Summer’s around the corner, which means it may soon be time to pack away your cardigans and get those arms out on display. However, if that fills you with thoughts of worry rather than wellness, fear not; we spoke to top fitness experts about how you can make your shoulders and arms more toned and fit.
According to fitness trainer Brad Schoenfeld, MS, CSCS, ‘The shoulders are the most important muscle group of the upper body for appearance as well as function. Even if you have nice arms, you won’t look good if your shoulders are stooped.’ Much in the same way that shoulder pads help to balance you out, well-developed shoulders also give the illusion of a smaller waist. Your main shoulder muscles include three parts. ‘These include the posterior, medial, and anterior deltoid heads,’ explains Schoenfeld. Your workout should include exercises targeting all three.’ In order to do this, try doing the following three exercises three times per week. Aim for three to four 12-15 repetitions (reps) per set.
1. Overhead Shoulder Press: This move works your anterior deltoids. Wellness writer Linda Melone instructs, ‘Stand with feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, and hold onto dumbbells. Position dumbbells at each side of shoulders, with elbows bent at a right angle, hands stacked above your wrists (think of goal posts), and palms facing forward. Press the dumbbells upward until arms are extended overhead. Slowly lower to the starting position and repeat.’
2. Lateral Raise: This is a good move for your lateral deltoids. ‘Stand with feet shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, and grasp two dumbbells,’ says Melone. ‘Move dumbbells to the front of your thighs, with palms facing each other. Slightly bend the elbows and raise dumbbells up and out to the sides until parallel to the floor. Your pinkie should be higher than your thumb.’
3. Reverse Fly: Finally, this move targets your posterior deltoids. Melone details, ‘Grasp two dumbbells and stand with feet shoulder width apart and knees slightly bent. Bend forward at the waist until your back is parallel to the floor (keep knees bent); keep elbows slightly bent with arms towards the floor, palms and dumbbells facing each other. In this bent-over position, raise dumbbells up and out to the sides, moving from the shoulders only, until arms are parallel to the floor at approximately shoulder level. Lower to starting position and repeat.’
Once you’ve worked on your shoulders, it’s time to look at your arms and back. Exercise physiologist Pete McCall, MS, CSCS, spokesman for the American Council on Exercise, notes that pull-ups ‘work the back, forearms and biceps.’ However, if you’re not strong enough to lift your own body weight, here’s how to substitute seated pull-downs or seated rows, which work the same muscles:
1. Seated Pull-Down: ‘Attach tubing to upper part of a door hinge,’ Melone advises. ‘Sit tall on a stability ball or bench and grasp tubing handles. Keep feet flat on the floor and chest high as you pull elbows down and back, squeezing shoulder blades together. Pause and slowly return to starting position.’
2. Seated Row: This move works your back and biceps. Melone suggests, ‘Attach exercise tubing to a door hinge and sit tall on a bench or exercise ball, grasping handles in each hand, palms facing up. Keep chest high and shoulders down (avoid shrugging) as you pull the handles towards you (tubing should be at chest height). Pause when hands reach the sides of your chest, pause and slowly return to starting position. Keep palms facing up to work the biceps; palms down strengthens forearms.’
