Many people want to burn fat and increase definition in their collarbone area. Unfortunately, targeted weight loss is impossible, according to Yale Scientific and other experts, due to the fact that the body loses weight evenly regardless of your specific weight-loss efforts. However, you can still increase definition in your collarbone by performing strength-training exercises that target your traps, deltoids and pectorals, the muscle groups surrounding your collarbone. Meanwhile, a combination of cardiovascular exercise and healthy dieting will help you lose overall body fat.
Barbell
Weight plates
Incline weight bench
Talk to your doctor before starting a weight-loss or strength-training program.
Perform barbell shrugs to work your trapezius muscles. Stand straight while holding a barbell in front of your body, palms facing in and feet shoulder-width apart. Exhale while raising your shoulders up as high as they'll go, and pause for a moment. Inhale as you return your shoulders to the starting position.
Do the military press to work your shoulders. Hold a barbell in front of your chest at the same height as the base of your neck, palms facing forward. The barbell should just touch your collarbone. Exhale as you lift the bar up above your head, pausing for a moment once your arms are locked. Inhale as you slowly lower the bar back down to your collarbone.
Perform the barbell incline bench press to work your upper pectoral muscles as well as your shoulders. Lie on an incline bench and grip the barbell a few inches wider than shoulder width, palms facing forward. Lift the barbell off the rack and lock your arms. Inhale as you slowly lower the bar until it touches your upper chest. Pause briefly, then exhale as you lift the bar straight up until your arms are locked.
Complete three to five sets of eight to 12 repetitions for each exercise. Combine all three exercises into a strength-training session that you perform at least three times per week, leaving 24 to 48 hours of rest in between workouts that target the same muscle group. Swap in other exercises that target the traps, shoulders and chest as your program continues.
Engage in moderate-intensity cardiovascular exercise for at least 150 minutes per week, according to guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Doing so will help you burn more calories each day than you consume as food, which is necessary for fat loss. Ideal activities include swimming, rowing, jogging and cycling.
Consume 200 to 300 fewer calories per day than you do normally to create a larger caloric deficit. Focus on eating healthy, nutritious foods such as lean meat, chicken, fish, low-fat dairy, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes and olive oil. Ensure that each meal includes vitamins, minerals, protein, complex carbohydrates and unsaturated fat.
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Writer Bio
Kevin Richards has been a writer and editor since 2009, specializing in fitness, health and nutrition, as well as technology, finance and legal issues. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan.