Lateral Raises
When it comes to targeting your shoulder muscles, lateral raises are an excellent exercise to incorporate into your routine. To perform this exercise, start by holding a weight in each hand, with your hands hanging by your sides and your palms facing your body.
Next, slowly raise your arms out straight, moving your hands towards the ceiling. It’s important to keep your arms straight, but not stiff, throughout the movement. By the time you complete the movement, your arms should be about at shoulder level.
It’s essential to resist the urge to lift your shoulders towards your ears to assist with lifting the weights. Instead, focus on using your shoulder muscles to perform the movement effectively.
When lowering the weights, make sure to do so slowly and in a controlled manner. It’s worth noting that exercises that involve bringing the weight away from the body can be challenging, especially for beginners. Therefore, it’s advisable to start with lighter weights and gradually increase the intensity as you become more comfortable and confident with the exercise.
Rear Fly: Strengthen Your Back Muscles
To perform the rear fly exercise, start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Take a weight in each hand and bend forward slightly, allowing your arms to hang perpendicular to the floor. Now, pull your shoulders back and lift your arms to the sides as you do so. You can bend your elbows to about 45 degrees during this movement. As you lift your arms, focus on pinching your shoulder blades together, and aim to bring your hands to about the same level as your shoulders at the top of the movement. Finally, lower the weights back down slowly.