If you are trying to improve the appearance of your body and transform your figure, then you need to achieve well-developed shoulders. Pumped shoulders combined with a wide back help visually narrow your waist. This is the type of figure most people strive for.
However, many of us are so busy that we don't always find time to exercise. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, we often fail to get to the gym. What to do? Develop your shoulders without leaving home! We'll show you the best shoulder exercises and workouts you can do at home. No more excuses! Begin!
Shoulder muscles
The superficial muscle of the shoulder is called the deltoid. Anatomically, it is divided into three main bundles - anterior (anterior head), lateral (lateral head) and posterior (posterior head).
To develop shoulder muscles, two basic movements are enough: press and deadlift. The first movement is the press, and this includes exercises such as push-ups, handstand push-ups, dumbbell bench presses, or overhead presses.
A deadlift can be any movement where you lift any weight away from you. Examples include lifting dumbbells in front of you, doing dumbbell flyes, and even straightening your arms back with a dumbbell. The direction of movement will determine which shoulder muscles will work the most.
Shoulder exercises with body weight
There are a lot of bodyweight exercises that directly or indirectly target the shoulder muscles. Such exercises are very convenient, since they require a minimum amount of equipment and can be performed without leaving home.
Any push-up will work your shoulders, chest, and triceps. The angle at which the movement is performed determines the degree of load on a particular muscle. To work the shoulder muscles as intensely as possible, you need to push vertically.
How to pump up deltoid muscles with your own weight
You can understand how best to make your shoulders unusually strong by consistently understanding their functional and muscular structure, then you can select the most suitable and effective exercises, combining them into a set of bodyweight exercises for men
. The deltoids consist of three parts (or bundles, as they are also called):
• Front – controls the movements of the arms up and towards oneself; • Middle or lateral, thanks to which we can stretch our arms to the sides; • Back – responsible for the ability to move your arms behind your back.
In order for exercises with your own weight to help build delt muscles with maximum efficiency, you need to direct the training program to the obstacle to the adaptation of the muscular system to loads. An approach in which different shoulder exercises are combined with each other in a high-amplitude mode up to sets without rest can help with this. Using the basic delt exercises below, you can prepare for some serious muscle work and ensure that your bodyweight training program includes more advanced shoulder exercises, which we also cover thanks to the Lazy Sloth.
We present several types of shoulder deltoid exercises - from the basic plank and various push-ups, to dips and pull-ups.
Push ups
The effectiveness of push-ups is often underestimated. However, if done correctly, this exercise is great for developing shoulder muscles. It will also help work your arms, core and chest.
How to do it:
- Lie face down with your palms on the floor next to your shoulders. You can also place your palms on a bench (as in the video).
- Keep your back straight and push your hands off the floor/bench so that your torso rises up. Make sure your arms, wrists, and elbows remain in line throughout the entire movement.
- At the top, hold this position for a second and then lower to the starting position. Pause for a second and repeat the movement.
- Keep your core tight and taut throughout the movement.
- Try to complete 10 repetitions.
Incline push-ups
By elevating your feet on a bench, table, or chair, you can continue to work your shoulders, but with more ease. The higher your legs are, the better your shoulder muscles will work.
How to do it:
- Get into a push-up position and raise your feet onto a bench or chair.
- Place your palms on the floor slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Keep your body and arms straight.
- Slowly lower yourself to the floor while keeping your legs elevated.
- Hold the position at the bottom for a second and push up again. Repeat.
- Start with three sets, performing as many reps as possible. Try to increase the number of repetitions each week.
How to pump up your shoulders on the horizontal bar?
- Pull-up by the head with a wide grip. To perform this type of exercise, you will need to take the bar with the widest grip possible. Then begin the process of pulling up, but not as in the classic style (when the chin goes over the bar). Here you need the bar to touch your neck and go behind your head, and your legs to be straight and not intertwined, as many athletes often do.
