Do you have any suggestions on how to keep your neck and shoulder area relaxed while doing the upper body exercises? I keep getting a stiff neck and sore upper shoulders.

Most likely you are not performing the exercises correctly and that is causing neck stiffness and pain. Try the following tips:

• Reread the exercise description in the book without doing the exercises. You may discover a tip in the instructions that you had forgotten about.
• Decrease the amount of weight you are using while you work on improving your exercise technique. For example, if you have been using 8 lbs. On your Overhead Press, use 5 lbs. for the next few weeks.
• Concentrate on keeping your shoulders pressed down. At the same time you also need to draw your shoulder blades together slightly in back. Pause between each repetition to re-adjust your shoulder position. These tips generally correct the problem you are experiencing.
• Do the upper body exercises in front of a mirror so you can watch for signs of tension and straining. Finally, don't shrug your shoulders or let them scrunch up toward our ears. This will definitely contribute to neck strain.