Elite Physique The New Science of Building a Better Body

CHAPTER 2
Man With a Plan
In this chapter we cover strategies for setting realistic goals and expectations
while staying motivated. Four steps are outlined to help you achieve those goals.
You will learn the importance of knowing why you want to achieve a goal and of
determining how much time you can realistically devote to exercise each week.
Then we cover ways to gauge your progress, so you’ll know you’re on the right
track. Finally, we discuss how to make the most of visualization strategies to stay
motivated. By the end of this chapter, you will have the tools to be a man with
a plan for success.
Setting Realistic Goals and Expectations
You must be realistic about the goals you set and about what you expect from the
programs in this book. Many guys want to simultaneously lose enough fat to have
six-pack abs, gain enough muscle to look like Dwayne Johnson’s body double,
and build the strength to squat three times their body weight, not to mention
achieve a 40-inch (102 cm) vertical jump. But in reality, those goals can interfere
with each other. Indeed, it is difficult to build muscle and strength unless you
eat a surplus of calories, which counteracts the fat loss you need for that sixpack.
Any elite powerlifter will tell you that a thick, fat midsection helps him
squat heavier weight. And a heavily muscled physique is much more difficult
to elevate 40 inches from the ground than the wiry, lean physique you see on
virtually every NBA player who competes in the slam dunk contest. The point
here is that many of you probably want the programs in this book to achieve
more than one goal at the same time. The likelihood of that happening depends
on which goals you seek.
As mentioned earlier, building muscle and strength is best achieved by consuming
more calories than your body needs to maintain your current weight;
and losing fat requires consuming less calories than your body needs, which
slows muscle and strength gains (Aragon et al. 2017). There is no doubt that if
your primary goal is to lose fat, any increases in your strength and muscle mass
will suffer. That is the “glass is half empty” angle. Someone who sees the glass
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