Performing your shoulder exercises with a bench can help keep your back safe and stable.
Image Credit: Judith Haeusler/Cultura/GettyImages Building strong, well-rounded shoulders is a game of quality over quantity. In other words, it’s not about how many exercises you perform but which exercises you choose — and how well you do them.
Advertisement
And here's another bit of good news: Your deltoids (the main muscle group in your shoulders) don't require elaborate equipment. All you need is a pair of dumbbells and these five challenging exercises to strengthen and sculpt your shoulders.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Related Reading 5 Exercises for Capped Shoulders — No Upright Rows Required
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Skill LevelIntermediate Activity Dumbbell Workout Body Part Arms and Shoulders
Begin standing or seated with a flat back, feet rooted in the ground, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Lift the weights to your shoulders with your elbows bent at 90 degrees. On an exhale, brace your core and press both dumbbells overhead. Lower the weights back to the starting position with control.
Show Instructions
Tip To make this move harder, lower the weights slowly after you press them up, Carolina Araujo New York-based certified personal trainer, tells LIVESTRONG.com. Or, perform alternating shoulder presses, pressing one arm up at a time (kind of like a see-saw).
Dumbbell Scaption
Skill LevelIntermediate Activity Dumbbell Workout Body Part Shoulders, Arms and Abs
Stand and hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms at your sides, palms facing in toward your body. Brace your core and lift the dumbbells in front of your body at about a 45-degree angle, making a V shape with your arms in front of your chest. Raise the weights until they’re slightly above shoulder height. Make sure to keep your shoulder blades down and along your back. Lower the weights back down with control.
Show Instructions
3. Single-Arm Dumbbell Lateral Raise
Skill Level
Advanced
Activity
Dumbbell Workout
Body Part
Abs and Shoulders
Stand and hold a dumbbell in your right hand at your side. Keep your back flat and knees slightly bent. Keeping your core braced, raise the weight out to your side until it reaches shoulder height. Lower the weight slowly to the starting position.
Show Instructions
Tip "Make sure that you're not swinging the weight as you lift," Araujo says. "Start with a lighter dumbbell, and keep your abdominals engaged or place your hand on your hip to increase stability."
Dumbbell Front Raise
Skill LevelIntermediate Activity Dumbbell Workout Body Part Abs and Shoulders
Begin either seated or standing, holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Brace your core and raise the weights in front of your body until they reach shoulder height, palms facing down. Lower the weights back to the starting position with control.
Show Instructions
Tip If raising both dumbbells at the same time is too difficult, alternate lifting one arm at a time.
Or you can make this exercise more challenging by sitting with your back against an exercise bench, Araujo says. This prevents you from using any momentum to lift the weights.
5. Eccentric Lateral Raise
Skill Level
Advanced
Activity
Dumbbell Workout
Body Part
Shoulders
Start standing with a dumbbell in each hand, arms at your sides. Keep your back flat and knees slightly bent. Keeping your core braced, raise the weights out to your sides until they reach shoulder height. Lower the weights slowly back to the starting position for a 3- to 4-second count.
Show Instructions
Advertisement
Advertisement
Performing your shoulder exercises with a bench can help keep your back safe and stable.
Image Credit: Judith Haeusler/Cultura/GettyImages
Image Credit: Judith Haeusler/Cultura/GettyImages
5 Exercises for Capped Shoulders — No Upright Rows Required
Skill Level
Intermediate
Activity
Dumbbell Workout
Body Part
Arms and Shoulders
Begin standing or seated with a flat back, feet rooted in the ground, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Lift the weights to your shoulders with your elbows bent at 90 degrees. On an exhale, brace your core and press both dumbbells overhead. Lower the weights back to the starting position with control.
Show Instructions
Skill Level
Intermediate
Activity
Dumbbell Workout
Body Part
Arms and Shoulders
To make this move harder, lower the weights slowly after you press them up, Carolina Araujo New York-based certified personal trainer, tells LIVESTRONG.com. Or, perform alternating shoulder presses, pressing one arm up at a time (kind of like a see-saw).
Skill Level
Intermediate
Activity
Dumbbell Workout
Body Part
Shoulders, Arms and Abs
Stand and hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms at your sides, palms facing in toward your body. Brace your core and lift the dumbbells in front of your body at about a 45-degree angle, making a V shape with your arms in front of your chest. Raise the weights until they’re slightly above shoulder height. Make sure to keep your shoulder blades down and along your back. Lower the weights back down with control.
Show Instructions
Skill Level
Intermediate
Activity
Dumbbell Workout
Body Part
Shoulders, Arms and Abs
Skill Level
Advanced
Activity
Dumbbell Workout
Body Part
Abs and Shoulders
Stand and hold a dumbbell in your right hand at your side. Keep your back flat and knees slightly bent. Keeping your core braced, raise the weight out to your side until it reaches shoulder height. Lower the weight slowly to the starting position.
Show Instructions
Skill Level
Advanced
Activity
Dumbbell Workout
Body Part
Abs and Shoulders
“Make sure that you’re not swinging the weight as you lift,” Araujo says. “Start with a lighter dumbbell, and keep your abdominals engaged or place your hand on your hip to increase stability.”
Skill Level
Intermediate
Activity
Dumbbell Workout
Body Part
Abs and Shoulders
Begin either seated or standing, holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Brace your core and raise the weights in front of your body until they reach shoulder height, palms facing down. Lower the weights back to the starting position with control.
Show Instructions
Skill Level
Intermediate
Activity
Dumbbell Workout
Body Part
Abs and Shoulders
If raising both dumbbells at the same time is too difficult, alternate lifting one arm at a time. Or you can make this exercise more challenging by sitting with your back against an exercise bench, Araujo says. This prevents you from using any momentum to lift the weights.
Or you can make this exercise more challenging by sitting with your back against an exercise bench, Araujo says. This prevents you from using any momentum to lift the weights.
Skill Level
Advanced
Activity
Dumbbell Workout
Body Part
Shoulders
Start standing with a dumbbell in each hand, arms at your sides. Keep your back flat and knees slightly bent. Keeping your core braced, raise the weights out to your sides until they reach shoulder height. Lower the weights slowly back to the starting position for a 3- to 4-second count.
Show Instructions
Skill Level
Advanced
Activity
Dumbbell Workout
Body Part
Shoulders
