The Perfect Pushup is a fitness product sold in several countries that is designed to make traditional push-up exercises simpler and more effective. It consists of two padded handles that swivel on the floor. The Perfect Pushup has three primary aims.

First, it eases tension on the wrist. Next, claims it will improve the exerciser's form. Finally, it promises to increase the range of motion of the arms, and therefore work muscles that traditional push-ups may not. Push-ups done using the Perfect Pushup use the pectoral (chest), tricep, bicep, abdominal and shoulder muscles.

To use the Perfect Pushup, form a traditional push-up position with your hands, holding the handles with your palms facing towards your feet, your back straight and your arms extended over your shoulders but slightly bent. Lower your body to the ground while rotating the Perfect Pushup handles. As your elbows reach a 90-degree angle, the handles should move to a 90- degree angle where they will become parallel with your body. To complete the push-up, exhale and raise your body while rotating the handles back to their original position.

Once you've mastered the Perfect Pushup, try hitting a treadmill for a great cardio workout.

Six-pack abs: Everybody wants the tightly-defined bikini-ready stomach. But do you know how to get your stomach in shape?

That's Fit recently caught up with fitness expert, AOL Health contributor and That's Fit columnist Myatt Murphy, a certified strength and conditioning specialist, and author of seveal best-selling fitness books, including "The Body You Want in the Time You Have" and "Ultimate Dumbbell Guide," who was able to shed some light on six-pack abs.

That's Fit: What exactly are six-pack abs?
Myatt Murphy: When you're talking about developing a classic six-pack stomach, what people are referring to is being able to see their rectus abdominus. What most people aren't aware of is that this stomach muscle is actually one, long sheet of muscle, not six different smaller muscles. What gives you that "six-pack" look are a series of tendons that criss-cross over the top to help protect and stabilize it. That one lesson is important to know because it can help you understand the right way to train this muscle.

TF: What, traditionally, has been the best way to achieve the defined look?
MM: Thanks to the fitness product industry, most people believe the key is doing certain ab exercises. The truth is, abdominal exercises will certainly help you strengthen and build your muscles, but they aren't that efficient at burning off the fat that covers most peoples' abs. The most important -- and unfortunately -- most overlooked-step is watching your diet and regular aerobic exercise.

TF: How much of achieving six-pack abs is based on diet and exercise versus gender and genetics?
MM: That depends on the individual. Some people are gifted with genetics that allow them to eat anything, avoid exercise and never displace much stored fat in their midsections. Others can be lean all over, but the first place they deposit fat is in their middle.

Your best bet is to follow all the steps towards achieving a leaner, tighter midsection and see what genetics has blessed you with. How prominent your six-pack will look after you've dieted and exercised enough will depend on your body shape, the size and length of the tendons that cover over your rectus abdominus and other genetic factors. But even if you never see a full "six" (some people only show a "four-pack"), being leaner around your middle and having a stronger midsection not only looks great, it'll keep you healthier and less prone to injury down the road.

TF: How quickly can you really expect to see results?
MM: It depends on your dedication. The fastest way to get a lean, muscular midsection is adhering to a strict diet, engaging in regular aerobic activity and performing exercises that shape and strengthen your abdominal muscles (so they look more prominent once the fat comes off). I've seen men and women who were able to achieve success in a matter of three or four weeks, while others have struggled for months. It is entirely up to you.

TF: What are the best exercises you can do to achieve six-pack abs and how often do you have to do them before you'll see results?
MM: There are countless exercises for your midsection, but two great rules of thumb are to make a point of training them every day, and to perform at least one exercise that trains your midsection from three different motions -- like a crunch, hanging knee raise and twists to work your obliques (otherwise known as "love handles").

One classic exercise that accomplishes all three in one is the bicycle crunch: Lie on your back with your legs straight and your feet raised an inch off the floor. Your hands should rest lightly behind your ears. To start the exercise, draw your left knee up toward your abs as you simultaneously curl your head and shoulders off the floor. Twist at the waist and try to touch your right elbow to your left knee. Lower yourself back down to the floor and repeat, this time curling your right knee up and trying to touch it to your left elbow. Alternate from left to right throughout the exercise and try to do as many repetitions as you can.

TF: Is it ever too late to try and get six-pack abs?
MM: Never. Every day you decide it's too late is just another day closer you could have been to having that six-pack stomach.

Check out these moves from That's Fit for more tips on getting ripped abs.

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Overwhelmed by all of the "Follow Friday" recommendations on Twitter? Each week AOL Health's Twitter alias Healthpop and That's_Fit search the Twittersphere for the greatest diet and fitness Twitterers, and each week, we'll highlight the best-of their best tweets (no Twits here). Got any great advice for our Fit Follow Friday post? Give us a shout on Twitter and let us know all about it!

