Online since 2000
This is an exercise workout for your shoulders and legs using your core for balance, stability and support. It’s a simple exercise workout comprising of 5 basic yet very effective shoulder exercises combined by simultaneously doing each shoulder exercise with leg squats. This series of exercises can be done either at your home or at the gym. All you need are a few dumbbells and they do not need to be very heavy, either.
This is a strength training and cardiovascular workout engaging both the shoulders and the legs as the primary focus of the exercise. It is also a full-body exercise because it engages many secondary muscles required for strength, balance and support.
You can also determine the pace you want to do this exercises workout at. You can slow it down a bit to make it harder and realize more of the strength training benefits of this exercise or speed it up to get the fat-burning and toning benefits of this exercise while still building strength. Therefore, it’s a great workout for women who want to just strength train, get in shape and lose weight without building a lot of muscle.
You can also determine how heavy the weights you wish to use depending on your fitness or bodybuilding, sculpting goals. I am using fairly light weights in my YouTube exercise video for demonstration purposes. Even with light weights, after awhile, you will find they will feel heavier as you go.
Do this exercise circuit 3 times at 12 repetitions each exercise. So basically you are doing 3 sets of each exercise but alternating. It should take anywhere from 15 to 20 minutes. Take a short rest between each of the 3 exercise circuits.
Don’t forget to breathe throughout this workout. Breathe in as you come down (lower the weights and do your leg squat) and breathe out as you raise the weights and stand up (come out of squatting position).
Primary areas of emphasis:
Secondary muscle groups:
Grab 2 dumbbells and hold them with palms facing outwards, elbows at shoulder height and with both arms bent at 90 degrees at the elbows and facing slightly inwards at a 30 degree angle (as shown in my video below). You will find that your shoulders won't let you your arms go all the way back, plus it is not good for your shoulders and can result in shoulder pain over time. This is your starting position.
Standing up press the weights up over your head until they meet or almost meet at the top(breathe out as you do so). As you bring the weights back down to the starting position, do your leg squat. Go as low as you can.
Holding 2 dumbbells in front of you and palms facing inwards, bring them upwards with elbows moving upwards and outwards (elbows in a V-shape). Bring the hands to your shoulder level or almost there. As you bring the weights back down to the starting position, do your leg squat.
You do this exercise in the same way as the overhead shoulder press except that this time you bring the weights up and inwards until they touch or almost touch over your head. So you are working your shoulders from a different angle. As you bring the weights back down to the starting position, do your leg squat.
Holding two dumbbells in the middle with palms facing inwards, raise them simultaneously outwards and to the side until you reach shoulder level. At shoulder height, your palms will face downwards. Keep your elbows slightly bent at all times. Hold for a couple of seconds at the top of the movement. As you bring the weights back down to the starting position, do your leg squat.
Hold two dumbbells at your sides, palms facing inwards (towards you) and raise the weights to shoulder height simultaneously. Keep your elbows slightly bent at all times. As you bring the weights back down to the starting position, do your leg squat.
Go as low as you can go with your legs apart. Maintain a straight back, glutes and abs tucked in and keep your knees bent over her feet as you squat.
If you do this exercise as I have instructed you will feel it and you will have beautifully sculpted shoulders.
To make this workout harder and more challenging, try it on a Bosu ball. It will require more balance and works out your legs and core even more since more energy and strength are required to maintain stability on the Bosu.
Also remember to stretch your shoulder and leg muscles after this workout.
To conclude, this exercise workout is ideal when you have limited amount of time to exercise and it can be done at the gym or at home with very limited equipment. When done properly you should get a good fat-burning cardio and strength training workout and beautifully sculpted shoulders.
Online since 2000