Do You Want To Strengthen Your Shoulders? Do Not Miss These 7 Exercises

Practicing exercises to strengthen the shoulders can help prevent injuries in the area. Fortunately, these can be practiced both at home and in the gym. Discover some options.

There are a wide variety of exercises that allow you to strengthen your shoulders. Right in this area is a group of muscles and tendons that can be injured by overloads, efforts or by the wear and tear of aging. Therefore, working them on a regular basis is necessary to keep them strong.

But what are the proper exercises? How often should they be done? In this regard there are some doubts. Here we want to share a simple routine to practice both at home and in the gym.

Exercises to strengthen the shoulders

The practice of exercises to strengthen the shoulders has interesting benefits. They not only contribute to the aesthetic part of the body, but they reduce the risk of injury and provide stability. As stated in a publication in The Journal of Physical Therapy Science , its practice improves balance and helps increase muscle strength. 

In addition, according to a study in the International Journal of Computer Assisted Radiology and Surgery , strength training of the shoulders is also a key component in the rehabilitation process of pathologies that affect this joint. Do you dare to put it into practice?

1. External rotation

• To start, you will have to get an elastic band that they sell to perform exercises.
• Attach the elastic band to a bar or attachment point that is at the height of your elbows.
• Stand on your side and grasp the band with the hand that is farthest from the bar, so that there is a little tension in front of you.
• Glue the arm of said hand to the body and bend the elbow to 90 degrees without separating the arm from the trunk.
• Perform an external rotation by pulling on the band, in a short movement.
• Do 3 sets of 15 repetitions each.

2. Side lift with lock

• In this case, you should ideally perform the exercise with a pair of dumbbells to increase the intensity.

• Do the classic lateral raise movement, but when your arms are crossed, close them so that the dumbbells are right in front of your eyes.
• Open your arms again to cross them and, from there, go down.
• The recommended weight to do it is one to two kilos per dumbbell.
• Do 3 sets of 15 reps.

3. Steel shoulders

• Sit in a chair and place the elastic band under your feet.
• Grab it by the knees, stretch your arms over your head, and then lower it to your shoulders.
• Do a slow, progressive movement and repeat 10 times.

4. Rowing to the neck

• The advantage of this exercise is that at all times the weight passes close to the trunk , which is appropriate for maintaining good posture and preventing excessive loads on the back .
• Stand up straight, grasping a dumbbell with each hand facing up and with your arms almost straight out in front.
• From this point raise them up to the height of the neck by flexing the elbows and bringing them to the sides.

• Lower carefully and do 3 sets of 15 reps.

5. Circles with weights

• First, stand with your feet hip-width apart and grasp a hand weights.
• Then, let your arms hang loosely at your sides and lift the dumbbells upward in small circles until they reach a horizontal position.
• Hold the pose for 3 seconds and lower yourself back down in a slow motion.
• Perform 3 sets of 12 reps on each side.

6. Barbell Shrugs

• To carry out this higher resistance exercise,  a bar with a few kilos (the bearable ones) is required.
• Stand up straight, feet shoulder width apart, and grasp the bar with both hands in front of you, with a pronation grip, that is, palms towards the thighs.

• The hands should be slightly wider than the shoulders.
• Lift your shoulders as high as you can and hold a contraction for a few seconds when lifting the weight.
• In no case can the bar be lifted by the biceps because it can cause an injury.

7. Front Dumbbell Shoulder Raise

• Grab a pair of dumbbells of the same weight in each hand.
• Stand up straight, with the weights in the front of your thighs and your arms well extended.
• Keeping your torso still, lift the left dumbbell forward with a slight bend at the elbow and your palms facing downward.
• Raise your arm so that it is higher than the parallel it forms with the ground, and exhale while pausing slightly when you are at the top.
• Lower the dumbbell in a gentle motion to return to the starting position and lift your right arm to alternately do the same exercise.
• Perform 10 reps with each arm.

How often are exercises to strengthen the shoulders done?

The exercises to strengthen the shoulders can be repeated 2 or 3 times a week. However, this may vary depending on the physical conditions of each person. In case of injuries, the physiotherapist will be in charge of indicating how often to do them and at what intensities.

Strengthening the shoulders prevents injuries

Having strong shoulders is key to reducing the risk of injury in this area. Therefore, the ideal is to include these exercises in the regular training routine. In any case, to learn about other ways to exercise this area, it is advisable to consult a professional trainer.