When I say push-ups, I am not talking about the bra. Nope. I am talking about the classic exercise, as in "Drop and give me 50." Now nobody is saying you need to start your day out with 50 push-ups just because you are now engaged, or because it is tank top season. Let's face it every bride and every tank top wearer wants toned arms and to get them the push-up is your best friend.

When I taught Pilates, I trained many a bride-to-be and doing the Method, lifting weights or taking a yoga class once a week is not going to give you the arms you want. So on your days off from your bootcamp [0] you need to add some push-ups into your daily routine every other day. Just knowing that push-ups work five major muscle groups at once [1] might just be motivation enough.

Here are a few tips to ensure that you and push-ups become fast friends:

• Spread your fingers wide and spread the weight evenly between your finger tips and your palms. This helps keep the strain out of your wrists.
• Inhale as you bend your elbows, and exhale as you straighten your elbows.
• Let your core [1] help you. Pull your navel to your spine and imagine the action is helping you push the floor away.
• Imagine you are one long board, from your heels to the crown of your head. Don't stick your booty in the air (breaking at your hip crease) and don't sag in your low back that will hurt your spine.
• You will work your triceps more if your hands are right under your shoulders keeping your elbows close to your sides as they bend.
• To work your pecs more, place your hands slightly wider than your shoulders. When you bend your arms your elbows should move directly out to the sides.

Now if doing a "classic" push-up seems completely out of the question, there are some variations for you to try as you work your way up to the full press. To see them

• Try push ups on your knees. Still keep a long line from your knees to the top of your head.
• The next, easiest variation is on all fours, keeping the knees directly under the hips and bending the elbows in this position.
• You can alway begin your push up quest at the wall. The closer your body is to the wall to begin the easier the push-up will be.

Begin with the goal of doing 10 push-ups. Increase the number of repetitions by 2 every week. Change variations when you can do 20 easily in the position you are working in.

If you're engaged, just looking at the ring every time you bend your elbows to lower yourself down should motivate you to push yourself back up.