Give your at-home, upper-body routine a makeover with these challenging shoulder exercises.
Image Credit: Drazen_/E+/GettyImages If shoulders are your favorite muscle to train, you’re probably a fan of the tools your gym has to offer. After all, not much can compare to the challenge of the barbell military press or dumbbell lateral raise. But if you’re stuck at home with no access to weights, you can still target your shoulders using your own body weight.
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Tired of plank shoulder taps and swimmers? Mathew Forzaglia, a New York-based certified personal trainer, offers these challenging shoulder exercises to inspire some creativity and motivation. Your upper-body muscles, including your back and arms, will get a nice burn from doing variations of push-ups and press offs. The only additional thing you'll need is a long resistance band.
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Related Reading The 7 Hardest Exercises You Can Do at Home When You're Missing the Gym
Move 1: Handstand Hold Image Credit: Mathew Forzaglia/LIVESTRONG.com
Skill Level
Advanced
Body Part
Shoulders, Arms and Abs
Goal
Build Muscle and Improve Balance
Stand about a leg’s distance away from a wall. Place your hands just outside shoulder-width distance on the ground and keep your gaze between your hands. Kick up into a handstand, allowing your heels to rest against the wall. Lock your arms out, brace your core and flex your glutes and thighs to hold the pose.
Show Instructions
Tip "You want to make sure that your ankles, hips and shoulders are stacked one on top of the other over your hands," Forzaglia says. "Focus on pressing your hands through the floor, which will activate your lats and keep you stable."
Move 2: Handstand Push-Up Image Credit: Mathew Forzaglia/LIVESTRONG.com
Skill Level
Advanced
Body Part
Shoulders, Arms and Abs
Goal
Build Muscle and Improve Balance
Stand about a leg’s distance away from a wall. Place your hands just outside shoulder-width distance on the ground and keep your gaze between your hands. Kick up into a handstand, allowing your heels to rest against the wall. Lock your arms out, brace your core and flex your glutes and thighs to hold the pose. Slowly bend your elbows to 90 degrees, lowering toward the ground. Once your head gently touches the ground, push back up into the starting position.
Show Instructions
Move 3: Pike Push-Up Image Credit: Mathew Forzaglia/LIVESTRONG.com
Skill Level
Advanced
Body Part
Back and Shoulders
Goal
Build Muscle
Start in a high plank position with your shoulders stacked over your wrists at shoulder-width distance. Walk your feet toward your hands, raising your hips toward the ceiling until they’re above your shoulders. Push your shoulders forward and elbows back like a regular push-up. Simultaneously bend your elbows and lower your head to the floor. Once your head taps the ground, press back up and straighten the elbows.
Show Instructions
Tip The starting position of this exercise is similar to a downward facing dog, but your weight should lean forward to target your shoulders, Forzaglia explains.
Move 4: Banded Pull-Apart Image Credit: Mathew Forzaglia/LIVESTRONG.com
Skill Level
All Levels
Body Part
Chest and Shoulders
Goal
Build Muscle
Start standing and hold one end of a long resistance band in each hand, shoulder-width apart. Tighten your core and pull the two ends apart, leading with your rear shoulder muscles. Pause for a moment when the band is fully stretched and your arms are at your sides. Return to the starting position with control.
Show Instructions
Move 5: Banded Standing Overhead Press Image Credit: Mathew Forzaglia/LIVESTRONG.com
Skill Level
All Levels
Body Part
Abs and Shoulders
Goal
Build Muscle
Stand with one end of the long resistance band anchored under your feet, and hold the other end of the band with both hands. Bring the band up to shoulder height in a rack position, palms facing out. Brace your glutes and core, and on an exhale, press the band overhead, finishing with your biceps by your ears. Pause for a moment here. Slowly lower the band back to shoulder height.
Show Instructions
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Give your at-home, upper-body routine a makeover with these challenging shoulder exercises.
Image Credit: Drazen_/E+/GettyImages
Image Credit: Drazen_/E+/GettyImages
The 7 Hardest Exercises You Can Do at Home When You’re Missing the Gym
Image Credit: Mathew Forzaglia/LIVESTRONG.com
Skill Level
Advanced
Body Part
Shoulders, Arms and Abs
Goal
Build Muscle and Improve Balance
Stand about a leg’s distance away from a wall. Place your hands just outside shoulder-width distance on the ground and keep your gaze between your hands. Kick up into a handstand, allowing your heels to rest against the wall. Lock your arms out, brace your core and flex your glutes and thighs to hold the pose.
Show Instructions
Image Credit: Mathew Forzaglia/LIVESTRONG.com
Skill Level
Advanced
Body Part
Shoulders, Arms and Abs
Goal
Build Muscle and Improve Balance
“You want to make sure that your ankles, hips and shoulders are stacked one on top of the other over your hands,” Forzaglia says. “Focus on pressing your hands through the floor, which will activate your lats and keep you stable.”
Stand about a leg’s distance away from a wall. Place your hands just outside shoulder-width distance on the ground and keep your gaze between your hands. Kick up into a handstand, allowing your heels to rest against the wall. Lock your arms out, brace your core and flex your glutes and thighs to hold the pose. Slowly bend your elbows to 90 degrees, lowering toward the ground. Once your head gently touches the ground, push back up into the starting position.
Show Instructions
Skill Level
Advanced
Body Part
Back and Shoulders
Goal
Build Muscle
Start in a high plank position with your shoulders stacked over your wrists at shoulder-width distance. Walk your feet toward your hands, raising your hips toward the ceiling until they’re above your shoulders. Push your shoulders forward and elbows back like a regular push-up. Simultaneously bend your elbows and lower your head to the floor. Once your head taps the ground, press back up and straighten the elbows.
Show Instructions
Skill Level
Advanced
Body Part
Back and Shoulders
Goal
Build Muscle
The starting position of this exercise is similar to a downward facing dog, but your weight should lean forward to target your shoulders, Forzaglia explains.
Skill Level
All Levels
Body Part
Chest and Shoulders
Goal
Build Muscle
Start standing and hold one end of a long resistance band in each hand, shoulder-width apart. Tighten your core and pull the two ends apart, leading with your rear shoulder muscles. Pause for a moment when the band is fully stretched and your arms are at your sides. Return to the starting position with control.
Show Instructions
Skill Level
All Levels
Body Part
Chest and Shoulders
Goal
Build Muscle
Skill Level
All Levels
Body Part
Abs and Shoulders
Goal
Build Muscle
Stand with one end of the long resistance band anchored under your feet, and hold the other end of the band with both hands. Bring the band up to shoulder height in a rack position, palms facing out. Brace your glutes and core, and on an exhale, press the band overhead, finishing with your biceps by your ears. Pause for a moment here. Slowly lower the band back to shoulder height.
Show Instructions
Skill Level
All Levels
Body Part
Abs and Shoulders
Goal
Build Muscle
