Fitness & Exercise
6 Outstanding Shoulder Exercises to Shape Your Shoulders
Mar
Strong shoulders are mandatory if you want to push harder, throw further, and most importantly, avoid injury. Whether your goal is to improve your athletic performance, gain strength or just move however you want to in everyday life without fearing discomfort, strengthening your shoulders and increasing mobilization should be a priority. These shoulder exercises can be done with a set of dumbbells and a little focus.
Talk about any movement that involves your upper body and it’s nearly impossible to leave your shoulders out of it. From push ups to pull ups, golf swings to cartwheels – your shoulders are involved in pretty much every upper body exercise you do. Shoot, just trying to carry the groceries in from the car requires shoulder strength and health.
Even the smallest shoulder injury can take you out of commission which is exactly why you should incorporate these 6 shoulder exercises into your strength training routine.
Before you get started, it’s important to understand a few key tips for when it comes to working your shoulders.
Trainer Tips for Getting the Most Out of These Shoulder Exercises
- Perform heavier, compound movements at the start of your workout when you have the most energy and strength. Compound exercises offer the most bang for your buck when it comes to building muscle, but they take a lot of balance and coordination so do them when you can ensure great form.
- Your shoulders help you push, pull, lift in front and lift to the side so it makes sense to work all of those angles during your workout routine. You’ll see that variety of shoulder exercises in the workout to come so that you can reap the strength and performance benefits.
- Read delts: you can’t see them but they deserve attention too. Exercises like Reverse Flyes strengthen and shape the delts, giving you a balanced shape and symmetry.
- Rest is vital. Remember that your shoulders are involved in every chest press, every pull up and every kettlebell swing that you do so be sure to take time off in between shoulder lift days.
- And finally, ALWAYS warm up! If you’ve never experienced a shoulder you’re lucky – and to keep it that way please make sure that you fully warm up your shoulders before every lift session.
6 SHOULDER EXERCISES FOR STRONG SHOULDERS
These shoulder exercises are some of my favorite dumbbell movements – and you can do them anywhere. They build strength and stamina in the muscle. They increase mobility and flexibility in the joint. And bonus: they shape rounded, sexy shoulders that make your waist look smaller and arms more toned.
Dumbbell Arnold Press
Begin with a dumbbell in each hand, elbows bent with your palms facing you, as if at the top of a bicep curl. Bring your arms wide to the side and then press up to straighten your arms, rotating your wrists so that palms end up facing forward. Pause at the top with straight arms and then slowly retrace the movement to return to the start position.
Remember to start with a lighter weight until you’ve mastered the movement and form. Keep your back straight and core engaged to stabilize your lower body as you press the weights up and above your head.
Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise
Begin with a dumbbell in each hand, arms at your sides and palms facing your thighs. Keeping your arms straight with a soft elbow (not bent, but not locked out), slowly lift the dumbbells out away from the sides of your body until the dumbbells reach shoulder height. Stay in control as you return your arms to the start position.
Make sure to choose a weight that you can lift without using momentum, and can control on the way down. Think about leading the raise with your elbows, not the dumbbells.
Dumbbell Upright Row
Begin with a dumbbell in each hand, arms straight down in front of you and palms facing your body. Bend your elbows out to the sides and draw the dumbbells up towards your armpits. Pause at the top and slowly return to the start position.
Keep your shoulders down and back (in your back pockets, as I like to say), so that the movement doesn’t become a shrug. Also, be sure to keep the dumbbells close to your body so that you don’t strain the joint.
Dumbbell Narrow Shoulder Press
Begin with a dumbbell in each hand, elbows bent with your palms facing each other. Push the weights straight up, straightening your elbows until your arms are locked in by your ears. Pause and then return to the start position.
Alternating Dumbbell Front Raises
Being with a dumbbell in each hand, arms straight down in front of you, palms facing in towards your body. Keep your arms straight and raise your right arm until the dumbbell is straight out in front of you. Return to the start position and repeat with the left side.
Use a weight that is challenging but that you can lift without using momentum.
Dumbbell Reverse Flyes
Begin with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing in. Hinge at the hips to lower your torso until it’s almost parallel to the ground. Your arms should be hanging in front of you, elbows slightly bent. Brace your core and raise both dumbbells up and out to the sides until elbows reach just to the height of your torso. With control, return to the start position.
Imagine a pencil is resting on your spine at the bottom portion of your shoulder blades. As you lift the dumbbells, draw your shoulder down and try to squeeze that imaginary pencil.
More Upper Body Workouts from Julia Hale Fitness:
