Shoulders are the start of the stunning hourglass figure every woman desires to achieve. They balance out the hips and make our waists look smaller. In fact, the most noticeable part of a woman's arm is the lateral part of the deltoid, hence the need for incorporating lateral shoulder raises.

Shoulders are the start of the stunning hourglass figure every woman desires to achieve. They balance out the hips and make our waists look smaller. In fact, the most noticeable part of a woman's arm is the lateral part of the deltoid, hence the need for incorporating lateral shoulder raises.

Strong Shoulders Don't Just Look Great

While strong shoulders are nice to look at, beauty isn't the only reason to focus some attention their way during your workout. In fact, strength training and shoulder exercises should be included in your fitness program for a couple reasons.

First, it's important to remember that our body never stays the same. It either grows and get stronger, or shrinks and becomes weaker. Add the effects of the natural aging process, and it's easy to determine how a loss in bone density and muscle tone occurs.

Second, injury prevention. Consisting of a group of tendons supporting the shoulder, the rotator cuff can be easily injured if the entire shoulder girdle is not strong. Poor form, incorrect movements, playing sports that involve throwing, lifting, or repetitive movements, are often enough to trigger serious shoulder injuries.

Let's look at five of the best deltoid-loving exercises

Shoulder Press -- This is a great movement that works yours triceps, as well as your shoulders. And best of all, it's a simple exercise. With your feet firmly on the floor and core tightened, take a dumbbell in each hand. Then, with your arms up, elbows at 90-degree angles, and your palms forward, lift the weights to your shoulders. Extend your arms over your head, hold, and lower your arms until your elbows make right angles.

Pike Push-Ups -- While kneeling, place your hands on the floor a little wider than shoulder-width and about two feet in front of a bench, chair, or even some stairs. Then, step up and place your toes on the support. Bend at the hips, forming an "L" shape.

To perform the exercise, look back toward the support and lower yourself like you would during a negative shoulder press. Hold. Then, press yourself back up. If you need to make the movement a little more difficult, use push-up handles or hex dumbbells to support yourself.

Lateral Raise -- This simple exercise works all three delt heads, but particularly the lateral delt. To perform the movement, simply stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand. Then, with your hands in front of your hips and your wrists facing each other, slowly raise them until they are level with your shoulders. Hold, and return your arms to your sides.

Rear Deltoid Raise -- Lying face down on a high bench, with a dumbbell in each hand and elbows slightly bent, slowly raise both arms until they are almost parallel with the ground. Hold and lower them back to the floor, maintaining the angle of your elbow. The rear deltoid raise works all three deltoids, but it focuses primarily on the posterior delt.

Clean and Press -- The most difficult exercise of the ?ve, this two-step exercise works the anterior and lateral delts, mid and lower back, triceps, traps, forearms quads, hamstrings, calves, and glutes. To perform this exercise, start with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width and the barbell on the ?oor. Squat, lean forward, and grasp the barbell with an overhand grip.

Then, looking forward, with your back straight and core tight, use your legs to lift the bar to your shoulders. As you reach the halfway point, flip the barbell, so your palms face away from you when the barbell reaches shoulder height.

Once it's at your shoulders, tuck in your elbows and move into a military press position. Then, use your arms and shoulders to push the barbell over your head. Hold, bring it back to your shoulders, and return to the first position, flipping your hold as it reaches the mid-

way point.

These five exercises will create the beautiful shapely shoulders that set you a part. Target the shoulders once or twice a week with at least three days rest in between. You'll be sporting a smaller looking waist and sexy shoulders before you know it.