The Secret to Sexy Shoulders

Want to fast-track your upper body into an eye-catching X frame? Whip your shoulders into shape. This workout moves your shoulders through multiple planes using light resistance to target and reinforce one of your most vulnerable joints, giving them strength, agility, and gorgeous cascading cuts no one can miss. IFBB pro Candice Lewis gets her coveted capped delts with these five key moves.

WORKS: SHOULDERS, ARMS, CORE

• Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding two D-handles attached to a low-pulley cable with your palms facing you.
• Keeping your posture upright and core engaged, pull cable up until handles reach chin height.
• Slowly lower cable without letting weight stack touch.
• Perform two sets of 12–15 reps.

Tip: Raise elbows only to shoulders so emphasis doesn’t move to traps.

SEE ALSO: Nicole Wilkins’ Shoulders and Arms Workout

WORKS: FRONT DELTOIDS, CORE

• Stand with feet hip-width apart and legs and core engaged. Hold a barbell in front of your body, arms extended downward with a reverse grip, palms facing outward.
• Raise barbell to chin level, keeping arms as straight as possible. Lower barbell to starting position without touching your thighs.
• Perform two sets of 12–15 slow reps.

Tip: Raise bar to a height just before you feel tightness in shoulders. 

SEE ALSO: Teresa Anthony’s Shoulder Workout

WORKS: FRONT AND LATERAL DELTOIDS

• Sit holding dumbbells at your sides, palms forward.
• Keep arms straight and lift dumbbells up and out so your arms form a Y. Lower your upper arms until they’re parallel to the floor, elbows bent 90 degrees . Press arms back up to a Y position.
• Lower back to start, palms still forward.
• Repeat for two sets of 12–15 controlled reps.

Tip: Though seated, do not relax. Keep tension at bottom of movement. 

WORKS: REAR DELTOIDS, CORE

• Sit on a stability ball facing a cable crossover machine. Grab left cable with your right hand and right cable with your left hand.
• With just a slight bend at your elbows, pull and squeeze rear delts downward, opening arms out to form a Y.
• Return cables to front of body until wrists are in line with shoulders.
• Perform two sets of 12-15 reps.

Tip: Keep eyes focused on “X” in cables, and never cross arms.

WORKS: FRONT AND REAR DELTOIDS

• Stand facing a cable machine with feet hip-width apart. Grab a D-handle with over-hand grip, palm facing your body. Slowly raise handle out to your side to shoulder height, keeping arm straight.
• Slowly return handle to start position.
• Perform two sets of 12–15 reps.

SEE ALSO: The Hardest Move You’ve Never Tried: Power Planks