Over the years, many people have asked me why I think push-ups are one of the best all-around exercises for fitness and strength. Here are ten solid reasons.

1. In the multi-variations that are possible, push-ups work every major muscle group in the entire body and on both sides of the body—no other exercise can do this!
2. Push-ups are totally free! You already have everything you need within arm’s reach (pun intended) to achieve a world-class body sculpting strength and fitness training program.
3. Push-ups can be done virtually anywhere—all you need is a few square feet and you’re off to the races.
4. Push-ups solve time-constraint issues. Once you’re in the groove, you’ll be able to perform an entire workout in less time than it would take to drive to a gym and change into gym clothes.
5. Push-ups have almost no risk of injury. This is especially true as you integrate a number of variations into your routine that challenge, sculpt, and strengthen your entire musculature from multiple angles.
6. Push-ups are the key to a sound and healthy heart and a powerful pair of lungs. They integrate both cardio endurance and cardio interval training into one series of exercises.
7. Push-ups build lithe, perfectly sculpted muscles from your neck to toes. The result is a sculpted physique that is always proportionate to your body’s natural frame, muscle and bone structure.
8. Push-ups are the key to dynamic lifelong weight management, because as they build muscle, they automatically accelerate your body’s fat-burning engines. One pound of muscle burns 35 calories a day, in contrast to just 2 calories burned by one pound of fat per day. Your muscles thus reset your metabolism, burning fat twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
9. Push-ups are the foundation of a fitness lifestyle that will keep you young, vibrant, energized, and totally strong for life!
10. Push-ups reinforce your personal willpower and self-determination to do and accomplish great things. They are the ultimate self-fulfilling prophecy for lifelong strength and fitness.