Creating Realistic Strength Goals for Your Training Year
As I’m sitting down to write this, we are 14 days into 2024. The new year is notoriously known for suddenly sparking inspiration to change, do better, and achieve something novel. And while New Year’s Resolutions are a controversial topic (and an interesting discussion), that’s not the sole focus of this post.
A fresh span of 365 days can create an opportunity to reflect and redefine the future marked ahead- what you want to come of it. Many lifters take this into their athletic careers, prioritizing the potential opportunities in months to follow. Anyone who inherently positions that as a negative- views this subject from a shortsighted, ignorant lens. “Resolutions” don’t have to be a lofty, dramatic change from your life previously, setting you up to fail, basing your goals on timelines alone. They can be another chance for introspection, appreciation of how far you’ve come, and a reminder of the path you’ve taken.
The issue arises, specifically pertaining to Powerlifting, when expectations go unchecked, arbitrary end dates are predetermined, and your established ambitions oppose where you are now. This mentality is prevalent: many people approach their goals this way- at a detriment to themselves. Let’s explore how you can successfully spur growth in your athletic journey- that remains achievable, and help reframe that “New Year, New Me” mentality into one that’s more helpful. Because you can’t precisely plan how your year will go, throw out past versions of yourself, or reach a goal just because you’ve wished for it-
But you can evoke change in your life, assess the direction you’ve stepped into, and take accountability for your autonomy- as an athlete and an individual. That’s where your power lies.
What is a realistic rate of progression? Sustainability
A potential issue with “New Year, New Numbers” is that many lifters will proclaim huge PRs- far above their existing limits.
You can’t achieve a lift simply because you willed it into existence.
You can’t necessarily achieve a lift, because you willed it into existence-and you worked hard.
At least, not in only twelve months.
Once you’re past that first 6-12 month phase that we love to call “Newbie Gains,” you can no longer get away with simply looking at a barbell and adding weight to your maxes. It takes months to break through plateaus, adopt the lessons that arise from those, remain consistent even when things feel stagnant, and slowly build yourself while remaining invested in the process. There are many factors, and it’s hard; nearly impossible- to predict the exact date you’ll lift a weight.
Powerlifting is a process-based sport. It goes far beyond the competition and the total you end with there. For sustained progression, you must find other reasons to continue beyond adding weight to the bar every week. It's not a reliable expectation past your beginner stage. There are no guarantees, and you are not entitled to numbers.
You earn them. And they come on their own.
With that said, let’s look at some realistic increases (per year) for your lifts, depending on a few factors. Note that, again, these are not entirely accurate, subject to differ based on the individual:
Intermediate Athletes:
~Squat: 5-20 kg increase
~Bench: 2.5-10 kg increase
~Deadlift: 7.5-20 kg increase
For female, lighter, and/or more advanced athletes, err on that smaller end. For heavier, male, and/or more intermediate athletes, go by that higher range- as estimations.
There are so many compounding factors, especially as you move up, so I can’t give guidelines that will apply across the board. Any estimation is based on observed trends but will change depending on who’s going after what.
Maybe one lift lags behind others, another one excels,
Maybe you have some nutrition breakthrough that causes a surge in your total,
Or you experience a depressive period, which makes you feel weaker.
Whether you hit your numbers within the predicted dates is (again) irrelevant to whether you continue pursuing them. If it doesn’t happen on your timeline, address why, then keep going after it.
Another piece of advice is to be aware of your factors. Especially when inching closer to a meet, setting big number goals, take inventory of what’s going on in your life- and how that will affect training, positively or negatively. Because, as mentioned, you don’t have complete control over the exact date you’ll PR- but you do over the habits that will get you there. Your training consistency, nutrition, recovery, technique, and how you apply your program- will all dictate the matter of time.
When setting goals for the year ahead, don't forget all the variables that coincide. Know that your goals are not set in stone, guaranteed by the date you want them- but these dates can provide a chance to reflect and assess- more on that below. You may approach unforeseen circumstances that impact you, too- that's okay. It's yet another opportunity to adapt and solve the puzzle to push you forward.
Don't Entirely Align Your Goals with Timelines
When a new year approaches or you sign up for a meet- your intents should not dramatically switch from your existing training objectives. They should mirror one another, following the same trajectory, with a few deviations or revisions, as needed- but the reason, or target, should not be determined by the timeline itself. Powerlifting is not about arbitrarily setting a random number to hit on a given day and delusionally assuming it will 100% arrive. Yes, we want those success metrics throughout our careers. We set meets as calendar dates and have numbers we want to hit by then, but the only control we uphold is our efforts. Beyond that, it happens as it does, regardless of your say.
The purpose of Powerlifting should be a long-term one: to continue embarking on it as long as it feels enjoyable & fulfilling, to seek development for years to come, to understand the time it takes to get there, but fall in love with the process & growth along the way, knowing that the only direction is upward if you continue climbing.
So yes, latch onto the numbers you care about, create meaningful ones, and do everything you can to reach them- but don’t fall into the dichotomy that doing so will guarantee you a number by a date.
