Not only do strong, well-defined shoulders look good, they’re also important for many daily tasks, keeping your upper joints stable, and, of course, avoiding injuries. Shoulders that are properly trained make your body look more balanced and fit.
But how do you get those dream shoulders without getting lost in the gym for hours or not knowing where to begin? Do not worry! We’ve put together a very useful guide with 7 key exercises that you can easily add to your workout. It was inspired by routines and tips from fitness experts. Now you can start to feel the “good burn” and see the change!
Key Tips Before You Start:
Before you begin lifting weights (or whatever you have on hand), keep in mind how important it is to:
Warm-up: To get your muscles and joints ready, do 5 to 10 minutes of light exercise and gentle joint movements, such as strolling or arm circles.
Shape Rather Than Weight: It’s important to do every exercise the right way to get the best results and stay healthy. To get good at the move, start with light weights.
Progression: You can slowly raise the weight or the number of reps or sets as you get stronger.
Pay attention to your body: stop if you feel sharp pain.
1. Military Press (Overhead Press):
How do I do it? If you are sitting or standing, hold a hammer or dumbbells at shoulder height with your hands facing forward. As you lift the weight, make sure your arms are fully extended over your head and your elbows are not locked. Slowly move back to the starting position.
How does it work? Mostly the front and side heads of the deltoid, and it’s important for building power in the whole upper body.
2. Lateral Raises with Dumbbells:
How do I do it? Stand with your feet apart and a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing in. Lift the dumbbells out to the sides until your arms are straight out in a “T” shape. Keep your elbows slightly bent. In charge of the fall.
How does it work? The key for shoulder width is the lateral head of the deltoid.
3. Front Raises with Dumbbells:
How do I do it? Stand with your back straight and one barbell in each hand, palms facing you. Keep your arm straight (with a slight bend in the elbow) and lift one or both dumbbells forward until they reach shoulder height. Control how low you go.
4. Delt Flyes (Bent-Over Lateral Raises):
How do I do it? Keep your back straight and bend your body forward from the hips. Your back should be almost level to the floor. With each hand, hold a barbell that hangs down. Let your arms bend a little and lift the dumbbells to the sides and back a little, like you want to fly. At the end of the move, squeeze your shoulder blades together. Slowly go down.
How does it work? It’s the king for the back head and the shoulder, which get ignored a lot.
5. Upright Row:
How do I do it? Hold a hammer or dumbbells in front of your legs with your hands shoulder-width apart. Bring your arms up to the sky and pull the weight up close to your body. The hammer or dumbbells should be about the height of your chin or neck. Control how low you go.
How does it work? The upper traps and the deltoids, especially the side ones. Important: If the version with the narrow grip hurts your shoulders, try the one with a wider grip or skip it if the pain doesn’t go away.
6. Face Pulls:
How do I do it? If you have a high pulley and a rope, hold the ends with your hands facing each other. Take a step back to build tension. As you pull the rope toward your face, keep your arms back and slightly out. Your hands should be close to your ears when the move is over. Don’t bend over, and keep your core tight.
How does it work? Great for the back part of the deltoid and, most importantly, the rotator cuff muscles, which makes the shoulder healthier.
7. Arnold Press:
How do I do it? Hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height with the palms facing you, like at the end of a bicep curl. You can do this while sitting or standing. When you lift the dumbbells, turn your arms so that your palms face forward at the top of the move, like in a military press. Turn the movement around to go lower.
How does it work? You can work all four parts of the deltoid with an interesting range of movements that Arnold Schwarzenegger made famous.
Now is the time to use it!
Adding these 7 workouts to your strength training routine can make a big difference in how your shoulders look, how strong they are, and how healthy they are. You can do them all at once for shoulder work, or if you do a split practice, you can do them spread out over the week. For most of these exercises, you should aim for 3–4 sets of 8–12 reps. For the last reps, you should change the weight so that it is hard.
Do not expect effects right away. The key is to be consistent and use the right method. If you work at it, you’ll not only see changes in how you look, but you’ll also feel stronger, more stable, and ready for anything life (or the gym) throws at you.
Come on! Giving your shoulders the workout they need starts today. Get ready to show off shoulders that are firm, strong, and sure of themselves.