Medicine balls, also known as "med balls," are weighted balls about 14 inches in diameter and available in weights ranging from two to 25 pounds. They can be used for strength and agility training, physical therapy and injury rehabilitation, and fat-burning interval exercises. Medicine balls are also particularly valuable for training the core, as well as the shoulders and lower body.

Medicine ball training is an "old school" form of exercise that's making a big comeback. In ancient Greece, Hippocrates stuffed animal skins with sand so his patients could toss them back and forth. Today, medicine balls are generally covered in leather, vinyl or polyester. Firm medicine balls are ideal for resistance training, while the softer, polyester-covered models are great for throwing, catching, bouncing and partner exercises.

Medicine ball training is ideal for both beginners and advanced exercisers because the weight of the ball can be scaled to participants' fitness levels. Lighter medicine balls -- four, six and eight pounds -- are the best option for partner exercises like one-arm throws, chest passes, overhead throws and rotations. A 10- or 12-pound ball can be used for sit-ups, squats and lunges in place of dumbbells, and may even be more effective in getting toned than using dumbbells or weight machines.

Check out these 10 cool exercises with medicine balls for easy ways to incorporate medicine ball training into your workout routine.

You know that you need to add weight-lifting to your workout routine but you may not be sure which routine is best.

Just like any other time you start a fitness program, you'll want to start out slowly.

First, you'll need to start with one or two sets of eight to 12 repetitions. If you're older, injured or unsure of your strength you can do 10 to 15 reps with less weight. When you can lift a weight eight to 12 times and it gets harder to lift during the last rep, you'll want to add a little weight and decrease the reps.

Even if you're a seasoned weight-lifting veteran, alternating the workouts is key. You shouldn't do arm workouts and shoulders exercises on consecutive days. You should avoid working on legs consecutively, too. It's important to vary how you're focusing on strengthening different muscles. For instance, you may want to start by isolating the shoulders. At your gym you can do an overhead press, lateral raise or front raise to work on this body part. Start with two sets of eight to 12 repetitions.

Other parts of this workout might include strengthening the chest via the bench press, chest press machine or push-ups. You can work on your back as well in a seated row machine. To build your biceps you can work on bicep curls, hammer curls and concentration curls using hand weights. As for the triceps? You can do tricep extensions.

As you alternate days to work on your lower body, you can try squats, lunges, leg-press machines, deadlifts or calf raises. As for the abdominals, there are always crunches, oblique twists and pelvic tilts.

If you begin your weight training regimen at your health club, the fym should have staff to supervise and answer specific questions.

Now that you've got your weight-lifting routine set, check out That'sFit's cardio workouts.

While some stars are airbrushed on the covers of magazines, other celebrities work hard for their sculpted bodies. CafeMom shares a few secrets of celebrity trainers so that you, too, can rock a hot red-carpet bod.

Check out the featured CafeMom video (via Self.com) to zero in on your abs, arms, thighs and butts in the privacy of your own home -- and with no high-tech special equipment. Hand weights and/or resistance tubing is all you should need. Add to your regular workout routine 10 reps of each exercise, and do two sets. Who knows, you might end up resembling the likes of Jennifer Garner, Jessica Biel and Jennifer Lopez.

And then there's Michelle Obama -- now, she could teach you a thing or two about getting fit.

Bootylicious pop star Beyonce Knowles has one of the most coveted bodies in Hollywood, so just how does she do it? Beyonce, 28, dances her butt off -- literally. When she's not performing her high-intensity shows, Beyonce is rehearsing for hours at a time. In fact, prior to touring, rehearsals will regularly last for 12-hours, and she spends the entire time dancing in high heels to prepare for the concerts. But that's not all -- Beyonce also admits to doing "regular" workout things like running on the treadmill and doing squats. She reportedly keeps her abs in shape with numerous crunches, bicycle crunches and planks.

But perhaps Beyonce's best workout secret is that she fits exercise into whatever she does. She admits that she tones her butt and glutes by taking the stairs whenever she can, and she spent a recent vacation with her husband Jay-Z jumping on trampolines and jet-skiing in the tropics. But she's not afraid to take some downtime when necessary too. "Either I'm doing absolutely nothing and relaxing -- reading a book, sitting by the ocean and not answering any questions -- or else I'm hands-on and giving 100 percent, working really hard," she says.

And, of course, Beyonce watches what she eats, even trying controversial juice fasts (for which she apologized later) when she needs to slim down in a hurry.

How would you like one exercise that works your whole body, requires no equipment, is easy to learn and is fun to do? Consider the bear crawl.

"The bear crawl engages many muscle groups including the shoulders, core and quads," said Crystal McReynolds, a coach at CrossFit Central.

To do the bear crawl, simply drop onto all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders, then rise up onto your feet. Now you're in the bear position! You can move forward and backward more quickly than in a standard crawl, and you'll work every major muscle group in the process.

