Getting Started

Before any blood, sweat, or tears are shed, one should establish firm and reasonable criteria to achieve. Such criteria should be measurable and not so far out of reach that it is impossible to reach. These can be both short term and long term and may focus on a variety of aspects. These aspects include, but are not limited to: cardio, weight loss, weight gain, weight lifting, and nutrition. Of these areas, the one that overlaps the most in other regions is nutrition. Without having a strong foundation of nutrition, it makes following plans and achieving goals that much more difficult.

Strengthening one's heart to pump more blood and carry more oxygen to fuel red blood cells is one of the core purposes of exercising and personal improvement.
Nutrition goals are based upon either calories consumed vs. expended or by targeting specific food groups to satisfy a particular dietary need.
Fitness is not just about losing weight but controlling it. The ability to gain weight is just as important as being able to lose weight. Creating weight gain goals is the first step to achieving this goal.
Defining weight lifting goals is a common way for individuals to track their progress based on the amount of weight being displaced. These goals are often established by determining a one-rep "max".
One of the more common fitness goals around, weight loss goals are measured by the amount of weight lost from a declared starting point over a defined period of time.