Fit

Sculpted Shoulders for the Summer!

Summer has officially arrived and it’s time to show off those shoulders! In addition to having your shoulders look good, it’s important that they move well! One of my favorite moves to target shoulder mobility and build strength are halo exercises. A halo movement takes a weight of your choosing up around your head in a circular direction putting your shoulders through a large range of motion while incorporating your upper back.

Halo exercises are also a great way to warm-up the shoulders, and to spice up lunges and squats. I also love how halo exercises help strengthen coordination. As a fitness trainer and a group exercise instructor, I often hear people say that they struggle with coordination. The good news is, coordination is a skill and not necessarily a talent, which means with repetition you can improve! So don’t let lack of coordination stop you, go ahead try one or a few of these halo exercises!

To perform the halo, there are many options of equipment you can use including:  kettlebell, medicine ball, dumbbell, weight plate, or even a ViPR.

Here are five of my favorite halo exercises:

1. REVERSE LUNGE WITH HALO – use a ViPR

ViPR

2. SIDE LUNGE WITH HALO – use a medicine ball

Side Lunge

3. MED BALL SLAM WITH HALO – use a slam ball

Slam Ball

4. SQUAT WITH HALO – use a weighted plate

Weighted Plate

5. TALL KNEELING HALO – use a dumbbell

Shoulders-Tall Knee

Key Points:

  • Remember, halos are primarily about mobility and not strength building. Therefore, don’t go too heavy on the weight. Selecting the proper weight will also help you to maintain correct posture.
  • Find a focal point in front of you. Your body will follow your eyes. Therefore, keep your eyes looking straight ahead. This will ensure that you will not drop your head and look down.
  • Always remember, if any exercise causes sharp pain, discontinue!

I challenge you this week to do two things:

  1. Add in a halo whenever you work on lunges or squats. You can do 3 sets of 10 reps or you can go for time and perform 30 seconds – 1 minute of an exercise with a halo.
  2. Consider what skill you would like to work on to improve! Together we will work to move better, feel better, and do better!

One Comment

Juanita, I really want to work on my shoulders and I was wondering if you have any videos that I could follow to make it easier to understand exactly how to do each move?

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