Home / Training / How to build strong and powerful shoulders?

How to build strong and powerful shoulders?

Contrary to what many people say, the shoulders have their muscular complexity and are very important.

One way to strengthen this part of the body, is through physical exercise.

Find out more about the importance of this body part and discover what are the best exercises for shoulders to strengthen them.

Muscles involved in shoulder movement

Some of the muscles involved in the anatomy of the shoulders, are:

  • Deltoid. It’s the biggest muscle of the shoulder and also the one with the greatest strength. It’s involved in the lateral elevation of the shoulder
  • Supraspinatus
  • Infraspinatus
  • Teres minor
  • Subscapularis

Here also the chest (pectoral muscles) and the back (latissimus dorsi) can be highlighted, as they help to work the shoulder as “pushing” muscles: the chest pushes the arm forward and the latissimus dorsi pulls the arm down.

The trapezius is also important, because it’s involved in shoulder elevation.

Anatomy of the shoulders

Importance of strengthening the shoulder muscles

Shoulder exercises are important, not only for the practice of physical exercise, to get a defined body and to support the chest and the back, but also to perform normal activities in our daily life and to avoid injuries.

Strengthen to improve performance

The shoulders play a fundamental role in our physical activities, not only in exercise (like bodybuilding), but also in simple activities of our daily life and, above all, in physical rehabilitation processes.

It’s essential to have strong shoulders so we’re able to perform activities as simple as shopping, carrying things, doing domestic work or handicrafts.

For people with children or elderly people, for example, this is even more important.

In the case of parents, who often take their children on their lap, harming their posture and wearing out their bodies, besides needing extra strength, they may be exposed to injuries.

In the case of the elderly, it’s normal that, over time, there’s greater wear and greater loss of strength and mobility.

So, strengthening the muscles can help to support performing some activities, to promote greater stability and to reduce the risk of injuries.

The practice of physical exercise is one of the ways to get the benefits associated with strengthening this part of the body.

Nonetheless, the shoulder joints are quite fragile and, as they’re one of the body parts that’s most used daily – because they’re involved in the movement of the arms – they’re also the most susceptible to injuries.

Strengthen to avoid injuries

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons:

“In 2006, approximately 7.5 million people went to the doctor’s office for a shoulder problem.”

But what causes these injuries?

According to the same source:

“Shoulder injuries are frequently caused by athletic activities that involve excessive, repetitive, overhead motion, such as swimming, tennis, pitching, and weightlifting. Injuries can also occur during everyday activities such washing walls, hanging curtains, and gardening.”

Taking the example of swimming, a way to help to fight shoulder injuries (quite common), according to a Sports Health publication, is planning strength, flexibility and muscular endurance trainings.

“An extensive program of stretching, strengthening, and endurance training, in addition to stroke-specific mechanics instruction, should form the foundation of an elite swimmer’s training regimen.”

In practically all sports it’s essential to exercise this body part.

Even in football we should exercise the shoulders, so as not to overload all the surrounding muscles and to avoid injuries throughout the season.

In the case of weight training, this is also important. Not only because injuries are also common, but also because if we don’t exercise the shoulders correctly and effectively, we can ruin everything.

They’re essential for us to be able to develop the general strength in the upper body.

With strong shoulders, you’ll notice the difference when you exercise the chest, arms and back, since the shoulder muscles are also used when performing some exercises directed at these body parts.

On the other hand, some of the shoulder exercises also involve the arms, chest and back.

In order to develop the muscles of this part of the body, there are some exercises that you can do.

Shoulder Exercises: Top 5

Dumbbell Reverse Flyes

Dumbbell Reverse Flyes

According to the electromyographic analysis of the book ‘’Serious Strength Training’’, an analysis that measures the tension exerted on the muscles during the performance of a certain exercise, this exercise stimulates 85% of the muscle fibers of the posterior deltoid.

Some of the muscles worked are: posterior, anterior and medial deltoid, teres minor, infraspinatus, trapezius and rhomboids.

