SMART goals – M.O.M

A Belated Monthly Progress Report

November 16, 2015 by Christian Boyles, posted in Lifelong Fitness, Motivation

Today is the day! I stress this sentiment every day. Every day is the day to make progress and record results. Every day is another day to be the best that you can be! To read one of my best posts that stresses that sentiment, click here.

Now, I’d like to share with you some results I have made in the gym! I haven’t done this in a couple of months, and I was intending to make a monthly progress report. However, the journey of a natural lifter requires perseverance and results do not always come every month. Without further ado, I give you my (semi) monthly lifting report:

Legs:

I can now easily rep out 225(102 kg) on squats! I am really proud of that and I can quickly becoming strong enough to do 275 as a one rep max. I am hoping to achieve that weight soon so I can set my next SMART GOAL for 315.

I don’t quite know the weight conversion but I can now max out all of the leg machines and I am using the leg press where I typically throw on a lot of plates. Today I put 360 lbs(163 kg) on the leg press and went for reps. I had a good time working my legs this Sunday afternoon and I am happy to share those results!

Back and Biceps:

As I’ve said some new personal records on leg day, I also set some new records on back and bicep day.

Yesterday was my back and bicep day, and I managed to lift heavier on my deadlift than ever before! I did 315 lbs(142 kg) for EIGHT reps. I didn’t attempt to go higher because usually I can only do three reps at that weight. I was tremendously proud and surprised that I could do so much more! (ALSO, A LITTLE DISCLAIMER: I count deadlifts as a main workout on back day because they work every muscle on your posterior chain. You could count them as a leg workout or a back workout, or even a shoulder workout because they work almost every muscle in your body)

I immediately went on to do bent over rows and knocked out 185 lbs fairly easily. I did some shoulder presses with 55 lb dumb bells and managed to get about six good reps.

Keep in mine that the bicep work I am about to talk about is all dumbbell work and not with a barbell as in the picture above. My barbell curls are about 80 lbs now. When I went on to my biceps, I managed to get about eight strict curls on each arm with 40 lbs. When I did restricted curls, I only aimed for 30 lbs and did them nice and slow to get really feel that burn! 🙂

Chest and Triceps:

Here is where we hit all my plateaus! I am only getting slightly stronger in this group, but some of my reps are feeling less forced so I am assuming that I am near the end of this long plateau. I am only at 185 lbs (83 kg) on bench press and struggling to get four reps, and that’s where I’ve been for months now.

I am under the impression that it’s an easy fix, though! I feel like I have neglected some tricep work and that is why my bench press and (other) tricep related exercises are lacking. I have been hitting them hard and, as I said, the reps feel less forced. I am almost to the point of maxing out my local gym’s chest fly machine and I feel that, when my triceps catch up, I’ll be able to do a lot more weight in all my other chest-tricep exercises.

Conclusion:

I’ve been training hard, and sometimes I don’t see huge results while other times I see remarkable results! As I’ve said in the past, consistency is key. Just remember, if you work out hard for a long time you may not see the results you want…

..but if you don’t work out at all, you will see NO results! Keep moving forward and have some MAXED OUT MUSCLES!

SMART Goals For Healthier Eating

October 15, 2015October 15, 2015 by Christian Boyles, posted in Lifelong Fitness

As I mentioned in an earlier post, SMART goals are used by businesses and many professionals in achieving whatever goal they have set for themselves. SMART can be used for any goal ranging from fitness to business, and it works well for your accomplishments. Today, I wanted to focus on something very specific for a post to you but also because that is the first thing you have to do when setting SMART goals. Without further ado, a SMART goal is this:

Specific – goals are very specific and include detail of what, why, and how the goal should be accomplished.
Measurable – goals should have tangible evidence of how to tell whether you’ve completed them or not.
Achievable – the goals should be very possible and not impossible. If a goal is impossible it is likely to only discourage someone. If the goal is obtainable then the person achieving the goal may feel very proud of themselves once they finish.
Results focused – there should be a clear explanation for why you’re completing the goal. Also, there should be a definite result from completing this goal that can impact you or your work.
Time bound – there should be a set date for when you need to complete this goal. Your goal should have some urgency involved to its completion.