- Close grip pull-up. It is performed like a regular pull-up on a horizontal bar, but the grip is made as narrow as possible. The legs should remain straight. Close-grip pull-ups are best done slowly without jerking.
- Performing “exit” on one and two hands. The exercise is not easy, but it helps to pump up your shoulders well. Success in this exercise largely depends on muscle strength and general physical condition. But it is also important to know the technique of execution, thanks to which the exercise will bring maximum effect.
- You need to grab the bar with an overhand grip. The distance between the hands is slightly more than shoulder width. Do a pull-up. But in this case, the pull-up should be very sharp, with a jerk: this will help to overcome the obstacle (crossbar) and rise higher. Using maximum effort, push yourself up (do it with a jerk).
Handstand push-ups
We know what you're thinking—there's no way you can do handstand pushups. The exercise may look overly difficult and seem almost impossible, but in reality, you don't need superhuman strength to perform it.
Handstand push-ups require a skill that can take some time to master. But you will never accomplish it if you don’t try. So give yourself a chance - try it!
How to do it:
- Stand against a wall and do a handstand.
- Straighten your legs and place your feet against the wall.
- Bend your elbows and lower your head towards the floor.
- Hold the position at the bottom of the movement for a second and rise up, straightening your arms.
- Stop for a second and repeat.
- Keep your core tense.
- Start with three sets, performing as many reps as possible. Try to increase the number of repetitions each week.
Avoid doing too many circuit exercises
If you are looking to build mass, we recommend that you avoid doing too many circuit exercises. It is better to perform one specific exercise at a time, taking into account the number of repetitions. To achieve the best results, increase muscle growth and strength, pay special attention to maximum contraction. If you find an exercise too easy, make it harder and increase the muscle-building potential.
Bodyweight training program
If you decide to pump up your shoulders without iron, let’s first look at what makes our deltoids work and what makes them grow.
First of all, these are pressing movements ; they are basic and one of the most effective. You can come up with many more such exercises. They will mainly be aimed at the anterior and middle deltas.
There are also pulling movements . Basically, such exercises are aimed at the posterior delta bundle, but there are some exercises that work well on the anterior and middle deltoids. These will also be basic movements and they are also quite effective for growing our shoulders.
And how can we not mention the swing movements. These are already isolating exercises that can be aimed at both the front, middle and back parts of your shoulder.
Now let’s look in order at what exercises will be aimed at developing each of the delta bundles.
Press something while standing or sitting
Initially, this exercise was intended as a dumbbell or barbell press.
But we are not looking for easy ways and will pump our shoulders without iron. Therefore, instead of unpleasant pieces of iron, you can use wonderful bottles of water, a backpack filled with something heavy, or an old Soviet refrigerator.
You can do this exercise with both hands together or separately. I strongly advise against pressing the refrigerator with one hand. This exercise is aimed at pumping the front and middle deltoids.
Pulling something to the chin
You can do this exercise with water bottles, bags, backpacks, buckets, or anything that has handles . You need to concentrate on lifting the load only with the help of your elbows, you don’t need to pull your hands up, we don’t raise your shoulders, only your elbows work. With this exercise you will work the front and middle deltas.
Pull something unusual while bending over with your elbows out to the sides
This is an exercise that is extremely difficult to perform technically correctly with equipment specially created for this; doing it with available means is an indicator of incredible courage and courage. Or something else, but these are details that have nothing to do with building your dream body.
You can perform this exercise, for example, with the same water bottles that have handles, or buckets of water.
You can also do this with suitcases. You’re unlikely to go on vacation this year, but at least your suitcases will come in handy.
As I already said, the technique in this exercise is quite complex. The starting position is a tilted body with bent knees and a pelvis laid back. In this position, you need to pull your elbows apart to the sides upward without bringing them to the body. You need to feel the posterior delta bundle.
Swing something to the sides and in front of you
Instead of special, convenient, beautiful equipment, you can use two-liter bottles, buckets filled with water and a bunch of other things that you have enough imagination for.
