Shoulder Exercises – 3 Simple Workout Moves For Bigger, Stronger Shoulders

The change in the way you look that comes from building bigger, stronger shoulders is dramatic and welcome, whether youre a man or a woman, and the best way to do it is with weight training exercises. Here are some basic exercises with free weights that cover all the shoulder muscles.

Shoulder exercises require several angles of attack to ensure you hit all the muscle fibres. The main shoulder muscles, or deltoids, are considered as three groups: anterior, medial, and posterior, or front, middle, and back if you want to get technical. Its best to target all three regions with specific exercise moves to ensure you build a stable and strong joint which is less prone to injury.

The dumbbell lateral raise targets the medial deltoids and will make you look broader. Take two dumbbells you can lift easily and, standing or seated, raise them straight out from the sides of your body to shoulder height on either side. Then lower the weights back to the start position. If that’s a struggle, pick a lighter weight. You should feel the pull in the top of your shoulder joint. Dont swing the weight, or lift it too quickly. If you use the momentum of the weight in that way, you’re not using the muscle. Keep it slow and controlled in both directions, to make sure the muscle really has to work.

The bent over lateral raise will do the same thing for your posterior deltoids, which can be hard to target. Just imagine the first exercise done seated and bending forward, with your chest practically resting on your knees, only youre lifting the weights from below your thighs to be level with your shoulders.

The single-arm dumbbell front raise will hit your anterior deltoids, but remember that these muscles at the front of your shoulder get a pretty intense workout when you bench press. Dont over-work the front of your shoulders at the expense of the rear, or youll start to pull yourself out of shape. If you do feel the need to add this to your workout, simply lift a light dumbbell in each hand, one at a time, straight up in front of you, from start position at the hip to eye level at the top. Then lower it down under control.

Some people consider free weights out of date and old fashioned, but despite the fancy new exercise machines that are out there free weights are still very much with us. Why? Because barbells and dumbells work. The extra effort and coordination you need to balance free weights while you’re using them forces your muscles to work harder. Which means you force the muscle fibers to adapt – so they have no choice but to grow bigger and stronger.

Want to know more about building a great pair of shoulders? Take a look at Get In Shape now, for more shoulder related workout moves and exercise routines that cover your whole body. Remember, in all of these shoulder exercises, use a weight you can manage and go for three sets of ten reps. If you feel pain, stop at once. Never work through pain, particularly not with your shoulders. They are the most mobile and complicated joints in your body, and the potential for injury is high. Follow the simple safety rules – don’t lift more weight than you can safely handle, and don’t work through pain – and you’ll be fine.