If you've spent any time in the fitness space, you have probably come across the term "functional training". But what exactly is functional training? Some might describe it as monkeying around on an upside-down Bosu Ball or some other ridiculous exercise that doesn't serve a purpose. What makes an exercise functional?
To fully explain this, I first want to explore a few things that happen to the human body throughout the aging process. Around age thirty, muscle and bone mass reaches its peak. For every year after, muscle and bone mass begin to deteriorate slowly. At first, this happens gradually. Then more rapidly as age increases. I believe that functional training is any training that will aid in slowing and reversing this process. So, what exactly reverses the process of muscle and bone loss? The answer.... Strength Training. What is strength training? Over the years, the concept of strength training has been misconstrewed. Some of you may have even attended a group class where the heaviest weight in sight was less than twenty pounds, but the session was still labeled as "strength training". The truth is that isn't strength training at all. Strength training can be defined as any training that progressively challenges the body through increased load or exercise difficulty. What makes strength training so functional? Simple... It challenges the body to a level that everyday life doesn't. Humans as a race are facing new challenges that our ancestors did not have to grapple with. We live in a developed society, have access to better medical care (in most cases), and don't have the same physical demands that we used to. Most Americans take less than 5,000 steps per day. This creates a problem. Our healthcare systems have created treatments that can keep us alive longer. But, without activity, our physical body has a hard time keeping up. It is vital to focus on building strength to retain our independence as we age. Every year after thirty, our bodies' clocks are slowly ticking. To slow the breakdown process, we need to build strong muscles and bones that can support us for the extra years we live compared to our ancestors. So how can you truly functionally train? Get really strong. Spend time lifting your bodyweight, dumbbells, barbells, machines or any other modality you can think of. Then, over time, progress those movements and get better at them. Being strong is the most functional thing you can do for your body. If you take the time to build strength your current and older self will thank you. Are you interested in "functional training" done right? We offer a free No Sweat Intro Session that allows you to meet with one of our qualified coaches to discuss your goals and how we can help. We can provide a program completely tailored to your goals that helps you get the most out of your time in the gym. Click the link below to schedule your free session with one of our coaches today. Free No Sweat Intro Session
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Have you ever noticed that some workouts just feel better than others? Obviously, there are a lot of factors that determine how good you feel on a given day (stress, recovery, etc). But, sometimes, against all odds some workouts just seem to feel better than others. That could be, in part, tied to what is known as time to peak.
What exactly is time to peak? Time to peak is the number of exposures that it takes to have "peak performance". In order to explain this, allow me to first explain what an exposure is. An exposure is defined as exposure to the main movement of the program. So, say you are working towards a chin up goal, the main movement would be considered chin ups while all others exercises in the program are accessories that build the main movement. Time to peak can be looked at simple as the amount of weeks it takes to perform your best on a given movement or set of movements. Why is time to peak important? Time to peak can be the difference between moderate and rapid progress. Typically, peaking looks different on everyone. But, for the most part a "peak" week of training is usually where the majority of improvement is made. If a program is carried out to peak condition it can lead to a lot more progress over the long term as opposed to cutting the program short. How do we determine time to peak? One of the ways that we determine time to peak is collecting data on all of the people that we work with. Typically we can determine trends in each training block based off of how each lift responds. Using this data we can determine how long someone should run a program to get their best results. Another way that time to peak can be determined is by getting feedback. Typically there are certain weeks of a program that simply feel better and move better than others. Over a long period of time we can determine these trends and use them to figure out the best approach for each person. How can you use this in your training? If you keep a log of your workouts pay attention to the trends in your workouts from week to week. Typically a peak week will be followed with a down trend in performance. Once you determine your peak week time then simply run your training blocks for that length of time before changing your program. Are you looking to get stronger? Did you know that we have a highly trained coaching staff that can help you get the most out of your workouts? If you're looking to get the most out of your workouts click the link below to schedule your free No Sweat Intro Session with one of our staff members today! Free No Sweat Intro Session In health, Patriel Dunford Infinite Fitness I'm sure you've heard that changing up your workouts is the best way to make progress. This statement has some truth to it. But, there are benefits to performing the same movements for an extended period, especially for beginners.
