Strengthening the shoulder muscles will help to keep your notoriously unstable shoulder joint secure. This will help you avoid injury while lifting weights or doing yoga poses. To do so? You *need* quality shoulder exercises and workouts that target the area.
Your posture will be improved by strengthening your shoulders. Let’s say you spend long hours sitting, hunched over your computer or phone—your shoulders have likely adapted by rounding forward. It is possible to train your shoulders to relax and pull them back into the proper position.
You won’t get the best results if you do shoulder press after shoulders press. For the best results (ahem, Jennifer Aniston upper body vibes), you need to work all the muscles around your shoulder joint.
- deltoids(The three muscles that extend from your shoulder to the outside)
- Beware of these traps(The muscles running from your neck and spine to the shoulder blade)
- lats(The large muscles running from your spine to your armpit).
- rotator cuff (The muscles that hold your arm bone in your shoulder socket).
You only need to do one shoulder exercise per week, as most upper-body movements involve your shoulders. Because your shoulder muscles are delicate, it is a good idea to start with lighter weights (like 3 or 5 pounds) as well as resistance bands.
These shoulder exercises are great for at-home or gym shoulder training.
Time:25 minutes
Equipment:Dumbbells, resistance band, Bosu balls
This is a great place to: Shoulders
Instructions:Select 10 moves from the list below. Perform each move below. Three sets of the indicated amount of repsContinue to work, taking breaks as necessary between sets. Once you have completed all three sets, go on to the next move and continue.
Upright Row
How to:Start with feet below your hips, legs straight. Then, hold a dumbbell in each of your hands, palms facing towards your body, and weights touching your quads. Pull your elbows forward and raise the dumbbells towards your chest. Reverse the movement to return back to the starting position. That’s one rep. Complete 15 reps.
Banded Pull-Aparts
How to: Start standing with feet shoulder-width apart, arms extended straight in front of body and raised to shoulder height, holding a resistance band with both hands, palms facing floor. Engage core and pull fists out past shoulders. Slowly return to start. This is one rep. Complete 10 reps.
Halo
How to: Start kneeling on the floor with knees slightly wider than hips holding a dumbbell in both hands directly in front of chest, elbows pointing down at sides. Keep both arms bent and slowly circle the dumbbell around head and back in front of chest. That’s one rep. Complete 10 reps in each direction.
Reverse Snow Angel
How to: Start lying face-down on floor with legs extended straight, forehead resting on a folded mat or towel, and arms by sides lifted in line with hips, palms down. Keeping arms straight and palms facing the floor, bring arms out to the side in a wide arc and overhead, bringing biceps by ears. Reverse the movement to return to start. That’s one rep. Complete 12 to 15 reps.
Inverted Pushup
How to: Start in an upside-down “V” position with feet flat (narrow stances as necessary), hands pressed into the floor, and hips in the air. Bend elbows out wide to the sides bringing head to touch the floor. Press through hands to return to start. That’s one rep. Complete 10 reps.
Extension Plank
How to: Start in a high plank with shoulders over wrists. Keeping palms planted and arms straight, step feet back as far as you can maintain control and level hips, aiming to bring shoulders behind hands and lower body toward floor. Reverse the movement to return to start. That’s one rep. Complete 10 reps.
Tabletop Lift
How to: Start seated with legs bent, feet flat on the floor, and arms straight and behind body, palms pressed into mat with fingertips facing glutes and just a few inches behind them. Lift hips until thighs are parallel to the ceiling. Pause at the top, then lower back down. That’s one rep. Complete 10 reps.
Front Raise
How to: To start, stand with knees slightly bent, feet staggered, right foot forward and flat on the floor, left back (heel high), with the middle of a resistance band looped underneath the arch of right foot, hands grasping it by the ends, and arms at sides—swapping the band for a pair of dumbbells is another option. Without bending elbows, raise arms straight up in front of body to shoulder-height. Slowly lower back down to start. That’s one rep. Complete 12 reps.
