Growing stronger shoulders are possible at home with some exercises without equipment and gym. You can use the body weight, dumbbells, or resistance bands. Bands and dumbbells raise the variety of workouts and thus can probably stimulate the results.
A physical therapist William P Kelley from Miami, recommends that doing targeted shoulder exercise two times in a week and letting muscles relax on other days. You can do shoulders workout more than two times in a week but keep remember that shoulders will also engage during different chests, arm, and back workout. If you wish to increase specific shoulder size, you require to do movements, which use different angles to hit every part of the deltoids.
The rotator cuff muscles are smaller to include size and volume and contribute to the aesthetics of wide shoulders. The best shoulder workout will have different moves to stimulate the rotator cuff and the deltoid muscles to build stability, mass, and strength.
1.Diving dolphin
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The diving dolphin helps to engage your anterior deltoids without using the equipment. It also the best way to increase shoulder stability because it uses the shoulders in a closed-chain movement, which means your feet and hands are placed in a fixed position during workout.
How to Do A Diving Dolphin?
- Begin with forearm plank using your elbows under the shoulders and feet at hip-width distance.
- Walk your feet inside to your arms around 8-12 inches so that your hips are raised lightly to the ceiling. It is your beginning position.
- Lower down hips and support your body upright as you draw shoulders forward to hang on the wrists.
- Change the movement to come back to the start pose and do again.
2.Lateral Raises
The lateral raises are also called as side lateral raise. It is an effective workout for shoulder strength. It has movements designed for the deltoid muscle. Doing regular lateral raises workout helps to develop stronger and broader shoulders. All you require a pair of lightweight dumbbells for good shoulder flexibility to engage your arms until they form a T-shape at the shoulders.
Generally, lateral raises should be combined into upper body strength training routines, and they should be done after the compound workout that includes the shoulder such as shoulders press, incline dumbbell press, push-ups, shoulder press, or pull-ups. It is similar to the dumbbell front raise.
The lateral raise is a good shoulder exercise, which specifically focuses on the deltoid muscles. The deltoid muscle group comprises of three separate points of origin, every with its muscles fiber group. The three heads of the deltoid then merge before they insert over the upper arm bone.
As the lateral raise targets the lateral head of the deltoid, it helps to allow you to separate the muscle groups. Particularly lateral raises are considered the best workout for delts heads.
Regular performing the lateral raise helps to get the muscle hypertrophy of the lateral deltoid, creating an appearance of a stronger and broader shoulder.
Target – Medial or lateral on the sides, lats, deltoids, and pectoralis major (chest muscle).
How to Do?
- Take a dumbbell in both hands, stand straight by keeping legs at your shoulder distance, and shoulders turned back. Flex your elbow lightly.
- Raise the arms until they reach the shoulder level. Take a pause and get your arms down. Perform 3-sets of 12 reps.
3.Dumbbell Front Raises
The dumbbell-front-raise is a primary weight-training-workout, which is most suitable for beginning trainers. This dumbbell front increases the variant of beginning with a dumbbell in both hands at your thigh level. You lift the dumbbells parallel to the floor and then get back to the opening point to complete the workout routine. You can use this exercise in the upper body exercise to build shoulder muscle.
The front raise helps increase the strength of the shoulder but also works for the muscles of the upper chest. It is an isolation workout for shoulder flexion. This workout will develop frond and side strength of the shoulder. This workout is recommended for a physical workout while recovering from shoulder surgery or injury.
Target- Lateral (side) deltoids, Anterior (front) deltoids, and minor, serratus anterior, lats teres major, and pectoralis major.
How to Do it?
- Take two dumbbells, stand upright by keeping legs at hip distance and palm on the forward direction of thighs, facing inward.
- Elevate your hands and stop at the shoulder level and lower down slowly.
- Perform 2-sets of 12-reps.
- Variation: Elevate one arm at one time. It is also called a single hand dumbbell front raise.
4.Reverse Fly
The reverse fly move is more than classic Rom. It is a great way to strengthen and tone your back and shoulder called deltoids. They also stimulate the middle back and upper back, especially the traps and rhomboids. As discussed, reverse flys are basic for toning the shoulder and upper back. It also improves your posture.
This workout also lowers the risk of a shoulder injury and support muscles. It also reduces shoulder and neck pain.
Target – Lats, Posterior (back) deltoids, rhomboids, serratus anterior, pectoralis major, triceps, biceps, and traps.
How to do it?
- Take a dumbbell in both hands. Place legs near to each other, flex forward at 45 degrees, slightly bent with knees, and let hands hang down.
- Raise your arms to your side, take a pause, and lower down.
- Perform this 3-sets of 8-reps.
5.Standing Shoulder Press
Shoulder press workout is not only performed in the sitting position but also in standing position. The standing version of this workout engages the more core muscles to manage your control and balance of weight. Using dumbbells raise the motion range and keep the pressure on every arm to work independently. With some changes in the technique, you can make the workout more challenging.
This workout challenges the deltoid muscles, particularly the front deltoid, anterior, lateral, or side deltoid. Unlike other general shoulder workouts, like front raises or side raises, the shoulder press workout is a combined movement, which works for more than one muscle group.
It also engages the upper chest, traps, and triceps during a workout. As it involves standing, this workout engages to stabilize the trunk as you press the weight on the head.