The main condition is to pull first not the hand, but the elbow , and do not raise your shoulders up.
In the case of raising your arms in front of you, it is mainly the front delta that works, and in raising your arms to the sides, it is mainly the middle delta that works.
Swing with someone in a bent over position. The position is similar to pulling something in an incline position, only now we are not pulling, but waving. This movement is also aimed at the rear delta, and the main condition, as in the previous swing movements, is to pull up not the hand, but the elbow.
And now for the icing on the cake - handstand push-ups.
If you're only interested in bodyweight shoulder exercises, then check out the handstand push-up.
This exercise perfectly develops your deltoids using only your own body weight. But not many people can do handstand push-ups.
It’s unlikely that the person reading me right now is a gymnast with narrow shoulders who was indignant because of the previous paragraph, but if that’s you, then forgive me generously.
If you are still not that gymnast with narrow shoulders and a wild desire to correct it, then first I want to clarify that we are talking about handstand push-ups with your legs resting on the wall.
But this is also not the easiest exercise, so there is another way to simplify the exercise, but, nevertheless, give your deltoids a good workout.
You put your feet on a chair, bed, sofa, or whatever first catches your eye.
Then you rest your hands on the floor, create a 90-degree angle in your pelvis and do push-ups in this position.
The weight of your legs is transferred to the surface on which they lie, making it easier for you to do push-ups.
Shoulder workout with dumbbells
Dumbbells are one of the best exercise equipment you can use to develop your shoulders. They are convenient to store at home because they do not take up much space. They are versatile and can be used to perform a huge number of exercises. Unlike bodyweight exercises, dumbbell exercises allow you to perform different types of movements. Bodyweight exercises often limit shoulder movement to a simple press, while dumbbells allow a wider range of motion, in all directions.
How to pump up your shoulders quickly at home?
- Eat properly. Proper nutrition is the key to any workout. Eliminate fatty, sweet and spicy foods from your diet. Add more protein foods. During training, a lot of energy will be consumed; foods rich in carbohydrates will help replenish its reserves. These include various types of porridges: buckwheat, oatmeal and others. It is also worth drinking a lot of water. When exercising, a person loses a lot of fluid and to make up for these losses, you need to drink one and a half times more than usual.
- Perform sets with a break of 1-2 minutes. During this time, the body has time to rest and prepare for the next approaches. Do 3-4 approaches at a time. What does it mean? For example, we did exercises with dumbbells 10 times and rested for a minute. We did it again 10 times and rested again. And again they did it 10 times - this will be the third approach.
- Use exercises such as push-ups in your workout. The peculiarity of this exercise is that it has many types, with which you can train different muscles of the body, including the shoulders.
- If you don't have dumbbells and barbells, use improvised means. What matters is not what you load your muscles with, what matters is how you load them. In addition, you can train your shoulders simply on the floor, performing various gymnastic exercises. But it’s better to go out into the yard and do a workout on the horizontal bar.
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
This exercise primarily targets the shoulders, but also works the triceps and upper back muscles. This is one of the best exercises for developing your upper body as it involves many muscles working together. The more muscles involved, the more weight you can handle, and this is directly related to muscle growth.
How to do it:
- Choose a weight that is suitable for performing the required number of repetitions. Raise the dumbbells and lower them to shoulder level (or slightly higher). Palms facing forward.
- Raise the dumbbells above your head and clasp them together with your arms outstretched. Then lower the dumbbells to shoulder level.
- Perform movements in full amplitude - stretch your arms up and lower down. Repeat to complete the required number of reps and sets.
- To start, we recommend doing 3 sets of 8-12 reps.
Raising dumbbells in front of you
This exercise primarily strengthens the deltoids, but also works the upper chest (pectoral) muscles. It should be performed if this part of your shoulder is not sufficiently developed. When performing a bench press, the front deltoid will be worked hard, so be careful not to overtrain this part of the body.
