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Shoulder Exercises

By Paige Waehner, About.com

Updated September 16, 2009

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Rear Delt Squeeze

Paige Waehner
The rear delt squeeze is a deceptively simple move that targets a variety of muscles including the rear shoulders and the upper back. The key to making this move effective is to, first, make sure you have enough tension on the band as you're pulling the arms open. Second, keep the shoulders down and away from the ears and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Finally, keeping the palms facing up to the ceiling may help you focus more on the rear shoulders.
  1. Hold a resistance band in the middle, arms straight out in front of you, palms rotated towards the ceiling.
  2. Squeeze the shoulder blades together and pull band so that arms are out to the sides like an airplane.
  3. Stop when your arms are slightly past the torso, keeping the shoulders down and away from the ears.
  4. Return to start and repeat for 1-3 sets of 8-16 reps.
  5. Change the tension on the band by bringing the hands closer (harder) or further apart (easier).
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