M4:D54 (D354) Secrets?

What's on my mind today?
So what are the secrets to successfully changing your body? What hidden gems will transform you?

Is it the government's once "classified" secrets for fat burning? Is it some trick endorsed by world-class personal trainers and fitness coaches? Is it one of the 5 key factors to optimal fat loss?

No! The answer isn't in any of those ideas. The answer lies in principles. These principles are tried and true. They work and have worked many times for many people. The principles can not be argued. They must be applied. Different people apply them in different ways (so the execution varies) but the principles remain the same.

Lift Weights

If you want to change your body you must lift weights. Muscle increases your BMR and that means you burn more calories at rest. Obviously that is a good thing. You need to add muscle to your frame to really change your body. Without extra lean body mass you are doomed to keep trying but never getting.

Use Intensity

If you want to add mass to your body you must lift weights with great intensity. You don't stop an exercise when it becomes uncomfortable, you stop an exercise when it becomes impossible. That's the key. Go to failure and you will use up every ounce of strength your muscles have. That, in turn, will force growth in your muscles. The initial results of working with intensity is an increase in strength, but over time that increase in strength will translate into muscle growth.

Cardio

Do your cardio, but do not over do it. Cardio can be catabolic so be careful with how you apply it to your workouts. I highly recommend having a metabolic panel done as it will tell you where your maximum "burn zone" is. You can then get yourself into that zone and be more effective with your cardio.

Forget the Scale

Don't be so worried about your scale weight as it means nothing. Someone who weighs 200 lbs. but is 20% body fat is not the same as someone who weighs 225 lbs. and is 10% body fat. The person who weighs 200 lbs. and is 20% body fat only has 160 lbs. of lean body mass (and 40 lbs. of body fat). The person who weighs 225 lbs. and is 10% body fat has 202.5 lbs. of lean body mass (and 22.5 lbs. of body fat). Yes, s/he weighs 25 lbs. more, but s/he is in much better physical shape and the body will reflect that.

Eat!

You need to eat if you are going to change your body. Your body needs to grow in order to be more efficient at burning fat. This means that you need to build a Larger Engine in order to be more efficient at burning fat. The way to do this is to lift weights with intensity and eat enough to fuel that intensity. I personally haven't eaten at maintenance for 2 months and I have gained scale weight, but I have lost fat. If you workout with the proper amount of intensity you will burn fat without the need for cardio. That is a fact. The cardio is an added benefit for fat loss, but it is the weight training at the proper intensity that will really make the difference in your physique.

Conclusion

If you want to change your physique, lift weights with intensity, due light cardio, forget about the scale and eat enough to fuel your workouts. That's the prescription for change, now apply it!

Find out what I'm doing to my body!

Attack dog. That's the only thing I can describe my attitude as today. When I was done with my lifting workout I felt like I had gone 12 rounds with a heavyweight boxer. As usual, I could not even walk after the Quad Blaster portion of my workout. The leg portion of this workout is so intense. I don't take any rest between exercises. It is just enough time to change the plates or set up a machine. Beyond that there is no extra rest. I pushed as hard as I possibly could today. I honestly had nothing left afterwards.

Exercise the brain with the Thought of the Day!
"Now we have millions of people who care about exercise and perhaps a couple dozen who know anything about it." Arthur Jones

Get a discussion started by answering the question!
Do you strive to be one of the couple dozen who know about exercise or are you comfortable just caring about it? Comment this post to answer the question.