
TOPIC: Have You Accomplished Your Bodybuilding Goals This Year?

The Question:
As the year narrows down we begin to wonder how much progress we made throughout the year. We wonder if we've met our goals and how we can improve ourselves for the next year to come.
Have you accomplished all of your bodybuilding goals this year? Please describe what those goals were and how you made sure you met them.
Are you satisfied with your bodybuilding accomplishments this year? What made them successful?
Why didn't you meet all of your bodybuilding goals this year? If you didn't meet the goals then what will you do differently next year to make sure you complete them?
Will your bodybuilding goals be any different next year?
Show off your knowledge to the world!
The Winners:
Prizes:
1st place - 75 in store credit.
2nd place - 50 in store credit.
3rd place - 25 in store credit.
To use your credit, e-mail Will @ will@bodybuilding.com for more info.

1st Place - Dallas68
View This Author's BodySpace Here.

As the year narrows down we begin to wonder how much progress we made throughout the year. We wonder if we've met our goals and how we can improve ourselves for the next year to come.

This Year's Goals
Have You Accomplished All Of Your Bodybuilding Goals This Year? Please Describe What Those Goals Were And How You Made Sure You Met Them.
I believe I have surpassed many of my goals for this past year. In the December holidays of 2005, I had been told on the Bodybuilding.com forums that I needed to bring up my back. I of course found that to really increase your back size the lat muscles would have to be sufficiently developed.
Therefore I asked for a pull-up bar from Santa to do just that. That and many other exercises led to my back exploding, and I believe it to be my strongest point now.
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I found an old diary where I had scribbled down my goals for the year. I will list them as follows. Note that these were my goals - I shudder to think of where I was before.
A Bit Of Background Info:
I was overweight in my primary school - Thankfully rugby and the general good pressure from my peers steered myself towards muscle building. In high school rugby quickly made me skinny from the intense fitness practices.
I had a personal body complex and believed I was still fat which was very untrue as I look at pictures now of my earlier years in high school.
This would explain the low body fat percentage in the list of my goals, which is contradictory to the other goals. I have learned much of what is reasonably obtainable now.
My one stat I did have dated was the following: (24/12/2005) arms were thirteen and three quarter inches... cold. So this means I have gained two inches on my arms this past year.
My Goals For 2006 (Written In December Holidays):
Click Image To Enlarge.
Before & After.
Vital Stats:
Arms: 14.5"
Legs: 26.5"
Waist: 32.6"
Body Fat: 9%
Weight: 187 Lbs.
Bench: over 154 pounds
Squat: over 264 pounds
Deadlift: over 354 pounds
Of course there is a myriad of goals here some which can bring conflict to the other.
I want to take you through how my year has progressed and how my body has dramatically changed for the better.
I really have been much more focused these last four months of the year, achieving perhaps all my gains in this time period. I progressed through a massive bulking up program which went from three-thousand calories to an unprecedented amount which I recall could have easily been over five thousand calories.
I ate day and night in the process - gaining strength, size and way too much fat. I had once forced myself to eat three quarters of an oatmeal box in one sitting which I believe was at least two-thousand five hundred calories, add milk and you can see I was really gaining too fast and in the wrong way.
My arms swelled to fifteen and a half inches cold, legs finally reached their mark, my waist was out of control but I weighed 199 pounds at 5'7". I am now benching one hundred and ninety-four pounds for a one rep max. I am still struggling with squat but aiming on strengthening this further in the New Year which brings new beginnings. My strongest deadlift is now three hundred and seventy pounds.
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My body fat had risen to eighteen percent and I finally said I feel too lethargic and unfit now. I cut myself down to one hundred and eighty pounds at twelve percent body fat in this past month and a half. With that my arms came down to fifteen and three quarter inches, my waist went from thirty six inches to a comfortable thirty three inches. My bench is still the same and I believe my other stats are as well.
All in all I am happy with how I have progressed this year, I have gained more size than I had set myself to gain, and I have now brought my body under control again. In this process I have learned valuable lessons and will never make any of the same mistakes which arose.
Another goal which I was always mindful of was to bench more than I weigh. Now I weighed one hundred and seventy eight pounds on the day I benched one hundred and ninety four pounds which means my strength has changed impressively this year.
I believe this last quarter of the year is when I gained much of my new strength and size.
The only negative which I can attest to my excessively quick growth is stretch marks around my arms and chest. Yes it is a very clear marker for the hard work you put in, but it is not very attractive. Indeed I take these marks as a compliment but am now using an oil to lighten the marks so they are not so visible. They do work and you should go by a doctor's direction as to which products will work effectively.
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The interaction with the board members on this forum and generally reading up on all the information and crucial knowledge shared by all those who know what they are doing is what helps you to progress that bit further.
You must not be scared to experiment, yes I never wanted to see any fat on my body again after I had been so embarrassed about it in my youth, yet if I never ate over and above what I should have, I may never have gained what I have this year in terms of values like confidence, motivation and patience.
Bodybuilding is an incredible mind game which you must conquer everyday and night.
I do believe I am instinctive, I have my goals consistently running through my mind but if I feel I can achieve the goal sooner I will go for it. I won't wait another week because you should rest your body for X number of days before you attempt it.
I do not believe in that, if you feel you can do it, go for it. I had no spotter when I benched twenty two pounds more than usual, but I believed in myself and I then found that I could bench it. There is nothing more exciting than knowing you're stronger, which means you have gained more muscle. Now as a precaution you should have a spotter available.
You have to be ready to receive pain and anguish. I struggled to pull three hundred and forty eight pounds the one night on deadlift. But you must ask yourself, what is wrong, why can you not do it? You then must focus completely on the job at hand, bodybuilding is a thinking sport.
Click Image To Enlarge.
Dallas68.
The barbell was drenched in my palm's sweat. I went to get a towel dried it up. Then I felt my gloves were going to get in the way so I took them off. After all this I lifted it successively. This took a good ten minutes of frustration and thinking to finally lift all the way up.
Most people would have given up and blamed it on their previous chest workout but I say you are too weak-minded to be successful in the weight room. Take that extra edge off yourself of your humanity in the gym and bring everything you have got.
I am preaching going past your limits because that is precisely how I achieved maximal results this year.
After a heavy deadlift session I am literally shaking while I eat dinner. My central nervous system is in total shock but therefore it becomes adaptable to the pain.
Please remember this quote by a regular forum member:
"It's a lifestyle, not a 2 month project."
-Pu12en12g

