Toning arms, shoulders for summer

Q: What type of exercises will help me tone and strengthen my arms and shoulders? I work out three days a week and have seen progress in my lower body strength, but seem to be much weaker in my arms and shoulders. Summer is almost here, and I want to be able to wear my short-sleeve shirts. HELP!

A: Strengthening and toning the muscles of the upper body can be a challenge. Although we use our arms and shoulders for everyday tasks such as taking a bag out of the car, lifting a briefcase or pocketbook or even putting a box on a shelf, often our upper bodies are not nearly as conditioned as our lower body.

Most people have a stronger lower body because we use our legs to walk or run, walk up stairs, bend and support our body weight throughout the day. That being said, there still are ways to improve the strength of your arms and shoulders.

Evaluate your current exercise program and identify the exercises that require you to use your arms and shoulders. If you find that the majority of your workout consists of lower body exercises, then a slight change in adding two or three upper-body exercises may help you begin to see results.

Exercises such as the chest press and lat pull-down (back) utilize your arms to help perform the exercise, but they are not exercises that focus on the arms or shoulders. Specific exercises such as a bicep curl (front part of arm), shoulder press and triceps push-down (back of arms) will help focus on strengthening the arms and shoulders.

After looking at your program, if you find that you are already performing two or three exercises for your arms and shoulders, then you may want to look at the amount of weight (intensity), the number of repetitions performed and your exercise technique. Each of these factors plays a big role in seeing progress.

Also, consider the length of time you have been performing your current exercise routine. If you have been doing the same routine consistently for more than three weeks, it may be time to progress to a more difficult intensity or to add an additional set of the exercise.

The way to identify if you are exercising at the correct intensity is to determine the number of sets and repetitions you would like to complete. Then choose a weight that will begin to fatigue your muscles during the last three. For example, if you choose to complete two sets and 15 repetitions, you should choose a weight that becomes challenging around the 12th or 13th repetition.

Consistency is the key. Be patient and keep working hard.

Always consult a physician before beginning an exercise program.