To fully explain the benefits of long-term practice I first want to explain the difference between main lifts and accessory movements. A main lift is the main movement that one is trying to progress on. For example, if someone wanted to squat more weight the squat would be the main exercise of the program. Accessory lifts are any lift that is designed to supplement the main lift. Accessory lifts for the squat can range from very similar lifts like pause squats to very dissimilar lifts like leg extensions or leg presses. This is an important concept because generally speaking the main lift will stay the same for an extended period of time whereas the accessory movements will change more often. I don't want to spend too much time on why changing your routine is important because that is not the goal of this message. Insted I want to explore why performing the same core lifts for an extended period of time is important to make your best progress. The main reason performing lifts for an extended period of time is important lies in what is called movement proficiency. Movement proficiency is how well someone can perform a given exercise. In order to reach the full potential of any exercise it needs to be performed for a long enough period to learn the movement fully. It's common for beginners to experience a rapid increase in weight in their first few weeks of performing a new movement. During the first few weeks of a new exercise most people aren't building much overall strength. This is due to the inability to express their strength because the movement is new, and they haven't learned it yet. As the weeks and months go on, the rapid increases in performance usually drop off. At this point, many people feel like they aren't benefitting from performing the movement and typically change their program. This is usually not the best option, as the first few weeks of a new movement don't build much strength. So, how often should you change up your exercises? This is where the concept of main lifts vs accessory lifts comes in to play. The main movement that one is trying to progress on shouldn't change very often, at least for an extended period of time. Accessory lifts are a different story. Accessory lifts can and should change roughly every four to six weeks depending on the complexity of the movement. For more complex exercises (split squats, split stance RDL's, etc) keeping them in the program for a longer period is beneficial. So, why is performing movements for an extended period of time good thing? To make it simple... Movement proficiency. The more that you perform a movement the better you get at performing it. The better you get at performing a movement the more return it will give you. Here is a simple way that you can determine how often you should change your exercises: Main Lifts- Not often, if ever for an extended period of time until the goal is reached Simple Accessory Lifts- Every 4-6 weeks Complex Accessory Lifts- Every 8-12 weeks One caveat to this concept is your overall enjoyment of the program. Some people really like switching things up every week. For those that do I recommend swapping your less important movements out as often as you would like. Examples of this are movements for non- priority muscle groups, smaller movements, or machine work. I hope you found these tips helpful! If you're looking to simplify the process of improving your health and wellness click the link below to schedule your Free No Sweat Intro Session with one of our qualified coaches today. Free No Sweat Intro Session In Health, Patriel Dunford Infinite Fitness Protein, it's all the buzz in the fitness community. Anyone who's anyone is talking about protein and why it's essential. But why is protein so important? More importantly, why is protein intake crucial for building your ideal physique? There are three primary reasons why consuming protein is necessary. First, protein helps with satiety (feelings of fullness). Second, protein helps build lean mass. Lastly, protein is a costly nutrient to break down. Let's explore each in detail!
