17 Shoulder Exercises That Will Sculpt Your Arms Like Crazy
If you’ve been dreaming about achieving Michelle Obama arms for as long as you can remember, here’s a tip: Crank out those shoulder workouts.
And beyond looking like a badass, shoulder training has a lot of benefits, says Emily Samuel, a NASM-certified trainer at Dogpound in New York City. First, “it strengthens the muscles around a very mobile joint,” she says. “When weak muscles surround a joint, especially one as mobile as the shoulder, it can result in injury.”
A lot of people have weak shoulders after spending so much time hunched over a computers and smartphones—in fact, this position actually turns the shoulders inward. Shoulder exercises can help pull shoulders back in place, nixing neck pain and helping you stand up tall, too.
You should be working your shoulders twice a week, says Samuel. Oh, and don’t forget to warm up to avoid injuries. “Grab a band and work on external rotations, presses, and raises before you pick up any weights.” Then try adding any of these moves to your routine.
1. Around the World (Swimmers)
How to do it: Lie on your stomach, arms by your sides. Lift your arms to touch your hands behind your back, then open your arms, rotating them 180 degrees until your hands are fully extended by your ears. Return to touch your hands behind your back. That’s one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: Do 3 sets of 15 reps.
What it works: “Working that 180-degree range of motion challenges your front and lateral deltoids,” says Samuel.
2. Upright Row
How to do it: With feet shoulder-width apart and legs straight, hold a kettlebell in front of your body. Lift the kettlebell by raising your elbows until the kettlebell reaches your chest. Slide it back down to your waist. That’s one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 12 reps.
What it works: “This is one of the best exercises for the back and shoulders,” says Samuel. “It hits the front and middle heads of the deltoids, plus the trapezius, rhomboid, and biceps muscles.”
3. Arnold Press
How to do it: Hold a pair of dumbbells just above shoulder height, elbows bent and palms facing you. Press the weights overhead, rotating your palms away from your body. Return to start. That’s one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 12 reps.
What it works: “This feels a little awkward, but it’s great because it targets the front and side heads of your delts,” says Samuel.
4. Lateral Raise
How to do it: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other, arms on either side of the body. Raise your arms outward until they’re parallel to the floor. Return slowly to start. That’s one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 12 reps.
What it works: “Lateral raises lean and tone all of your shoulder muscles,” says Samuel.
5. Front Raise
How to do it: Hold a pair of dumbbells in your hands with your back against the wall. With your elbow straight, lift your arms until they reach shoulder height. Then slowly lower back down. That’s one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 12 reps.
What it works: “Front raises isolate shoulder flexion,” says Samuel. “They primarily work the anterior deltoid, at the front of your shoulder.”
6. Neutral Grip Shoulder Press
How to do it: Grab a dumbbell in each hand and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold the dumbbells just above your shoulders, palms facing each other. With the elbows pointed slightly forward instead of straight out to the sides, press the dumbbells up until they’re close together at the top but not touching. Hold for one second, then take three seconds to lower the dumbbells back to start. That’s one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 12 reps.
What it works: “The neutral grip is easier on the shoulder joint than other shoulder-press grips, which is a good alternative for lifters with weak or previously injured shoulders,” says Samuel.
7. Kneeling One-Arm Shoulder Press
How to do it: Kneel on your right knee, left foot flat on the floor, right shin on the ground behind your body. Both knees should be at a 90-degree angle. Hold a dumbbell in your left hand, next to your left shoulder. Press the weight upward until your arm is straight. Return to the starting position. That’s one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 12 reps.
What it works: “The half-kneeling position helps with trunk stability and allows you to better isolate the shoulder while pressing,” says Samuel.”
8. Bent-Over Fly
How to do it: Grab a pair of dumbbells and stand with your feet hip-width apart and your knees bent. Bend forward at the hips and let your arms hang straight down from your shoulders, palms facing your body. Raise both arms out to the sides as you squeeze your shoulder blades together. Return to start. That’s one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 12 reps.