And today I want to talk about eating healthier to become a healthier, happier version of yourself!

become a healthier, happier version of yourself!

I don’t often hold the idea that you “are what you eat” in a physical sense but I do believe that if you eat awful food all the time you will feel a lot worse than if you eat clean. With that being said, it’s best to set these SMART goals now so you can enjoy the benefits of clean eating as soon as possible.

First, you will want to map it out like I did above…I will do this again in actual terms of eating healthier and some of you who enjoy fast food will be able to use my SMART goal to become healthier.

Goal: No longer eat fast food and no delivery.

Specific – Begin avoiding fast food restaurants and delivery places like domino’s in order to lose weight and feel better
Measurable – Each day you should be able to say that you didn’t eat out anywhere. If by the end of each week your number of fast food trips is going down until it is eventually zero, you are doing great! Good job!
Achievable – Absolutely achievable. People give up fast food all the time. If you want to make sure you can give it up without relapsing, try to replace the fast food with some other kind of healthier option that you enjoy. If you’d normally buy a cinnabon delight pack at Taco Bell, buy some strawberries at the grocery store. If you’d normally buy a pizza, buy a chicken breast at the grocery store and put any kind of seasonings on it that you would like!
Results Focused – You are striving to achieve this goal because avoiding fast food will make you healthier, and will also make weight loss easier. After a few months of clean eating, you should feel incredible! You should feel like a million bucks in comparison to how you feel eating out!
Time Bound – For the purpose of this goal, you don’t want to set a specific time frame to be “done” with the goal as you would with some of your other projects. For this, once a month look back at how you are doing by avoiding fast food and eating out, and try to continue in the right direction!

I encourage you to set SMART goals for yourself and achieve them! You may not struggle with the example I listed above, but you can always find a new SMART goal to create that could help you boost your success rate by 100%!

Progress To The SMART physique

October 5, 2015 by Christian Boyles, posted in Lifelong Fitness, Motivation

A week ago I introduced you to SMART goals and how to get ripped implementing smart strategies. To read up on how to cut down your body fat and achieve your perfect physique in a timely and attainable manner, click here.

I’ve been using SMART goals along with intermittent fasting to cut down the body fat, and cut out the excuses.

..cut down the body fat, and cut out the excuses.

I have been intermittent fasting for a few weeks and my results aren’t incredibly impressive. Here are some pictures I took today:

I have a decent amount of size and a wide back so I assumed that intermittent fasting may help me achieve my goals. While it does help with portioning due to a small eating window, it didn’t necessarily help me lose any fat. It actually became hard to retain muscle mass and I overate to compensate.

So for this past week I have decided intermittent fasting will just not work for me. Now, with SMART goals in mind, I am taking more calculation into my fat loss.

In the past week I have already lost two pounds and I am feeling better than I was before. I am drinking lots of water to stay hydrated, taking a multivitamin along with my fish oil and vegetables, and eating high quantities of lean meat.

My training is consistent and now, with my diet on point, I am more than confident that you will be seeing a completely transformed Christian Boyles over the course of the next few months.

This confidence is because I set SMART goals for myself and I’ve built the character through trial and error.

Just remember, no matter how many times you fall down…

..continue to get back up and keep trying. You know deep down that you have a lot of potential and you can, and will, be victorious.

Be Smart And Work Hard

October 1, 2015October 1, 2015 by Christian Boyles, posted in Motivation

Today was a typical day where I struggle with writer’s block and don’t really know what to write to you. It’s been a long day(LEG DAY) and I had a lot of work.

But now work is over and it’s time to continue pursuing my dreams!

Lately this has become like a part time job for me and I honestly have to say….