Protein is the most satisfying macronutrient. Now, when I say most satisfying, I don't necessarily mean enjoyable. Crushing a bag of peanut butter M&M's is way more pleasurable at the moment than crushing a piece of chicken breast. When I say satisfying, I mean how long it will keep you full. Studies show that when protein is included in a meal it leads to higher levels of satiety or fullness. Consuming protein with most if not all meals throughout the day can help keep you full and prevent snacking between meals. Eliminating unnecessary snacks can help you cut calories and improve your physique. Protein is also responsible for building lean mass. Lean mass is crucial for building your ideal physique. Having lean mass is vital because achieving a lean appearance without it is impossible. Fat loss is important to create a lean physique. However, lean mass creates the ideal fit appearance that most people seek. Protein builds lean mass due to the role it plays in the body. Protein is responsible for repairing and rebuilding muscle tissue. Consuming enough protein ensures that all the hard work you are doing in the gym will be worth it. Lastly, protein is an expensive nutrient to break down. Protein has a high thermic effect of food or TEF. TEF explains the cost of breaking down different macronutrients during digestion. TEF is expressed as a percentage. Protein has a TEF of 20-30 percent. This means that to break down protein-heavy foods fully, the body expends roughly 20-30 percent of the total calories from that food. So, if you were to consume 100 calories of protein, your body would net 70-80 total calories. TEF is not a magical weight loss technique. However, it adds to total daily calorie expenditure. Protein is the most helpful macronutrient for creating a lean physique. It is the most satiating macronutrient; it builds lean mass and is hard for the body to break down. If you aren't already, a good place to start is by consuming at least one serving of protein with all of your meals throughout the day. Opting for high-protein snacks if and when you snack is a bonus! Patriel Dunford CPT, PN-2 Last week we covered the concept of individualized programming and why it is so valuable for creating rapid and long term progress. This week we want to dive a bit deeper and talk more about the behavioral side of individualized programming. Human beings, while similar, are all unique in their own way. This can manifest itself in several ways. Some people prefer certain movements and others don't. Some movements feel great for certain people and not so great for others. Some people respond better to certain movements while others don't. This is just one of the few reasons why we individualize our programs. Scientifically individualized programming will lead to the most rapid results. Behaviorally individualized programs lead to the most enjoyment. There are a few other key reasons why we chose to individualize the programs that we create for people. One is the stages of life. Life stage encompasses where an individual is currently at in their lifetime. In order to explain this clearly I want to explore the concept of allostatic load. Allostatic load is the cumulative amount of stress that one is under at any given point in time. In order to understand allostatic load fully one must first understand the domains of stress. The graphic below taken from University of Michigan illustrates the different domains of stress at any given time. Each of these domains creates a cumulative stress load known as allostatic load. The key here is that stress load within the body is cumulative. At any given time there are factors within ones control as well as factors outside ones control. The amount of stress training provides is one factor that we have control over as coaches. When one of our members goes through a stressful life period one of our immediate responses is to adjust the intensity of their training so that their allostatic load doesn’t rise too high. While on this topic I also want to revisit another concept from last week's newsletter. Last week I talked about volume landmarks and how they apply to making progress and also maintaining progress. When an individual has less time to train the amount of training they are completing becomes more important. One concept that we utilize with our clients is reaching the minimum threshold for volume over a training week or MV (maintenance volume). Maintenance volume stands for the minimum amount of training that needs to be completed for an individual to maintain their current level of progress. During periods of high stress adjusting training commitments is one of the best ways to maintain and slowly build progress. When training is adjusted for life it allows people to make a smooth transition between stressful and non stressful periods of life. The final and most important reason we utilize individualized programming is to build what is known as self- efficacy. Self- efficacy is an individual's belief in themselves that they can complete and succeed in a given task. A common complaint that we have heard from our members is lacking knowledge on what movements to perform in the gym. Our goal is to help bridge this gap by helping our members set and reach their own meaningful goals. Setting and achieving meaningful goals is one of the best ways to ensure training will continue throughout life.
