6 Best Exercises For Men To Get Ripped Shoulders

Best exercises for men to get ripped shoulders. (Image via unsplash/Arthur Edelmans)
Best exercises for men to get ripped shoulders. (Image via unsplash/Arthur Edelmans)

Good shoulders can add a lot to your upper body and help accentuate your physique.

These are great for anyone who wants a lean and muscular physique but doesn't want to spend hours at the gym each week. Read on to learn about the best exercises to get ripped shoulders.


Best Exercises For Men To Get Ripped Shoulders

Here's a look at six best exercises for men to get well-sculpted shoulders:

#1 Standing Barbell Military Press

The standing barbell military press is a great exercise to target your shoulders and triceps.

You'll want to keep your back straight, use a shoulder-width grip on the barbell, and lift the weight up till it reaches over your head. From there, lower the weight back down at an even pace. That will help strengthen your shoulders and get rid of excess fat around them.

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Note: Always make sure you have perfect form when performing this move, especially if you're using heavy weights.


#2 Landmine Press

To perform a landmine press, you'll need a barbell, landmine handle and weights. Put a barbell on the floor, and stand over it with your feet about shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent.

Lift the bar to your chest by bending at your hips till it's just below your chin level, keeping your back straight and knees slightly bent throughout. Push down with arms extended till they're fully extended in front of you (but not locked). Perform the desired number of reps.

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The landmine press is all about using more weight than traditional dumbbell presses. That's because you're supporting both sides of the body independently as opposed to having one side doing more work than the other during regular dumbbell presses. So this exercise is great for men who want ripped shoulders.


#3 Seated Barbell Military Press

Here's how to do a seated barbell military press:

Sit up straight on a bench, with a barbell resting on your deltoids. Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip, and hold it at arm's length in front of you with palms facing forward. Press the weight up till your arms are fully extended overhead. Slowly lower the weight back to its starting position, and perform the desired number of reps or sets.

Why it's good for the shoulders:

The seated barbell military press primarily targets your anterior deltoid (front) and middle deltoid (middle).

It also stimulates the stabiliser muscles in the rotator cuff and other supporting muscles throughout the shoulder region that help maintain proper form during the exercise.

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That can be difficult if done improperly due to heavy weight or incorrect positioning of arms/hands at start point when lifting or lowering weights between sets.


#4 Dumbbell Lateral Raise

The dumbbell lateral raise is a great exercise to target the deltoids, which are the muscles that form the side of your shoulders.

You can do this exercise in front of a mirror and look for any rough spots that aren't being worked as well as they should be. You can also stand on a platform that allows you to see your body from above (like many home gyms have) so that you can check out how things look during each rep.

To do a dumbbell lateral raise:

Stand with your feet together and knees slightly bent. Hold one dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level, with palms facing forward and arms straight down towards the floor. Exhale as you lift both arms out to either side till they reach shoulder height. Inhale while lowering back down to the starting position.

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Repeat eight times per set, with no rest between sets. Perform three sets before resting for 30 seconds. Repeat the entire sequence once more without rest between sets or reps for six weeks straight.


#5 Dumbbell Front Raise

The dumbbell front raise is a simple exercise that works your shoulders and biceps. You need two medium-sized dumbbells for this move.

Stand with feet hip-width apart and arms at your sides holding the dumbbells down by your thighs. Maintain an upright posture as you lift the weight till it reaches shoulder height, and lower it back down to the starting position.

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Repeat for 10–12 reps per set; three sets in total will give you a great burn in your shoulders.


#6 Bent-over Dumbbell Reverse Fly

The bent-over dumbbell reverse fly is an excellent exercise for blasting your shoulders. Here's how to do it:

  • Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, and hold two heavy dumbbells in front of you at arms' length, palms facing the floor.
  • Keeping both arms straight, raise them till they're parallel to the floor.
  • Lower back down through a full range of motion till your arms are almost completely extended again, and repeat for reps.
  • Add weight, or decrease repetitions as needed, depending on how much weight you're using and what muscle group or groups you want to target more specifically.
  • Keep in mind that heavier weights will mean fewer reps per set but also more overall muscle stimulation over time (D).

If this exercise feels too easy even with added weight, try doing it from a standing position rather than a sitting one so that your back muscles work harder when holding up heavy loads during each repetition.

That will make sure you don't cheat by leaning towards one side when doing bent over flyes. Otherwise, one arm would have less resistance due to its angle relative being further away from ground level, as your hands are no longer held low enough near the hips like before.

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Meanwhile, if you still feel tired after going through full range, try reducing the rest period between sets so that your heart rate doesn't recover fully before the next set begins.


Takeaway

The aforementioned poses should help you get ripped shoulders. They're the best exercises for men to get ripped shoulders.

With these exercises, you can get ripped shoulders while also building strength in your back and arms. You’ll be able to do more push-ups, pull-ups and other upper body exercises.

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