Goal Setting

These days, I’m lucky. I get to have conversations each week with folks looking to join my gym. Many of these folks walk into my office into with only a vague idea of what they want. They say stuff like:

• lose weight
• get stronger
• feel better / have more energy

 These are fine reasons to work with a coach but, to be honest, these goals are a bit vague and non-descript. One person’s “get stronger” might be another’s complete specialization in a barbell strength sport. The term “weight loss” can mean literally anything.  

Building Long(er) Term Goals

In a somewhat arbitrary manner, I classify anything longer than 90 days as a long-term goal (LTG). While anything that can be done in less than 90 days is considered a short-term goal (STG). This seems to work well, 90 days is enough time to see results but not so long that the intention drops.

An athlete might want to improve their “health”. From there, we might ask, what are the most important health markers for this person? This list might look like:

• BMI
• Weight
• Blood pressure
• Cholesterol

In this particular example, I might suggest that we categorize our goals like this:

• STG (BMI / Weight)
• LTG (Blood Pressure / Cholesterol)

This make sense as BP and cholesterol should improve as the athlete reaches a more appropriate BMI and bodyweight. Similarly, we would expect to see a rather quick change in BMI and weight with regular exercise and better nutrition habits, while BP and cholesterol might take longer to respond.

STG & LTG

Setting SGT and LTG goals matter because they connect your daily effort to a bigger purpose. Anyone that’s set a goal and accomplished it will quickly tell you that while the finish line is great, the overall process can be boring, tedious, and hard. Somedays you just won’t feel like doing the thing.

Enter, short term goals and celebrations. At Brentwood Barbell, we call these Bright Spots, and we encourage the hell out of them.

Here’s an example:

• LTG (lose 20lbs)
• STG (lose 8-10lbs in 90 days)
• Bright Spot (I trained 3x this week, I’m down 2lbs since starting, I chose a high protein breakfast today).

The options for Bright Spots are limitless, and I’d encourage you to create a ton of them. Reward yourself (often) for putting in effort. Another way to think of Bright Spots is KPIs or key performance indicators. In other words, you could safely assume you’re making progress if you’re hitting Bright Spots / KPIs each day or week.

More Bright Spot Examples (these feed STGs which ultimately feed LTGs)

It’s important to remember you can check Bright Spots off NOW. They remove the guesswork and create momentum. The NOW part is important!

BS examples:

• Add 2.5–5 lbs. to the bar this week
• Hit your protein target today
• Get to bed by 10:00 p.m.
• Drink 80–100 oz of water
• Complete 3 strength sessions this week

These Bright Spots turn your long-term vision into concrete, repeatable steps. They’re small wins but small wins compound like interest.

Adults Over 40

After 40, your health and fitness progress requires more intention due to your time restrictions. Training, nutrition, and recovery are all fighting for spots on your calendar. You can (and should) use short-term goals keep you consistent, while long-term goals keep you motivated. Think of the hierarchy like this:

• Short-term goals drive behavior change.
• Long-term goals drive purpose.
• Together, they create results.

This is how you prevent the classic “start strong, fade out” cycle.

How Brentwood Barbell Helps You Set Both

Our coaching process is built around structured goal setting. Here are the steps we take to make sure each athlete is positioned for success.

• Step 1 — Free Consultation
  We learn your goals, history, lifestyle, and roadblocks.
• Step 2 — Foundations Program
  We teach you how to lift, progress, and build habits that actually stick.
• Step 3 — First 90 Days
  We dial in short-term actions: training consistency, small PRs, protein intake, recovery.
• Step 4 — Ongoing Check-Ins (goal reviews)
  We track long-term progress, adjust training cycles, and set new short-term targets.

This system works because it keeps you focused on what matters today while building toward the future you want.

Your Challenge (build 1 of each)

Here’s your challenge for the week. Select one outcome you want in the next 6–12 months. Next, choose one action you will complete in the next 7 days.

Write them down. Tell your coach. Show up. Repeat. This is the formula for progress: simple, effective, and built for real life.

Need some help getting started? Book a Meeting with one of our coaches and let us take out the guesswork. I also created a guide specifically for beginners called START Simple. It’s built for this sort of conversation. Want a copy? I’d be happy to send it over, just hop on the newsletter and reply START.

Hope this helps,

James