Stay tuned for next week where we will explore the concept of consistency and breaking the cycle of the all- or- nothing mindset. Patriel Dunford- CPT, PN-1 One of the pillars that we rest our business on is tailoring our programs to meet the needs of the individual in front of us. Before I get in to the reasons why an individualized program matters I want to first recount the experience that led to this decision. For as long as I can remember I wanted to get stronger. After a few years of trying to do it on my own unsuccessfully I decided it would be best to hire a coach to get me there. The first coach I worked with used a cookie cutter template that he applied to all of the people that he worked with. For many of the lifters he trained it worked just fine. But, for me it did not work in the slightest. The problem with the program is the overall volume (amount of hard sets) was extremely low. The frequency of movement patterns (how often a movement is completed over a training week) was also very low. I worked with this coach for over a year and a half and had little to show for all of my efforts. After this experience I was in a pretty low place. I had spent lots of money, invested many hours of my valuable time, and worked hard for very little return on my investment. About six months later I met a coach that offered individualized programming and used science; things like volume landmarks, stress index, SRA cycles, and more to determine program application. In the exact same amount of time that I had worked with my previous coach I made exponentially more progress. This taught me how valuable following a structured, individualized program can be. Now that I have given you some background I want to explain a bit more about the science behind this concept. Most people are seeking some kind of adaptation from their training. For some it may be getting stronger, for others getting faster, and for others simply looking better. In order for these goals to be achieved some kind of adaptation must take place. In order for adaptation to take place the body must be challenged. The problem is every individual can handle different levels of challenge. This is why cookie cutter programs don't work for everyone. When we build a program for someone we take into account a few key concepts. These are volume landmarks, stress index, and SRA cycles. Volume landmarks explain that every individual needs a certain amount of hard sets per week to either; maintain progress, build progress slowly, or build progress maximally. Using volume landmarks allows us to find the correct dose of hard training that will exponentiate progress for particular lift of muscle group. These landmarks while similar do vary from person to person and when individualized can lead to exponentially greater progress. This graphic borrowed from RP Strength shows the varying levels of volume needed to achieve desired outcomes. MEV stands for minimum effective volume- or amount of hard sets needed to make some progress. MAV- stands for max adaptable volume- or ideal amount of hard sets needed to make steady progress. MRV- stands for max recoverable volume- or the amount of hard sets the body can handle before excess fatigue occurs. MV- stands for maintenance volume- or the amount of volume needed to maintain progress. These matter due to the fact that there is only so much time in a given week to train. Also, the body can only recover from so much. When we build programs for our clients we take into account their goals and put their primary movements at higher volumes and their lower priority movements at lower volumes. This allows for exponentially faster progress than simply following a cookie cutter program. Stress index is the concept that every body can handle a certain amount of stress over a given time period. For the sake of this post I will use the example of a training week. When programs are individualized the chance of negative outcomes from training (lack of progress, fatigue, or even injury) are reduced. Finding the appropriate dose of stress that each individual can handle allows us to build programs that get people to where they want to be in the easiest way possible. This graphic taken from Tim Gabbett explains the concept of what is known as Acute Chronic Workload Ratio. What this concept explains is that the body has a sweet spot for stress. This sweet spot is different for each person and when found can lead to ideal progress while reducing risk of injury from training. We build our programs progressively to allow each person we work with to slowly build a tolerance to stress keeping them progressing at a rate they are happy with without creating excessive fatigue. In our next article I will cover why this matters for busy periods of life as training too little can also lead to increased risk of fatigue and injury when returning to training. SRA cycles are a concept that explains each individual will have a natural Stress, Recovery, and Adaptation cycle to training. Another way that I like to frame this concept is known as time to peak. Time to peak explains the concept that every individual will have a "peak" training week after a certain amount of time. When this cycle is maximized and used repeatedly it can exponentiate the amount of progress an individual is able to make by taking advantage of peak weeks of training. This graphic borrowed from Brett Contreras illustrates this concept. The body needs a period of time to adapt to the stressors placed on it. Staggering certain movements throughout a training week and taking advantage of each individuals SRA cycle can allow us to take full advantage of what is known as supercompensation. This occurs when the body has adapted to the first bout of stress (workout). Utilizing this model allows our clients to make exponentially greater progress and train to their bodies individual rhythm.
This is just a glimpse into why we choose to tailor our programs to the needs of each individual person. Stay tuned for part two next week where I will explore the concept of individual goals and training through stages of life. Patriel Dunford - CPT, PN-1 Permanently changing behavior is a difficult task. Most people know what things in life they would like to change. However, many struggle to put the pieces together and create lasting change. I think failed behavior change attempts are caused by two things.
