These shoulder and chest exercises will provide an elegant frame for your wedding dress.
At Home
First, warm up. At a moderate speed, circle your arms back ten times and then forward ten times. Repeat each set three times. Roll your shoulders up and back ten times in each direction. Shrug your shoulders ten times.
Then do three sets of each of the following exercises using a 5 to 8 pound dumbbell.. Be sure to adjust the suggested weights based on your personal ability.
Military Press
The shoulder press builds strength in the deltoid and triceps while the rest of the body gets worked stabilizing the torso. The military press helps to improve posture and give the appearance of a slimmer waistline.
The set-up: Sit in a chair with good posture (abs in and ribcage lifted) with a pair of 5 or 8 pound weights in each hand. Start with your hands just above your shoulders, palms facing forward.
The movement: Press the weights overhead in an arc until your arms are fully extended, without locking the elbows. Slowly lower the weights and repeat 12 to 15 times.
Lateral Raises with Exercise Tubing
The set-up: Stand with your feet hip width apart, step forward with one foot slightly in front of the other, knees slightly bent in the center of the exercise tubing. Hold a handle in each hand, with your arms by your side, palms facing in.
The movement: Keeping your wrists straight and your elbows slightly bent, lift the arms up and out to shoulder height. Slowly lower and repeat 15 to 20 times.
Upright Row
The set-up: Stand with good posture, feet hip-width apart, with a 5-pound dumbbell in each hand. Bring your hands to the front of your thighs, palms facing toward your thighs and thumbs together. The dumbbells should be about an inch apart, parallel to the floor.
The movement: Raise the weights to just beneath your chin, keeping the elbows out to the side and squeezing the shoulder blades together. (Imagine the space between the dumbbells drawing an imaginary line up past your belly button up toward the chin.) Lower slowly and repeat, 12 to 15 times.
Front Raise
The set-up: Stand in the same position as above, palms facing the front of the thighs.
The movement: Keeping your shoulders back, your chest out and your shoulders slightly bent, bring both weights forward in a straight line, until your arms are level with your shoulders. Lower in a slow controlled movement and repeat 10 to 12 times.
Seated Rear Deltoid Flys
The set-up: Sit on a chair with a pillow on your lap, arms hanging down, with a 3- or 5-pound dumbbell in each hand. Lean forward, resting your chest on the pillow.
The movement: With your elbows slightly bent, raise your arms out to the side until they are level with your shoulders. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement and hold for a count of two. Slowly lower and repeat 10 to 12 times.
