The single most common goal amongst people who are interested in exercising is to lose weight and to "tone up." When I hear someone mention these goals, it tells me that they want two things. First: they want to decrease the amount of body fat that they currently have. Second: they want to increase the amount of lean muscle tissue on their body. Today, I aim to discuss what I concider to be some of the most crucial aspects of training and nutrition to accomplish these goals. 

One of the most common questions that I get from my clients is: "When should I breathe?" I have noticed that, very often, exercising takes so much focus on finding the correct form, that breathing becomes compromised. It’s an odd thing to remind someone that they have to keep breathing. But it happens, and it happens often.

I will start by addressing the possible breathing options and why they can be useful. First off, there is the action known as the inhale. This may...