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Body Parts that Count: Part 1 – Sexy Shoulders

I’m not one for target training, BUT sometimes a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. Unfortunately, when someone’s schedule is hectic and she didn’t get all the workouts in she hoped for that week, there comes a time where she has to prioritize and work on what matters to her most. (Can you tell I’m talking about myself?) Out of all the parts I’m supposed to work, my top priorities are shoulders, glutes & hamstrings and abs. Today I’m going to talk about shoulders.

What Do You See?
Shoulders are an area I think many women neglect. Women often fixate on getting rid of their saggy triceps, which continue to wave even when you quit waving, but shoulders are actually the most visible arm muscle on a woman.

Firm biceps are great, but they don’t look their very best unless you actually strike a pose and flex your muscle – but who really does that? And if you know someone who does, who really wants to be “that girl”? However, the silhouette of the shoulders can be seen even in the darkest shadows.

Shoulders are what you see first in a tank top and great shoulders can make a strapless dress absolutely over the top. The shoulder and décolleté area can be so glamorous alone, a necklace would actually be a distraction.

The Star of the Show
Think of Poppy Montgomery, from the new series Unforgettable. Besides her new red locks, I can’t stop looking at her new shoulders. Sure, she’s a beautiful girl all over, but it’s her shoulders that redefine her and give her that fit (and sexy) look.

Many other celebrities we consider fit have rockin’ shoulders, but there is a reason they have them. It’s not like they just appeared on their own – if you want them, you have to work to get them.

2 Key Ingredients to Great Shoulders:

1. Purposely and regularly train them.
Train heavy, train hard. You won’t get manly shoulders – promise! Unless you are growing a beard, I doubt you have enough testosterone to bulk up like a man so make it count! If you are hitting them like you should, isolating out the shoulders, you should work them out twice a week. If you are using lighter (or no) weight, or are just incorporating them in a full body conditioning conditioning workout, you can hit them more often.

Top 4 exercises to work these jewels. (3-4 sets of 12-15)
1. Dumbbell Overhead Press
2. Barbell Upright Row
3. Dumbbell Lateral Raise
4. Rear Delt Fly

2. Get and stay lean enough to expose them.
You can do shoulder presses until your blue in the face, but if you don’t lean out, the fat around the muscle will mask the true shape of the muscle. It’s crucial you reduce your calories and increase your protein so you can develop your shoulder muscles while losing body fat. If you feel you are “bulking up” it’s likely your calories are what’s bulky – not your muscles. Trim down your calories and you’ll trim down your arms.

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