more time thinking about my fitness goals for next year. This is a challenge to all of you to set (and meet) a few key fitness goals in 2010. Whether you are a couch potato or have already run a marathon or biked a century, you know there are things you wish you could do. The first step in meeting any goal is setting it. Now, these aren’t New Year’s resolutions (which are often uttered and forgotten in nearly the same breath), but realistic fitness goals that you would like to achieve.

In the past, it was difficult for me to run a mile without stopping (or walking). So, I set that as a goal. As I met that fitness goal, I set another of running in a 5K fun run. After a few of those, I decided to push myself to a 10K… and then 10 miles. One of my goals for 2010 is to run farther than I ever have before. Since my furthest run in the past was 10 miles, things like half or full marathons seem like obvious places to look. You see, “fitness” is a moving target. As you become more fit, you may begin to see how things you thought previously impossible are actually within reach. No matter how fit (or unfit) you are, though, you can set fitness goals.

Here are some resources to help you meet the goals you set (These resources are specific to running and strength training, since those are the choices I’ve made to get more fit. There are many more resources available for these and other forms of exercise, and if you have good ones please share them in the comments so we can all benefit):

For couch potatoes:
Hal Higdon’s 30/30 Plan (http://www.halhigdon.com/beginrunner/plan.htm)
You Can Run a Mile Without Stopping (http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=1004)
Couch to 5K (http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml)

For established runners:
Run Your Fastest Mile (http://www.jeffgalloway.com/resources/rw_archives/may_1999.html)
Hal Higdon’s Training Programs for Various Distances (http://www.halhigdon.com/)
Runner’s World Training Calculator (http://www.runnersworld.com/cda/trainingcalculator/0,7169,s6-238-277-279-0-0-0-0-0,00.html)

For strength training:
ACE Fitness Exercise Library (http://www.acefitness.org/exerciselibrary/default.aspx)
100 pushups (http://hundredpushups.com)
200 situps (http://twohundredsitups.com)
200 squats (http://twohundredsquats.com)

Don’t feel like your fitness goals need to include pushing yourself harder than you ever have before. Simply getting a little exercise is better than doing nothing. But, in my opinion, a realistic goal should include a certain amount of required effort and commitment. After all, pushing yourself a little bit is how you will ultimately become more fit. And, who knows — you might just find yourself pushing even harder as your fitness improves.

So, here they are… my fitness goals for 2010 (all things I have never done before):

Running:
* I will run more than 10 miles non-stop by the end of the year (Previous Best: 10 miles)
* I will run one mile in under 7 minutes by the end of the year (Previous Best: 7:09)

Strength:
* I will do 100 pushups in a row by the end of the year (Previous Best: 55)
* I will do at least 3 good-form pullups (not chinups) in a row by the end of the year (Previous Best: 0)

[Here's hoping you don't see me out running and doing pushups and pullups in the snow on December 31, 2010 in order to accomplish these goals]

What are your fitness goals for 2010?

*Photos by SashaW and Rick.