![woman with developed shoulders](https://i0.wp.com/llafit.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/SYLVIA_GYM_WARRIOR_PRINT_CLEAN_022_small-e1533074998961.jpg?resize=500%2C605&ssl=1)
Blast Your Shoulders
The Warm-Up:
Always warm-up before a workout. Doing so prepares your muscles to work, and can decrease your chances of injury. A warm-up is said to “activate” muscles. Which, in theory, helps with growth. I wish I paid heed to this rule when I was a newbie. Then, never did comprehensive warm-ups, and one of my shoulders suffered from it.
Warm-Up Exercises:
2 sets 10-15 reps of pike push-ups
2 sets of 15 – 25 reps side laterals with bands
2 sets of 15 -25 reps front laterals with bands
Arm circles 25 forward, 25 back, no rest in between.
The Workout:
Exercise 1: Dumbbell Shoulder Press
![Basic dumbell shoulder press](https://i0.wp.com/llafit.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/dumbell-shoulder-press.jpg?resize=293%2C310&ssl=1)
For hypertrophy (muscle growth):
3-5 sets 8-12 reps – 1 warm-up weight (light), set 2 working set weight and sets 4 & 5 power sets – heavy weight
For maintenance or tone:
3 sets 12-15
Exercise 2: Incline Side Lateral Raises
![Side incline dumbell raises](https://i0.wp.com/llafit.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/incline-side-lying-dumbbell-lateral-raise.jpg?resize=413%2C243&ssl=1)
For hypertrophy (muscle growth):
3-5 sets 8-12 reps – 1 warm-up weight (light), set 2 working set weight and sets 4 & 5 power sets – heavy weight
For maintenance or tone:
3 sets 12-15
![burn the fat feed the muscle book by tom venuto](https://i0.wp.com/llafit.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/9795370f7c7c0d893ad67b7fbd231d6a.jpg?resize=260%2C325&ssl=1)
Exercise 3: Rear Lateral Raises
![Woman doing rear dumbbell flies](https://i0.wp.com/llafit.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Rear-lat-raise.jpg?resize=300%2C229&ssl=1)
For hypertrophy (muscle growth):
3-5 sets 8-12 reps – 1 warm-up weight (light), set 2 working set weight and sets 4 & 5 power sets – heavy weight
For maintenance or tone:
3 sets 12-15
Exercise 4: Alternating Front Dumbbell Raises
![woman doing front dumbbell raises](https://i0.wp.com/llafit.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/front-laterals.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1)
2-3 sets of 8-12 or 12-15 reps
![butt bible on amazon](https://i0.wp.com/llafit.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/buttbible_brokesinglemomfitness.jpg?resize=212%2C300&ssl=1)
As an athlete for over 22 years and a broke single mom for most of that time, I created brokesinglemomfitness.com, now LLAFIT.com, to aid anyone who believes the road to fitness requires a lot of cash or time. In reality, the way to fitness is paved with knowledge and firm principles; teaching readers how to master both is the goal of this site. LLAFIT – Lifelong Applied Fitness
![woman doing plyometric leg exercise](https://i0.wp.com/llafit.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/IMG_7930.jpg?resize=75%2C75&ssl=1)
![Cardio alternatives](https://i0.wp.com/llafit.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/MasalaBhangra.jpg?resize=75%2C75&ssl=1)