Shoulders are one of the most important muscle groups, as they enable the rest of your body to perform while working out. Kelowna-based health expert Ilija Jahura says weak shoulder muscles can actually hinder any progress in your workout routine.
On the flip side, strong, healthy shoulders will improve all your other lifts while simultaneously decreasing the risk of suffering an injury.
If you want to add strength, mass, and stability to your shoulder muscles and joints, follow the below four shoulder exercises. They are the only ones you’ll need to dramatically improve your health and lifestyle.
1. Shoulder Press
You can do this overhead press either from a seated or standing position — the choice is really yours. Put a dumbbell in each of your hands, and hold them at your shoulder height. The grip should be overhand.
Stand with your feet spread apart at the distance of your hips, and make sure to keep your back perfectly straight. Then, press the dumbbells up, bringing them over your head until they could. Finally, lower them slowly back to the position you started.
You should do the shoulder press for 12-15 reps for 2-3 sets.
2. Delt Raise
There are many delt raise varieties, including front and lateral, and both are great to do.
For the front delt raise, you’ll hold the dumbbells with your palms facing toward the back. Keep your feet at the same hip distance from each other. Then, raise your arms in front of your body slowly, until they reach a level that’s parallel with the floor. As you do so, you want to make sure your elbows have a slight bend to them. Lower them back slowly to the original position.
Do this for 12-15 reps and 2-3 sets.
With the lateral delt raise, face your palms in toward your body. Then, lift the dumbbells out and up to the side of your body until parallel with the floor. Then, bring them back down again. Do the same 12-15 reps and 2-3 sets.
3. Arnold Press
You’ll want to go for heavier weights for this exercise. You’ll start in the same feet position with a dumbbell in each of your hands. Start with the weights rested at shoulder height, and your palms should face your body.
Move your elbows out slightly wider and rotate your wrists so your palms face front. You’ll bring the weight up over your head straight, then back down to the original position.
Again, do 12-15 reps for 2-3 sets.
4. Circle Press
This exercise must be done in a standing position as well. This time, though, you’ll want to grab dumbbells that are lower in weight, as Ilija Jahura explains.
You’ll hold the weights with your palms facing toward the front and hold them against your thighs but away from your body.
You’ll then bring the weights out away from your body while you move them up and overhead. To complete the exercise, reverse this movement so the weights go back down in the same way they went up.
About Ilija Jahura
Ilija Jahura is a fitness and health expert based out of Kelowna, British Columbia. His main focuses include diet planning, cardiovascular development, as well as hypertrophy training and muscle-building. But at the end of the day, Ilija is committed to helping his clients become the best possible version of themselves — not only in the gym but also in life — by helping them achieve their dreams and goals.
