It is clear that to get the body you have to workout all of your major muscle groups. Legs, arms, abs, etc need to be incorporated into every workout!
But do you know to workout your shoulders? My shoulders are my favorite body part. Just think about it, when you have great shoulders you look amazing in just about any top. I love strapless tops and halter tops.
My shoulders make the outfit come together!
Simply follow these guidelines for best results.
* I recommend adding 2-3 shoulder and upper back exercises to your routine 3 times per week. Every workout you do should be a total body workout, this maximizes energy and the overall workout benefits.
* So on top of your squats, lunges, curls, etc. choose 2-3 of the following exercises to really give your body a grade of A.
* Each exercise should be performed for 1-2 sets to temporary muscle failure.
* This failure is what motivates the recovery period to build and tone more shoulder muscle.
* I generally recommend sets that include 10-12 reps so make sure to use a heavy enough weight that you can be exhausted by the end.
Keep movements slow and under control. It should take about 3 seconds to contract and 3 seconds to return to start, with a 2 second pause at the fully contracted stage. One rep should take about 8 seconds!
Without more delay here are the exercises to incorporate for beautifully sculpted shoulders.
1. Push ups: not only good for the shoulders but you will get a great workout in the chest and latissimus dorsi (the biggest muscle in the back). Make it harder by trying one-legged pushups.
2. Lateral raises: holding a weight in each hand, stand with legs should width apart and arms down by your side. Slowly rise that arms straight out as if you were making a "snow angel".
3. Pull-ups: I suggest holding the bar with an underhand grip. This will target the shoulders and back. Start with using a pull-up bar assistance machine if needed. Once you progress to doing them on your own try placing weights on your feet!
4. Forward raise: a lot like the lateral raise but instead of raise the arms out to the sides, raise them directly to the front. Make sure to keep arms straight.
5. Shoulder shrugs: Holding weights down by your sides, shrug your shoulders slowly as high as manageable. Work on bringing them up to the ears.
6. Incline bench press: you will probably need to use less weight than if performing the standard bench press. This position targets more of shoulder action than laying down.
So there you have it, 6 great exercises to give you the best shoulders around. Remember you do not need to perform all 6 of these but choose your top 3 to do during your workout.
Never work the same muscles 2 days back to back. Take a rest day in between to get the best results.