Satisfied
Are You Satisfied With Your Bodybuilding Accomplishments This Year? What Made Them Successful?
I am indeed satisfied but am hungrier as I have gained further confidence and want to grow to even larger proportions and size. My ability to take punishment and large bucket loads of pain is what sets myself apart from much of my peer group and those around myself.
To be very honest I am kept together and marching on by a couple of things. Firstly would have to be my friends at my high school. They keep my spirits high as they all remark on my bodybuilding efforts. I am humble and do not ask for it, yet it does help you to hear comments to make you realize your efforts are appreciated.
Family is another large foundation. Without my parents I would never have had a weight room, without my brothers, I may not have learned my valued place in the hierarchal system, which is valuable to keep one sane. The last contribution which set off my whole muscle building journey is simply Animalpak.com, and the Animalpak.com manual which I have read to bits.
I remember each lesson one must understand to grow as a person and a bodybuilder. Knowing that these men believe in what you do provides much needed motivation in everyday nuances. These are those things which pass you by but what really keeps you afloat. Everyday you are held together by friends, family and other motivational people to make you successful.

Unmet Goals
Why Didn't You Meet All Of Your Bodybuilding Goals This Year? If You Didn't Meet The Goals Then What Will You Do Differently Next Year To Make Sure You Complete Them?
I believe I'm not at the body fat level I scribbled down (nine percent body fat) because it would not be viable or intelligent for me to go down to that level. I will lose too much strength and muscle building ability as the whole body is restricted from growing in an anabolic state.
I will change my perspective on diet though. I will stop myself from eating too many excess calories to keep the waist under control. I would like to hover around the percentage of body fat I have right now (thirteen percent), this next year I'm going to bring in a few new protocols to further my lean muscle gains.
Click Image To Enlarge.
Dallas68.
I am training earlier each day so I can try eating my carbohydrates earlier in the day and then after a cut off point I stop eating carbohydrates. I believe this will restrict the bloat which I am used to from the past. Then of course I will only be having protein and fats in the night.
I have been testing it out and I feel it works well. I will keep my calories to an optimum level with clean foods so that I gain dense hard muscle which I can be proud of and retain.