How to do it:
- Stand straight, arms down, dumbbells resting on the sides of your thighs, palms facing inward.
- Raise your arms one at a time in front of you so that the dumbbell is parallel to the floor, just above the shoulder line. Your arm should be almost straight with your palms facing the floor. The elbow should not strain. The other arm is extended down.
- Pause for a second at the top of the movement and slowly lower the dumbbell down. Then repeat the movement with the other hand.
- Aim for 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps with each arm.
Dumbbell lateral raises
Dumbbell lateral raises work the lateral head of the deltoid. This muscle is located on the outside of the shoulder and, when fully developed, gives the shoulders a three-dimensional appearance and makes your figure appear wider. The exercise works the shoulder using dumbbell rows.
How to do it:
- Stand up straight and hold dumbbells in each hand. The arms are lowered down to the sides, palms facing inward.
- Slowly raise the dumbbells to the side until your arms are parallel to the floor. Hold this position for a second and slowly lower your arms to the starting position.
- Keep your core tight and don't swing your hips to avoid shifting your weight.
- Aim for 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps.
How to pump up your shoulders at home with a barbell?
- Starting position: standing, feet shoulder-width apart, holding the barbell with both hands. The distance between the hands is 60-70 centimeters, keep your back straight. Raise the bar parallel to the body upward (towards the chin) until the angle at the elbow joint is 90 degrees. Do 3 sets of 7-10 repetitions.
- Starting position: standing. Take the barbell and place it behind your head, then push it up. Do 10 repetitions of 3-4 sets. It is also important to remember that your back should be straight and your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Take the barbell so that it is behind you and stand up. Then lift it up, using the shoulder muscles. It won’t be possible to lift the barbell very high, but this is not the main thing in this exercise. The main thing is to use the muscles of the shoulder girdle when lifting.
Bent-over dumbbell raises
This exercise works the posterior deltoid muscle. Developed rear deltas give the shoulders a fully developed, rounded appearance. Of all the shoulder muscles, this is usually the most difficult muscle to tone. It is worked out during a pulling movement with weights, but when the body is not straightened, but tilted forward.
How to do it:
- Stand up and bend your torso forward towards the floor. Keep your lower back straight so that your torso is almost parallel to the floor. Keep your head in a neutral position and do not pull your neck upward.
- Take dumbbells in your hands. Hands are lowered in front of you, palms facing each other. Make sure your elbows are relaxed and slightly bent.
- Engage your rear delts and pull your elbows up, spreading your arms out to the sides. The dumbbells should be at the top, almost parallel to the floor, with your palms facing down.
- Avoid body rocking. Keep your core tight throughout the movement.
- Aim for 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps.
Conclusion
To properly work out your shoulders, you don’t need to have some fancy equipment on hand or go to the gym. If you incorporate these exercises into your regular workout routine, you will see noticeable improvements within a few weeks.
Just remember to use proper form and go through a full range of motion to ensure your shoulder muscles are working and developing correctly. Once you have mastered these exercises, begin to make them more difficult by gradually increasing the number of repetitions.
Articles on our website are presented for educational and informational purposes only. We do not recommend using article materials as medical advice. If you decide to take dietary supplements or make fundamental changes to your diet, first consult with a specialist.
Translation: Farida Seidova
Are you training at home? Then you will also be interested in this article:
Workout
How to pump up your shoulders in the gym?
A large number of sports equipment, which are present in any gym, provides additional opportunities for pumping up not only the shoulders, but also other muscles.
The main thing in these huge opportunities is to make the right choice and create the right training plan. And a trainer, who is also in the gym, can help with this. In addition, you can pump up your shoulders in the gym with simple basic exercises that can be performed at home.
The advantage of the gym is increased motivation. If at home you can be lazy somewhere, somewhere you don’t want to do it, then in the gym people are looking at you, the trainer is watching, and it will simply be a shame not to complete the required exercise.
