Making Fitness Fun in 2021: Performance Goals
"Hold on, I have to knock out fifty push-ups," my friend, Ilana, said, as we caught up on our 2021 so far, between sips of coffee. Despite just coming from our intense workout together, her push-ups were significant to her daily routine. She continued, "by the end of 2021, my goal is to be able to do a one-handed push-up!"
Ilana had set herself a performance goal. A performance goal is a specific and measurable goal that holds you to a personal standard. You will see improvement if you show up, take focused actions for your goal's specificity, and work; Seeing such growth is motivating. The most refreshing part about a performance goal is that it has nothing to do with the scale, your body fat percentage, or your appearance.
I was immediately inspired to find a movement to master, AKA, a performance goal in 2021. I got very excited, and my single movement goal promptly became a full list of things I wanted to accomplish. I've narrowed it down to start with one. Only after I master that will I move will I go on to the next.
Up first, by the end of 2021, I want to be able to do a kneeling squat jump. https://www.sweat.com/blogs/exercises/kneeling-to-jump-squat
There are many types of performance goals, ranging from mastering a movement, running a mile in a certain amount of time, or squatting a certain amount of weight, just to name a few. The key is, your goal must be S.M.A.R.T.
A S.M.A.R.T. goal stands for:
Specific: Make sure the goal is clear.
Measurable: This should be something you can objectively measure to track your progress.
Achievable: Make it realistic. Realistic doesn't mean easy. It should be challenging, but you should be able to obtain it.
Relatable: This goal should be personal to you. If it doesn't excite you or resonate with you, it likely won't motivate you.
Time: This goal should be achievable within the year!
When choosing my performance goal for 2021, I checked if it was S.M.A.R.T.; I'll break down how a kneeling squat jump is a S.M.A.R.T. goal to help explain the process further.
Specific: It is a very particular movement.
Measurable: This movement works your glutes, quads, and hamstrings. I'll be able to track how much stronger I'm getting. There are different progressions to achieve this movement as well, and I'll be able to see how far along I'm getting.
Achievable: I believe this is a realistic goal for me.
Relatable: This movement excites me. I think it looks cool and I want to be able to do it!
Time: I think I'll be able to conquer this within a year.
Performance goal possibilities are endless. I've come up with a short list of ideas. If one of these goals resonates with you, go for it! If not, maybe it will get your brain juices flowing.
A push-up
Ten push-ups
A pull-up
Hold a plank for 1 minute.
Move your body for 30 minutes everyday.
Walk 8,000-10,000 steps everyday.
Hold a hollow-body hold for 1 minute.
Complete a 500-meter row in 2 minutes
Master a box jump
Touch your toes in a pike position with a flat back
A kneeling squat jump
Add 10 pounds to your deadlift one rep max.
Add 10 pounds to your squat one-rep max.
Get a handstand
Do mountain climbers for 1 minute.
You must work on specific muscles, modifications, and progressions for said movement to achieve performance goals. For example, if your goal is a push-up, the primary muscle, otherwise known as the agonist, is your chest (also known as your pectorals.) The other muscles that help the primary muscles, known as the synergists, would be your shoulders, triceps, and abdominals.
So, your training may look something like this: Strength training in the form of chest presses and other workouts that strengthen the muscles listed above. You will also train by starting with one modification until you are ready to progress to the next one until you are eventually doing full push-ups. For example, you would begin by doing a wall push-up, then an incline push-up, then eccentric push-ups, and so on.
Please feel free to talk to your trainers about any modifications or progressions. We would be happy to help. Happy goal-setting!