Best Exercises for Shoulders (2024)

The shoulder is a complex, ball-and-socket joint that's more prone to injury if neglected during your workout regimen. Three muscles control the shoulder joint: the anterior, the medial, and the posterior deltoids.

Many people focus on the anterior (front) ones because that's what you can see the most. But neglecting the other two can lead to shoulder mobility problems and injuries in the future. During your workout, you'll need to do multiple shoulder exercises to hit each muscle.

What To Use Instead of Dumbbells

Many shoulder exercises suggest using dumbbells. If you don't have dumbbells at home, you can use:

  • Milk jugs filled with water or sand
  • Unopened soup or vegetable cans
  • Unopened plastic water bottles
  • Unopened or sealed paint cans
  • Bags of apples, onions, or potatoes
  • A pail or a bucket filled with sand

How Many Repetitions Should You Do?

The number of reps you should do depends on how much weight you're using and what your goals are. This is true for any shoulder exercise. Keep in mind that:

  • Using an extremely heavy weight with which you can only do three to five reps builds force but not muscle growth.
  • Using a medium weight with which you can do eight to 10 reps builds force and muscle growth.
  • Using a light weight for 15 to 20 reps builds muscle growth but not force.

Dumbbell Shoulder Press

This exercise focuses on the anterior and medial deltoid. To do this press:

  1. Take your favorite pair of dumbbells and stand with your feet at hip's width distance.
  2. Tighten your core and make sure your knees have a slight bend.
  3. With one dumbbell in each hand, bring your hands up to form a 90-degree angle. Your elbows will be slightly below your shoulders and your hands — while holding the dumbbells — will be in line with your ears. This is your starting position.
  4. Press your hands up until your arms are straight.
  5. Bring them back down to the starting position and repeat.

Some variations of this shoulder press include:

  • Seated dumbbell shoulder press: This is the same arm movement, but sitting down.
  • Tempo shoulder press: Do the same movement, but much slower.
  • Dead stop shoulder press: Perform the same movement but hold it at the bottom of the press.

Arnold Press

This exercise works all three deltoid muscles. It is named after Arnold Schwarzenegger, the famed bodybuilder, actor, and politician.

  1. Start by sitting down. Put your arms in the same starting position described for the dumbbell shoulder press. Your arms should form a 90-degree angle with your elbows slightly below your shoulders and your hands — while holding the dumbbells — in line with your ears.
  2. Press up and straighten your arms, similar to a shoulder press.
  3. Bring your arms back down to the starting position.
  4. Rotate your arms inwards, bringing the dumbbells to meet in front of you. Do this while keeping your arms at the same 90-degree angle. The dumbbells will be in front of your face.
  5. Rotate your arms back to the starting position and repeat.

Seated Lateral Raise

This exercise targets the posterior deltoids.

  1. Start seated on the front edge of a bench. If you're at home and don't have a bench, you can use a chair with a firm seat.
  2. While holding your dumbbells, rest your arms at your side so that the dumbbells are slightly below your legs and bend your torso over your legs. If you're flexible enough, your torso can rest on your legs.
  3. Raise your arms out to the side. When you finish this movement, your arms should be at shoulder height.
  4. Make sure to keep your back flat and keep a small bend in the elbows while doing this movement.
  5. Slowly and with control, lower your arms back down to the starting position and repeat.

Push-Ups

Push-ups are a full-body exercise that targets the anterior deltoid. However, it also works your core, other arm muscles, and leg muscles. Here's how to do them:

  1. Start on an exercise mat or on the floor.
  2. Place your palms flat under your shoulders. Tighten your core and then place your feet together straight behind you so you're in a plank position.
  3. Slowly lower your body to the floor.
  4. Make sure to keep your head and spine in line. Work your core so your hips don't sag or lift. Your body should move in one line.
  5. Lower your chin to the mat or floor while your elbows go outwards.
  6. Press upwards back to the starting position while maintaining your body in that line position.