Next Year
Will Your Bodybuilding Goals Be Any Different Next Year?
Yes, this past year I was focused on simply growing larger for the sake of doing it I did not have as much ambition as I am feeling for this next year. My goals are very clear and I have a very good idea as to how I will achieve and be successful in them.
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Choose Your Goal Below.
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These past few months I have been watching professional bodybuilder's videos and have been learning about all the aspects of this profession. I have grown to be passionate about the livelihood of the brothers of iron. This is made even more complex by the fact that many of the people in our developed countries are obese, thus this gives my immediate future a boost - I will work towards creating a career for myself which will help these people find a healthier outlook on their lives.
I believe personal training to be effective in this side of this business. To work towards this goal is for me to now gain as much knowledge as possible, I will then be more confident after leaving school to attain the career I wish for.
However for now this next year it is going to be based on smaller goals which will be leading up to a further and more difficult one. I plan to compete in my early twenties and before I'm twenty I want to be "contest-size" so that when I do decide to walk into a show I will be on my own level.
I plan to do this by gaining as much pure lean muscle as is possible every week and every month. I am going to stick to one hundred percent clean foods without cheating with any fast foods, and will train harder than I have ever before. I do know this is a load of talk right now yet I will allow anyone to challenge all that I state here right now.
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I am extremely dedicated to this life as it changed my whole life upside down and inside out. The cold hard iron is my soul for which I push and pull but embrace everyday.
I love to live past the expectations of people so that when it is all said and done I am much better than the rest.
My Solid Plan:
My training will be based on Arnold Schwarzenegger's advanced training which is found in his book Encyclopedia Of Modern Bodybuilding. I did give this a test run and I gained a load of strength in that week. It indeed weakens you at first as you are not used to the volume of work but you will become used to the pain after consistent application.
My diet will be higher in protein nearing double my bodyweight in pounds and I will keep carbohydrates to be consumed before a certain time and if I am training late then only after the workout. This is what will keep my waist under control as I gain weight.
I will have to drastically improve my sleeping times. I do not have great sleeping cycles and I know this may impend on many important hormonal and anabolic factors. I swear to myself that I shall increase my sleeping times by sleeping earlier than I have in the past. I plan to do this by finishing everything I need to do in the early evening then relaxing until I drift off to sleep.
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In Summary
My training will be intensive, my diet plan will be strict and structured to my body type, and my sleeping will recover my aching body parts each day.
There is only one thing left to add here. Do you know what that is? Hydration! I have been good this last month or so as I have been drinking a good five liters of water each day. This helps to keep muscles looking full and flushes out anything in the body. It is the easiest improvement one could make to their livelihood. A jug of ice cold water to keep metabolism fired up and the muscles full. Does that sound good to you? It does to me.
It is said one can gain twenty-four pounds of lean muscle tissue in a year optimally and naturally without any androgenic exogenous hormones. If you break it down this is achievable with hard and dedicated work. When you think about it that is a lot of muscle in a year.
In a month that is two pounds of lean muscle, in a week that is naught-point five pounds. That is surely easy to accomplish and will result in a massive change in your bodies' composition. If this is done slowly and properly you may retain very close to the body fat you had twelve months earlier. Now doesn't that sounds awesome? Does that motivate you to pay more attention to your diet and training? Good now do it! I am.
I look forward to anyone else who is looking to hit the professional bodybuilding stage one day, perhaps I will meet you there. Thank you for reading.

2nd Place - Sciamach
View This Author's BodySpace Here.

As the year narrows down we begin to wonder how much progress we made throughout the year. We wonder if we've met our goals and how we can improve ourselves for the next year to come.

This Year's Goals
Have You Accomplished All Of Your Bodybuilding Goals This Year? Please Describe What Those Goals Were And How You Made Sure You Met Them.
My freshman year in college was one of the most tumultuous years of my life and in hindsight I grew more as a person and as an athlete. Ever since junior high I was a serious basketball player and my dream was to play in college.
Most of my free time was spent either studying or training which reduced my social life to essentially nothing. I illegally transferred high schools to escape an abusive coach and unfortunately a lot of parental politics ruined my career at the new high school. Still, I was recruited to play at the college I currently attend only to have my dream shattered when I was kicked off the team for "Not fitting in right."
Click Image To Enlarge.
Sciamach.
The loss of my dream goal coupled with a transition to college life (which in my case included a guy who wreaked havoc on my social life) caused my downward spiral to despair. For months I didn't have the motivation to do anything. In my competitive basketball days I lifted, but not as regularly as I would have liked since skill work took precedence.
One day I re-visited this bodybuilding site and some of the articles inspired me to try a serious lifting routine and sparked my dream to one day compete in a bodybuilding competition (and, some day, I wanted to win). I wrote down some goals and posted them on the ceiling above my bed as motivation. I wanted to do 15 consecutive pullups, squat 220 pounds, and most of all, to reduce my body fat percentage to 10% or less and compete in a show.
The most drastic change I made was creating a rigid diet plan. Never before had I counted macros or had a notebook to track my food. Rigid training regimens and diet plans also helped me manage my time better��"I did not allow myself to make excuses and miss meals or workouts.
A few months after I started my program, I reached my goal of 15 pullups and squatted 220 lb for three reps. Most importantly, I entered my first bodybuilding competition in April. I was not as prepared as I had hoped but I had met my goal of summoning the courage to step on stage.
Click Image To Enlarge.
I Summoned The Courage To Step On Stage.
My first show motivated me to try again six months later. That time, I reached my goal of being under 10% body fat. Ultimately, all the rejection and negative comments from people in my life kept me focused on what I wanted to accomplish.

