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Lesson II.

FITNESS PLANNING
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Simple planning techniques that bring clarity to what


you're working towards and ensure that
you're going about it in the right way.

Creating a plan is quick and painless and brings clarity


to your training. You know what you want to achieve,
how you're going about it, and what progress you've
made so far... and suddenly things seem less daunting.
This is also a great motivational tactic because you have
something to work towards and measure.

Our approach to fitness planning is based around four key steps


De fine . Plan. T rack. Re fine.
Define your goals. Plan how you're
going to achieve them. Monitor
progress. Refine your training.
Here is the Fitstream four step model
that puts you firmly in control of your
fitness...

Ste p One : Define your overall fitness goal


All workouts are prompted by goals. You're not out there sprinting, lifting, climbing, pulling
and pushing for the hell of it. You want to accomplish something... so, write down your overall goal
be it, performance, aesthetic or health related. It doesn't matter, as long as you define something
that's a powerful, motivating aim, that will get you out of bed in the morning and into the gym.
Once you have your overall goal defined you break this down into a series of more specific
sub-goals to help create your fitness roadmap.
Breaking your primary goal down has a positive mental effect by making the task seem less
daunting and easier to achieve. This process also allows you to truly acknowledge what you're
trying to accomplish and how you'll go about it.
Ensure your sub-goals are concrete, measurable and time-based rather than vague, woolly
or high-level. If weight loss is your goal, state how much weight you want to lose. Know clearly what
the goal is, i.e., what exactly your target weight might be and how many pounds that means you
have to lose to get there.
It can be a difficult balancing act to come up with goals that are both challenging, yet
achievable, but this is a skill that comes with experience. We've included some core targets for fat
loss and muscle building below, but please note that these can vary wildly. Use them as a guide if
you're unsure about where to start and refine them over time:

 Fat loss - 4-6lbs / month


 Muscle building - 1lb / month
Once you've defined your goals you must work out how you're going to achieve them. You do
this by creating a fitness plan - a basic guide to get you on the right track. Following these simple
planning techniques will significantly increase your chances of realising your fitness goals.
Example: I want to be fit and healthy.

Ste p T wo: Create your fitness plan


Your plan outlines how you're going to achieve these goals by assigning activities to
objectives. Unless you're experienced you might find it difficult to know how to build your workouts,
what exercises to use and all the other aspects of training such as weight, reps, sets, duration,
frequency, distance, speed, diet...
Don't try to write your own diet and exercise routine if you're a beginner, and use a
professional, tried and tested routine.
Give it time to work and after a month or two, refine the training to suit your needs.
Remember that no single routine works blindly for everyone and you should monitor your progress.
As you become more experienced and your body responds, so you become more intuitive about
how to train to achieve what you want.
Below is an example fitness plan:

 Overall goal: To achieve a healthy body weight and build visible six pack abs
o Sub-goal one: Achieve body fat percentage of 8-10% by July 1st.
o Sub-goal two: Lose 28lbs of body fat by July 1st (average of 5lbs / month)
I will achieve my goals by doing the following, for the next two months:

 Activity one: Bodyweight workout twice per week (Mon / Wed)


o Dips, 10 reps, 4 sets
o Pull-ups, 8 reps, 4 sets
o Push-ups, 25 reps, 4 sets
 Activity two: Cycling to work each day (18 mile round trip)
 Activity three: Hill sprints for 25 minutes twice per week (Fri / Sun)
 Activity four: Build up to 5 sets of 2 minute long plank exercises (daily)
 Activity five: Limit calorie intake to 2000 / day
Consider building rewards into your plan as you hit each objective as a motivation aid.

Ste p T hre e: Track your progress


A sad reality is that most people's fitness training is born from high hopes and expectations
and dies in frustration and disappointment. It's important that you maintain a training journal to track
your progress and understand what's working for you to make informed judgements on how to
adapt your training plan.
How you maintain your journal is up to you. Some people prefer paper-based tracking (in
which case, check out this aricle on keeping a fitness journal where you can download and print our
template fitness tracker) and others prefer using apps or spreadsheets.
We've spent years building the ultimate fitness journaling platform and body tracking service. Our
app is completely free to use and records notes, body measurements and progress pics. All your
data is securely stored and you can see progress reports on how you're changing over time.
However, you change to measure and track your progress, the key thing is to start today. It helps
sustain motivation, keeps you focused and accountable. Your journal will also serve as an
important wealth of information that you can rely on time and time again to understand how your
body is changing and what works for you.
Finally, success is incremental and arrives slowly, but consistently. It's easy to overlook how
you're progressing but keeping a fitness journal puts it in black and white and keeps you informed.
Ste p Four: Refine your plan
Look at your stats regularly (weekly works for most people) and answer the question - am I
on track to meet my goals? If so, that's great! Nothing need change and continue with the plan. If
you're off track, then you have a wealth of information in your training journal to help you figure out
why.
If you find that you're not making much progress towards a goal, it's time to go back and re-
evaluate your tactics and approach.
Maybe the intensity isn't there, or you're not performing the right exercises, or training
enough. Drop what's not working for you and add in something new. Question everything and don't
be afraid to experiment.
Your body will adapt quickly to the demands placed upon it. Look at your rep ranges, have
you outgrown your current plan, do you need more plates adding to that squat, or a weighted
vest thrown into the mix for those pull-ups? Keep the challenge in there and intensity high and
remain focused on those goals.

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