The first is trying to change too many things at once. The unfortunate part about humans is that we are lazy (not in the way you might think). Our brains are extremely efficient and create what are called habit loops and routines. These habit loops and routines account for as much as ninety- five percent of all behavior. If behavior change is too aggressive it works against the natural order of our brain and makes things pretty difficult. The second is failing to break down significant change into smaller more manageable chunks. Say someone has the goal of losing 100 pounds of weight. In order to successfully lose 100 pounds they firs have to learn how to lose one pound. In scenarios like these some people get so caught up on the big goal that they lose sight of the small changes that need to occur to make that larger goal a reality. Most of the clients I have worked with struggle more with "how" of behavior change rather than the knowledge or the why behind it. Most people know what they want to change and many have some knowledge on what changes need to be made. But, they lack a framework that successfully moves them from their current state to their goals. My job as a coach is to bridge the gap between where someone currently is and where they would like to be in their health and fitness. That is why I have created a five step process that makes behavior change more manageable. Let me share it with you. Step 1: Create a wellness vision This is the second most important step in the process. A wellness vision is a present statement that combines goals and actions necessary to get there. For example my wellness vision is; "I am Pat and I live in a body I am happy with. I wake up rested each day ready to take on my goals. I feel strong and confident each day because I train regularly and fuel my body with nutritious foods that agree with me. I have a healthy balance between work and life that allows me to enjoy what I do and also live a good life". To be clear this statement encompasses what is called "deep health" also known as the multiple facets of health (physical, emotional, social, existential, environmental, and mental). This statement can be as simple or as complex as you like. The importance of this wellness vision is it gives you something to work towards. This is especially helpful when you face barriers along the change process. Step 2: Determine what skills are necessary for success Once the vision is created one must break it down into smaller chunks. What are the skills necessary to achieve the desired outcome? I use a framework originally created by Precision Nutrition, one of the worlds largest certifying bodies of nutrition coaches. It is called the GSPA model and its breaks the larger Goal into Skill, Practices, and daily Actions. Using the example above my necessary skills are: adequate sleep, regular exercise, eating nutrition foods, work life balance. Once skills are determined these can further be broken down into necessary practices and daily actions. For example: eat nutritious foods could be broken down into; eat five to seven servings of fruits and vegetables daily. This could then be crafted into a daily action of eating vegetables with dinner each night. Step 3: Determine a starting action and test confidence This step builds off of the GSPA model and creates a starting action to begin the process. The key here is to choose an action that is so simple that it is almost impossible to fail instituting it. It doesn't matter how small the action is. What matters is that you can successfully follow through on it. Once an action is determined it is time to test confidence. Confidence testing is simple. Ask yourself; "On a scale of one to ten how confident am I that I will follow through on this action this week?" If the answer is anything below a nine I would highly recommend shrinking the action step to make it more doable. Remember the size of the action doesn't matter. What matters is your ability to follow through on it. Step 4: Anticipate and plan for barriers This step is VITAL for long term success. Barriers are going to emerge along the change process. It is easier to tackle them if they are anticipated beforehand. A skill we can use to plan for barriers is known as if- then planning. The concept is; if this occurs then I will (fill in action here). Using the example above; if I run out of fresh vegetables then I will use a backup bag of frozen veggies from the freezer. This planning can be as simple or thorough as you like. But, the better you plan the more likely you are to be successful. Step 5: Test, assess, and plan for the future This is the most important step in behavior change. Without action change cannot happen. When talking action it is important to test your behaviors, assess how well they went, and then plan for the future. If a behavior went well it can be stacked with another habit. For example; when eating vegetables with dinner I will also eat a helping of lean protein. Making the current habit bigger is another strategy that can be used. Using the previous example; vegetables can be added to meals outside of dinner. If the action didn't go so well there are three options available. The first is simply trying again. The second is to shrink the action step. In the example above a full serving of vegetables could be shrunk to a half serving. The last option is to focus on an entirely new habit if the first really isn't working. In order to decide on any changes I recommend giving the original habit a minimum of two weeks of practice. This time frame seems to work well with the clients that I work with. If you made it all the way to the end, congratulations! You now have a framework that you can use in your life to create lasting change! If you still feel overwhelmed by the process of change No Sweat! We can help! Click the link below to schedule a meeting with one of our qualified coaches! I've coached a lot of people in my eight plus years as a health and wellness coach. In that time frame I've heard the phrase "I'm going to start fresh on Monday" more times than I can count. Other phrases that come to mind are "Well I already broke my diet, might as well keep going" or "I didn't start the week off great so I might as well start up next week". All of these phrases are your enemy.