Push-up alternatives include:

  • Incline push-up: Place your hands on a bench or a wall and do the movement from there. It's a great way for beginners to start building the muscles needed to do the full exercise later on.
  • Bent knee push-up: This one is also useful if you're having a hard time doing the full exercise. Do the same movement, but keep your knees on the floor.
Best Exercises for Shoulders (2024)

FAQs

Is 3 shoulder exercises enough? ›

How many sets and reps should I do for shoulder exercises? Beginners, aim for around two sets of 12-15 reps with two exercises per session. This provides a solid foundation without leaving you too worn out for the next session. For more experienced trainers, 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps with 3-4 exercises per session.

What exercise targets all shoulders? ›

Lifting weight overhead from a standing position engages all the muscles of your shoulders and upper arms and works your core as it stabilizes.

What is the highest shoulder activation exercise? ›

For targeting the anterior deltoid, the dumbbell shoulder press elicited significantly higher muscle activation than any other exercise tested.

What is the number one shoulder exercise for mass? ›

The dumbbell shoulder press is one of the best exercises for building shoulder mass and strength. It uses multiple muscles at once, which allows you to lift a large amount of weight. It primarily targets the anterior delts as well as the triceps. The dumbbell shoulder press can be done either seated or standing.

What if I train my shoulders everyday? ›

Shoulder programming should definitely not be done every day if you want to build big boulder shoulders. You should have a shoulder day just 1-2 times per week in order to avoid potential shoulder injury. This is because in order to build big beefy shoulders, your muscles need ample time to repair themselves and grow.

What workout day should you do shoulders? ›

As mentioned before, shoulders are mainly done on push day. However, it is fine to do them on pull day if you'd like. There are many pull movements, such as rows, pull-ups and rear-delt flyes that exercise the shoulder. Upright rows primarily target your side delts and trap muscles.

How to train your shoulders at home? ›

Top Bodyweight Shoulder Exercises
  1. Pike Push-ups. Start the pike push-up in a push-up position with your arms straight and hands shoulder-width apart. ...
  2. Handstand Push-ups. Begin this shoulder exercise by standing in front of a wall. ...
  3. Wall Walks. ...
  4. Incline Push-ups. ...
  5. Shoulder Taps. ...
  6. Bear Crawls.
  7. Plank Rockers. ...
  8. Plank Walks.
Jun 14, 2023

What are the 4 exercises for shoulders? ›

If we look at the four main exercises that people do in their 'shoulder day' workout routine: overhead press, side lateral raises, front delt raises and maybe even dips, you'll see that they share a common problem.

What is Arnold's shoulder workout? ›

THE ARNOLD PRESS

Hold a pair of dumbbells in front of your shoulders with your palms facing your body (it should look like the end position of a dumbbell curl). In one fluid motion, open your arms and extend them overhead as you exhale. Pause, then reverse the move and inhale.

Is Arnold press better than shoulder press? ›

In conclusion, the Arnold press is a great exercise that targets the shoulders, triceps and upper chest. It may cause less shoulder impingement than the shoulder press. It is a great variation to include in a workout routine, and it can help to improve shoulder stability and prevent injuries.

Which exercise is better for shoulder pain? ›

Stand facing a wall with your arms at right angles out in front. Your thumb should be facing away from the wall and your forearms should be aligned with the wall. Keep your shoulder blades back and gently squeeze together the muscles in this area, then slowly raise both arms upwards.

How can I build muscle with a bad shoulder? ›

The Workout
  1. Alternating Single-Arm Chest Press.
  2. Skull Crusher.
  3. Hammer Curl.
  4. Bent-Over Row.
  5. Incline Push-up.
  6. Plank Shoulder Tap.
Jan 11, 2020

What is the most effective push-up for shoulders? ›

Pike push-ups are a bodyweight exercise that primarily target the muscles in the shoulders, specifically the deltoids. The anterior deltoids are the front parts of your shoulders. Pike push-ups put significant emphasis on this muscle group, making it one of the primary targets.

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