It is common for clients to come to us with specific goals in mind. Whether it’s to lose 20 pounds, compete in a functional fitness competition, or get a stronger squat, most clients are thinking about where they want to be in the next few months and years.

Having tangible short-term goals is a great way to stay connected and find inspiration to workout, but at OPEX South Lake we go one step further and ask, “what’s next?”

Your OPEX Coach doesn’t just want to know where you plan to be in a year or two, they want to know where you see yourself at the age of 80. Having a long-term vision of what you are training for is essential to make sure there is alignment between what you want now and what you want in 50 years time. 

If there is a disconnect between your short-term and long-term goals, eventually these things will come into conflict. Let’s illustrate this with a couple of examples.

Zach, age 25, wants to back squat 600lb. Zach also tells his coach his long-term goal is to look and feel good, stay off medication, and be physically active for the rest of his life. 

Lucy, age 22, wants to compete in a figure competition. In 5-10 years time, Lucy wants to have a couple of kids. At the age of 80, Lucy still wants to be able to play with her grandkids. 

Zach and Lucy might be able to have both their short and long-term goals come to fruition, but there are some contradictions between them. In both cases, these two want to train for some pretty impressive and extreme performance goals today, with the goal of longevity and health in their later years. 

The thing with training for performance is that it is not the same as training for health. The amount of training, the intensity, the lean mass requirements, the body fat percentages and the general stress of training for a sport-specific goal means that it is not always healthy. There is inevitable wear and tear on the body that comes from developing a monster squat, and is unfortunately hormonal disruption that can come from dieting and training for pure aesthetics. 

At OPEX South Lake, our coaches can absolutely help you with your performance goals. However, they will never lie to you and tell you that performance = health. There is always a price of admission to sport goals that may be contradictory to longevity, and they will make sure you understand any potential trade-offs. It is acknowledging this that is important and lets both the coach and client operate with integrity and remain inspired. 

This honest conversation is why our clients find their purpose through their experiences in fitness. Our coaches are masters at helping to connect the dots between your purpose, your goals, and your training. By doing this, they can reverse engineer back from the very end, to ensure that whatever you’re doing inside of the gym truly will serve your long-term goals. 

When you sit down for your initial consultation, and over time through your monthly consultations, an OPEX South Lake Coach will help you unpack your short and long-term goals so they can be sure that you fully understand why you’re working towards them. The key to success is not just goal-setting, it’s aligning today and tomorrow with your big-picture future.

Schedule a FREE Consultation with one of our Coaches today!