Satisfied
Are You Satisfied With Your Bodybuilding Accomplishments This Year? What Made Them Successful?
Overall I am satisfied with what I have accomplished so far. However, I could not have been successful without the help of my family and friends. On days when I felt discouraged they would encourage me to keep working. Also, my parents began reading nutrition books I recommended and now my mother doesn't buy any more unhealthy food.
This not only helps my family follow a healthy diet but also takes away temptation. During my transformation I returned to the bodybuilding forums and found many members there very supportive. Most importantly, I learned about balance. In Fight Club, Tyler Durden says,
"This is your life and its ending one minute at a time."
Though it is good to take training seriously, its important to spend quality time with people who are important in your life. To quote Layne Norton:
"A truly great bodybuilder is not a selfish person,
a truly great bodybuilder finds a way to integrate
bodybuilding into their life in a way that they can
still enjoy their life, fulfill their familial duties,
hang with their friends and still excel in bodybuilding."

Unmet Goals
Why Didn't You Meet All Of Your Bodybuilding Goals This Year? If You Didn't Meet The Goals Then What Will You Do Differently Next Year To Make Sure You Complete Them?
The goal I still haven't reached is placing first in a bodybuilding competition. At my previous show, the judges told me that I got second place because of my posing. Thus, my goals for next year will include learning how to pose.
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Next Year
Will Your Bodybuilding Goals Be Any Different Next Year?
I will also try to gain muscle mass with no (or minimal) fat gain. I have never gone on a bulk before so I need to plan out a clean bulk diet plan.
Click Image To Enlarge.
Sciamach.
Before I add more mass, I am currently working on increasing my core strength base with Ross Enamait's fifty day program. Some of his intense workouts include one arm pullups and one legged squats. Some of my goals now include being able to do 1 one-armed pullup per arm, 10 one-armed pushups per arm, and one legged squats without having to hold on to anything.
Bodybuilding has merged with my daily life in such a way that it is no longer a sport but rather a lifestyle. In this upcoming year I want to also incorporate more balance in my life. Sometimes I have been too rigid with my routines and the cost was invaluable time I could have spent with family or friends.
I believe bodybuilding is one of the most difficult sports because it requires so much discipline. Discipline crosses all categories, but is most relevant with regard to lifestyle. You need to live your beliefs. If you believe you can do something, then you'll find yourself able to. Don't work as hard as you have to ��" work as hard as you can. Then work harder. You'll shoot right through your goals and keep going strong.
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"One man has enthusiasm for 30 minutes,
another for 30 days, but it is the man who has
it for 30 years who makes a success of his life."
-Edward B. Butler

3rd Place - Blap Blaow
View This Author's Bodyspace Here.

As the year narrows down we begin to wonder how much progress we made throughout the year. We wonder if we've met our goals and how we can improve ourselves for the next year to come.
Setting clear goals are the cornerstone of bodybuilding and personal improvement. They allow the athlete to determine how to develop and structure progress training, nutrition and rest and help keep us motivated by providing both long and short term focus.

