Tone Your Shoulders The Right Way

Shoulder exercises are a popular part of resistance workouts. Working out while facing a mirror, many people train what they can see — the front and middle heads of the deltoid muscle. But the rear head of the deltoid needs attention, too. Otherwise, you'll have unbalanced strength in your shoulders, which can set you up for a rotator cuff injury.

Let's take some time to target the back of your shoulders with bent-over shoulder raises. Here's how:

Sit on the edge of a workout bench or a chair, a dumbbell in each hand and your feet shoulder-width apart. Bend forward at the waist so that your upper body is parallel to the floor. Let your arms hang straight down under your chest, with your palms facing inward towards each other.
Exhale and raise the dumbbells out to the side until they are parallel to the floor. Hold for a beat. Inhale and slowly lower your arms back to the starting position; repeat. Keep a slight bend in your elbows throughout the entire movement. Be careful not to lift your torso when you raise the weights.