A Workout for Rounded Shoulders & Saddlebags

Having a fitness goal is helpful for structuring your workouts. Correcting rounded shoulders and getting rid of saddlebags are realistic goals as long as you target them with a comprehensive fitness regimen that does not involve attempts at spot toning. A regular cardio program with a structured strength training program can help correct rounded shoulders and improve the shape of your lower body.

  1. Spot Toning Myth

    • Michael Langomarsine, head strength and conditioning coach of Boston University’s Athletic Enhancement Center, states spot toning for weight loss is a myth. Spot toning refers to the idea that you can burn fat from a particular part of the body by doing certain exercises that work those areas. This myth is often perpetuated by magazines that claim they can show you how to burn off belly fat or whittle away your waist with five easy exercises. If you’re looking to get rid of saddlebags, regular cardiovascular activity is the surest way to progress towards the body shape you want. Reshaping your lower body requires overall fat loss and then the development of muscle tone.

    Muscle Myths

    • It’s not at all possible for muscle to turn into fat or fat to turn into muscle. Fat and muscle are two completely different tissues in the body that serve different functions. Similar to the misconception of spot toning, there’s no one exercise that will “convert” saddlebags to toned muscle. To get rid of pesky fat on the lower body, you must do a regular combination of cardio exercise and you must also strength train to tone the muscle in that area.

    Rounded Shoulders

    • Rounded shoulders can often be an indicator of certain muscle imbalances. More often than not, the muscles of the chest are tight and the muscles of the upper and middle back are weaker, which make the shoulders round forward. Exercises including seated rows, wide-grip lat pull-downs and bent-over rows help place emphasis on building the muscles of the middle and upper back. Developing these muscles can help counter the over-active muscles in the chest and create a balance so the shoulders no longer round forward. Correcting your basic posture goes a long way in making sure you get the maximum return on every exercise you do by keeping your body aligned with proper form.

    Saddlebags

    • It’s not unusual for women to hang onto body fat in certain regions of the body. Apple-shaped bodies hang onto belly fat while pear-shaped bodies hold onto weight in the lower body. Doing twenty to 60 minutes of regular cardio activity at 65 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate three to five days a week will help burn unwanted pounds and stoke your metabolism so it keeps burning more calories even after you’ve worked out. Overall weight loss means you will eventually have less fat on your lower body. Another key to weight loss is taking in fewer calories than you burn, which means a balanced diet is also an important factor in getting rid of saddlebags. Though lunges and squats are effective exercises to tone muscles in the lower body, keep in mind that attempts to tone muscle without burning fat will only make the lower body look bulkier.

    Putting it All Together

    • Be sure your workout includes twenty to 60 minutes of cardio to burn
      body fat. After your cardio workout, move to compound movements. Start with three sets of eight squats followed by three sets of eight lunges on each leg. Finish the lower body workout with three sets of eight repetitions on the abductor machine to work each of the outer thighs. After working the lower body, focus on the upper back starting with three sets of eight bent-over rows. Finish with three sets of eight repetitions each on the seated row and lat pulldown machines. Keep your grip wide during both these exercises to maximize work on the upper back.