Want to be in phenomenal shape like all those people that stroll around the gym like they own the place? It takes a lot of hard work, but you also have to go about it smartly. If you're going to get in shape, take the following pieces of advice to heart as you create your ideal diet and fitness program.

1. "Take a Day of Rest."

Trying to push yourself to work out seven days a week is good, but you may end up breaking down if you don't let your body rest. Make sure that the 6 days of exercise you do are full-intensity, calorie-burning days, and give yourself Day 7 to recover and enjoy a day of fun and no exercise. (You can make that "fun" exercise-y, though, by hiking, cycling, rock climbing, and more...)

2. "Hit it and Quit It!"

No, this isn't a euphemism, it's about your workouts. Don't spend more time at the gym than you need to. Put your heart into each workout and get it done. High-intensity interval training requires just 20 minutes per day, but they're very intense minutes. Even if you aren't doing HIIT, focus on your workout, keep out distractions, get it done, and walk out of the gym to enjoy more time doing your own thing.

3. "Change is Important!"

Doing the same workout day-in and day-out isn't just boring, it will actually stop yielding results within a few months. Changing up your workout will keep your muscles working and growing, hence the effectiveness of the "muscle confusion" principle. However, don't just change your weightlifting routine, but change your exercise too! Get off the treadmill a few days each month to run outside, or try some body-weight exercises at home instead of power lifting. It may not be as good in terms of hardcore results, but it will stop you from getting bored with your exercise.

4. "Exercise Can Be Fun."

What's your favorite workout? Perhaps attending a few dance classes each week is your favorite way to get in shape, or you share my thrill of fighting, sparring and having fun with martial arts? Nothing will make a workout succeed better than having fun with it, so find your fun and go for it. You don't need to be a bodybuilder or a triathlete to be in shape--you can have fun with your exercise and burn those pounds the enjoyable way!

5. "Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan."

How many of us go into our workouts with the goal of "getting in shape"? Do you know how many pounds you want to lose, how much weight you want to eventually lift, or how far you want to run each day? If not, you'll just be one more aimless person working out at the gym with the pie-in-the-sky goal of "being fit." Figure out what "being fit" means to you, and work to get there.

6. "Don't Stop When You're Done."

So, you've reached your fitness goal. Now what? Just because you've reached that goal, that doesn't mean you should stop your efforts to work out. Set a new goal, or try a new form of exercise you've always wanted to take up (yoga, martial arts, cycling, swimming, dancing, etc.). If you've reached your goal, good on you! Now, it's time to keep up with your fitness so you don't lose all the progress you've made.