Beast Your Shoulders with These 5 Exercises

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Bolder Shoulders – Our Guide to a Killer Shoulder Workout

Welcome to our latest workout guide. Here at Ultimate Fitness Birmingham, we take training very seriously, and if you have seen our social media or YouTube channel, you will know that we love sharing advice and tips. This article takes a look at Shoulders, including our 5 top shoulder exercises! Si Fan, founder, PT, and renowned Bodybuilder, says no physique is complete without a set of boulder shoulders.

They add to the structure and overall aesthetic look. If you are competing, they are even more vital because success on stage can be determined by having great shoulders.

Hammer Strength Shoulder Press at Ultimate Fitness

Beast your Shoulders with these 5 Exercises

There are many shoulder exercises out there, but not all are equally effective and safe. Some can cause more harm than good, especially if you have shoulder issues or train with poor form. We have selected what we think are the 6 best shoulder exercises that will work all the major muscles of your shoulders without putting too much stress on your joints and tendons. These exercises are:

  • Rear Delt Fly
  • Seated Lateral Raise
  • Standing Military Press
  • Seated Dumbbell Press
  • Machine Lateral Raise

Let’s take a closer look at each of these exercises and how to perform them correctly.

Rear Delt Fly

The rear delt fly is a great exercise for targeting the posterior deltoid (the rear of the shoulders), often neglected in shoulder training. The posterior deltoid is responsible for extending and externally rotating your shoulder and stabilising your scapula. You will need a pair of dumbbells and a bench to perform the rear delt fly.

Here are the steps:

  • Lie down on a bench with your chest facing down and your feet on the floor.
  • Hold a dumbbell in each hand and let them hang down on each side of your chest.
  • Keep your elbows slightly bent, and raise your arms to the sides until they are parallel to the floor.
  • Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top of the movement and hold for a second.
  • Slowly lower your arms back to the starting position and repeat

As an alternative, you can also perform this exercise on a pec deck machine or with cables.

Seated Lateral Dumbbell Raise

The seated lateral raise is another excellent exercise for working the lateral delts, which are responsible for abducting and internally rotating your shoulder. The lateral deltoid also contributes to the roundness and width of your shoulders. To perform the seated lateral raise, you will need a pair of dumbbells and a bench.

Here are the steps:

  • Sit on a bench with your back straight and your feet on the floor.
  • Hold a dumbbell in each hand and let them hang down on each side of your hips.
  • Keep your elbows slightly bent, and raise your arms to the sides until they are parallel to the floor.
  • Keep your palms facing down and your shoulders down and back.
  • Slowly lower your arms back to the starting position and repeat.

Standing Military Press

The standing military press is a classic compound exercise that works the entire shoulder complex, as well as the triceps, the upper back, and the core. The standing military press is one of the best exercises for building strength and power in your upper body. To perform the standing military press, you will need a barbell and a rack.

Here are the steps:

  • Stand in front of the rack and un-rack the barbell with a grip slightly wider than shoulder-width.
  • Position the barbell at your collarbone level and keep your elbows under the bar.
  • Brace your core and squeeze your glutes.
  • Press the barbell overhead until your arms are fully extended.
  • Keep your head neutral and your back straight throughout the movement.
  • Slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position and repeat.

Seated Dumbbell Press

Another basic compound exercise which has stood the test of time and has been a favourite for many.
Similar to the military press, this hits the entire shoulder area, predominantly the anterior delts, triceps and upper back. To perform seated dumbbell, all you need is a bench and a set of dumbbells.

  • Sit on a bench with the back pad set up at almost 90 degrees.
  • Make sure both feet are firmly planted on the floor.
  • Pick a pair of dumbbells and lift them above your head with palms facing forward.
  • Lower down to ear level and press back up again in a controlled manner.
  • Keep your head and back straight throughout the exercise.

Machine Lateral Raise

We see a lot of people do dumbbell lateral raises wrong, as it does take a bit of time to master this particular exercise.

A great alternative to dumbbells is the lateral raise machine which targets the same muscle group without the free-range movement of dumbbells. We have two types here at Ultimate Fitness, the seated version and also standing version both extremely popular.

  • The key to this exercise is to lead the movement with your elbows, keeping them slightly higher than the wrists.
  • Raise the arms of the machine to just above ear level and lower in a slow and controlled manner.
  • Repeat this for 10 to 12 reps.
Shoulders at Ultimate Fitness

The Power of Pyramid Sets

Now that you know the best 5 shoulder exercises, you might wonder how to structure your workout for optimal results. One of the most effective and fun ways to train your shoulders is to use pyramid sets. Pyramid sets are progressive overload techniques that involve increasing or decreasing the weight and reps in each set. There are two types of pyramid sets: ascending and descending. Here’s how they work:

  • Ascending pyramid: You start with a light weight and high reps, and then increase the weight and decrease the reps in each set. For example, you could do 4 sets of 15, 12, 10, and 8 reps, with increasing weight.
  • Descending pyramid: You start with a heavy weight and low reps, and then decrease the weight and increase the reps in each set. For example, you could do 4 sets of 8, 10, 12, and 15 reps, with decreasing weight.

Pyramid sets are great for stimulating muscle growth, strength, and endurance, breaking plateaus, and adding variety to your workouts. You can use pyramid sets for any of the shoulder exercises we mentioned or for any other exercise you like. Just make sure to warm up properly, use good form, and rest enough between sets.

We hope this guide and the videos on shoulder training have sparked some motivation in you. They are an essential part of any fitness routine, as they can improve your posture, prevent injuries, and enhance your appearance and confidence. The best 6 shoulder exercises we shared with you are the rear delt fly, the seated lateral raise, the Viking press, the pec deck, the standing military press, and the Arnold press. These exercises will work all the major muscles of your shoulders without putting too much stress on your joints and tendons. You can also use pyramid sets to make your shoulder workouts more effective and fun.

SEE YOU IN THE GYM!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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First Published: 1st December 2024