The Mighty Shoulders

Our last work out which is one of my favorites (maybe because it's the shortest) is shoulders. Well developed shoulders on women is a must have when you sport a strapless top or sundress. Also think about the many movements in which the shoulder comes into play - swing, serve, down dog, reach, carry and zip (to name a few). You need strong shoulders. A word of caution however when it comes to shoulders. They are a ball and socket joint as is your hip for example. The difference however is the "socket" part of the shoulder is much more shallow than the hip's. All in all shoulders are relatively fragile considering the many functions they are called upon to perform. So let's start building strong shoulder muscles so the joint stays protected and you look great in a sundress!

We're back to 15 reps and 3 sets of each exercise:

Front raise
Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Grasp dumbbells with pronated grip and hold weights straight down at your sides. Starting with right arm, lift arm to the front until it is parallel to the ground (usually eye level). It's ok to lock out your elbow in this movement so that your arm remains straight. Return to starting position and lift left arm in same manner. Continue alternating arms until have done 15 reps with each arm.

Lateral Raise
Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Grasp dumbbells with pronated grip and hold weights straight down at your sides. Lift arms straight out, sideways, until they are parallel to the ground. Take 3 seconds to lower your arms so that they are straight down by your sides again. Repeat 15 times.

Dumbbell Posterior Shoulder Raise
Using a bench, sit at end of bench with feet planted firmly on the ground. Grasp dumbbells with palms facing in. Bend over at the hips so you are bent at about a 90 degree angle. Begin by laterally raising arms by contracting posterior shoulders. Elbows should be pointed back and slightly bent. Continue to contract until arms are almost parallel to floor. Slowly lower arms back to starting position.

Alternate the above 3 exercises for 1 set. Repeat so that you complete 3 sets.

Extra
Barbell Upright Row
Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder width. Grasp bar with pronated grip and with bar resting at front of hips. Hands should be about 6" to 12" apart. Begin by pulling the bar up along the body. Keep body erect with knees slightly flexed. Continue to pull bar up until it reaches clavicle level. Your wrists should not move. The movement is in your shoulders with your elbows pointed outward.

Dumbbell Military Press
Sit on bench or pad that has back support. Grasp dumbbells with pronated grip. Extend arms above head and lower weights stopping when biceps and triceps are parallel to floor. Keep weights and arms slightly in front as opposed to lining up exactly at your sides. Repeat this movement 15 times.