Getting a better body should not be complicated or frustrating but with all the conflicting information out there it's hard to determine what works and what's hype. The simple workout tips below can be used with any fitness plan and will help you improve your body much faster.

Don't Rush Your Fitness Progress
You can't expect to go from jogging a few minutes at a time to running 6 miles a day. You also can't go from a sedentary existence to doing 3 sets of 15 lunges with a challenging weight. Start at a pace and level that is right for you. Your body will adapt within 2-3 weeks then you can go ahead and increase the distance or itensity or stretches. Trying to go all out from the get go will either result in injury or frustrate you, leading to failure and pain, both physical and mental. If you're not sure where to start get a fitness assessment and a customized workout plan to suite your needs from a fitness professional.

Set Weekly Workout Goals
We all have our mind on the big picture, i.e. crossing that finish line, fitting into that size 6, looking hot at your 20 year reunion, or out biking your best friend, but thinking about your ultimate goal isn't what's going to help you get there. You need to set mini fitness goals that you can accomplish every week. Doing 4 cardio workouts a week rather than 2, meeting those water drinking quotas each day, eating sweets only before 3pm, increasing your reps and sets or weight every couple of weeks, doing 5 minutes of extra stretching each night, etc. The more of these little goals you accomplish on a weekly basis the more likely you are to reach your big goal. You can also incorporate a reward system each week that will reinforce your hard work and drive you even more.

Don't Dwell on Failure
Try not to be too hard on yourself if you miss a few workouts, have a terrible day of eating, cheat on your reps and sets, or do nothing but your easy pilates dvd all week. We all have bad weeks when our bodies and our minds don't want to cooperate and chances are you probably needed that break to recover both physically and mentally. You can always start fresh the next week but try not to go overboard to make up for lost time. Work hard but not so hard that you end up injured, extremly sore, or burned out. Learn how to be o.k. with having an ordinary week and you'll get back on track more easily and be more likely to stick to it long term.

Measure Your Fitness Progress Wisely
It's easy to just rely on the scale or your running time to see how far you've come since you started but there are many ways to measure your progress that are more motivating and provide a real picture of how fit and healthy you are. Blood pressure, resting heart rate, perceived rate of exertion during workouts, strength ratios, muscular endurance, flexiblity, measurements, body fat testing, energy levels, sleep quality, stress levels, posture, and so many other factors indicate how in shape you are. Yes we would all love to see those numbers on the scale drop and that running time drop but often those are the worst motivators of all when it comes to progress and results. Focus on what your entire body is doing and you'll get a better idea of how well you're doing. Your motivation will soar when you look at the big picture.

Learn how to challenge your body for amazing results with UltraFit: Challenging Workouts -- Amazing Results