This Year's Goals
Have You Accomplished All Of Your Bodybuilding Goals This Year? Please Describe What Those Goals Were And How You Made Sure You Met Them.
Quite simply, no.
While I have achieved many of the goals I have set myself this year I cannot yet say I've achieved all of them. My short and long term bodybuilding goals for 2006 were:
To Bring Up My Wheels:
Like many newbies, in the first year of training my legs suffered from severe under training. While they certainly developed significantly in size and strength through 2005 I made it a point to make leg day one of my priorities in 2006.
For me, this has paid off significantly and has been a great success. Incorporating more lower body work has helped me improve core stability and strength, make me less injury prone and increase overall lean body mass. Ultimately, I have a more balanced and stronger physique. Leg day is now one of my favorites.
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To Develop My Back:
I have always felt my back to be a weak point. Coming into 2006 I felt that I lacked upper body 'thickness' and realized that unproductive back training was a significant part of the problem.
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Switching up my workouts and utilizing new back exercises helped tremendously. Through trial and error I was able to find back exercises I both enjoyed and which proved effective and as such my back thickness developed quite quickly into a strong feature.
At the beginning of summer I received my first unsolicited comment specifically on how thick and full my back was looking and it's only gotten better from there.
To Increase Cardiovascular Fitness:
I came into bodybuilding from an athletic/cross country background. Thus cardio/running used to be an almost daily activity. Looking to increase mass I slowly decreased my cardiovascular activity to the point where it became neglected. Unfortunately it has remained this way for much of the year.
Incorporating cardio into long training sessions is something that I'm currently struggling with but, having just set myself new goals for Spring 2007, I feel that cardio will once again become a significant feature of my training.
To Receive More Unsolicited Comments On My Physique:
This is something we all love: having someone out of the blue tell you that you're looking leaner, stronger, bigger and better. While I certainly don't train for comments of others having your progress confirmed independently is always a great feeling. This year I managed to see dozens of people I had lost contact with over the years and received unsolicited comments on my physique from most. Progress!
To Become More Involved 'Behind The Scenes' With Bodybuilding & The Supplement Industry:
Earlier this year I was fortunate enough to become a rep for Serious Nutrition Solutions. Not only have I had the opportunity to develop strong relationships with the guys 'behind the scenes' I have also had the opportunity to learn more about some processes involved in getting us our supplements as well as getting first hand info on some of the rumors!

Satisfied
Are You Satisfied With Your Bodybuilding Accomplishments This Year? What Made Them Successful?
Overall, yes I am satisfied with my bodybuilding accomplishments this year. I'm bigger and stronger than ever and, with solid training and nutrition, I am still progressing steadily. I have a lot more experience with training methodology and a bigger pool of experiences and resources from which I can pull to help me achieve my goals in the future. While I did not hit every single one of my goals, the failures just give me more focus for next year.
Most of my short term goals are set within a 3-4 month timeframe. I find setting myself a target within a 3-4 month range provides me with a number of benefits. It's short-term enough for me be able to keep motivation up and see myself moving closer to my goals from week to week, workout to workout.
It also allows enough flexibility to be able to reassess long term goals or the route I take towards achieving them without having wasted time going through an unproductive path and not reassessing my strategy earlier.
This strategy of setting myself short-mid terms goals and identifying methods I can use to achieve them has been invaluable in keeping me on track.
Ultimately however, the only thing that keeps me from going to the gym is the motivation within. The feeling of stress relief and personal satisfaction is unparallel and whatever my goal this is what keeps me going back for more.

Unmet Goals
Why Didn't You Meet All Of Your Bodybuilding Goals This Year? If You Didn't Meet The Goals Then What Will You Do Differently Next Year To Make Sure You Complete Them?
I think the main reason why I fell short of some of my goals this year was through not being clear enough with myself in setting my objectives. Often achieving long term goals require short term goals which may seem contradictory and the trick is to prioritize within that long term framework.
Being a naturally small person I have been bulking for most of the year and, as such, increasing my level of cardio seemed counterproductive to an extent. Now that I have attained my short term size goal I can refocus my efforts toward developing overall fitness and reducing body fat for the next 3-4 months.
Side by side these goals have been difficult to achieve and almost conflict but as part of my long term progress they compliment each other nicely.
So what will I be doing differently next year? Quite simply prioritizing goals and setting them with greater clarity within my long term framework. Bodybuilding is all about learning.

Next Year
Will Your Bodybuilding Goals Be Any Different Next Year?
Yes and no.
In the long term my goals will remain the same. While I'm not a competitive athlete I have considered competing in the BNBF (British Natural Bodybuilding Federation) in the 2008-2009 season. Therefore my long term objectives and the nutrition, rest and training goals with remain the same although the methods I use will undoubtedly change with experience. Whether or not I do compete - I will try as if I am and see where I am at when the time comes. I'm not in a rush.
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In the short term my goals change frequently. That way I can keep motivation up by having a short-mid term focus and by attaining goals frequently. I find that short-mid term goals also act as a measure of how well I am progressing toward my long term goal. As I have already said I am currently shifting my training slightly to increase emphasis on cardiovascular training for the next 3-4 months. I may even get back to a competitive cross country run next summer.
Once you attain one goal you have a whole new set of challenges to overcome.

