My Exercise Goals for 2020

This post is made in partnership with Bealls Outlet. All opinions are my own. Hi friends! Today I am sharing my exciting new exercise goals for 2020.

As someone who never had a long-term gym membership until 2019, I am giving my honest perspective as a newbie to the gym world. I never stepped foot inside a gym until I went away to college at Florida State back in 2016. Working out just wasn’t something that I ever considered doing. I figured since I didn’t want to lose weight or change my body that the gym would be useless to me. Well, this was quite a rude awakening once I ended up gaining some extra pounds thanks to a college cafeteria diet. I started visiting the gym as soon as I entered my sophomore year of college.

After I graduated in 2016, I fell off the wagon (no more free gym membership!) and never went back. Last year, I finally signed up for a monthly gym membership with Planet Fitness.

Now that I work out a few times a week, I am so passionate about staying active. I take my workouts more seriously than when I worked out in college, too. I spend more time on the treadmill, I use heavier weights, and I introduced resistance training methods to my floor routines. Working out hasn’t been easy for me. I adopted a schedule with the help of my boyfriend and the two of us motivate each other to work out longer, harder, and more frequently.

Our schedules include working out 2-3 times per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and one other day of our choice.

For 2020, I am hoping to achieve a few exercise goals that I created at the beginning of the month for myself. Today I will share these exercise goals with you all so I can hold myself accountable to complete them by the end of the year.

1. Consistently Use the Treadmill for 30 minutes at a 12 incline

One of my first exercise goals for 2020 includes using the treadmill for 30 minutes at a 12 incline to increase my heart rate and develop muscle on my legs. This is a great exercise routine to stick to each week to feel the burn! In 2019, I would use the treadmill for 30 minutes at a level 10 incline, but I am going to increase my level to a 12 this year for optimal results. I am following a workout routine created by fitness YouTuber, Lauren Giraldo.

She developed the ultimate calorie-burning treadmill routine called “12,3,30” which consists of working out on the treadmill for 30 minutes at a 3 mph pace at a 12 incline. If you are someone who is new to the gym, I recommend starting out with a routine like Lauren’s. I am not a gym expert by any means, but I feel like her routine isn’t too hard to follow and would be beneficial for people coming into the gym at any skill level. Part of my fitness goals for 2020 includes sticking to her “12,3,30” routine whenever I use the treadmill. After looking through her Instagram, she not only has her own killer body, but she shares progress photos from other people who also use her technique. One day I hope to find myself looking as toned as she is.

2. Feel and Look Confident While Working Out at the Gym

One of the most embarrassing things happened to me during my first workout at Planet Fitness. I was trying to adjust one of the ab machines to fit my tall frame and the machine level locked up on me. Once I tried to release the lever, the machine came down on me and it caused a loud noise to echo throughout the entire gym. I was SO mortified!! Not only did I feel like a newbie, but I immediately turned bright red in the face and looked like a newbie who didn’t know what she was doing with the machines.

These days, I am grateful for my friend Laura and my boyfriend, Brian, who both taught me a thing or two about using the gym machines. Now I walk into the gym with a smile on my face knowing that I won’t embarrass myself ever again. I’ve learned how to operate all of the machines that I need to use during my workouts. The machines don’t scare me like they first did. I also feel more confident when I dress the part for a solid and sweaty workout, don’t you?

I recently stopped into my local Bealls Outlet to search for some cute and practical workout clothes. I found a pair of marble workout pants that also had a convenient phone and key holder pockets on both sides! I always look for workout pants that have pockets for keeping my phone safe while I jog on the treadmill. Of course, I was also happily surprised to find these trendy workout pants to ring up at the counter for $8.00. I am seriously impressed every time I do some shopping at Bealls Outlet, whether it’s for my bedroom decor or for clothes, as I am never disappointed by their affordable prices. Obviously, I love finding some great deals and affordable looks are part of what keeps me excited to drive to the gym!

3. Track My Exercise Goals and Progress

It’s all about progress, not perfection. I plan on tracking my exercise goals on my phone by calculating my average steps using the iPhone Health app in addition to tracking my progress on the treadmill machine week to week. I also take photos of each of my workouts once I finish them up and see how many total calories I burned and how my miles I ended up doing. I love looking back through my phone to see the various photos of my progress.

Some of My Personal Fitness Goals For 2020?

• exercise 2-3 times per week with no excuses
• buy a new pair of workout pants and sneakers every 6 months
• drop 10 pounds in 6 months
• have more definition on my abs and legs
• attend 3 or more fitness group classes (pilates, yoga, Zumba)
• use the 15 lb weights for some floor exercises

I take photo evidence of myself wearing a sports bra and workout pants to see the physical changes and improvements to my body in the mirror. I have already started to notice a difference in my stomach and my arms. My arm muscles are growing and I am so excited to see that kind of improvement to my body! Of course, I am still focusing on losing some extra pounds in my middle-section and my thighs, so I am amping up my exercise goals for 2020 to eliminate some of this excess fat on my body.

Do you have any fitness goals for 2020? Share them in the comments.