We now know that strength training is just as important as endurance sports. In order to stay healthy and fit, more and more women are training every day in the gym or at home. However, most of us focus mainly on our legs, buttocks and stomach and the upper body is neglected or even left out completely. This is actually one of the biggest fitness mistakes and over time manifests itself in an unaesthetic body image. So if you're trying to improve your aesthetics, well-toned arms and developed shoulders are simply essential. Our shoulders are involved in just about every arm movement, and broad shoulders actually make our waists appear slimmer. And have we already aroused your interest? Then you should definitely read on! Whether with your own weight or with dumbbells - in today's article we have put together the best shoulder exercises for an effective workout!
What are the benefits of shoulder training?
No matter whether we are lifting shopping bags or throwing children through the air – with strong shoulders, many things in our everyday lives are much easier. Even if you want to grab something from the top cupboard, your shoulders are at work. They also support us in every upper body workout, because the stronger our shoulders are, the more weight we can lift. The term “shoulder” usually refers to the shoulder girdle and the surrounding muscles. This connects the arms with the torso and thus allows a lot of freedom of movement. Strengthened shoulder muscles also relieve pressure on the back and chest, which in the long termBack pain can be prevented. Trained shoulders are characterized by the resulting V-shape, which makes our waist appear slimmer. We think those are enough reasons to include the following shoulder exercises in your training routine, right? So let's get started!
And here's the good news! You don't need overpriced equipment or a gym membership for effective shoulder training. You can easily do the following shoulder exercises with dumbbells at home and you will notice noticeable results after just a few weeks of regular training sessions. However, the shoulder girdle is very susceptible to injury and you should therefore always start training with a short warm-up. Also pay attention to the correct technique and start with less weight than you are comfortable with.
Arnold press exercise
The Arnold Press was named after the Austrian bodybuilder and former US governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and is actually one of the most effective shoulder exercises with dumbbells. We mean – you know what he looks like, right? You can do the exercise while sitting or standing. If you are a beginner, we recommend that you do the Arnold Press sitting with dumbbells.
- Sit on a weight bench with a 90 degree angle or a chair - it is important that you sit upright.
- Grab the dumbbells in a neutral grip and hold them directly in front of your shoulders with your palms facing your body.
- Then rotate your wrists 180 degrees and keep your elbows in front. Make sure that they are at shoulder height during the movement.
- Exhale and stretch your arms almost completely upwards.
- Take a deep breath and return to the starting position slowly and in a controlled manner.
- Since this is a complex exercise, you should not perform the movements too quickly and rather concentrate on the correct technique.
Bent-over rows with dumbbells
Bent-over rows are one of the best shoulder exercises that work the posterior deltoid (shoulder) and back at the same time. How to do it correctly:
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
- Lower your upper body forward and make sure your back remains straight. To avoid injuries, the lower back should be slightly arched.
- Hold the dumbbells with an overhand grip.
- As you exhale, pull your arms up and bring your elbows directly next to your upper body.
- Inhale and bring the dumbbells back down until your arms are almost completely slack.
Shoulder exercises: dumbbell front raises
Dumbbell front raises are an excellent shoulder exercise for defining the front shoulder muscles. If you don't have dumbbells, you can use a resistance band with handles as an alternative.
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand.
- Look forward and lift the weights forward, either alternately or simultaneously, with your arms outstretched until the dumbbells are at chest height.
- Exhale and lower your arms back down until they are at your sides.
Dumbbell lateral raises
Lateral raises with dumbbells are one of the most popular and effective shoulder exercises and with the huge selection of variations, shoulder training is guaranteed to never be boring. You can do the lateral raise sitting, standing, on the machine or with the cable pulley in the gym and the exercise is very popular with both beginners and professionals.
- To perform standing lateral raises, stand upright with your feet hip-width apart.
- Hold the dumbbells in a neutral grip with your arms hanging at the sides of your body.
- Look forward and move your arms upwards until they are at shoulder height and parallel to the floor.
- Then exhale and slowly return to the starting position.
Shoulder exercises with your own weight
Don't have any equipment and don't have enough time to go to the gym? No problem! There are many bodyweight shoulder exercises that are just as effective and perfect for a quick home workout.
Tap planks with shoulders
That the plank aof the best full body exercisesis, we all know. In addition to the abdominal muscles and buttocks, this plank variation also works the shoulder muscles and is therefore the perfect choice for shoulder training at home.
- Start in the high plank position and tense your stomach and buttocks.
- Then alternately tap your shoulders with your hands, making sure that your body doesn't wobble and remains stable.
Plank-Up-Downs
Plank up-downs are also an excellent plank variation and great bodyweight shoulder exercise that you can do anywhere, anytime.
- Get into the high plank position and tense your butt and stomach.
- Alternate your arms down into low plank, first leaning on your left forearm and then your right.
- Go back up to the starting position - this counts as one repetition.
