Shoulder-joint abduction occurs when your move your upper arm sideways, away from your body. The middle portion of the deltoid muscle and the supraspinatus facilitate this movement, with the long head of the biceps brachii assisting. These muscles also control the speed of movement as you move your arm back toward your body from an abducted position. Performing shoulder-joint abduction exercises regularly strengthens the involved muscles, helping them function effectively and reducing your risk for musculoskeletal injuries.
Dumbbell Raise
Perform the dumbbell raise from a upright seated or standing position, using a weight that you can lift at least 12 times. Hold the dumbbells at your sides with your palms facing inward, toward your hips. Abduct your shoulder joints and flex your elbows simultaneously to lift the weights upward, sliding them along the sides of your torso. Stop when the dumbbells approach your armpits, then lower them slowly and repeat. Progressively increase the amount of weight and decrease the number of repetitions to achieve maximal strength.
Lateral Raise
You can use a variety of equipment to perform the lateral raise, including a cable machine, a dumbbell, a kettlebell, a resistance band or any other weighted object that you can easily hold in your hand. To perform the exercise on a cable machine, adjust the stack of weights as desired and attach a handle to the cable near the floor. Stand sideways, with your left side closest to the machine, and hold the handle in front of your thighs with your right hand. Arc your arm away from the machine to shoulder height, pulling the cable to lift the weights, then reverse slowly and repeat. Perform the exercise with your left arm as well.
Push Press
The push press targets the shoulder abductors using a barbell or dumbbells. Stand upright with your feet about hip-width apart and your toes directed forward. Hold the barbell in front of your chest with your hands wider than your shoulders, your palms facing forward and your elbows flexed and pointed downward. Abduct your shoulders and extend your elbows to press the weight straight up, in front of your face, then return to the starting position slowly and repeat. You can also add a lower-body element to the exercise by flexing and extending your knees just before you lift the barbell, but doing so will reduce the workload for your shoulders.
Upright Row
The upright row traditionally involves lifting a barbell with both arms at the same time, but you can also perform the exercise with one arm at a time using a dumbbell or kettlebell. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and hold the weight in front of your left thigh with your left hand. Extend your right arm sideways and grasp a sturdy object to keep your body from tilting during the exercise. Abduct your left shoulder and flex your elbow to pull the weight along the front of your body to just under your chin, then lower it slowly and repeat. Perform the exercise for your right arm as well.
References
- "Basic Biomechanics"; Susan J. Hall; 2007
- ExRx: Dumbbell Raise
- "Physiology of Sport and Exercise"; Jack H. Wilmore, David L. Costill and W. Larry Kenney; 2008
- ExRx: Cable One-Arm Lateral Raise
- American Council on Exercise: Barbell Push Press
- ExRx: Dumbbell One-Arm Upright Row
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