I know the phrase "something is better than nothing" has been said one too many times. But, this statement can really level up your attempts at health and wellness. Let me use the example of working out: Imagine this past year your goal was to complete three workouts per week. Now imagine that fifty percent of those weeks didn't go the way you planned. Maybe you missed your first workout of the week which turned into an entire week of doing nothing. Now imagine that instead of falling victim to the all- or- nothing mindset you decided to complete at least one workout on weeks that didn't go as planned. Over a one year period you would have completed an extra fifty- two workouts. We can apply this thought process to nutrition as well. Imagine that every time you "indulged more than you wanted" you fell victim to the all or nothing mindset. Instead of eating a heavy dish at dinner and moving on you chose to have dinner, cake, ice cream, and raid the snack pantry once you got home. The dinner alone may not have been enough to set you back. However, deciding to eat everything under the sun will most likely leave you feeling awful and feeling that much further from your fitness goals. The concept is simple, just do your best. I work with a lot of type a clients. They strive to do their best. But, at times this mindset can throw them off track. There are a few examples that come to mind. I have a girl I train that would skip entire weeks of her training if she knew she couldn't complete all three days. I have another woman that I train who would skip her sessions completely if she was going to be more than fifteen minutes late. The way that I handle conversations like these is usually very similar. My question is "Do you think that mindset could be holding you back?" I know this topic isn't "sexy" and you've probably heard this concept a million times over. But, if you break free from the all or nothing mindset you will most definitely make more progress than if you constantly try to "start fresh" every time you run into a situation that doesn't go your way. This story is very personal to me. This topic is even more personal to me. Over four years ago my father passed away. When that happened my beliefs around health, exercise, and life in general changed. My father, like most of the clients I work with, was a busy guy. He was busy selling all of his time and energy for The American Dream. He spent his weeks working long hours as a truck driver. He spent his weekends either working on his house or working on his side business. His goal was always to work really hard and then peacefully enjoy retirement. Except, that never happened.
My father, like most people, struggled to stay on track with his health and fitness goals. He would exercise for a period of time. Then he would fall off. The cycle would repeat itself a couple times every year or so. Most of the time his stress levels were through the roof. Most of that stress could have been avoided. He also carried a lot of extra weight that effected his health. Growing up watching my fathers example I too made many of these mistakes. I sold my soul to work, lost copious amounts of sleep, and lived a high stress life for a long time. But, when my dad got sick, and later passed it really made me take a look at my own priorities. I think the lesson will resonate with some of you. I got into my career in the fitness industry at a relatively young age. I was twenty- two when I began coaching. I remember having conversations with my father about taking his health more seriously. Partaking in exercise more often, making different choices with his eating, etc. I remember he would always have a reason why he couldn't do it; I have too much going on, I like eating the way I do now, etc. I really wish he had taken a look at the big picture. I have been coaching now for over eight years. In my time coaching I've had thousands of these conversations. I see the same patterns in a lot of the people I work with. They sell their souls to work. They invest big money into their homes and cars. Most of them are silently ignoring their gradually rising waistline and blood pressure. If this strikes a chord with you I want to pose a question; what is the fucking point? When your clock expires your job will have your position filled within a months time, maybe less. The nest egg you've been shelling away for retirement will get passed on to the next generation. Now, don't get me wrong, I see nothing wrong with hard work and having nice things. But, not if it comes at the price of your health. This is where the point of this post comes in, look at the big picture. In the big picture you can replace your career, you can replace your car, you can replace your home, but you cannot replace yourself. Shouldn't investing in yourself be your top priority? You're right there aren't any guarantees, but investing into yourself gives you a greater chance at beating the odds of life. Investing in your health might make other things take a bit longer. Maybe you can't redo your kitchen for another year or so. Perhaps