I think I must have a large neck, because it always looks like my shoulders are slumped all the time. So it appears that I have a rounded shape nearly my neck. I want to build muscle in the area so it looks more level, not like a guy, but just so I don't look as bad.

I drew a rough picture of what I mean, the red is where I want the muscle to go. (Click to make it larger)

Grab a bar, and hold it down in front of you. Make sure your hands are in the middle of the bar, and lift up with your shoulders. You can also have dumbells in each hand, and raise each shoulder.

Looks like your Traps and Deltoids could do with some more mass.

Like anything it is difficult for your body to focus on too many goals at once. If you are trying to increase VO2, and decrease bodyfat at the moment it will be very tough to address this area. Building mass requires extra calories.

Exercises that should help include Shrugs (as above), Upright Rows, Pull-Ups, Rowing, Overhead Press and to a small extent even pressing exercises will help including the classic press and dips.

Thanks dean and matt!

I know i'm trying to increase my vo2. Also losing body weight. But I figured that since I havent got that much fat on my body then I should just go to strength training to build muscle. I'm scared of eating more calories incase it goes as fat. But in the book I have it suggests a diet for such a goal. Which I should go by that.

Anyway what I will do is just eat and try and build muscle.

swimming should build your shoulders and your vo2! meet both goals.

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Spam?

And thanks stand up bean, thats true

Dean looking at this website:

http://www.leehayward.com/art27.htm

It shows you some routines as well, but when you look at the blue muscle guy and it shows what muscles it will target, im thinking I shouldnt be doing exercises for that? Moreso the shoulder itself to make it not so round? Because when you think about the picture I drew, if you target those triangular shape muscles connecting the neck and shoulder they will get bigger therefore i'll look worse?

It's hard to say for sure from your diagram, Stitch, but your appearance may be due to poor posture. Doing some of the exercises Dean suggested and other core exercises (abs, back) should help this out.

It probebly could be poor posture, I remember having school photos taken, and one particular of grade one and I looked round from the head to shoulders. Now when I try and keep my shoulders back and head high it hurts for a while, lol.

I didn't know they could help improve posture though? I thought it something that gets stuck with you.

A stronger core will help improve you posture because it's easier to keep yourself in the proper position.

Something I forgot to mention was flexibility. Try doing shoulder dislocations along with your other stretches to increase flexibility in your shoulders. This will help the good posture position become more natural and not forced.

Ah thankyou, but why do they call it dislocations? Does it dislocate your shoulder?

Thanks though!

You need to get out of this mindset of focusing on one part of your body where you think you need improvement. No offense, but this is what the little old ladies do: "Oh, I don't like my flabby triceps so I'm going to do about 600 thousand reps of tricep kickbacks with the 3 pound dumbbell"

If you do exercises or routines that involve the entire body at a high intensity, most, if not all of your weak areas are going to improve as well.

First focus on an overall increase in fitness and strength.

And if you don't have a barbell you can do squats with, or a bar that helps you do pullups? Then what do you do? You do the next best thing with your rescourses avaliable. I've got dummbells, and you can do just about anything with those as noted above. I'm doing a variety of calasthetics, with thanks to minu, so i'm already doing a workout that invovles the entire body. With regards to weights? None. So doing weights that isolate that area or concentrate on the shoulders/arms won't do any harm.

And FYI, I posted this topic on here because I was wondering what the cause was and if it was just because theres not much muscle there compared to the rest of the body. Turns out it is posture and theres exercises that can rectify that. Thats what the answer I was looking for I guess. And in time my shoulder muscles will become stronger and the posture will get better with every exercise that I do that involves the entire body and ones that target that area.

Splint's correct, and now that you're taking the right steps, it's just a matter of forming a solid habit in good form and getting quality fuel in the tank as often as possible.

Improving bad posture is a full time CONCIOUS job. You must break a lifetime habit of slouching when sitting, when standing, even when walking. And it'll likely be hard to break as, like you've experienced, you'll feel pain when holding correction as the muscles that have been neglected for so many years are employed. At the same time, you'll probably be impressed with how soon this pain begins to subside as your young muscles get used to being engaged.

I recommend putting post-it notes up ALL OVER THE PLACE, add that message to your home page too as the computer is the place where the most slouching likely happens. Add notes reminding you to stretch too, sitting "TALL" and expanding the spine, (as if there's a rope tied to the top of your head and it's being pulled).

If you have a pet, like a dog or a cat, take note of how often they stretch, (and they're not even fighting gravity like us with our perpendicular to the ground stance), they stretch A LOT, and set a wonderful example of the rest of us.

Thanks for your help minu, once again.

I remember in primary school we had to always sit up straight. If we wanted to answer something eagerly everyone would have their legs crossed on the ground and back straight up. Sometimes we'd even put a ruler down our back to keep it straight lol.

Good idea, thanks heaps

Oh, you're just mad because I bet against you to ever finish the C25K program.

My advice is still solid though. You start focusing on areas you want to improve and you'll lose sight of the bigger picture and become one of those little old ladies at the gym.

I'm glad you're doing the entire body, but don't rush or half-ass that so you can make sure to get in a set of shrugs, calf raises or forearm curls.

solid gold.

He's right though, and if you have dumbbells you have all you need for a total body extravaganza. Sure, you don't have a squat bar, but a few dumbbells will suffice you for now. Stick with large movements and your smaller weak muscles will be forced to catch up. It's all about putting most of your body into the most strain possible.

I hazard to say if you attempt the dumbbell bear, and do that 5 times a week, there is no way you won't turn into a whatever your heart desires.