Prone V-Up
How to: Start in plank position. Bring body into an upside-down “V” position by walking feet toward hands. Take short steps on balls of feet and keep legs and torso straight. Walk feet back into plank. That’s one rep. Complete 10 reps.
Lateral Raise
How to: To start, stand with knees slightly bent, feet staggered, right foot forward and flat on the floor, left back (heel high), with the middle of a resistance band looped underneath the arch of right foot, hands grasping it by the ends, and arms at sides—swapping the band for a pair of dumbbells in another option. Raise arms out wide until parallel to the floor. Return slowly to start. That’s one rep. Complete 12 reps.
Bent-Over Rear Delt Fly
How to: Start standing with feet hip-width apart, knees bent, hinged forward at the hips until back is flat and torso is parallel to mat, holding a pair of dumbbells with arms extended down toward floor, elbows softly bent and palms facing each other. Raise both arms up and out to the sides while squeezing shoulder blades together. Return to start. That’s one rep. Complete 12 reps.
Half Turkish Get-Up
How to: Start lying on back with right leg and arm straight on the floor and at a 45-degree angle from body, left leg bent so foot is flat on the floor, and left arm extended up toward ceiling (elbow locked out) holding a kettlebell or dumbbell. Keep eyes on weight, press into right arm, and sit up, coming onto right forearm. Then, press through right palm and left foot to lift hips into air, keeping right leg straight. Slowly reverse the movement to return to starting position. That’s one rep. Complete 10 reps per side.
Lying T-Lift
How to: Start lying face-down on mat, with arms extended out to sides so body forms a “T” shape and all four limbs and forehead are on the floor. Make fists with hands and stick thumbs up toward ceiling. Keep arms straight, squeeze shoulder blades together, and lift thumbs up toward ceiling. Pause at top, then lower. That’s one rep. Complete 15 reps.
Serratus Punch
How to: Start standing with feet under hips, arms extended directly in front of body and shoulder level, hands in fists, palms facing inward. Move fists one inch forward while keeping back straight and not leaning torso forward or folding and waist. Pull arms back to starting position. That’s one rep. Complete 12 to 15 reps.
Overhead Pull-Apart
How to: Start standing with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a resistance band taut between hands, arms straight at sides, palms facing body. Without bending elbows, pull hands apart and raise arms up overhead and back as far as is comfortable. Slowly return to the beginning. That’s one rep. Complete 10 reps.
Bosu Ball Shoulder Taps
How to: Start in a high plank with feet wider than shoulders and hands on top of round side of Bosu ball. Tap right hand to left shoulder, return to start, and then left hand to right shoulder. That’s it. Complete 12 to 15 reps.
Seated Overhead Press
How to: Start seated in a cross-legged position, butt on ground, back straight, with a kettlebell in each hand, arms bent, elbows narrow, palms facing inward, and weights resting against upper arms. In one motion, rotate palms away from body and press the kettlebells overhead until arms are straight and biceps are by ears. Reverse motion to return to start. That’s one rep. Complete 15 reps.
Downward-Facing Dog to Plank
How to: Start in plank position. Lift hips to move into downward-facing dog pose, pointing tailbone up and lowering heels toward the floor. Return to plank. That’s one rep. Complete 12 reps.
Bear Plank Shoulder Tap
How to: Start on all fours with shoulders over wrists and knees under hips, then lift knees a few inches off of mat. Keep back flat and shoulders and hips stable, while lifting left hand up off mat, bending at elbow, and tapping right shoulder with left fingers. Replace left hand, then repeat on the opposite side. That’s one rep. Complete 10 reps per side.
See-Saw Press
How to: Stand tall with feet hip-distance apart and dumbbells in hands. Bend elbows to bring the weights up to shoulder-height. This is your starting position. Keeping palms facing inward, core tight, and shoulders square, press left arm straight up until fully extended. Then, slowly reverse the motion and repeat on the other side. That’s one rep. Complete 10 reps.
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Source: Women’s Health Mag