Women often compliment me on having sculpted arms and good shoulders. I always feel a little bit sheepish about the compliments because it takes so little to get that look. Here’s the secret: slow motion push-ups!

When I divulge my secret to upper body fitness, women often tell me that they can’t even do a single push-up because their upper bodies are so weak. My response is, start with one. That’s what I did. I found that I could add another repetition every few days. Eventually I worked up to 20 repetitions. I saw a dramatic change in my arms and upper torso. Now, I do my set of 20 at least 4 times a week. They take a minimal amount of time and give maximum benefits for the effort.

Recently, two of my friends decided to try my "slow-mo" push-up plan. Both of them work out regularly for cardio fitness but neither had any kind of regimen for upper body strength. Although their arms are slim, neither had definition or strength. Judi had trouble putting her weight on her wrists, so we moved her push-ups to the wall to allow the wall to brace some of the weight from her wrists. Katie stayed with the slow motion floor push-ups, eventually working up to 20 from just one "rep." In a few weeks she’s proudly flexing her newly developed muscles. She’s also amazed at her added strength.

If I have a basic theme to my fitness philosophy, it’s probably something like this: If you want to stay fit for your lifetime, make sure that the workouts you choose offer maximum benefits for the time you spend. Small changes in lifestyle can pay off in lasting benefits.

– Pam Brooks