I love it! I have been putting in at least 20 hours a week trying to make this site better and deliver better content and I want to say a few things:

Thank you so much! I don’t know how many times I’ve said this already, and I can’t say this is going to be the last time…..but it’s definitely worth saying. There are so many posts I have made where I’ve received such positive feedback from you that I just have to keep trying harder.
It is so great to be passionate about something. I don’t think I can stress enough that finding what you are passionate about is one of the single greatest things you can do for yourself. There needs to be something in your life that you love doing and that you want to pursue. There needs to be something that gives you hope and makes you want to get out of bed in the morning; something that makes you feel like you have a purpose.
Things have been taking off pretty fast and all I can do is strive to make the best content possible and continue to deliver interesting articles. I want to be worthy of the increased traffic and love I have been given.

So without further ado, I want to share with you a list of personal self-help tips I wrote for myself on the notepad app of my iPhone. I did these because it’s important that we all have our own set of values and goals. I wanted to make myself follow a set plan and have a certain way of doing things to ensure I am being smart about my decisions; also, to ensure that I will work harder and harder to be successful. Here they are:

Write in a journal – Whether you like writing or not, it’s a great idea to keep a pen and paper lying around the house. You can also use your phone’s notepad app, as I said earlier. The main reason this is so important is because if you are writing things out you will think about them more and I guarantee it will help you place things in perspective. Ever think about going to someone else for advice on some of your important issues? Well, that’s helpful! But using a journal can also be effective. When you write those thoughts down and read them back to yourself, it’s a lot easier to self-help. Give it a try and let me know how that goes. I can tell you from personal experience that it works for me.
Have an idealistic version of yourself – You realize you can’t be perfect? Right, no one is perfect, but maybe there’s a better version of yourself that is a lot more preferable to you. Strive to be that person! Don’t give up on being the best version of you. Work hard every day and find what your faults are, be very honest with yourself, and find ways to improve upon what you are doing wrong. You can always make simple changes and make yourself happier, smarter, and better off; to get started, try making SMART goals. As you make progress on smaller goals, you’ll notice that over time you succeed at much larger goals. Eventually, this all adds up and you may see that you changed drastically into that more positive, idealistic version you want to have of yourself.
Let go of the negative people who will not help you become a better person – Ever hear someone say you are a product of your environment? It’s mostly true. If you constantly hang out with people who want to have bad habits, chances are that you will have bad habits. It may be a challenge, but if you really want to be a better person then you may have to let go of people who are keeping you from your goals. Also, I’d like to say that if you decide to let go and move on with your life that you may be surprised at all the new people you will meet who want to help you become a better version of you.
Find financial stability – This is a personal challenge for me! All of the things on this list were a challenge for me at some point, but this one takes the cake. …literally! I spend so much of my money on eating out and supplements that it becomes hard sometimes to save up money. I realize that if I saved a lot more of my money that I would get out from under a lot of my debts and that would free up a lot of time for me. I would have more time to focus on developing my website and paying for advertising! I could spend money on something more fun than eating out also. That is just something I am starting to get a better grip of and I’d like to share with you that it may be a big one for you also. It may be something to take into consideration.
Cut out negative feelings – So I already mentioned cutting out bad influences and taking control of your finances…So what else could possibly be so NEGATIVE!?!? I am saying you should let go of the negative things that have happened to you in the past. Ultimately, you have no control over what someone else did to you or what has happened to you. You do have control over what you make of the rest of your life, however. Take control, let go of the past, and work hard for a brighter future. Trust me that those negative feelings will just hold you back! Again, let go and work hard for a brighter future.
Find a mentor – this one was extremely important to me. I wanted someone who was more experienced with lifting weights and nutrition to give me advice. I wanted to learn business from a businessman. I want to learn from the master. And who doesn’t? If there is something you are passionate about, try to get involved with it as much as possible. I did that and it’s honestly quite funny how easy it was to find someone to mentor me. I have learned a lot from several people, in fact. If you want to know more about finding mentors, email me at maxedoutmuscles@gmail.com or comment below!
Have a busy spot – This is one that I just started to realize the other day. I have noticed that when I work on my website in a professional setting I am at the least 100% more effective than when I work at home on my phone or laptop. For me, my busy spot is at my second job where I’m allowed to use their desktop. If you can find a place where you can really focus and you feel more productive, I guarantee it will help you in the long run.
Fake it until you make it – Don’t allow yourself to speak negatively about your business ideas or your hopes and dreams. Always speak positive and announce the fact that you will succeed. This is really a simple one, but there is a lot of negative energy in the world and if you are earnest and consistent you will stand out like a sore thumb.

