That's Fit

When it comes to working out, everyone wants results, and they want them NOW. At the risk of sounding cliche, fitness is a marathon, not a sprint. That being said, however, there are ways to help speed up your progress.

Here are five tips to make sure that you are exercising properly, thus ensuring your fitness gains will come as fast and as furiously as possible:

5. Work out no less than three days a week. Four or five will really speed things up, but working out three days per week is enough to get your body moving.

4. Use the appropriate amount of weight. When following a resistance training routine (which is essential to maximizing your progress), choose weight that allows you to reach your target rep with good form. But, by the time you reach your target rep, you shouldn't be able to perform any more reps. Conversely, if you reach your target rep with ease, you may want to try lifting more weight next time.

3. Keep breaks short. If your ultimate goal is fat loss, try a no-break circuit routine, where you do not take any time (or very little -- around 15 to 30 seconds) in between exercises. If you're trying to build strength and size, rest anywhere from 60 to 120 seconds in between sets.

2. Get enough sleep. Your body repairs itself while at rest, healing the damage done to the muscle fibers during that day's workout. Insufficient sleep will hamper this repair process and could contribute to a weakened immune system.

1. Eat enough protein. An active man -- that is, one that works out regularly -- should try to consume close to 1g of protein per 1 pound of his body weight. For an active woman -- again, one that works out regularly -- try to consume around .5g of protein per 1 pound of body weight.