Strength Exercises for Your Shoulders

With tank top and swimsuit season just around the corner, now is the perfect time to chisel your shoulders for display at the beach! In addition to looking amazing, strong shoulders help you stand tall, improving your posture and the way you carry yourself. The shoulders are also the link between your arms and your back- if you neglect to train them, you won't be able to work as hard training the other areas of your upper body. But if you work them using the following moves, you'll be able to balance out your entire upper body musculature, and look fabulous while doing it!

With that in mind, make sure you get the approval of your doctor before trying out these moves. You'll need a set of light dumbbells. Beginners start out with 3-5 lbs., intermediate, 10 lbs. I don't recommend going higher than 15 lbs. as form is extremely important in the development of the shoulder muscles, and jerking heavy weights won't give you the results you want. Begin with a few moments of stretching and light warm-up activities such as marching in place before beginning. Perform 3 sets of 10-15 reps each for these exercises.

The exercises:

Front Raise: To begin, stand up straight, feet hip-width apart. Hold a pair of dumbbells down at your sides, palms facing behind you. Inhale as you raise the dumbbells in front of you to shoulder height, keeping your arms straight. Pause for a second, then exhale as you slowly bring the dumbbells back to the starting position. That's one rep.

Lateral Raise: To begin, stand up straight, feet hip-width apart. Hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides, palms against your outer thighs. Inhale as you raise the dumbbells upward and to the side, no higher than shoulder-height. Your arms should be perpendicular to your body. Pause at the top of the exercise, then exhale as you slowly bring the dumbbells back to the starting position. That's one rep. It is important to make sure that keep your shoulder down and relaxed throughout the movement; don't let them rise up to your ears; otherwise, the exercise will not be as affective.