Enter Your Email

Enter Your Name



Don't worry -- your e-mail address is totally secure.

 

 

Welcome Home What's new? Keep in touch Questions and Answers Advertise with us Contact us Our Favorite Products Truth About Abs Ultimate Legs, Butt, Hip and Thigh Makeover Video/Ipod workouts Bowflex Selecttech Dumbbells Articles Build plans Lose belly fat Equipment Core Lower body Upper body Weight loss Circuit training Community Workouts Flexibility Nutrition Aerobic Resistance

 

Donate
a Weight

We're saving up for a new barbell but we need some help.

If you enjoy our site, please consider donating a weight.

They're only NZD$3.63

donate a weight

Shoulder Exercises that Will Keep you Pain and Injury Free

Your shoulders are complex and delicate bits of machinery. Doing a range of shoulder exercises will help you keep them in proper working order. Do you ever experience pain in this area? If so, your shoulder muscles probably aren't as strong or as balanced as they could be. Having balanced muscles is vital for keeping this ball and socket joint functioning correctly. If, for example, your deltoids are much stronger than the other muscles in your shoulder, they can actually pull your arm bone right out of its socket. - OUCH! - So variety and balance are king in this area.

Your shoulders are notorious for holding a lot of stress in them. They get all knotted up and tense after a hard day at the office. A good idea is to combine shoulder exercises with shoulder stretches. This will help you develop muscles in this area, while relieving tension too.

Have a look at the shoulder exercises. They can be done at home with little equipment. The milk dumbottles are a really good weight to start with. Not too heavy, not too light, just right. The muscles in your shoulders aren't huge so they don't need huge weights. You can learn how to make the milk dumbottles here.

 

These are the shoulder exercises that you will learn from this article:

 

Benefits of Doing Shoulder Exercises

star

Keeps your shoulders stable and resistant to injury.

star

Helps with performing other exercises.

star

Prevents your shoulder muscles from degenerating as you age.

star

Doing a range of shoulder exercises will balance your muscles.

star

You will be able to get that broad V shape look with shoulder exercises.

 

Dumbottle Front Lifts

This exercise uses milk dumbottles - learn how to make these here.

This works the deltoid muscles on the front of your body.

  1. Get some dumbbells or dumbottles.
  2. Hold one in each hand, with your arms hanging in front of your body.
  3. Keep your arms straight while raising them to shoulder height.
  4. Do the movement slowly and don't swing your arms up there.
  5. Slowly lower your arms again.
  6. Repeat

 

shoulder exercise with dumbottlesshoulder exercises with dumbottles

Back to top

 

Lying Shoulder Rotator

This exercise uses milk dumbottles - learn how to make these here.

This exercise works your rotator cuff muscles. You can really feel it working those little buggers.

  1. Lie on your side like in the photo.
  2. Keep your elbow anchored to your hip and bend your arm to 90 degrees.
  3. Rotate your shoulder back slowly while pivoting at your elbow.
  4. Slowly lower your arm again.
  5. Repeat.

 

shoulder exercise with dumbottles

shoulder exercises with dumbottles

Back to top

 

Dumbottle Side Lifts

This exercise uses milk dumbottles - learn how to make these here.

This works your deltoids that run down over your upper arm.

  1. Get some weights and hold one in each hand.
  2. Hang your arms by your side.
  3. Keep your arms straight and raise them slowly out to the side
  4. Go up to shoulder height.
  5. Slowly lower your arms again.
  6. Repeat

 

shoulder exercise with dumbottles

shoulder exercises with dumbottles

Back to top

 

Handstand Pressup

This is a tough one. Be careful and make sure that you have someone spotting you. At least make sure you can come down out of it if it gets too hard.

  1. Get into the hand stand position up against a wall.
  2. Lower your body slowly until your head is just off the ground.
  3. Raise up again.
  4. Repeat

 

handstand pressuphandstand pressup

Back to top

 

Resistance Band Shoulder Press

This is a great shoulder exercise that uses a fantastic little piece of equipment. The resistance band.

  1. Sit on a chair and loop the resistance band underneath it.
  2. Put one end of the resistance band in each hand.
  3. Sit up with your back straight.
  4. Push hard and raise your hands to the sky.
  5. Lower them back down again.
  6. Repeat.

 

resistance band exercises to strengthen shouldersresistance band exercises to strengthen shoulders

Back to top

 

Barbell Rows

This exercise is a great one for strengthening your shoulder muscles and your upper back muscles in the same movement. Check this out if you want to see more upper back exercises

  1. Pick up the barbell.
  2. Bend your knees slightly and keep your back straight.
  3. Lift the barbell up to your chest.
  4. Lower it back down slowly.

 

Tom doing barbell rows to strengthen shoulder musclesTom doing barbell rows to strengthen shoulder muscles

Back to top

 

Summary of all the other articles that we have linked to from this page:

 

Keep us up to date with how you're going! If you want personal advice on shoulder exercises, just drop us an email. envelope

 

Free updates

Sign up to our monthly newsletter to receive free updates about the latest in home fitness. As a bonus you'll also receive 2 free e-books to help you tone up and lose weight. Click here to sign up