Tip: Stop Saying You Want to Get Big and Strong

Now count out 12 weeks from today and put a giant X on the spot. You now have just 84 days to reach your goal.

The consequences of missing the deadline? You end up letting yourself down. If the idea of that doesn't sting just a bit, your ego is way too big. Get a grip, buddy, nobody's that awesome.

Setting the timeline is a fundamental part of basic goal-setting, but the stumbling block most people trip over is that they never actually set goals, they just meander towards general ideas. The problem with chasing vague, unreachable things is that, eventually, the chase doesn't seem worth it, so you lose interest and fizzle out.

Ask any guy in the gym what they're training for and it's a safe bet you'll hear, "I wanna build size and strength." Do 'ya? Do 'ya really? Lemme guess, you also study "words" in school and had "food" for breakfast.

Specifics matter. And since we've already started to narrow the focus with a strict 12-week timeframe, the next step is choosing one of three things:

1. You can lose fat.
2. You can add size.
3. You can build strength.

Pick one. Only one.

With 12 weeks of dialed-in training and nutrition, you can get abs (for the first time in who knows when) or you can put on about 10-15 pounds of decent scale weight (not all lean muscle, but definitely not all jiggly bits) or you can increase a lift by a significant amount (maybe a plate a side if you're more of a beginner).

After you've picked the single goal, narrow the focus even more to have a better idea where you're headed. Are you carrying 30 pounds of gut over that hidden six-pack? Do you want to put on 15 pounds and finally weigh in at a solid 190? Has your overhead press been stuck at 155 for months?

The last step is choosing the right approach and then sticking to it. Hundreds of training routines and just as many nutrition plans mean you just have to grab the right goal-focused program and follow along.

This will almost-definitely require stepping outside your comfort zone instead of doing the kind of diet and training you've gotten overly comfortable with, but that's where the results are. Crack down and do the hard work for a few months. Your mind and body will benefit from the challenge.