Is your training SMART?

Do you ever feel like you're going nowhere despite training hard? Pushing yourself each class but not seeing any improvement week to week?

Many Martial Artists make the mistake of thinking that training hard = training well but that's not necessarily the case.

Whilst there is benefit to a getting a good work-out in class, we also need to make sure that our training has an end goal in mind and clear progression in order to get there. Working until you are fatigued can help improve cardio and stamina but doing the same thing week-in and week-out with no clear progression hinders rather than helps us in the long term.

This is where we have to make sure we train SMART and ensure our targets are:

• Specifc
• Measurable
• Acheiveable
• Relevant
• Time-Bound

Do this and you'll get the most out of your Martial Arts training

"I want to get better at Taekwon-Do"

We need to know where we are going to be able to plan how to get there. Our goals should be clear and specific, otherwise we won't be able to focus our efforts or feel truly motivated to achieve them.

We can say we want to be better at Taekwon-Do but what does that mean exactly? Try to answer some of the "W" questions:

• What do I want to achieve in particular?
• Why is this goal important?
• Who do I need to work with?
• Where do I need to take action?
• Which resources do I need?

So instead of saying "I want to get better at Taekwon-Do" we could say "I want to improve my footwork and movement in order to get improve my Taekwon-Do sparring" .

"I want a better side kick"

In order to stay motivated we need to ensure that our targets are measurable so that we can track progress and understand where we are in process.

How can we measure progress with our side kick? Does "better" mean a higher kick? a stronger kick? or do we want to develop a more technical kick?

A measurable goal should address questions such as:

• How much?
• How many?
• How will I know when it is accomplished?

"I want a better side kick" can then become "I want to increase the power in my side kick so that I can break two boards" .

"I want to be able to do a 540 kick"

The goals we select need to challenge us but not be so challenging that we will struggle to ever achieve them. SMART goals are all about staying motivated and working out clear plan of action. If your goal is to do a 540 kick, break that goal down into smaller goals first and use these as stepping stones to eventually get to where you want to go.

An achievable goal will usually answer questions such as:

• How can I meet this target?

• How realistic is the goal? are there other factors which will stop me from getting to where I need to be?

Whilst a 540 kick is definitely a great skill to have, for most it is not realistic so instead of "I want to be able to do a 540 kick" it would be better to first set our goal as "I want to be able to do a jump turning kick" .

"I want to run a marathon"

In setting out a training plan its important to make sure that our goals come together and are relevant to our overall objectives. It's easy to get side tracked with other objectives but if we want to progress we need to make sure our goals stay relevant to our overall training targets.

A relevant goal can answer "yes" to these questions:

• Does this seem worthwhile?
• Is this the right time to be focusing on this?
• Does this fit in with our other efforts/needs?

If we take the above example, being able to run a marathon means a high level of physical fitness but if our main aim is to improve our Taekwon-Do, working towards this goal will not necessarily fit well within our overall Martial Arts training plan. Instead of setting our goal as "I want to run a marathon" perhaps we should aim for "I want to be able to run 10K so that I have a strong cardio base for Taekwon-Do" .

"I want to earn my next belt"

Once we have ensured our goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable and Relevant, we also need to define exactly when we want to achieve them by. Having a deadline in mind helps to keep us focused and we'll be more likely to stick to the training plan.

In addition to the final deadline it's also a good idea to set yourself smaller milestones or check points so that you can assess how the training is going and whether you need to reassess what you are doing and if it is working.

To ensure that our goals are time-bound we should think about:

• When do I want to achieve this?
• What can I do six months?
• What can I do six weeks?
• What can I do today?

More often than not we tend to set ourselves goals which are open-ended. Instead of saying "I want to earn my next belt" it's better to say "I want to earn my next belt in the next 6 months" .

When it comes to being SMART, be prepared to ask yourself lots of questions. Doing so will help you decide on a plan of action and set you up for long term success.

Are you training SMART? We can help you train SMARTer through our structured programmes for Children, Teens and Adults. Contact Us to book your free trial session.