Is It A Goal or A Dream? by Sarah & Geff Malone

Sarah Malone

We have all seen those people in the gym that train hard day after day, month after month and never seem to improve. Religiously training and going through the motions aimlessly with no apparent goals. Does that sound all too familiar? Could this be you? If you want to improve you must set goals. Keep in mind that a goal always has a time limit. A goal with no time frame is not a goal. It is a dream and dreams rarely come true if no effort is put into them. Remember there are long term and short term goals. You must establish both. Short-term goals are easier to attain and help to keep you motivated on your road to attaining your long-term goals. You must first decide what is really important to you. Are you looking to lower body fat or gain muscle mass. It is in our opinion that first and foremost you need to understand that to attain any fitness goal, 70% is gained thru proper nutrition. A good rule of thumb is if you want to gain mass then you need to eat more calories than your body is burning but not too many more or your body fat may get out of control. On the other hand if your goal is to develop a lean body with very little body fat, then you need to eat less calories than you burn. Basically it’s that simple.

Setting a short-term goal for example might be dropping five pounds of body fat in two weeks with your long-term goal being a total of fifty pounds in five months. Success on your short-term goal will fuel that productive fire and keep you on track.
For me these past three months preparing myself for figure competitions has been very time consuming. Between family obligations, running our two Max Muscle stores and trying to stay focused on being in the best possible condition was to say the least very difficult. Looking back on it I must say we are very proud of what we have been able to accomplish so far in our lives. One of our short-term goals was to become acclimated to our new diet regimen ( as my husband tends to diet with me for support). Taking in only low glycemic carbohydrates and protein early in the day. And protein with fibrous carbohydrates past noon. While staying consistent on our training. My long-term goal goes without saying which was to compete in the shows I chose for myself months in advance. Now that my competitions are just around the corner I am already looking forward to accomplishing my next short and long term goal. We should always set those goals for ourselves to keep us motivated so we don't feel like we are wondering aimlessly, especially after a competition when we have gotten use to the strict regimen of dieting, training and cardio sessions. I mean lets face it , everyone has had those days when the alarm clock goes off and you have to make that decision. Do I get up and go to the gym or do I stay warm and cozy in bed and sleep in. Inevitably sleeping in wins. And that day turns into a week or more. Ultimately you will need to start over again and again. Never really improving or achieving your goal. If you struggle with this like most people do on a daily basis don't put yourself in that position. Realize that when the alarm goes off it’s time to get up period! No swaying. Make it a habit. Having the proper motivation will keep you on track.
Remember short-term goals are the building blocks we need to pave the way to our long-term success.

I hope that you all accomplish your goals and remember setting them is the first step in the right direction!

For further information Sarah Malone can be reached at either of her stores

Max Muscle Gilroy
8025 Kern Avenue
Gilroy, Ca 95020

Max Muscle Santa Cruz
1420 41st avenue
Capitola,Ca 95010
or via website at www.sarahamalone.com

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