In weight loss as in life, some people get to where they want to go and some people do not. You’ve probably heard hundreds of times that it is crucial to write your goal down. But do you know why this step is so important? When you put pen to paper you turn your thoughts into something tangible. I suspect that’s why statistics show that only 2% of Americans actually write down their goals.

Here is an amazing fact: Of the entire 1953 graduating class of Yale University, only 3% had clearly defined and written goals. Twenty years later, that same 3% of the class had a net worth greater than the combined net worth of the entire 97% of the rest of the class. Let’s go over 9 steps in goal setting that you can apply to your weight loss goals and for any life goal to get you where you want to be.

1. DETERMINE YOUR PRESENT POSITION. If you were to ask me how to get my house, I would first ask you, where are you? To reach your weight loss goals you need to know more than just your present weight but you also should know your blood pressure, cholesterol, resting heart rate, and other data that may require a trip to the doctor. You should do an honest assessment of your emotional, spiritual and relational health because, believe it or not, it is all related.

For decades, maybe centuries, the push up has been the mainstay of the military’s workout regimes, and why not. It is a great exercise for chest, biceps, shoulders, and indirectly strengthens the core because of the position that is necessary to execute them properly. It is also a mainstay in circuit training, particularly bodyweight circuits. But what if you are not strong enough to do a standard push up? On the other hand, what if you have mastered the standard and wish to provide more difficulty? What if you are just plain bored with standard push ups? There are exercise variations. Variations allow you to modify the exercises to make them easier or more difficult. They also allow you to provide variety to your circuit training. Lets explore five different variations.

INCLINEDS are performed against a wall, on a chair, or a step where the head is higher than the feet. This variation is ideal for the person that is not quite ready for the standard push up and is working their way up to it. The head level can be adjusted lower and lower as the person gains strength until they are ready to perform a standard push up.