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Shoulder workouts are important as shoulders are one of the most mobile joints in your body and is responsible for different muscle actions. This includes flexion, external rotation, adduction, abduction and extension.
The deltoid is the largest muscle on your shoulder that stretches across the back and front of the acromioclavicular and the top of the humerus. You should work on strengthening your shoulder muscles, including the muscles surrounding it, such as the traps, rhomboids, triceps and lats.
While using machines, free weights and other gym tools are effective ways, you may also just use your body weight to build strong shoulders.
Bodyweight shoulder workouts are equally effective and can be performed anywhere. Since the exercises require no equipment, you can perform them even in the comfort of your own home or when traveling and unable to go to the gym. We’ve listed below a few shoulder exercises that you can perform simply using your body weight and no equipment.
Shoulder workouts to perform without weights:
1.) Incline pushups
Muscles worked: deltoids, triceps and pectorals.
How to do it?
- Stand behind an elevated surface, like a stool or bench.
- Place both your hands shoulder-width apart so that your body makes a straight line from head to heel.
- Keep your neck straight and slowly lower your chest while keeping both your elbows at about a 45-degree angle.
- Lower your chest as low as possible, and then push back to the starting position.
- Complete at least 10 reps.
Check out this video:
2.) Crab walk:
Muscles worked: abdominals, quads, hamstrings, glutes, triceps, and lats.
How to do it?
- Sit on a flat surface with your knees bent.
- Your feet should be shoulder-width apart and both your palms on the floor behind you. Your fingers should be pointing forward.
- Now engage your glutes and slowly raise your hips off the floor. Make a table-like shape with your body.
- Start walking forward with the right foot and left hand, then with the left foot and right hand.
- Walk for a few seconds and then reverse the same movement by crab-walking backward.
- Return to the starting position.
- Complete at least 8 to 10 reps.
Check out this video:
3.) Push-back pushups:
Muscles worked: pectorals, deltoids, triceps and abdominals
How to do it?
- Start by taking a pushup position.
- Keep your feet a bit wider than your shoulder width.
- Engage your core and slowly lower your body to the surface.
- Now instead of pushing up straight from the floor as you would do in a basic pushup, push your upper body back towards your heels.
- As your upper body goes back, bend your legs and let your hips rise.
- Complete at least 10 reps.
Check out this video:
4.) Plank to dog down:
Muscles worked: hamstrings, glutes, shoulders, triceps and biceps.
How to do it?
- Start by taking a plank position.
- Keep your core braced, arms straight, and shoulders, hips, ankles and neck in a straight line.
- Exhale slowly and lift your hips.
- Now transfer your weight back, and create a straight line from your hips to wrists.
- Slowly, lower your body to the starting position.
Check out this video:
5.) Plank up:
Muscles worked: triceps and abs
How to do it?
- Take a plank position with the help of your elbows. Your body should be in a straight line from your shoulders to heels.
- Keep your core tight and place the palm of your right hand on the floor and push up your body, following the same with your left palm, until you are again in a pushup position.
- Now with one arm at a time, slowly lower your body back to the plank position.
- Complete at least 8 to 10 reps for 3 sets.
Check out this video:
Summary:
Your shoulders already get involved in a variety of workouts even when you are not specifically targeting them. And therefore, you should perform shoulder-specific exercises in moderation to prevent pain and injuries.
Make sure you don’t overdo any exercise as it can lead to muscle tears and severe pain. Always remember that when targeting any specific muscle like your shoulders, less can be more effective. You should focus mroe on performing the exercises correctly and maintaining the right technique.
