Top 5 best shoulder exercises

If we talk about fitness and training routines, shoulder work may be one of those forgotten greats. In the case of women, many forget the importance of other muscles than the glutes or the abdomen and, therefore, they do not perform complete workouts that balance and equalize all the muscle groups of their own body. Before starting any training routine, it is essential to see the exercises of each muscle group as a whole that will not only work body parts individually but will also help them perform better together.

On the shoulders are very important muscles of the body. In addition, due to their own structure and connection with other muscle groups, these intervene in many movements that a person performs throughout his day today. Every movement you make using the upper body, be it a daily action or an exercise in the gym, will involve your shoulders and it depends on whether or not they are in good condition. If you want to start working these muscles, then Bekia offers you a total of 5 best shoulder exercises.

1. Military press with barbell or dumbbells

This is perhaps one of the most popular and most viewed exercises in a gym when it comes to shoulder work. Before explaining the movements you have to perform and the sports equipment you will need, you should know that the military press can be performed standing or sitting, although always paying attention to your back, as it must remain straight. With this exercise you will not only work the strength of the shoulder but, indirectly, you will also involve the abdomen.

To start the exercise, hold the dumbbells or the bar in pronation, that is, with the palm of the hand facing down or towards yourself. The hands must always be a little more separated than the width of the shoulders. Once you have them correctly placed on the bar and with your back straight, bring the dumbbells or bar to the upper chest and from there the movement begins, which will consist of pushing upwards, fully extending your arms.

2. Battle rope or ‘battle rope’

This is another of the exercises that, at first sight, maybe more familiar to you for doing a HIIT exercise. Although you are indeed not entirely wrong, the battle rope involves many arm muscles, including the shoulders. Do not get too confident with this exercise because, although the battle rope may seem like a harmless rope, it weighs a lot so you will also be doing a strength exercise with it.

The training with this rope is very simple because you just need to catch the rope at both ends, having previously attached to a hook, and, bending the knees slightly like you’re sitting in an imaginary chair, start moving the rope as if it will create waves with it. Never stop flexing your knees and always try to keep your back straight to avoid injury.

3. Dumbbell Lateral Raises

This type of exercise is also very popular in shoulder work and, although it has many variations when it comes to doing it, the movement will be located on the sides of the deltoid, which is the main muscle of the shoulder and is responsible for joining the own arm with the trunk. To correctly execute this exercise, you need to position yourself, either standing or sitting, with your back straight and, holding a dumbbell on each side with an overhand grip, position your arms so that, when raising them to perform the exercise, they are perpendicular to the body. The movement is basically raising your arms and lowering them again.

One aspect to keep in mind in this exercise is that the elbow or the wrist must never exceed the height of the shoulder. Try to raise your arms to always be below the horizontal of the shoulder and thus avoid an excessive overload of the supraspinatus tendon that may lead to injury.

4. Face pull on the pulley

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With this exercise you will work the back of your shoulders and it is as effective as it is easy to do. If you are not very familiar with this type of training and want to start with a slight resistance to get used to it, you can leave the pulley for later and start with an elastic band that, hooked at some point, will do the same function.

For correct execution of this exercise, you need a pulley, or an elastic band, which must be at chest height, and a rope grip that, if you use an elastic tape, you will not need because you can simply use its ends. Gripping the rope grip or band with your palms down, separate yourself from the hitch point with your arms stretched until you feel some tension and pull the rope toward your face.

You have to take into account that you need a good scapular retraction for the exercise, as well as trying that the elbows, during the flexion, are located above your wrists. Correctly executing this exercise will work the rotational capacity of the external part of the shoulder, as well as the abdomen itself, since you will need a perfect balance so as not to swing while doing this training.

5. inverted push-ups doing a handstand

If you are familiar with the above exercises and want to elevate your shoulder training to another level or just set yourself a goal for when you find yourself capable, then inverted push-ups are your ideal exercise. You have to know that this training is very demanding because, not only does it require great strength, but it is also necessary to have great control over your own body.

The execution of this exercise is similar, if not the same, as the military press, although the difference is that it is done completely backward. You will only need to do the handstand leaning against a wall and placing the arms in an opening greater than the width of your own shoulders. Once you are well positioned, flex and stretch your arms so that you raise and lower your body until your forearm forms a 90º angle with your own arm.