Meet Your Shoulders!

A great set of shoulders can work magic: They can make your waist look slimmer, your arms more tone, and they're the perfect finish to that strapless dress or tank top! And even better, they're among the easiest muscles for you to define, since the shoulder region is one of the last places your body deposits fat.

The major muscle of your shoulder is the deltoid which is the roundish-looking muscle that caps the top of your upper arm. It's made of three distinct sections: your front deltoid, the middle deltoid, and the rear deltoid.

To train your shoulders effectively, I would recommend the following exercises:

Dumbbell Shoulder Press:
- Stand holding a pair of dumbbells just outside your shoulders, with your arms bent and palms facing forward
- Set your feet shoulder-width apart, and slightly bend your knees
- Press the weights upward until your arms are completely straight
- Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position

Front and Lateral Dumbbell Raises:
- Grab a pair of dumbbells and let them hand at arm's length next to your sides, with your palms facing each other
- Raise your arms straight in front of you (for front raise) or to your sides (for lateral raise) until they're parallel to the floor
- Pause, then slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position

Incline T Raise:
- Grab a pair of dumbbells and lie chest down on an adjustable bench or swiss ball
- Raise your arms straight our to your sides until they're in line with your body
- Pause, then slowly lower back to the starting position

If you're looking to build long and lean muscles, I would recommend doing 10-12 repetitions for each exercise. Or, if big and bulky is your end goal, shoot for 4-8 repetitions with heavier weights!