If you’re like most women, you probably ignore your upper body when you exercise. Here’s how to find the four most overlooked, but essential, muscles and whip them into shape

Over twenty years ago when I first entered the fitness business, most people had a pre-conceived idea about what body parts men and women should target. Generally speaking, men did upper body work but left their thighs and buttocks to fend for themselves. Women did the opposite, spending hours on leg lifts in every possible angle and position, but never doing anything for their upper body beyond bent leg press-ups. As an instructor, I remember having to cajole both sexes to work through the whole body during a weight training session because total body strength and proper alignment are necessary to prevent injury.

While cardiovascular exercise is an essential part of your routine, strengthening muscles through weight training protects you from injury and increases your metabolism, so you burn more calories both during and after your workouts. Most women fear that lifting weights will bulk them up, but this is a fallacy. Keep in mind it’s also not the amount of weight you lift but how you lift it that counts.

Today, my female clients still tend to give their upper body short shrift when working out. Here are the most crucial, but often ignored, muscles and some weight training exercises to tone them.

1. The transverse abdominus (stomach)
   The deepest of all your abdominal muscles, the transverse abdominus functions like a thick band that holds in your vital organs and supports your back by joining it to your stomach and other core muscles that are crucial for body stability. A simple way to locate this muscle is to cough or laugh, and you will feel it tighten. You can give this muscle a great workout with the following move:

   The hover: Start on all fours with your arms slightly bent and your hips over your knees. Draw your pelvic floor up, pull your navel back into your spine and shift your weight forward to your arms so your torso is at an angle. If you are advanced, you can come up onto your toes instead of your knees. If you choose this position, you’ll need to walk your hands out until your body is in a straight line. Make sure your bum doesn’t drop down lower than your hips and try to deepen your ab contraction each time you exhale. Do this 10 times. It is essential to focus on the transverse abdominus throughout your entire workout as well as during everyday activities, in order to produce safer and more effective body movements and balance. Doing exercises on stability or balance balls is also excellent for conditioning the transverse abdominus.

2. The deltoids (shoulders)
   These muscles enclose the shoulder and upper arm and help them to move backwards and upwards. To work your deltoids, try these three simple exercises.

   Lateral lifts: Stand with your legs slightly apart and your knees soft, then engage your abdominals (pull your pelvic floor up and your navel in to your spine) and make sure your neck is in line with your spine. Holding a pair of light weights, slowly lift your arms straight out to the sides (keeping your elbows soft and slightly in front of your shoulders) then breathe out and stop just below shoulder height. Inhale as you slowly lower the weights, and repeat 10–20 times.

   Forward raises: Keep the same stance (or you can place one foot in front of the other if you prefer), but rest your hands on the front of your thighs with your thumbs facing up. Breathe out, raising your arms to just below shoulder height and inhale as you slowly lower them. Repeat 10–20 times. Spend two to three seconds lifting each arm and around four seconds lowering it.

   Overhead press: Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the floor, engage your abs and make sure your neck is in line with your spine. Using two to three pound weights, bend your arms, keep your elbows in by your sides and raise your hands to just above shoulder level with your palms facing forward. As you exhale push your arms up, but don’t lock your elbows, then breathe in as you lower the weights. Repeat 10–20 times.

3. The triceps (backs of the upper arms)
   Women in particular have a tough time keeping this area in shape. You’re probably all-too-familiar with the way some women’s upper arms flap around when they wave. Here are a few ideas to shape up the triceps trouble area.

   Dips: This move may be performed on a bench or chair. Sit on the edge of the bench with your hands shoulder-width apart, gripping the edge of the bench. Inhale and lower yourself down, bending your elbows behind you and keeping your back close to the bench. Make sure your feet are far enough away from the seat so that your knees form a 90-degree angle and stay over your heels. Do not extend your arms beyond 90 degrees and keep your shoulders just higher than your bent elbows. Exhale and engage your abs, then straighten your arms and lift your body back to starting position. Remember to keep every part of your body still, except your arms. Do five slow dips, then rest and do five more. Over time build up to 20 without stopping.

   Close elbow to body press-ups: You can work the triceps muscle by placing your elbows close to your torso when doing straight or bent leg press-ups. Keep your neck long and in line with your spine, your chin in, abs engaged and hands under your shoulders. Don’t lock your elbows. Inhale for three seconds as you lower yourself down and exhale four seconds to power up. Start with about five and eventually build up to 20.

   Triceps extension: This move may be done with weights, water bottles or tins of food. Stand with one foot in front of the other and keep your knees soft, your neck in line and your abs engaged. Straighten your arm above your head then bend it back so your upper arms are close to your ears and rest just behind your head. Exhale and slowly straighten your arm above your head, but don’t move your upper arm. Inhale as you lower back to starting position. Aim for 10 to 20 repetitions.

4. Latissimus dorsi (upper back)
   This muscle extends from the back of your upper arm in a triangular shape to the bottom of your ribs and then down to your lower back. This muscle gives us stability, power and shape, and it helps draw your shoulders down and back. Exercises in which the arms are pulled down such as rope climbing, dips on parallel bars and chin-ups use this muscle. Try these moves to target it.

   One-armed rows: Stand with your right leg bent in front of you with your toes facing forward and stretch the other leg straight out behind you, toes also facing forward. Bend over and place your right forearm on your right thigh for support and drop your left arm down by your side so your palm faces your thigh. Exhale and, keeping your arm close to your side, draw your elbow up as high as you can behind you. Keep your shoulders level and parallel to the ground and engage your abs. Inhale as you lower. Do this 10 to 20 times on each side.

   Lying with arms overhead: Lie face up on your back with your knees bent. Holding a pair of two to three pound weights, straighten your arms above your chest, inhale and engage your abs, then exhale as you lower your arms back over your head. Hold this position and inhale, then exhale by drawing your arms back to starting position. Do not arch your back. You will feel this exercise pull on the muscles that run down the side and back of your torso towards your waist as you bring arms back up. Repeat 10–12 times.

   Assisted chin-ups: Stand underneath and slightly in front of a high parallel gym bar. Reach up and grasp the bar firmly with your palms facing you and slightly less than shoulder-width apart. Inhale and engage your abs then, as you exhale, pull yourself up to the bar so you can touch it with your chin. Count up for two seconds, then lower down for four. Repeat as many times with perfect form as you can. If these are assisted your helper can give you support either under bent knees or around your hips.

Remember, you can’t do much about the bones you were born with, but you can do a lot to develop your muscles, control your weight and improve your general fitness. Balancing your body by improving posture and working on all the big muscle groups will make you look better, feel stronger and be less prone to injury. Good luck.