A perfect L-sit Photo: CrossFit Oakland

Think parallel bars are only for extra-lean Olympians and teeny-tiny gymnasts? Think again! Amping up your workout routine with exercises on "parallettes" -- miniature parallel bars that are light, portable and inexpensive -- can dramatically increase your strength and balance.

Some of your favorite old-school exercises, like push-ups and triceps dips, can be made more effective and more fun by moving them from the floor to parallettes.

"A push-up becomes an entirely new movement when your hand is positioned on top of the parallette," says Melissa Byers, owner and trainer at CrossFit 603. "The parallettes demand greater wrist and forearm strength and stability, and your potential range of motion is greatly increased."

We at That's Fit and AOL Health know you've got a lot going on in your lives besides staying in great shape, and we realize that more than just diet and exercise goes into feeling your best every day. That's why we're sharing some of the exciting reporting going on at AOL Health.

That's right ladies, hair loss isn't just a guy thing -- some experts believe that dramatically-thinning hair is as common in women as it is in men. Find out why, who's likely to be affected by it and what you can do to preserve your locks.

Uncontrollable hunger and a sluggish metabolism -- sounds like any of us on a bad day, right? For some, it's a constant way of life. This week on AOL Health we examine the condition -- known medically as Prader-Willi syndrome -- and how one woman lives her life feeling like she's always starving.

You probably think you're pretty savvy about your favorite stars, but could you pick their tummies out of a lineup? Take our quiz to determine your "Celeb Ab Q."

We at That's Fit and AOL Health know you've got a lot going on in your lives besides staying in great shape, and we realize that more than just diet and exercise goes into feeling your best every day. That's why we're sharing some of the exciting reporting going on at AOL Health.

Want flatter abs for that Labor Day getaway? Check out our step-by-step flat-abs exercise guide.

And while you're thinking about summer beach getaways, you might want to think of protecting your skin. But if sunscreen slips your mind, check out these sunburn-soothing home remedies from the editors at AOL Health.

Plus, to defend against summer stings of a different kind, head to our mosquito-bite-relief guide. (Who knew just how handy toothpaste could be?)

You spent all winter working hard on those abs -- counting calories, burning fat through regular cardio and doing planks and other core work to tighten up. So the last thing you want to see when you finally slip on your bikini is belly bloat.

Belly bloat is a combination of extra fluid and/or excess gas caused by eating certain foods. If you want to show off that hard-won belly at the beach, or just want to squeeze into a little something for a night out on the town, avoid the following foods for a few days beforehand:

• processed or salty foods
• gassy veggies like broccoli, cauliflower and onions
• carbonated soft drinks
• fried or fatty foods
• spicy dishes
• artificial sweeteners

Since vegetables are good for you, you don't want to avoid even the gassiest for long. Cooking them can make them easier to digest, or simply eat them in small portions.

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Photo: Getty Images

Having strong abdominal muscles not only looks good, it's a hallmark for good health. But if you want to get six-pack abs, your daily 100-crunch routine may not only hinder your progress, it could hurt your lower back by putting stress on its weakest part.

We're always told to bend at the waist and lift with the legs when picking up something heavy to prevent a back injury. Well, a crunch is the same kind of motion, only you're lying down instead of standing up. Repeatedly bending over during crunch sessions slowly breaks down spinal disks, creating a disk bulge or herniation, which can cause back pain, weakness and tingling. "There are only so many bends or a 'fatigue life,' in your spinal disks," Stuart M. McGill, a professor of spine biomechanics at the University of Waterloo, told Newsweek. "When people are doing curl up over gym balls and sit-ups, and this kind of thing, they are replicating a very potent injury mechanism on their back," says McGill. "Every time they bend it they are one repetition closer to damaging the disk."

This "Tuck and Push" combination offers an awesome opportunity to kill many birds with one stone. Within a few short reps, you'll have worked almost every muscle of your upper body and have successfully set your core ablaze. It's simple, fun and highly effective. Try it!

For more quick, innovative and fun training tips, visit Fitzness.com.

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Strong sexy, abs ... let's count the reasons we love them:

• Buttoning your skinny jeans is a snap.
• Better posture, less back pain.
• Swimsuit shopping is way more fun.
• A strong core makes you feel powerful.
• Flat abs mean less dangerous belly fat.

And, oh yeah, they can save your life. Peggy Willams, 47, was paragliding with friends in Spain when a gust of wind suddenly picked her and up tossed her onto sharp and jagged rocks. Because her wing was still inflated, she was dragged along the rocks for what she says felt like an eternity.

"I kept seeing rocks going past me and smacking me. Because the wing was partially inflated, it was my body rather than my head that was in contact with the rocks," she told the Telegraph.

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