So those are the tips that I have personally been using as I am always thinking of ways to better myself and my content. I hope you enjoyed the post and

I hope you can apply these tips to your life.

Using SMART Goals To Get Ripped In Three Months

September 30, 2015September 30, 2015 by Christian Boyles, posted in Lifelong Fitness, Motivation

Write Your SMART goals down in a journal!

SMART goals are used by businesses and smart people to set their goals in a way that makes those goals:

Specific – goals are very specific and include detail of what, why, and how the goal should be accomplished.
Measurable – goals should have tangible evidence of how to tell whether you’ve completed them or not.
Achievable – the goals should be very possible and not impossible. If a goal is impossible it is likely to only discourage someone. If the goal is obtainable then the person achieving the goal may feel very proud of themselves once they finish.
Results focused – there should be a clear explanation for why you’re completing the goal. Also, there should be a definite result from completing this goal that can impact you or your work.
Time bound – there should be a set date for when you need to complete this goal. Your goal should have some urgency involved to its completion.

If you haven’t noticed yet, SMART is an acronym standing for specific, measurable, achievable, results-focused, and time-bound.

Not only are SMART goals a great way to accomplish things in your life or at your workplace, but they can also be very handy when you are wanting to make achievements at the gym. If you haven’t read my post titled “Victory From A Goal And A Direction And Why You Can Succeed” I highly recommend you click here because that post relates very closely to what I am about to talk about with SMART goals. Now, it’s time to explain why SMART goals are so important:

They help give the driven a path to follow. Is your mind cluttered with all sorts of ideas of what you want to do? Then it’s good that you’re driven, but write out some SMART goals so that you can truly be successful.
They raise your confidence! When you set small, achievable goals they will eventually add up and you will realize that you have achieved a lot more than you originally thought possible.
Businesses have been using them for years! Do you want to try and reinvent the wheel or do you want to find what has worked for successful people for a long time already? Great, I know you made the right choice.

As I said earlier, you can apply these goals to fitness the same way you can life and work. Simply pick something and go for it! Here I’ll show you my current SMART goals on getting ripped in three months and this will give you the framework on how to write your own SMART goals:

List the goal – My goal is to get ripped in three months!
Be specific – I will achieve sub-10% body fat by February by eating at a small caloric deficit, intermittently fasting, and I am doing this because I want to feel good about my body and my health.
Measurable – I will know how close I am to achieving a body fat % below ten by using a body fat caliper. I can also track my results using measuring tape and a scale to check my weight. There are also some clear physical attributes that will become noticeable as I obtain a lower body fat %.
Achievable – The goal is very achievable. The average person can expect to lose about two pounds of fat a week and once I am lower in body fat I know that may slow down, so I expect to lose about two to three pounds of fat a week for a while. After those first two months, I expect to lose about a pound of fat a week resulting in that low body fat %. Plenty of people have done this successfully; it simply takes time and dedication to a healthy and balanced diet.
Results focused – The benefit of accomplishing this goal is the fact that I will feel good about myself and I will build the values and confidence to achieve more SMART goals. As a result, when I move on towards my next goal of gaining lean muscle mass, I will have a lot more confidence in the fact that I can achieve the things I set my mind on.
Time bound – The completion date that I have established is February. This puts a lot of urgency on me and a lot of pressure even if it is attainable. This urgency is a great thing though, because I am more likely to stick to my diet and work harder to achieve my goal in that set amount of time.

As you can see, I have a great framework for my SMART goals and I hope you decide to write some goals out for yourself.

Just use the same SMART goal rubric I taught you and do your best to achieve something because you’re smart and capable.