Shoulder & Back Exercises for Men

Strengthening and toning your back and shoulder muscles does more than make you look great. You'll also find that your extra strength and muscle mass helps you to burn fat easier and feel younger and more flexible. Stronger back and shoulder muscles help you with injury prevention and everyday chores like shoveling snow and working around the house. The following exercises will help you to strengthen and tone your back and shoulder muscles.

  1. Exercises

    • Basic push-ups are one of the best exercises for your back and shoulders. Experiment with different hand positions to reach different muscle groups. Begin with placing your hands directly beneath your shoulders. Try a wider angle to target the muscles between your shoulder blades. Put your hands very close together to reach your upper arm and triceps.

      Pull-ups are effective for strengthening your back and shoulders because you are lifting your entire body's weight with the muscles in your back, shoulders, and arms. Make sure your pull-up bar is secure before you begin using it. Some public parks have bars that are perfect for pull-ups, so you can take a break from jogging and do a few pull-ups. Do as many as you can, and as you grow stronger, add a few more each day. Try pull-ups with the back of your hand facing you, and then try them with the palm of your hand facing you.

      Handstand push-ups are also effective for strengthening your back and shoulders. Again, you use your entire body's weight for resistance, but this time you target the tops of your shoulders. Kick up to a handstand against a wall. Slowly lower yourself down until your head almost touches the floor. Then push yourself back up until your arms are straight. Repeat until your muscles are exhausted.

      Using barbells, try bent-over lateral raises. Standing with your feet hip-width apart, bend your waist until your upper body is parallel to the floor. You should have a barbell in each hand with your palms facing each other. In this position, raise your arms out to the side until they are even with your shoulders, and then lower them to the starting position.

      Use your barbells to do shoulder presses as well. Shoulder presses can be done in several different positions. You can do them in a standing position by standing with your feet comfortably apart. Make sure your back is not arched. Hold your dumbbells up by your ears with your elbows out. Raise the dumbbells until your arms are straight, and then bring them back down. Do 8 to 12 repetitions. If it seems too easy, get heavier barbells. You can also try shoulder presses while lying down. Lie down on a bench or on the floor with a pillow beneath your back to give your arms room to work. Hold the barbells close to your chest with your elbows out. Extend your arms straight up toward the ceiling and then return to the starting position.

      Make sure that you stretch your muscles out after performing these strengthening exercises. Grasp your hands together behind your back, and then pull up. Shoulder rolls also help to stretch out the muscles. If you do these exercises regularly, you'll quickly see improvement in your muscle tone and strength.