Also I completely agree with the point raised when quantifying muscle gain. That’s where it get’s tricky because you don’t always know what is and isn’t realistic. If you’ve tried your heart out, followed a smart approach and have fallen short by a couple of kilograms, you have still probably achieved all that you are capable of anyway. So yes, you should be very proud of yourself – just re-assess your goals as you move forward based on this information.

That said, I agree with the article. The best workout is the one you stick to, and having specific and measurable goals helps a lot with motivation. If I just say “I want to gain muscle,” well there is always more muscle to gain and so how do I know when to feel good about myself? I’ll always be unhappy and end up giving up.

But if I say, “I will gain 5kg of muscle by this time next year,” then if I do it in 9 months instead of 12 I can pat myself on the back, if after 12 months I’ve only managed 3kg, I didn’t achieve my goal but at least I know what my next goal should be, and I can feel good about what I’ve achieved so far.