Fitness Friday

New Years Eve is right around the corner and likely you'll be slipping into something that shows off your arms and shoulders. The featured workout this Friday will help you to sculpt and tone your upper body by focusing on the muscles of the shoulders.

• Why? Shapely shoulders can help give the appearance of a slimmer waist and more proportionate hip width. Also, they give you the strength necessary to perform simple everyday tasks such as carrying groceries, and provide help to improved posture.
  
• The deltoids, the muscles of the shoulders, can be divided into three major groups: anterior (front), posterior (back), and lateral (side).  These five exercise target each groups as well as the muscles of the chest, biceps, and triceps as stabilizing muscles. 

• Try this workout today and get strapless-dress ready by NYE!

Overhead Shoulder Press

Stand up straight, facing forward and keeping your core tight. Start with dumbbells in your hands and raise your arms so that your hands are on opposite sides of your head, elbows bent at 90° angles and in line with your shoulders.


With palms facing forward, raise your arms overhead without straightening them out completely (never stiffen your joints). Hold for a second, then slowly return to the starting position. Repeat.


Weight: 5-10 lbs.
Sets: 2
Reps: 12

Front raise
Stand facing forward with arms by your sides. With dumbbells in hand, palms facing your legs, contract your core and lift one arm in front of your body, turning your palm toward the floor as your hand becomes parallel to it.


Pause for a second and slowly lower your arm back to the starting position, making sure that your palm faces your thigh. Alternate with the other arm.


Weight: 3-5 lbs.
Sets: 2
Reps: 12

Lateral raise
Stand facing forward with arms by your sides, palms facing your legs. With a dumbbell in your left hand, contract your core and squeeze your shoulder and lift your arm out to the side until it is parallel to the floor, remembering not to stiffen you elbow.


Tip: place your hand at an angle at the top so that your thumb points toward the floor and your pinky is up in the air. Pause at the top, before slowly returning to the starting position. Complete the set with your right arm before moving onto the left.


Weight: 3-5 lbs.
Set: 2
Reps: 12

Upright Row

Grasp dumbbells and stand with palms facing front of thighs. Pull dumbbells to front of shoulder with elbows leading out to sides. Allow wrists to flex as dumbbells rises upward. Lower and repeat.

Weight: 5-10 lbs.
Set: 2
Reps: 12

Push Up

Lie on the floor, head facing down, with hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Bend knees and raise body up off floor by extend arms with body straight.  Keeping body straight and knees bent, lower body to floor by bending arms. Push body up until arms are extended. Repeat.

Sets: 3
Reps: 15