Shoulders are an essential part of the body, especially for those looking to develop strength and aesthetics. A broad, well-developed pair of shoulders creates a powerful appearance and creates an imposing physique. To achieve massive shoulders, it's necessary to target the three main areas with different exercises. In this article, we present the best shoulder exercises to strengthen your shoulders and achieve an impressive core.
Understanding Shoulder Anatomy
To effectively work the shoulders, you need to understand their anatomical structure. The shoulders are mainly composed of three muscle bundles: the anterior deltoid , the medial deltoid and the posterior deltoid . These three bundles ensure the stability of the joint as well as rotation and abduction movements. Therefore, it is essential to perform exercises targeting each of these bundles to promote harmonious growth and avoid muscle imbalances.
The best exercises to strengthen each shoulder beam
We've selected the best strength training exercises for you to target each shoulder muscle group. You can incorporate these exercises into your workout routine for optimal results.
Anterior Deltoid Exercises
- Military Press: This exercise is a must for strengthening the front of the shoulders. It is performed standing upright, with a barbell placed on the collarbone and hands slightly wider than the shoulders. Then, push the barbell upwards until the arms are straight and slowly lower back to the starting position.
- Dumbbell Front Raises: An excellent anterior deltoid isolation move, this involves simultaneously lifting a dumbbell in each hand, palm facing down, to eye level and then slowly lowering it back down. This exercise can also be performed with a weighted barbell.
Exercises for the medial deltoid
- Dumbbell Lateral Raises: This is the ultimate exercise for developing the mid-shoulder area, providing extra width to the torso. Standing, simultaneously raise dumbbells in each hand until your arms are parallel to the floor and slowly return to the starting position. You can vary the grip, either neutral or supinated, to recruit the muscles in this area differently.
- The Reverse Peck Deck: This move is also very effective for targeting the medial deltoid. Sit on the machine with the handles positioned at shoulder level and perform a fly-along movement, bringing your hands outward until you return to a starting position parallel to your forearm.
Exercises for the posterior deltoid
- Low Pulley Standing Rows: Ideal for isolating and working the back of your shoulders and some of your back muscles. Place your pulley in the lowest position possible, stand facing it with one leg bent in front of the other. Then pull your arms back, bringing your shoulder blades together to contract your posterior deltoid and back muscles.
- Incline lateral raises: Performed with dumbbells or cables, these provide optimal stimulation of the posterior bundle. Leaning slightly forward with a straight torso, simultaneously lift dumbbells in each hand to shoulder height and then slowly lower them.
Also read: How to strengthen your neck: Our advice
Some tips for successful shoulder training
To maximize your results and avoid any risk of injury during your shoulder workouts, here are some tips to follow:
- Perform a thorough warm-up with specific movements to prepare the shoulder joint and avoid injury.
- Adopt a gradual increase in loads to allow muscles and joints to adapt to the work safely.
- Regularly vary the different exercises and training methods (supersets, dropsets, tri sets, etc.) to surprise your shoulders and encourage progress.
- Make sure you control your movement execution: Maintaining good posture is essential to prevent the risk of injury and ensure better results.
Shoulder Muscle Building: In Summary
To ensure strong shoulder muscles, regularly alternate these three exercises in your workouts:
- The military press , to deeply work the anterior deltoid and the triceps.
- Lateral raises , to specifically work the medial deltoid and add width to your back.
- Dumbbell presses , to engage all of the deltoids and strengthen the shoulder stabilizing muscles.
With this selection of exercises and these tips, you're now ready to start an effective and safe workout to strengthen your shoulders. Remember to dedicate enough time and energy to achieve visible and lasting results. A harmonious torso with broad, muscular shoulders awaits you!
