Sexy, Sculpted Shoulders

The Quickest route To Looking More Toned: Sculpted Shoulders. And We Have Just the Plan To Getyou There

- K Aleisha Fetters

Whether you’re looking forward to rocking a triathlon (hey there, Durban 70.3) or the new halter in your cupboard, you’re going to want your upper body to be on point. And when it comes to a strong, sculpted top half, focusing your training on your shoulders will give you the best bang for your buck... Physically and aesthetically.

Made up of four distinct muscles – the anterior deltoid, medial deltoid, posterior deltoid and trapezius – the shoulders are the most mobile, “do-itall” joints in the entire human body, says Dr Mike Nelson, an exercise physiologist and adjunct professor of human performance. In fact, says Nelson, your shoulders are actually less a joint and more a “symphony of tissues”. And as one of the most muscular and metabolically active areas in your upper body, they have a major impact on your overall exercise performance and metabolic rate.

Which means that whatever badass fitness goals you’re working towards – whether that’s performing your first pull-up, doing a handstand in yoga class or ruling the squash court – success hinges largely on your shoulders. “Even something like a dead lift, which you don’t typically think of as an upperbody exercise, requires strong shoulders,” Nelson says. “If you can’t stabilise the load as you come up, you’re going to have some issues.” With weak or unstable shoulders, you might not be able to get the weight off the floor at all.