How to perform:

  • Sit on the bench and lean your body forward with your back straight, look down, feet together and hold the dumbbells with your arms below your legs.
  • Exhale, align your back with the floor (form a 90° angle), raise your arms (with the elbows almost stretched) laterally until they’re aligned with the shoulders.
  • Inhale and slowly lower the dumbbells until you reach the initial position.

It’s important to always keep your back straight throughout the process.

Dumbbell Front Raise

Dumbbell Front Raise

According to the same book, this exercise recruits the muscle fibers of the medial, anterior and posterior deltoid, rhomboids and pectoralis major.

How to perform:

  • Sit on the bench, look forward, support your back firmly, keep your arms along your body, holding the dumbbells (with the palms of the hands downwards).
  • Exhale and raise the dumbbells to the shoulder line with a continuous movement (keep the elbows almost stretched).

Always remember to moderate the load so as not to damage the tendons and to avoid pain.

  • Inhale and lower the dumbbells to the initial position.

Cable lateral raise

Cable lateral raise

This is a demanding exercise that requires some experience. It should be performed after you have, for example, some experience in the machine lateral raise.

Some of the muscles worked are: anterior, posterior and medial deltoid, supraspinatus and trapezius.

How to perform:

  • Place a handle on the low pulley, stay on the side and hold the handle with the opposite arm (which is further away from the machine).
  • Exhale and raise the handle to the shoulder line with the arm always slightly bent.
  • Inhale and lower the handle to the initial position.

Tip: always perform the movement slowly. It may be more difficult, but it gives results!

Barbell Upright Row

Barbell Upright Row

In some cases, it can be considered as a back exercise, but it’s also indicated for the shoulders due to the activation of the deltoid, but the trapezius and biceps are also worked.

How to perform:

  • Standing up: hold the W bar in the middle, feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, join the two thumbs in the middle of the bar and look forward.
  • Exhale and raise the bar by raising the elbows to chin and until the bar is at chest (as if we had two ropes pulling the elbows upwards). The hands should remain motionless.

Avoid applying a lot of force with the neck!

  • Inhale and lower the bar slowly to the initial position.

Arnold Press

Arnold Press

I could talk about the normal shoulder press, but today we’re going to reveal the secret of shoulder training … Arnold Press. This variation of the shoulder press or military press was created by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Some of the muscles worked are: anterior (with more emphasis), posterior and medial deltoid, Trapezius, Triceps, Supraspinatus.

  • Sit on the bench with your back well supported, hold the dumbbells with the palm of the hand facing forward and the arms at 90° at shoulder height.
  • Exhale and raise the dumbbells (until you almost stretch your elbows) until they touch each other.
  • Inhale and lower the dumbbells until the arms return to a 90° angle and, instead of rising immediately, bring them together in front of you, closing the arms.
  • Return to the initial position and repeat the movement (2nd step).

To perform this exercise, it’s convenient to have some experience due to the muscular effort involved and the intensity that characterizes it, but I can guarantee that you’ll be amazed by the pump that it will give to your shoulders.

In Short

Exercising the shoulders can be frustrating because of the greater difficulty that exists in increasing the weight/load compared to the ease of the chest and the back, but it has great benefits, such as avoiding injuries, supporting daily activities, strengthening and giving greater sustainability to the neck and the back.

You should always exercise in moderation and ask your instructor for help and advice.

Important note: Stretch the area at the end of your training.

And what are the shoulder exercises that you prefer? Share them in the comments! Good training! ?

Comments

The information included in this article concerns the authors opinion only.

About David Silva

David Silva
David Silva is a Personal Trainer and FIT and Life Coach. He uses his profession to inspire others and get them to achieve their goals, whether through his job or his writing. His motto is "A mission of life is a mission accomplished".

Check Also

workout plan

Workout Plan: Weekly Full Program and Benefits

In this article we will present a daily weight + cardio workout plan suitable for ...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *