10 best shoulder workout at home

How to do Shoulder Workout at Home

You want to train your shoulders but you don’t have a gym membership, we have your solution — an at-home shoulder workout that you can do.

Building strong shoulders is as easy to do at home as it is in the gym, and you do not need a ton of equipment. What you just need is your own bodyweight, but you can also incorporate resistance bands and/or dumbbells to increase the intensity of the workout. Dumbbells and bands enhance the variety of exercises you can do, and as a result can speed up your results.

Benefits of shoulder workout at home

Strong shoulders are an indicator of strength and athleticism, having strong shoulders goes a long way in improving your posture which makes you attractive in tank tops and strapless dresses. And they are one of the most widely used muscle groups in the upper body.

Whenever you do anything with your arms – push, pull, lift, press – you use your shoulders. What this means is – your shoulders not only work during specific shoulder exercises but also gets activated during other muscle groups workouts such as your back and arms workout.

Shoulder exercises, when done well, strengthen muscles that can improve posture. They do, after all, hold your neck and head, which is especially important when you sitting slumped all day. Also, they are very important for active movements in everyday life, such as lifting objects and reaching high places.

Note: Always start with warmup (consider light stretching and a 30-second plank).

10 Best Shoulder Workout to Do at Home

1. Dolphin Dive

This activates your anterior deltoids without weights. This exercise improves the stability of the shoulder.

How to do the dolphin dive:

• Begin in a forearm plank with your elbows under your shoulders and your feet apart.
• Walk your feet up to eight inches towards your arms so that your hips are slightly raised to the ceiling. This is the first position.
• Lower your hips and keep your body in a straight line as you move your shoulders forward to move around your wrists.
• Reverse the movement to return to the original position, then repeat.

2. Dumbbell lateral raise

The dumbbell lateral raise is a very effective exercise for isolating the lateral head of the deltoid muscle. When done regularly, this exercise can help you develop strong, broad shoulders. This exercise also helps to strengthen your shoulders independently. This can help to correct strength imbalances between your right and left sides.

How to do the dumbbell lateral raise:

• Stand tall with your feet hip width apart, your arms at your side, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
• Keep your palms facing down and raise your arms until they are the same level with your shoulders. Keep your palms facing down.
• Lower your arms slightly, then repeat.
• Keep your body still, do not to swing during this movement as a force to lift the weights. Only your shoulders should be doing the work. If this is too difficult, lighten the load.

3. Arm circles

This exercise gets your blood all pumped up and can help build muscle tone in your shoulders, triceps, and biceps.

Plus, it can be done pretty well anywhere – even in your living room while you enjoy watching your favorite Netflix series.

How to do the arm circles:

• Stand With your feet hip-width apart, raise your arms to the sides parallel to the floor.
• Start by swinging your arms forward in a circular motion using small controlled movements, try making the circles big until you feel a stretch on your triceps.
• Reverse the movement of the circles in a backward movement as well for a desired amount of time.

4. Band Pull-Apart

Band pull apart is a very effective resistance band workout that works with the large shoulder muscles, along with the upper back muscles. This training helps to build muscle strength, as well as giving the area the desired shape and tone.

Bodybuilders often use band pull apart between shoulder press sets because exercise helps to identify the back and shoulders that are often missed when carrying out heavy shoulder presses.

How to do it:

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, grab both ends of a resistance bands with both hands, palms facing down.
• Your arms extended in front of the body and raised to shoulder height.
• Engage the core and slowly return back to the beginning. That’s one rep.

5. Upright row

“Barbell Upright Rows – Close Grip  by Ulf Liljankoski is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0

The upright row is one of the best muscle builders for the shoulders and back. This exercise requires the right form for best results and to avoid injury.

The upright row uses the front and middle heads of the deltoid, as well as the trapezius, rhomboids, and biceps muscles. It is excellent for growing these muscles.