that promotion at work takes a bit longer than you expected. But, if at when it does happen at least you will be healthy enough to enjoy it. To hit this point home I want to share one last piece of the story. I remember right before my father got sick he built this beautiful deck on the back of the house. He had grand schemes of having all of his friends over and enjoying the summer nights with my mom in front of a nice roaring fire. My parents used that deck a handful of times before my father got too sick to enjoy it. It broke my heart and still does to think about this. So, what's the point? Focus on your health. I'm not just talking about getting active and eating well. Keep your stress levels in check. Take some time for yourself. Don't work yourself to death. If my father had made his health a higher priority it may not have saved his life. But, unfortunately we will never know. I am willing to bet it would have made a difference. Next time you think you're too busy, look at the big picture. Achieving a big goal can be a daunting thing to think about. The amount of time, effort, and tenacity achieving a big goal takes can seem unappealing. That’s why it is best to break down bigger goals into bite sized chunks. When I first became PN (Precision Nutrition) certified two years ago I was introduced to the GSPA model. This model describes how we can break down bigger goals into smaller, more manageable, daily actions. GSPA stand for goals, skills, practices, and actions. Each tier in this model represents a piece of the puzzle when working towards a big goal. Let’s start from the top and work or way down.
G- Goals This is the big picture. This is the dream physique. The dream feeling. The waking up every day thriving. This is where it all starts. This piece provides the direction that will guide all decision making during the process. In this step the goal is to create a meaningful picture of what you want and why you want it. For example; feeling better, is not a good big picture goal. However; I want to feel better so that I feel confident at work and feel great in my body every day, is a much clearer and meaningful goal. During this step I want you to think deeply about what you want and the why behind it. Once this is established it’s time to move on. S- Skills Skills are the behaviors that allow the big picture goal to be achieved. For example, someone that feels good every day will need some skills to achieve that. There’s a good chance they won’t be stuffing their face with processed food and missing out on sleep on a regular basis. At this stage it is important to determine what types of behaviors are needed to achieve the big goal. Using the example above a few skills I can think of include; eating foods that fuel and nourish the body, moving regularly and often, and getting restful sleep more often than not. These behaviors, practiced regularly should allow for the big goal to be achieved. During this part of the process I have found that determining two to four big skills is a good starting point for most goals. P- Practices Practices are the next tier in the GSPA model. Practices are what allow skills to be built. During this stage it is best to think about what smaller actions need to be completed to build a skill. Using the example above of eating foods that fuel the body a few practices that I can think of include; eating regularly throughout the day, eating a lean protein source with every meal, eating some type of vegetable with every meal. Practices give us direction to figure out what actions need to be worked on. In this scenario let’s say this person was only eating protein once per day. In order to achieve the larger goal they will have to up their protein intake. Figuring out clear practices allows the setting of clear and concise daily actions. A- Actions This is where the big goal is finally broken down into actionable steps. Using the practices created from the last step we can figure out what daily habits need to be built. Continuing with the example above concerning regular protein intake. If this person struggles with consistent protein intake we first need to determine why that is. Do they not like protein rich foods? Do they not enjoy cooking? Are they crunched for time and in a rush? These details are important when figuring out what actions to work on. Let’s say this person is very busy and doesn’t have the time to cook. This problem could be solved by creating a weekly meal prep routine. Now instead of cooking every day this person can cook once during the week and have food ready for all days. This is a very crude example of how to use this model, but I hope this has shed some light on the steps necessary to break down a big goal into small manageable pieces. I have used this model to help hundreds of people get results on their schedule. I believe that with the right approach this model can work for everyone. If you have been struggling to reach your goals try using this model to break it down into more manageable pieces. |
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