Tank top season is back, which means guys and girls need to start working out their shoulders to get ready for the beach. Not that looking hot in a swimsuit should be your only motivation — strong shoulders help you fight the effects of cubicle crunch. “Jobs that require working at a desk all day result in shoulders that round forward,” says celebrity trainer and Gold’s Gym Fitness Institute member Ramona Braganza. The solution? A workout Braganza designed that targets all three major shoulder muscles, especially the posterior deltoids, to help tone your upper body and counteract slouching.
Women in particular should take note. Braganza says she has noticed that females often overlook these muscles, but her celebrity clients consider toned shoulders a must for looking hot and standing tall in their red-carpet gowns. So with summer barbecue and wedding season in full swing, this workout will help you look your best in both shoulder-baring cocktail frocks and strappy sundresses.
Here are Braganza’s four moves. She suggests women start with five-pound dumbbells.
DUMBBELL FRONT RAISE
Four sets of 12 reps
Standing, hold dumbbells in front of you with your palms facing your legs. Keep your elbows and knees slightly bent as you raise your arms straight in front of you to shoulder level. Slowly return to the starting position.
DUMBBELL LATERAL RAISE
Four sets of 12 reps
Standing, hold dumbbells with your palms facing each other. Keep your elbows and knees slightly bent as you raise your arms out to your sides in wide arcs to about shoulder level. Slowly return to the starting position.
BENT LATERAL RAISE
Four sets of 12 reps
Standing, hold dumbbells with your palms facing each other. Bend your torso forward, forming a 45-degree angle with the ground. Let the dumbbells hang down in front of you. With your elbows slightly bent, raise dumbbells up and out to the sides until they are parallel to the ground. As you lift the weights, focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together. Slowly return to the starting position.
MILITARY PRESS
Four sets of 12 reps
Sitting, raise dumbbells to shoulder level with palms facing out and your elbows bent and pulled into your sides. Press the weights up and toward each other as you straighten your arms, keeping a slight bend in your elbows at the top. Slowly bring down and return to the starting position.