Even if we’re less conscious of it, we appreciate and admire the unknown- we want to resurface the secrets of hope and success it may provide. That’s what we’re doing: every training day, we pick up a hammer, slowly breaking that box filled with treasures- until we uncover every last one. When we reach one number, we go after another because we remain unsatisfied until our journey concludes.
Remember that sentiment when envisioning your year- and how many more you have here if you choose. And remember also that being a Powerlifter is an active choice you make- you are not forced to, in any way- so it should breed excitement and positivity in your life, regardless of how close or far you are to that next PR you want. Powerlifting isn’t only about the PRs, it’s about the lifter behind them. Who you become while working toward them, what you learn about yourself, and the many revelations you may gain from your training.
“X number” by “x date” may not be a helpful mentality for you- especially when viewed that way on the surface. After all, if there’s little bearing on whether that’s achievable, is it necessary? Having a general guideline for the order of events can keep you guided and motivated- just be sure to keep it in check- so it doesn’t fly off into a land of inaccurate assumptions that leave you disappointed.
Viewing Timelines with a Different Objective
I’m not one to say that timelines are absolutely useless. Many people’s brains operate well under structure, and having short-term objectives increases your appreciation and engagement. Only viewing your sport from a long-term perspective, without checkpoints along the way, can feel daunting. It’s essential to understand your athletic journey in this light: recognizing that, to go anywhere, you still need to keep going right now, and there are ways to encourage that. When you establish systems to ensure that- you'll continue benefiting far into the future.
With this mentality, timelines can become:
Structured periods of feedback & reflection, and
General estimates for reaching certain goals
They still serve a purpose, providing a tactile moment for your brain to hold onto without breeding resentment toward a “lack of progress.”
For meets, set several goals conservatively that align with the work you’ve been doing. Aim to improve in some way, each competitive opportunity, regardless of that exact number breakdown. If you PR your total, your DOTS, learn something about yourself- you’ve achieved.
When predicting the range in which your new numbers will fall, give yourself a span of 3-6 months, knowing that it will come eventually, and if not at first, that’s simply a chance to figure out why.
Every meet, and beyond that, every 3-6 months (even at the start of the year, if you enjoy that structure), look back on what you’ve accomplished in this recent athletic period, what needs addressing, and what your top priorities are going forward.
Ask yourself the following questions:
What have my 1-2 greatest milestones been recently?
What am I training for right now? In the next 3-6 months, and the future year? What is keeping me coming back?
What circumstances in my life have impacted me recently? How can I improve those?
What, if anything, is currently holding me back?
How can I seek support through all of this?
Organized blocks of debriefing can push you toward introspection when you otherwise wouldn’t have come to these realizations. With the various responsibilities and stressors we have in life- often, these observations can go unchecked. Timelines don’t have to be about the exact date you hit a new PR, but rather, a push to focus on how you can reach them.
Let go of the “out with the old” mentality.
A final point worth addressing when it comes to New Year’s Resolutions, and potentially extending to your strength goals- is the idea of “letting go” of past experiences, “throwing out” your old self, and “starting new.” It’s impossible, and it’s robbing you of vital lessons.
You cannot rid yourself of your previous experiences- they are all you can draw from. Moreover, you shouldn’t.
You would not be the lifter you are today, if you weren’t also the lifter you were three months, a year, five years ago. And while, hopefully, you’ve gained maturity and insight since then- you did the best you could with what you had. And it’s gotten you here.
Our past failures elicit the natural progression of things. You never know what’s ahead, what you’ll learn in the future- you don’t start something new “all-knowing.” Knowledge only comes from failing, making mistakes, realizing this fact, and breaking the cycle. We can pull so much from that process. Our pasts, as athletes, read like a book full of stories connected, intertwined, each breaking off before you fall backward- so that you can take that last chapter with you and run into the next, knowing and doing better with it.
Refrain from trying to ignore or erase that history, overthrowing what you’ve already created.
Take what you have, and build upon it. Improve from it.
Address how you’ve fallen in the past and how you can prevent yourself from breaking down again.
Identify your strengths, continue prioritizing those, and understand that always- you are slowly improving in some way, and over many years- you’ll have mastered what you’re struggling with now. You become an improved version of yourself (not a different one entirely) over significant amounts of time. Each month and year takes you further.
Acknowledge where you are and the many experiences that have gotten you here. They add meaning to everything you do, anyway. Knowing that what you’re attempting to conquer now- would’ve been unimaginable a year ago- is a pretty cool fact. It only serves as further motivation and satisfaction upon reaching those goals, bringing your whole journey together. That baby lifter version of you, they matter, and they’re a part of you.
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A new calendar year can provide a time to set your sights on targets ahead, determining what you want to achieve. While this period of reflection is certainly a valuable component, when you’re looking to improve, it should not oppose where you are now, involving unrealistic, lofty expectations. Instead, build upon what you’re working with. Use timelines as ranges and formal “check-ins” along the way, knowing that there’s no guarantee to your rate of progress- and exactly when you reach those goals is somewhat irrelevant. Your previous experiences burst with lessons and growth opportunities. Utilize those, and view your athletic journey with a long-term perspective.