Target: Lateral, anterior, deltoids, posterior, anterior deltoids, posterior deltoids, triceps, biceps, lats, serratus anterior, and pectoralis major.
How to do it?
- Take a dumbbell in both hands. Stand with your legs hip-width aside, and shoulders rolled back.
- Raise your arms so that the upper arms form parallel to the ground. Your forearms should come at 90 degrees with the upper arms and palms facing front.
- Push the dumbbells on your head by stretching your hands.
- Take a pause and get your arms back to the beginning point.
- Perform 2-sets of 15 reps.
6.Bent Arm Lateral Raises
Lateral raises help to increase the muscles stabilizing strength in the shoulders and improve the muscular balance. Doing lateral raises with flex arms is on change of this effective and popular workout. You can also try other variations to perform the traditional lateral raise easier or extra challenging. It is important to know how properly you need to perform standard lateral raise before reaching goals.
Target – Lats, pectoralis major, Medial or lateral deltoids, serratus anterior, and anterior deltoids.
How to Do It?
- Take two dumbbells. Stand straight and put your legs shoulder-width separated, hands close by, palms confronting inside, and shoulders moved back.
- Curve your elbows, so your lower arms are at 90 degrees with your upper arms, and the palms are facing one another. Bend your knees somewhat to support your back.
- Breath out and let your elbows locked, elevate your arms until they come at the shoulder level. Take a pause, breath in, and get your arms back to the beginning position.
- Perform 2-sets of 15 reps.
7.Side Plank
The side plank is the best workout for shoulder and oblique abdominal muscles. Building strong oblique helps to support muscle stabilization of the core. Beginners must develop the balance and strength requirements with a warmup for modified side planks and obliques progressing to your side planks. It includes side planks in the core exercise routine, yoga practice, and pilates.
Target – Lateral deltoids, obliques, anterior deltoids, posterior deltoids, triceps, hamstrings, biceps, abs, glutes, and quads.
How to Do It?
- Lie down over your right side. Your right forearm should form 90 degrees with the upper arm. Place your palm flat over the floor.
- The right elbow should be below the right shoulder. Keep the left hand over your waist.
- Raise your hips over the floor. Make sure the neck is level with your spine and do not lower down.
- Stay in this pose for 30-60 seconds.
- Perform it both sides and 3-sets of 30-60 seconds hold.
8.Pec Deck Butterfly
The Peck deck also is known as a butterfly. Its machine typically provides pads where you can rest your forearms. It also has handles to hold with hands. Both are effective for separating the chest muscles. Some think that cable crossover workout achieves the same muscle contraction. You can perform it at home for the shoulder.
Target – Anterior deltoids, lats, pectoralis major, and triceps.
How to Do it?
- Take the dumbbell in both hands and stand straight.
- Raise the dumbbells by flexing your elbows in a way to make upper arms parallel to the ground, and forearms are straight at 90 degrees with the upper arms.
- Engage your abs and get the elbows near to your face.
- Push them back to the beginning point and perform 3-sets of 15 reps.
9.Elbow Plank
Planks are best for abs and also strengthen shoulder muscles. You can perform it at home. Elbow planks are challenging than the traditional plank in the push-up position.
Target – Anterior deltoids, posterior deltoids, lateral deltoids, triceps, hamstrings, abs, glutes, and quads.
How to Do It?
- Flex your elbows and let them relax on the floor. Extend your legs back.
- Be in this pose for 30-60 seconds with 3-sets.
Overhead Triceps Extensions
The overhead triceps extension is also called the triceps press. It is a comparatively easy, and effective workout for building triceps. The triceps muscle plays an important role in the overall upper body strength. It is most suitable for shoulder workout at the home.
Target –
Posterior deltoids, lats, serratus anterior, triceps, and pectoralis major.
How to Do It?
- Take the dumbbell in both hands. Let your palm rest inside of the top head of the dumbbell and set over a chair or bench.
- Lift your arms and get the dumbbell right above the head. It is your beginning point.
- Bend your elbows, and place upper arms stationary, reduce forearms to get dumbbells back of your neck.
- Raise your forearms and go back to the beginning position.
- Perform 2-sets of 12-reps.
10.Plank Ups
The push-up planks help to strengthens the core, triceps, and chest. It is the best workout for increasing push up strength while also developing a strong core.
Make sure to place a strong plank position and still spine all time. Squeeze the glutes and legs to manage your hips as stable as possible. Focus more on placing your hips square to make the workout more challenging.
Target – Anterior deltoids, posterior deltoids, lateral deltoids, biceps, abs, glutes, hamstrings, triceps, and quads.
How to Do it?
- Take a plank position. Let your core engaged, neck level with the spine, and look down.
- Bend your right elbow and keep your right forearm flat on the floor. You are forming an elbow plank position.
- Do not pause and keep your right palm flat over the ground and stretch the right arm. Keep the left palm flat over the floor and stretch the left arm. Now you will form a push-up position.
- Perform 2-sets of 10 reps.
Cool Down
Cool down after doing the workout. It is also necessary as a warm up. It will help to relax and skip any delayed injury after a workout.
Shoulder workout is for everyone, men and women. Doing shoulder workout helps to increase the upper body strength and include an X-factor to the personality. Take your trainer to help to perform all shoulder workouts properly.