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5 impressive exercises for the shoulder muscles

America is known for being “happy arm” and I have to agree. It’s kind of funny to see the vast majority of guys in the gym hitting their arms and chests every day. The next time you’re lifting weights, look around and I bet you’ll notice all the benches and preacher curl machines are occupied. This habit of throwing your arms above everything else gives you an unbalanced look. The usual obvious sign of someone who is “arm happy” is the notorious chicken feet, but what I’ve really noticed lately are narrow shoulders. Having narrow shoulders will make you look weak and puny. If you have massive biceps and triceps and no shoulders, you will look extremely uncomfortable and will probably hit yourself if you are racing for something weird in the lake.

There is much more to building impressive shoulder muscles than simply doing dumbbell lateral raises or shoulder presses on machines. Compound exercises that engage the entire body will be most effective at building big, strong shoulders.

Shoulder muscle functions

anterior deltoids

• The front head of the shoulder that allows you to turn your arm inward. This shoulder muscle plays an important role in bench press and triceps exercises. This is commonly one of the most overdeveloped muscles for weightlifters, which can cause muscle imbalance, leading to injuries and posture issues.

medial deltoids

• The medial deltoid pulls the arm out to the side. This shoulder muscle is most activated by isolated shoulder movements, such as dumbbell lateral raises.

rear delts

• The rear deltoid brings the arm back and helps rotate it out. Back-training exercises like rows and pull-ups engage the rear delts more than most other exercises. Reverse flyes are also a good isolation exercise for the rear delts.

5 Incredible Shoulder Muscle Exercises That Should Be In Your Routine

1. Overhead push presses: This shoulder workout will shred your delts and make you stronger overall, especially your core. You’re basically throwing weight over your head, forcing you to keep your balance and not rock from side to side. This is a powerful compound exercise.

2. Arnold Presses: Terminator knew what he was doing! He tries to keep a strict form on this one and really feels the burn. Get a good rotation throughout the movement and try to touch the weights at the top and bottom of each rep.

3. Bus drivers: A funny name, but it works! Hold the plate straight in front of you and turn it from side to side like a steering wheel. You will feel a burning sensation in your shoulders and forearms as you perform the movement.

4. Front raises: This is a solid move. Try not to sway too much and bring the weight up to shoulder level on each rep. You must maintain control and not allow the weight to drop too quickly.

5. Shrug: Try to do this exercise for your shoulder muscles at the beginning of your workout, or chances are you won’t get the most out of them. Do not put 6 plates on each side and move your arms up and down half an inch. Get a good range of motion and squeeze your traps at the top for a second. Get them right and you’ll be looking like a freak in no time. By “monster” I mean a stacked individual, which is out of the norm in today’s obese society.

Well that’s it for this one. Remember, wide shoulders will make you look taller, broader, and more masculine. Give these workouts a try during your next training session, and don’t forget to let me know what you think in the comments section below.

peace,

– David McCready