I’m going to show you how you can get some knock out “Sexy Shoulders.” These targeted exercises, really work and can be done anywhere and anytime. In this workout video I cover some basic form and also share some tricks I learned during my competition days for some “fast track’ shoulder development.
Your shoulder is made up of three distinct muscle groups; the anterior deltoid, the lateral delt and the posterior delt. In order to develop strong and sexy shoulders, it is key to train all three muscle groups.
OVERHEAD PRESSES
I love using dumbbells because they allow a free range of motion. As with all shoulder exercises, I suggest you start with a lighter weight until you achieve good form so you can avoid injury. For beginners, starting in a seated position is a great option until you get your form on point. Once your form is there, you can begin to stand and press, which really activates your core as well. Your palms should be facing forward and your elbows should go no lower than parallel on the descent.
I like to focus on negatives, meaning I push up for two seconds and go slowly down for four seconds, breathing on the way up to really fire up my muscles.
ARNOLD PRESSES
To make sure I’m training effectively, I like to shock my muscles in a different way by alternating my overhead presses with Arnold Presses every other week. The difference with the Arnold Press is in the rotation of the wrist during the upward movement. In a standard overhead dumbbell press, you keep your elbows out to your sides which targets the middle delts. However, the Arnold press forces your elbows to drop in front of your body, which also works the anterior delts – This is great for sculpting out the shoulder.
LATERAL RAISES
For a long time, I couldn’t understand why my shoulders looked flat. Then I learned how to do a lateral raise. I started doing these twice a week and like magic, my shoulders POPPED.
Here are my tips for an effective lateral raise:
- Use a weight you can handle so you don’t compromise form.
- Keep your arms to the side of your body, not in the front.
- Raise your arms up until they are parallel to the floor but no higher, then pause for a brief second before lowering the weights back down.
- Add a small twist at the top of your last set to really hit your lateral delt.
- Keep a small bend in your knees and lean slightly forward.
- Tighten those abs!
FRONT RAISES
The dumbbell front raise is a move that not only strengthens the deltoid muscles but also works the upper chest. To get started, have a dumbbell in each hand at thigh level and raise the dumbbells parallel to the floor, then return to the starting position.
UPRIGHT ROW
The upright row is a powerful exercise because it not only targets the front and middle delts, but it also sculpts the back and shoulders. Please keep in mind that this lift requires good form to avoid injury.
Keep your back straight during the upright row with your chest up and your eyes focused ahead. Your stance should be about shoulder width. This exercise can strain the wrists, so use a wide grip. Don’t raise the arms above parallel to avoid a shoulder impingement.