Working out your shoulders does not have to involve a lot of equipment or machines. You can work out your shoulders at home by using a small set of dumbbells. You want to use weights that you can perform 15 to 20 slow, controlled repetitions for every set. Perform two to three sets per exercise, with about 30 to 60 seconds rest in between each set.
Dumbbell Front Raise
Front raises will strengthen the anterior portion of your shoulders. Begin by standing up straight with your feet shoulder-width distance apart and your knees slightly bent. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms straight and resting on the front of your thighs. Keeping your arms straight, exhale and slowly raise the dumbbells to shoulder height out in front of your body. Inhale while bringing the weights slowly back down to the starting position. Repeat for 15 to 20 repetitions.
Dumbbell Lateral Raise
To strengthen the medial part of your shoulders, stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width distance apart and knees slightly bent. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms to your sides. Keeping your arms straight, exhale and slowly raise the dumbbells out away from your sides up to shoulder height. Inhale as you return the weights to your sides and repeat.
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
To work the anterior, medial, and posterior parts of the shoulder, stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width distance apart and knees slightly bent. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip. Hold the dumbbells at the shoulders and exhale as you press them up over your head in a slow, controlled motion. Bring the dumbbells together over the top of your head. Inhale and slowly return your arms to the starting position by your shoulders and repeat.
Dumbbell Shoulder Rotations
Shoulder rotations will not only strengthen the large muscles of the shoulders, it will also strengthen the small rotator cuff muscles that support shoulder stability. Begin by standing up straight with your feet shoulder-width distance apart and knees bent slightly. Hold a dumbbell in each hand. The starting position for this exercise is the same as the mid-repetition position for dumbbell lateral raises. You will begin by holding the dumbbells away from the sides of your body at shoulder height. Move your arms in small circles in the clockwise position. After about ten repetitions, reverse direction for another ten repetitions. Breath in and out with every rotation.
References
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; Thomas R. Baechle and Roger W. Earle; 2000
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