Setting goals

1. 2 pulls + 1 snatch: 65% x 3 x 2, or 80% of last week's best
2. Snatch pull: 80% x 5 x 2
3. Back squat: 65% x 5 x 2

I want to talk about setting goals. I think this is a topic that could use a lot more of our attention in the gym, especially in the context of weightlifting. People can accomplish incredible feats when driven by goals, and we can all benefit from laying out very specific goals for our strength and fitness and using those to motivate our hard work in the gym.

So what makes a good goal? Basically, we want specific, measurable, and and attainable yet challenging goals. A goal to "snatch and clean and jerk as much weight as genetically possible" is great, but it is not specific nor measurable. A specific and measurable goal is something like "snatch 120 and clean and jerk 150 by 2013/09/02", for example. Good goals have dates attached to them. It never ceases to amaze me how much more work I accomplish when up against a deadline, whether that be at work or in the gym. Having a date attached to your goal gives a sense of urgency that is a powerful motivator.

I also think it's important to have both short and long-term goals. The short-term goals are designed to help you achieve your long-term goals, and represent incremental progress in achieving those long-term goals. As an example, you might set a goal to snatch and clean and jerk a certain amount of weight a year from now. In the interim, you set goals for each 12-13 week cycle. That is, goals for each upcoming meet. These goals are increments of your one-year goal, and meeting these short-term goals keep you on track to achieve those long-term goals. They also give you a chance to adjust your training to meet your goals, or maybe adjust your long-term goals if we find out that your long-term goal was maybe a little too ambitious.

I read an article a few weeks ago by Jim Schmitz (former US Olympic team coach) that stated that a good goal for beginning weightlifters is to snatch what they clean and jerked in their first competition in one year. For example, if you clean and jerked 80 kg in your first meet, your goal might be to snatch 80 kg in a meet one year later. As far as the clean and jerk, well-balanced lifters typically snatch somewhere between 77%-82% of what they clean and jerk, according to hall of fame coach Bob Takano. Using this as a guideline, I might set my goal for the clean and jerk to be 100 kg if my goal is 80 kg in the snatch.

For some, goals less focused on actual numbers may be appropriate, especially in the short term. For example, there's quite a few of you who can power snatch or power clean darn-near or even more than you can full snatch or full clean. In order to snatch and clean and jerk what you are truly capable of, this trend needs to be reversed as soon as possible! For folks in this category, a good short-term goal is to full snatch or full clean more than they currently power snatch or power clean.

Along with each goal you establish for yourself, you should have a plan for how you are going to achieve that goal. Just writing down goals and putting them away in your workout log and hoping they take care of themselves is not a recipe for success. If your goal is to snatch and clean and jerk specific weights by a specific date, you should plan on consistent training from now until that date. For example, making it to at least 3 out of 4 training sessions every week (or better yet, 4 out of 4).

So, let's all be thinking about specific goals for ourselves, and let's talk about them next time you're in the gym!