How to Get Strong, Sexy Shoulders in 12 Simple Fat-Burning Moves

Simple Shoulder Workout for Women You Can Do At Home

An often forgotten body part, shoulders are the key to a balanced and sexy physique. When working your upper body, you might not think to work your shoulders, instead focusing on your toned arms and back. But strong, sculpted shoulders can take your upper body from average to sexy in no time. You know that hourglass figure you’ve always wanted? The look can be achieved with toned shoulders. Sculpted shoulders can make your waist appear smaller, your hips more narrow and your body appear more proportionate overall. So to build those sexy shoulder muscles, grab a pair of dumbbells and get ready to do some fat-burning exercises that are guaranteed to sculpt those shoulders in no time! This simple shoulder workout for women can be done at home or use it as part of your routine for the gym. So what are you waiting for? Get your sweat on and get ready to sculpt those sexy shoulders!

What to Know Before You Start

It’s important that you know yourself, your body and your limits before taking on any new workout program. Always start with a weight you are comfortable with and can lift without any pain or aggravation to your muscles. Remember to select a weight that is heavy (to maximize your fat burning and muscle building potential) but safe. If you can’t lift the weight and place it back to the starting position without good and proper form then the weight is too heavy for you. But don’t get discouraged if you have to start out with a lower weight than you wanted. You can always build up to a heavier weight as you get more comfortable with the exercises.

Follow the chart below to determine how many repetitions and sets you should be completing for each exercise. Remember to start out where you’re comfortable (but challenged, of course) and build up as you go.

Beginner: Lifting 3 Months Or Less

Light weight

2 sets
8-10 repetitions
2 days per week (non-consecutive)

Intermediate: Lifting 4-9 Months

Moderate Weight

3 sets
10-12 repetitions
2 days per week (non-consecutive)

Advanced: Lifting 10+ Months

Heavy Weight

3-4 sets

4-6 repetitions

2 days per week (non-consecutive)

The 5 Most Common Shoulder Mistakes to Avoid

To get the most out of your shoulder training exercises, try your best to avoid these common mistakes.

It might seem natural to want to tense your neck or shrug your shoulders as you perform shoulder presses and raises but try your best not to. Doing so can lead to neck strain.
Instead of having your thumbs up during your shoulder press, try to keep your pinkies up instead. This will help increase tension in your deltoids.
For your lateral raises, make sure you aren’t leading with your elbows or hands. Instead, keep them in line to get the maximum deltoid engagement.
For your shoulder presses, make sure you aren’t locking your elbows at the top of the exercise – doing so will work more of your triceps than your shoulders.
Avoid swinging the weight during your raises (you want to use more strength than momentum). Rather, move the weights in a strong, controlled manner.

Shoulder Workouts for Women: The 12 Best Exercises Using Dumbbells

Reach and Pull

Start with your arms extended out to your sides, dumbbells in hands, palms facing up and with a soft bend to your elbows (your arms should be in the shape of a W).

Pull your elbows behind your back, squeezing your shoulder blades together as you do so.

Bring elbows back to the starting position – that’s 1 rep.

Flip and Down

Start with your arms extended out to your sides, dumbbells in hands, palms facing up and with a soft bend to your elbows (just like the reach and pull starting position).

From this position, flip your hands so that your palms are facing down, then slowly flip them up again.

As you’re doing this move, imagine you’re tracing a “C” shape with your hands.

Lateral Pulses

Start with your arms straight out by your sides at shoulder height, with palms facing down, dumbbells in hands.

Keeping arms at shoulder height, pulse them up and down.

Side Lateral Raise

Stand straight with a dumbbell in each hand at your side.

Keeping your back straight and your core tight, slowly lift the weights out to the side until your arms are parallel to the floor.

Lower them back down, in one controlled movement.

Front Dumbbell Raise

Stand with the dumbbells resting on the front of your thighs, palms facing towards your thigh, keeping arms fully extended.
Raise the left dumbbell out and upwards, keeping a slight bend in the elbow.
Continue raising the dumbbell until your arm is parallel to the floor – about shoulder height.
Pause for 1 count, then slowly lower the dumbbell back to the starting position.
As you lower the left dumbbell, slowly begin to raise the right dumbbell in the same way.

Bent Arm Lateral Raise

Begin with feet shoulder width apart, shoulders down and back.

With dumbbells in hand, bend your elbows 90 degrees so that your forearms are parallel to the floor.

Raise your elbows in a wide, arching motion so that your arms are almost parallel to the floor – keeping your elbows just below shoulder level.

Pause for 2 seconds, then slowly lower your arms back down to the starting point.

Bent Pulse

Stand with your elbows bent at 90 degrees, palms facing up and forearms parallel to your face.

Pulse your arms up and down, making sure your elbows are in line with your shoulders.

Elbow Tap

Stand with your elbows bent at 90 degrees, palms facing up, dumbbells in hands and forearms parallel to the floor.
Arms should be shoulder width apart.
As you push the weights together, tap your elbows together at the same time.

Front Press

Stand with your elbows bent at 90 degrees, palms facing up, dumbbells in hand and forearms parallel to the floor.

Trying your best to keep the weights together, squeeze your elbows so that they are narrower than your shoulders (or as close as you can get).

Reach your arms up and down in front of your face for 1 rep.

Shoulder Press

Stand with dumbbells in hand at shoulder level, palms facing forward and elbows bent at 90 degrees.

Press one or both dumbbells overhead, bringing the weights together until they almost touch overhead.

Lower your arms back down to the sides of your shoulders, making sure you don’t go any lower than that.

If you do a one arm version, you can alternate arms or do all repetitions for one arm, then switch sides.

Arnold Press

This is a variation of the shoulder press.
Stand with dumbbells at shoulder height, arms bent and palms facing your body.
Gripping the dumbbells as tightly as possible, lift them overhead, rotating the dumbbells until your palms are facing forward at the top of the press.
Pause for 1 count, then slowly lower the weight back down, reversing your rotation so that your palms face your body at the bottom of the press.

Shoulder Shaper

Stand with your arms extended out at shoulder height with elbows bent at 90 degrees.
With dumbbells in hand, bring your forearms together in front of your face.
Slowly return to the starting position, with elbows staying at shoulder height whole time.

With this simple shoulder workout for women, you’ll be on your way to sexy shoulders in no time at all. You know you’ll look amazing in your tank tops and dresses, not to mention how sculpted shoulders will help you achieve that hourglass look you’ve always wanted. The best part about this workout is the fact that it can easily be done at-home with a pair of dumbbells or as part of your regular routine for the gym.

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