5 SECRETS to Build Your Dream Body

You won't build your dream body without burning major fat. Successful fat loss and lasting weight loss are processes that take time for you to accomplish. You will have failures and make many adjustments along the way. Have a "never quit attitude" about changing your body and improving your health.

Afterall, what better thing can you do for the only body that you have.......make the commitment today.....

Here are 5 secrets to help you succeed with fat loss to get your lean, dream body:

See: 3 Undependable Weight Loss Methods

1. It has been proven that you will be more successful if you try to accomplish one major goal at a time rather than trying to accomplish two or more major goals at the same time.

Here is a great goal to start with: burn fat. That will require you to improve your eating habits and do regular strength and interval cardio training. Don't even worry about losing weight at this point. Just burn body fat (lose inches, shrink your body). Check your body fat percentage once a week to see if you need to make adjustments.

2. Build foundational body and core strength so your body will hold up under intense training to come. If you're injured, you will not reach your goals.

See: 3 Tips to Stabilize Deep Core Muscles for a Flatter Stomach

Weak body cores lead to back and other related trunk injuries. Others have weak opposing muscle groups. An example would be having strong triceps but weak biceps, or strong chest muscles but weak back muscles.

Do full body workouts, which will include core strength exercises and total body flexibility exercises. This way your workouts will focus on your "weak links" while training the other parts of your body.

See: 5 Top Exercises for Adrenaline Rush and Fat Burning

3. Quality of movement in an exercise should come before trying to increase the amount of weight you lift in that exercise. Doing this will avoid injuries due to incorrect execution of an exercise. Bodyweight exercises work well for this purpose.

Performing a weight (or resistance) exercise incorrectly can cause pain in your joints, back or other unintended areas. For example, the squat or lunge should primarily work and strengthen the glutes,quadriceps and hamstrings. If you feel unusual pain or stress in your back or knees, this could signal injury or incorrect performance of the exercise.

4. Focus on compound or multi-joint exercises in your workouts. These exercises work major muscle groups and help you burn more fat. Exercises like squats (with or without weights), step ups, deadlift, rows, bench press, planks, squat jumps and lunges all apply here.

Top interval cardio exercises are walking or running uphill, bodyweight cardio and shuttle runs.

5. Maintain and/or improve muscle mass throughout your life to slow the effects of aging and keep your metabolism humming.

Numerous studies indicate that muscle mass may decline by 20% to 40% between age 20 and age 65. Muscle inflexibility, joint/tendon/ligament stiffness, bone loss and decreased range of motion also comes along with inactivity. You can stop a significant portion of this deterioration of muscle mass and mobility by using a regular strength and conditioning program throughout your life.

A slow or sluggish metabolism is not the major cause of weight gain. A caloric imbalance is the cause of weight gain. If you consistently eat more calories than you burn in a day (caloric surplus), you will continue to gain weight and fat.

Regular exercise and an active lifestyle will help you burn more calories during the day and at rest. I recommend that you walk at least 30 minutes every day, even on the days you workout.

Burn fat, lose weight and stay healthy! Download your Free Bodyweight 500 Metabolic Fat Burner Workouts. Start shaping your body faster! There are 3 levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced. Start at your level.

Mark Dilworth, BA, PES

My Fitness Hut