If you've done your 1,674th excruciating crunch and haven't eaten a Whopper since 2004, you should be pretty proud of your slim waist.

If you're still not satisfied, how about some optical illusion to help you along. No, it's not the David Copperfield stuff. This is good old-fashioned exercise for a different part of the body: the upper torso.

Not only will it tone and strengthen your shoulders and upper back, but it will also add shape to your torso. The idea is that broader shoulders make your waist look slimmer.

Planet Fitness trainer Jaysel Delica, 25, has mastered this trick and she shares it with all her clients, making them do resistance exercises for their upper body instead of just doing abdominal work.

Her advice is to start with weights heavy enough to let you complete 12 repetitions. Once you can do two sets of 12 reps each, it's time to up the weights to make your body grow stronger.

She believes that continuing to exercise with weights you are comfortable with does not strengthen your muscles.

Jaysel Delica can be contacted at 9397-8390.

BENT-OVER ONE-ARM ROW

What it does: Strengthens the upper back

How to do it: Bend from the waist and place your right knee and right hand on a stable surface (like a bench), holding a dumbbell with your left hand. Keeping the back flat, exhale as you slowly lift the weight till it is level with your waist. Inhale, return to start position and repeat.

Do it on both sides.

ARM RAISES (FORWARD)

What it does: Tones and strengthens the shoulders

How to do it: Stand or sit with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing downwards and wrists straight. In a slow and smooth movement, raise your hands forward one by one as you exhale through your mouth (left). Don't go higher than shoulder level, and keep the upper body straight and stable. You can also do lateral raises (right), where you lift the weights to the side.

SHOULDER PRESS

What it does: Strengthens the upper shoulder

How to do it: Hold two dumbbells up without lifting beyond your head and with elbows bent at 90 degrees (left). Exhale and lift the dumbbells in a circular motion so they meet just above your head (right). Inhale, return to start position and repeat.