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart, grab a dumbbell in each hand using an overhand grip.
• Pull the elbows up and out and lift to lift the dumbbells to the chest.
• Then, return back to start. That’s one rep.

6. Band Front Raise

The band front raise is a good exercise for building shoulder strength and improving core stability. This exercise works on your shoulders, arms, chest and core, and helps to tone and strengthen your entire upper body.

How to do it:

• First, stand in the middle of the resistance band hip shoulder width apart underneath the arch of right foot, hands holding the ends of the resistance band, and arms at the sides.
• Raise your arms straight in front of the body to the height of the shoulder.
• Slowly lower back to the start.

7. Pike push up

Pike push up is a good exercise for building shoulder strength and improving core stability. This exercise works your shoulders, arms, chest, back and especially your core, and helps to tone and strengthen your entire upper body.

How to do a pike push up:

• Place both hands on the floor, separated by shoulder width, and feet apart. Your hips should be high in the air so that your body forms a triangle with the ground.
• Bend your elbow and lower your head to the ground, moving in the direction towards your hands.
• The, push yourself back to the starting position.

8. Reverse fly

This exercise requires only dumbbells.

The reverse fly works the posterior deltoid (back shoulders), as well as the large upper back muscles including the rhomboids and trapezius. Scapular retraction occurs during exercise that causes the shoulder blades to pull against each other. This helps to strengthen the muscles affected by poor posture and improving balance.

Studies show that strength training in the neck and shoulders including the reverse fly is an effective tool for reducing pain in these areas.

How to do it:

• Start in a hip-width stance, knees bent, keep your back flat and your torso is parallel to the ground.
• Holding a pair of dumbbells with your arms extended down to the floor, elbows slightly bent and palms facing each other.
• Raise both arms up and out of the sides while squeezing together the shoulder blades.
• Return back to the start.

9. Handstand push ups

This exercise strengthens your shoulders, chest, arms, and back muscles at the same time. In addition to high physical strength, handstand push-ups improves basic strength.

How to do the handstand pushups:

This step-by-step guide incorporates a strict handstand push. Consider doing a handstand progression before advancing into a strict hand stand pushup.

• Before attempting to do the handstand, place a cushion (such as a yoga mat) against the wall to protect your head and neck.
• Stand facing the wall. Bend down and place your hands 6 to 12 inches away from the wall, fingers spread and press down.
• Kick up into a hand stand pushup position.
• Once you are upside down, brace yourself by drawing your navel to your spine, tightening your abs, and squeezing your glutes. Your body must form a strong, straight line.
• Bend your elbows to lower your body to the mat under your head. Use control to keep your head from slamming the ground.
• When the top of your head grazes the floor, press your body back by stretching your arms. Imagine pressing down as if you were pressing a barbell over your head. Keep your abs tight to prevent your spine from overextending.

10. Seated dumbbell shoulder press

The Seated dumbbell shoulder press is a great exercise to increase size and strength in the shoulder area.

Doing this exercise will also require the stabilizing muscles in the shoulders, back and trapezius.

How to do the seated dumbbell shoulder press:

To perform this function properly, it is also important to have strength, flexibility and mobility of the shoulder and thoracic area.

• Hold the dumbbells, sit on a bench with a back support.
• Place your feet hip width apart on the floor.
• Clean the dumbbells up to the shoulders.
• Keep a firm grip on the dumbbells.
• Keep a straight and neutral position on your back, tighten your abs and keep your head neutral. Breathe in.
• Push the dumbbells up, where the dumbbells almost touch, and the elbows bend slightly.
• Slowly lower them back to the shoulders and breathe out and begin the next repetition.

Conclusion

This shoulder workout at home does not require the usual equipment you will get in the gym, so you can do this in the comfort of your own home. It will hit the large muscles of your shoulders while giving you the resistance needed to build bigger and stronger muscles. Like all muscle groups, exercising your shoulders requires the right amount of fuel. Eating a healthy diet with adequate protein intake will help in muscle recovery and growth.