Putting those calves to work with the barbell on your shoulders mean that you’ve also got to stabilse yourself, which helps develop your whole lower leg.
Facts:
- Main muscle targeted – Calves
Male | Female
Method:
Grab the dumbbells and stand with your legs shoulder-width apart. Rest the dumbbells beside your thighs with your arms extended (without letting them just dangle from your shoulders).
While keeping your shoulders and arms tensed, breathe out as you lift your arms out to your sides. Your palms should be pointing down, your elbows slightly bent and you should really feel the tension in your shoulders and trapezius.
Breathe in as you return the weights to your sides. Control the movement so they don’t actually touch you, before starting the next rep.
Why it’s good:
This exercise will help you build up the whole neck and shoulder area, which will help avoid injury, and give your neck some more support.
What to watch out for:
Make sure you keep the exercise symmetrical. The movements should look the same on both sides of the body, or else you could be compensating for a weakened muscle, and if they develop unevenly, it can pull your musculature out of a good alignment, leading to posture problems.
Snapshot:
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Male | Female
Method:
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, flex your knees and bend from your hips to lean forward. Keep your back straight and hold the dumbbells below your chest.
Raise your arms to your sides until your elbows are slightly higher than your shoulders. Keep your elbows pointing upwards and your arms straight.
Why it’s good:
Because you have to hold correct posture, it works the whole body in small ways.
What to watch out for:
Mind your back position. A rounded spine can result in an injury. Keep your head up, back straight and bend from the hips.
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