3rd Place - redhawk76
View This Author's BodySpace Here.

As the year narrows down we begin to wonder how much progress we made throughout the year. We wonder if we've met our goals and how we can improve ourselves for the next year to come.

This Year's Goals
Have You Accomplished All Of Your Bodybuilding Goals This Year? Please Describe What Those Goals Were And How You Made Sure You Met Them.
After my senior year of football, I tipped the scales at 292 lbs. Finally seeing a picture of myself, along with the overwhelming fear of reaching 300 lbs., made me realize it was time for a change. For the year of 2006 I had two goals. One which was short term: begin exercising regularly and lose up to 20 pounds, and a very optimistic long term goal of one day weighing less than 200 lbs., a weight I had not been at since middle school.
My short term goal came much sooner than expected, as I realized that cleaning up my diet and exercising made a huge difference. I am pleased to say that as of two weeks ago I have reached my long term goal, and am finally under 200 lbs. I developed other goals along the way included maintaining strength, and hoping for a six pack.
Initially I got my weight down to 225 lbs. without a problem, but I was losing a lot of muscle mass in the process. I continued to lift while losing weight, but didn't quite understand the importance. Not until I discovered Bodybuilding.com, mainly the forums, did I realize the importance of lifting for losing weight.
My outlook was completely changed as I switched to 6 small meals a day, which I believe is the number one reason I was able to achieve my goals. I also began concentrating on PWO nutrition more, and read everything I could on nutrition.
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While eating 6 meals a day I was able to keep my cravings under control and eventually developed a diet where I never cheated. I met these goals by following a day in day out routine, as opposed to my initial approach of eating less and working out a couple times a week.

Satisified
Are You Satisfied With Your Bodybuilding Accomplishments This Year? What Made Them Successful?
I am extremely satisfied with my accomplishments this year, as I have never been a happier person. Bodybuilding has changed my outlook on life, and more importantly made me a much better person. Because of bodybuilding I no longer drink alcohol, I am becoming much more mature and my work ethic jumped through the roof.
I take the bodybuilding mentality with me everywhere, and I go 100% with everything I do. I am doing much better in college because of bodybuilding. The number one reason my goals were a success was because I stick to the plan. I used to get discouraged when I would gain even a pound, even when it was obviously water weight.
I now weigh myself much less often and know that I am getting results because everything I do is so fine tuned it has to work, and it has been for so long. Never again will I allow myself to approach an unhealthy weight, and I am so happy knowing that. I've learned so much about the dangers of obesity throughout this year, and am happy to know that I am not at risk any longer.
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Unmet Goals
Why Didn't You Meet All Of Your Bodybuilding Goals This Year? If You Didn't Meet The Goals Then What Will You Do Differently Next Year To Make Sure You Complete Them?
Although I met all the goals I initially planned, I still have some minor regrets from this year. Had I known the importance of weight lifting and nutrition I would have been able to spare a lot more muscle mass. I only had a real bodybuilding routine and diet for about 8 months this year, which caused me to lose muscle mass at the beginning of the year.
I also have learned to never set a weight for a goal, as that is clearly not important. If I would have done everything properly, I could probably be 20 pounds heavier but with the same body fat. I now realize the number on the scale is not what is important.
This is a great experience for me however as I have learned what I need to do next year to be successful. I will continue to use all the tactics that I have learned this year and stay 100% consistent so I achieve my goals for next year.

Next Year
Will Your Bodybuilding Goals Be Any Different Next Year?
My bodybuilding goals for the year 2007 will be much different, and I can't wait to get started on them. By the time the New Year rolls around, I will be ready to attempt something I have never done before, gain weight. I plan on going into a clean bulk, and I have many goals.
By the end of next year I plan to be a lot bigger, but with a similar or even lower body fat. I don't want a number on the scale to shoot for however. More specifically I would like to have huge strong quads. After hurting my lower back my senior year I was unable to have intense leg routines, and eventually neglected training them somewhat. They are now my favorite body part to train, and I hope to get my squat up to about 415.
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My bench had gone down a great deal since football, and by next year I would like to be able to bench 365. Currently I bench 325, and at my peak in football I once put up 395. I also want to dramatically increase my deadlift, although I don't have a set number to shoot for as of yet.
Overall I simply want to continue my increase in maturity due to bodybuilding. Even if I do not reach all my goals, I will not be discouraged, for I know I am a better person because of this lifestyle.


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