Of all your body’s joints, the shoulder joint has the largest range of motion. It can rotate 360 degrees! This makes it very prone to injury, especially in women, due to hormonal fluctuations. Moves like overhead presses and bent over rows are essential for toning the upper arms, which includes the front, side, and rear shoulder muscles.
Before you engage in any strenuous shoulder workout, be sure to do the exercises with a light weight or no weight at all to warm the muscles, tendons, and entire shoulder capsule before you move on to heavier weights. For most women, 5 lb. or 8 lb. weights are plenty for creating definition in the upper arm and shoulder area. Overhead presses with side lateral lifts (lifting to the side of your body to shoulder level) and bent over rows are amazing for toning all three heads of the shoulder. Your shoulders and upper arms will being to tone when you perform these moves twice a week. Do 2-3 sets of 15-25 reps each. As always, if you have questions, ask a certified personal trainer to help you.
Trainer Tip by Sandra Ferrerio, certified LiveRite weight loss coach, trainer, and class instructor at Lucille Roberts in Yonkers. Read her full bio here.
