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Incorporating shoulder exercises into your everyday workout routine helps tone and strengthen the entire shoulder muscles, including the deltoids, rotator cuffs, trapezius (traps), and latissimus dorsi (lats). They help enhance stamina and fitness, and also ease shoulder pain.
Strengthening the shoulders keeps the shoulder joints more secure, which aids in staying pain-free and prevents injuries, especially when undertaking different movements, such as lifting weights, rotating the arms, etc. Strengthening also helps you rock any type of dress you wear by giving your upper body a perfectly shaped appearance.
For all these reasons, every woman, irrespective of their fitness level, age, or profession, should include shoulder exercises in their workout routine.
Effective Shoulder Exercises for Women
Always remember that your shoulder muscles are very delicate, so it's recommended to start these exercises with light weights. The below-mentioned workouts can help you strengthen and tone your arms and shoulders without bulking up.
Check out these five best shoulder exercises for women:
1) Dumbbell Front Raise
Muscles targeted: Side (lateral) deltoids, front (anterior) deltoids, chest (pectoralis major), side of the chest (serratus anterior), and latissimus dorsi (lats).
Here's how to do a dumbbell front raise:
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand, and stand tall with your back straight and legs at hip-width distance. Place the dumbbells in front of your thighs, and position your palms inward.
- Slowly raise both hands in front of you till they reach your shoulder level.
- At a controlled pace, lower your hands down.
- Complete three sets of 8-10 reps.
2) Lateral Raise
Muscles targeted: Chest (pectoralis major), side (lateral) deltoids, and latissimus dorsi (lats).
Here's how to do a lateral raise:
- Stand upright holding a dumbbell in each hand, with your legs at shoulder distance and shoulder blades rolled down and back. Slightly bend your elbows.
- Lift both arms by your side till they reach shoulder level, and bring them back down.
- Complete three sets of ten reps.
3) Standing Shoulder Press
Muscles targeted: Front (anterior) deltoids), side (lateral) deltoids, triceps, biceps, side of the chest (serratus anterior), chest (pectoralis major), and latissimus dorsi (lats).
Here's how to do a standing shoulder press:
- Holding a dumbbell in each hand, stand tall with the legs at hip distance and shoulders rolled down and back.
- Slowly raise your arms together so that your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Make sure your forearms are at a 90-degree angle with your upper arms, and your palms are positioned in front.
- At a controlled pace, extend your hands, and push the weights over your head. Slowly bring back your arms to the starting position, and repeat.
- Complete three sets of eight reps.
4) Shoulder Shrug
Muscles targeted: Side (lateral) deltoids, side of the neck (levator scapulae), back muscles (posterior), latissimus dorsi (lats), and chest muscles (pectoralis major).
Here's how to do a shoulder shrug:
- Hold a light dumbbell in both hands, position them by your sides with your palms facing towards your body.
- Stand straight keeping your core muscles engaged and shoulders relaxed.
- Slowly lift your shoulders to your ears, and lower them down. Make sure to keep your hands close to your sides.
- Complete two sets of ten reps.
5) Seated Bent-over Delt Raise
Muscles targeted: Side (lateral) deltoids, triceps, biceps, chest muscles (pectoralis major), latissimus dorsi (lats), back (posterior), and the side of the chest (serratus anterior).
Here's how to do a seated bent-over delt raise:
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand, and sit straight on a chair or flat bench. Keeping your legs and feet together, bend your upper body slightly forward, and allow your chest to come over your knees.
- Position your hands by your calves, and make sure to keep your neck aligned with your spine.
- Maintain this position, and slowly raise the dumbbells to your sides till both arms are parallel to the floor. Your elbows must be slightly bent when lifting the dumbbells.
- Lower the weights back to the starting position, and complete three sets of ten reps.
Takeaway
Shoulder muscles play a very significant role in our everyday posture and tasks, so keeping them strong and functioning well is very important.
The aforementioned shoulder exercises can work wonders in strengthening the entire shoulder muscle along with other muscles in the upper body, such as the abs, triceps, biceps, neck, and glutes. While performing these exercises, though, make sure to focus on your form and posture.