What it works: “Bent-over flys also work the muscles of the upper and middle back, particularly the rhomboids and traps,” says Samuel.
9. Banded Pull-Aparts
How to do it: Grab a resistance band and hold one side in each hand, arms extended straight in front of you, palms facing the ground. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Externally rotate your arm outwards, keeping arms straight. Slowly return to start. That’s one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 15 on each side.
What it works: “This external rotation is great for your rotator cuff,” says Samuel.
10. Shoulder Press
How to do it: Grab a dumbbell in each hand and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Hold the dumbbells to the side, just above your shoulders, palms facing forward. Press the weights up until your arms are straight overhead. Hold for one second, then take three seconds to lower the dumbbells back to start. That’s one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 12 reps.
What it works: “While the shoulder press focuses primarily on two portions of the deltoids, it also works a ton of other muscles: Your trapezius, triceps and rotator cuff muscles all have to work in conjunction with your shoulders to complete this move,” says Samuel.
11. One-Arm Dumbbell External Rotation
How to do it: Grab a dumbbell in your right hand and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Holding the dumbbell, keep your elbow pressed firm into your side and bend it at a 90-degree angle, with your hand in front of your torso. Keeping your elbow in place, rotate your arm backward, away from your torso. Hold for a second, then return to start. That’s one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 15 reps.
What it works: “External rotation trains two very important muscles in the shoulder girdle: the infraspinatus and the teres minor,” says Samuel. “These two muscles are the only one in the entire upper body that perform an external rotation of the upper arm bone.”
12. Dumbbell Arm Circles
How to do it: Stand up straight with legs shoulder-width apart. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, extend arms out to the side and make small circles forward with your arms. One rotation is one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 15 reps forward and back
What it works: “These will help stretch out your shoulders and work on mobility,” says Samuel.
13. Car Drivers
How to do it: Stand up straight with legs shoulder-width apart. Holding one side of a dumbbell in each hand, extend arms in front of you. Turn the weight to the left as much as you can and then to the right (like you’re driving a car).
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 30 seconds.
What it works: “Car drivers put your deltoids under continuous tension, working angles that you don’t normal train,” says Samuel.
14. Single-Arm Kettlebell Press
How to do it: Hold a kettlebell in your right hand at shoulder height, elbow close to your body, feet hip-width apart, and knees slightly bent. Keeping your core tight and back flat, straighten your legs and press the weight overhead until your arm is straight. Pause, then slowly lower back to start. That’s one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 12 reps.
What it works: “Because of the uneven weight of the kettlebell, a single-arm press challenges not only your arm and shoulder muscles, but also your core stability,” says Samuel.
15. Band Raise To Pull-Apart
How to do it: Place one end of a resistance band underneath your left foot, and hold the other end in both hands, about shoulder-width apart. Place canadianpharmtabs.com your right foot about a foot behind your left. Lift the band up until it reaches shoulder height, keeping elbows tucked into your sides, arms straight. Then extend the band to the sides as far as you can. Return to start. That’s one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 15 reps.
What it works: “This movement strengthens the muscles in your upper back and the stabilizer muscles in your shoulder joints,” says Samuel.”
16. Banded Single-Arm Lateral Raise
How to do it: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, left foot on one end of a resistance band. Hold the other end of the band with your right hand. Raise your arm up with a slight bend at your elbow to shoulder level. Return to start. That’s one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 15 reps on each side.
What it works: “The move targets your deltoids and traps,” says Samuel.
17. Shoulder Taps
How to do it: Get into a pushup position with your hands shoulder-width apart on the floor. Keeping your hips square to the floor, lift your right hand and tap your left shoulder. Return to start and repeat with the other arm. That’s one rep.
Recommended sets/reps: 3 sets of 30 seconds.
What it works: “Obviously, a plank is a total-body exercise, but shifting your weight makes it an even more challenging shoulder and arm workout,” says Samuel.
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