If you've been focusing on toning your arms [1] for all those strapless and sleeveless outfits you'll be wearing in the warm weather, you may be neglecting an important part of your upper body: your shoulders. Just like your arms, your shoulders can be toned and sculpted with muscle. And with some bodyweight moves and dumbbell exercises, you can tone your shoulders in no time.
Building your shoulder muscles can also help improve your upper-body strength and make your waist look smaller, giving you a more hourglass shape. With off-the-shoulder [2], strapless, and spaghetti-strap tops and dresses on trend, you'll want to show off your sexy shoulders all season long.
Upright Row
- Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and place a dumbbell in each hand. Your closed palms should be facing your body. Your shoulders should be over your pelvis, with knees slightly bent.
- Keeping the dumbbells close to your body, raise them to your shoulders, bending your elbows out to the sides.
- Slowly lower them to the starting position. This counts as one rep.
- Perform 10 reps.
The Biceps and Deltoid Squeeze
- Sit cross-legged on the floor and hold your weights. Lift up your arms and extend them to your sides, palms facing forward and elbows bent at 90 degrees. Keep your shoulders down and your wrists in line with your elbows.
- Rotate your arms so your elbows are moving to meet each other in front of you. They should be perpendicular to your shoulders. Keep your muscles engaged, and move back to starting position.
- Do 10 counts.
Lateral Raises
- Stand with your feet hip-distance apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand so your palms face in toward the sides of your body.
- Start with the right side first. With control, keep your arm straight (but don't lock that elbow), and as you inhale, raise your right hand up toward the ceiling. You want your palm to be facing down and your arm to be parallel to the floor. Then, as you exhale, slowly lower your hand back to your body. You should be able to see your hand in your peripheral vision, so your arm won't be directly out to the side, but slightly forward.
- Do the same move with your left arm.
- Then do both your right and left arms at the same time.
- Continue these moves of right, left, together, right, left, together, for a total of 10 reps.
Overhead Shoulder Press
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand just above your shoulders, palms facing in.
- Straighten your arms above you.
- Bend your elbows, coming back to the starting position to complete one rep.
- Do 10 reps total.
Feet on Medicine Ball Push-Up
- Begin in plank position with your toes resting on a medicine ball.
- Keeping the core engaged, bend and straighten your arms to complete a push-up.
Plank Side Walk
- Begin in plank position with your hands underneath your shoulders, body in one straight line.
- Simultaneously cross your right hand over your left as you step your left foot to the left. Then simultaneously step your left hand and right foot to the left, so you're back in plank position. Your hands move together as your feet step apart.
- Repeat this for five steps to the left and five steps to the right to complete a rep. Be sure to keep your hips low as you move, drawing your navel toward your spine.
Bicep Curl and Overhead Press
- Stand with your feet directly under your hips, holding a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing out. Bend your elbows, bringing the weights to your shoulders and performing a bicep curl.
- Stabilize your torso and keep your arms moving upward, straightening your arms above you, performing an overhead press with your palms facing out.
- Bend your elbows, coming back to the end of your bicep curl, then straighten your arms, coming back to the starting position to complete one rep.
- Perform 10 to 12 reps.
Squaring It Off
- Sit cross-legged on the floor and imagine you are in a box. Holding your weights so your palms are facing down, extend your arms and lift them, imagining you are lifting them to the top corners of the box in front of you.
- Bring your arms down so they are reaching for the bottom corners of the box.
- Keeping your arms at the same level, shift them so they are behind you, reaching for the bottom corners of the box.
- From there, lift up your arms so they are behind and above you, reaching for the top corners of the box.
- Return to starting position. This completes one rep; do 10 reps.
Bent-Over Reverse Fly
- Holding a dumbbell in each hand, stand with your knees slightly bent. Keeping your back flat, bend forward at the hip joint.
- Exhale and lift both arms to the sides, maintaining a slight bend in your elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Then, with control, lower the dumbbells back toward the ground. This completes one rep.
- Perform 10 reps.
Plank and Straight-Arm Kickback
Work your arms and abs together with this plank variation.
- Start in a plank position, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Open your feet wider than hip width for a stronger base of support.
- Lift your left arm behind you as high as you can. Bring your left arm back into plank to complete one rep.
- Do 10 to 15 reps with each arm.
Use five- to 10-pound weights.
Up-Down Plank
- Begin in a full plank. Lower your right elbow to the mat and then your left, coming into an elbow plank.
- Put your right hand on the mat and straighten your right elbow. Do the same on the left to return to a full plank. This completes one rep. Do 10 reps.
Pilates Boxer
- Stand with your feet hip-distance apart. Bend your elbows behind you, keeping your upper arms even with your back.
- Bend your knees to come into a half squat while creasing at your hips so your spine is almost parallel to the floor. Keep your spine neutral with your pelvis and head forming one long line.
- As you exhale, simultaneously extend your right arm straight out in front of you and your left arm straight behind you. Rotate both wrists so your front palm is down and your back palm is up.
- With control, return to the starting position and repeat on the other side. This completes one rep.
- Do 10 to 12 reps on each arm.