Rule #1: Set your goals and work accordingly: This is the golden rule in building any type of structured workout routine. Do not aim too high at the start or be in any sort of hurry. This could lead to you becoming disappointed and out of morale really fast. Remember the key here is patience. Set your goals monthly or quarterly and strive hard to achieve it. It is alright if you fall short of your goals; the key is not to get frustrated and know you WILL reach your goal.

Rule #2: Track your results: The mirror and comments from your friends and family are great ways to track your results but it is important to keep a record of your progress. This will help keep you going after you have been doing it for a long period of time. It is great to see where you have come from and will help you set more accurate goals. This does not mean weigh yourself everyday because that will lead to bad things. Make sure you weight at least a week before you weigh yourself.

Rule #3: Develop a plan: Make sure you sit down and design a plan pertaining to your goals and body. Remember one workout routine or fitness plan will not work the same for everyone. So imitation of a person with your vision of a perfect body in the gym is not the correct way of developing your body. Start out slow and simple and see what works for you and work/grow from there.

Rule #4: Be confident: It’s sad to know that people in gym under estimate themselves. This is one major reason in their under achievement, do not compare yourself to the biggest person in there. You should have confidence in yourself that you will able to build up your desired figure, it WILL happen.

Rule #5: More is not always better: A lot of people who are new to weight lifting or a fitness routine try to jump head first into there new program. Do not kill yourself the first couple of weeks because it will take its toll on you down the road. Ease into it and slowly increase the activity.

By following these 5 simple rules you can achieve the physical fitness you always wanted. As always nutrition is the backbone to a fitness routine so make sure your diet in check to get the results you want.

You can build muscle to burn fat. In fact, this is the central idea of three of my books: The Nautilus Diet, 32 Days to a 32-Inch Waist, and A Flat Stomach ASAP.

In 10 weeks, the average man presented in the Nautilus Diet dropped 30 pounds of fat and the average woman almost 19. Those were averages; some lost quite a bit more. In the 32-day program, 146 men reduced an average of 17 pounds and trimmed 3 inches off their waists in a little more than a month. In the ASAP course, which stretched six weeks, 109 women lost an average of 15 pounds of fat and 41 men trimmed an average of 23 pounds off their bodies.

All subjects performed circuit strength training for no more than 30 minutes, three non-consecutive days per week. Each person did one set of 6 to 10 repetitions of no more than a dozen exercises each workout. Each exercise, however, was performed slowly and smoothly – and terminated only when additional upward movement was not possible.

Furthermore, all trainees followed moderate-calorie plans ranging from 1700 to 1300 calories per day for men – and 1300 to 1000 calories per day for women. Each started at the higher calorie level and descended by 100 every two weeks. The eating plan was composed of 60-percent carbohydrates, 20-precent fats, and 20-percent proteins.

At the end of the program, follow-up tests revealed that each trainee built calorie-burning muscle: on average approximately one-half pound per week, or 3 pounds in six weeks. Each pound of muscle added raised a person’s basal metabolic rate by 37.5 calories per day. This was in addition to the calories burned during workouts. Strength training – indeed – provides a potent, double-reducing effect.

Traditional aerobic exercise was not part of the program. The trainees rested in between workouts days so that their bodies could over-compensate for the muscular overload by increasing muscle mass, the process of hypertrophy.

Time efficiency is an attractive aspect of building muscle to lose fat. Ninety minutes of strength training per week will build muscle that burns as many calories during normal activities as hours and hours of aerobic exercise.

But you’d better watch out. Most men trim their waistlines while broadening their chests and shoulders. Women do the same, but also note a significant reduction in the size of their hips and thighs.

You can certainly build muscle to lose fat, but afterwards, you can’t be sure your jackets and pants will still fit. In fact, they probably won’t. Not a single person that’s been through such a transformation, however, has been disappointed with the results.

Decide today that your body needs more muscle and less fat – and act on it!

Winston Salem Fitness Information Source: Sally Smith and Spine Universe