The shoulders have just as much potential to store fat as any other part of the body. When pads build up, it can cause embarrassment and motivate you to make changes. Your best bet is to lose weight through your body as a whole and zero in on the muscles of the shoulders with key exercises. Since you cannot spot reduce, this plan will give your shoulder area more definition and a thinner appearance.
Step 1
Cut back on your calorie intake to create a deficit. This will make your body burn stored fat for energy and promote leaner shoulders. Reduce your daily intake by 500 calories and you will lose about 1 lb. of weight weekly. Make sure to eat healthy foods low in calories and high in nutrients like fruits, vegetables, lean meats, low-fat dairy and whole grains.
Step 2
Get cardiovascular exercise to burn fat in your shoulders. Choose a form that involves your shoulders to help tone up as you lose weight, such as elliptical training, rowing, swimming or jumping rope. Aim for 60 to 90 minutes of cardio and work out three days a week on nonconsecutive days.
Step 3
Execute a set of shoulder presses. Stand with your feet in a staggered stance and hold a barbell at upper chest height with an overhand, shoulder-width grip. Keep your abs tight and back straight as you push the bar above your head. Stop when your arms are just short of locking out and hold for a second. Lower the bar back down slowly and repeat.
Step 4
Grab a set of dumbbells to do upright rows. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the weights in front of your thighs with your palms facing your body. Lift the weights straight up until they are at upper chest height and hold for a full second. Make sure to keep your elbows higher than your forearms throughout this movement. Lower the dumbbells back down slowly and repeat.
Step 5
Hold dumbbells at your sides to do shrugs. Turn your palms so they face your body and keep your arms straight as you lift your shoulders up in the air. Hold for a second, slowly lower your shoulders and repeat.
Step 6
Perform lateral raises with dumbbells. Stand with your feet together and hold the weights in front of your thighs with your palms facing each other. Bend your elbows slightly and keep that bend as you raise your arms out to your sides in an arcing motion. Turn your thumbs down slightly as you do this and stop when your arms parallel the floor. Lower the weights back down slowly and repeat.
Tips and Warnings
- Aim for 10 to 12 reps and do four or five sets of your weight-training exercises. Work out three days a week on non-cardio days. Doing these exercises, you will improve the definition of the trapezius and deltoids. The traps run across the top of the collarbones and the delts form the rounded part of the shoulders.
Member Comments