Strong and broad shoulders are something that a man should be proud of. It projects the image of stability and strength. Rightly so, because having broad shoulders really make you stable and strong.
Even women could benefit a lot if they will engage in exercises designed to work on their shoulders. They will even look more stunning with shoulders that look firm and strong.
Strong Shoulders Are Important
In building your muscles, you need to perform various movements that will impact the different parts of your body. These movements involve the use of your arms and your shoulders. If you have strong shoulders you will be able to enjoy all your routines. But if your shoulders are a bit weak, you will feel that exercising is a terrible burden because your body hurts, and it’s difficult for you to perform the workout routines.
These Exercises Will Build Up Your Shoulder Strength
Don’t worry, help is on the way. If you will just follow the shoulder exercises discussed herein, you will find that your exercises will become more enjoyable, thus enabling you to complete your workout routine with plenty of strength to spare.
Hang Clean
This exercise will not only strengthen your shoulders but will also build muscles in other parts of your body. It is a compound weightlifting exercise that you can perform in any Bally Total Fitness gym or a David Barton Gym.
Arrange a weight bar together with several weights. Go for rubber weights to be safer since it won’t hurt too much (in case of accidents), unlike metal weights.
Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart and hold a weight bar with an overhand grip. Your hands should by slightly wider than the shoulder-width distance. Bend at your knees and hips to lower the weight to the level of your lower-mid thigh. Then quickly straighten your legs and shrug your shoulder to pull the weight into the air.
Quickly pull your body under the bar and ‘catch the weight on your chest as you bend your legs towards a squat position. At the bottom of the squat, straighten up your legs in a standard squatting position until you are standing upright. Finish the exercise by bending your knees slightly and gently lowering the weight in its original position.
The YTWL Shoulder Exercise
This exercise is a good way to tone your shoulders and arms. It is a perfect warm-up before a total body workout. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and go into a half squat by bending your knees. Engage your core by tucking in your belly and keeping your back straight. Raise your upper body while raising your arms out at 45 degrees from your body forming a “Y” figure. Lower your body and repeat 8 times.
Then raise your arms straight out to your sides to form a “T” and repeat 8 times. Next, bend your arms at the elbows and hinge your forearms down forming a “W” and repeat 8 times. Finally, bend your arm at the elbow forming an “L” and extend them upward and repeat 8 times.
Military Press
This exercise will significantly develop the size of your shoulder muscles. It is an essential exercise for building shoulders. Stand in front of the rack and get the barbell with your hands. For safety purposes, keep your hands always in the right position. Once you have firmly grasped the barbell with your hands, slowly press the bar in a parallel form, then take it straight up and bring it down to the level of your shoulders. Do these 12 to 16 times and repeat the set two to three times.
Rear Shoulder Raise
Hold a dumbbell in each hand and sit on the edge of a chair with your feet flat on the floor hip-width apart. Your hands should be near your calves, with your palms facing each other.
While keeping your back straight, slowly lean forward from your hips, up to the point where your chest nearly touches your thighs. Slowly lift your arms straight out to your sides up to shoulder level while maintaining the alignment of your neck with your spine. Hold for a few seconds then lower the dumbbells slowly. Repeat 8 times.
Front Raise
Stand up and hold a dumbbell in each hand at the front of your thighs, with palms facing in. With your knees slightly bent, abdominals contracted and straight back, start raising the dumbbells in front and up to your shoulder level, keeping your palms facing the floor.
Pause for a few seconds, and then slowly bring down your hands to their original position. Repeat 8 times.
Lateral Raise
Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart with your abdominals pulled in and your back straight. With the dumbbells at your sides and palms facing in, slowly raise your arms straight out from your sides.
Lift the dumbbells up to the shoulder level. Pause for a few seconds, and then slowly bring down your arms to their original position. Repeat 8 times.