List of Shoulder Exercises

Shoulder exercises help to strengthen a group of muscles called the deltoids. Strengthened and toned shoulder muscles help balance the body. Such conditioning supports upper body strength. Most shoulder exercises can be done without weights or special equipment. Shoulder exercises are a great way to build muscle.

  1. Basic Push-up

    • Lie face down on the floor. Without your body touching the floor, hold yourself up with your toes and hands and make sure your back is straight. Hands should be at same level as shoulders. Drop your chest down to the floor without touching and push yourself back up. This is the basic push-up. Beginners can do it with their knees on the floor.

    Closures

    • Hold a 5-pound weight in each hand with your arms straight out to the side, wrists facing upward. Raise your arms up over your head until the wrists touch. Then move your arms back down to their starting position.

    Barbell Upright

    • Hold the barbell at waist level with wrists facing downward. Pull the bar up to your chest, then lower it back down to the starting position.

    Behind the Shoulder Press

    • Hold a 5-pound weight in each hand, above head and shoulder width apart. Bring your arms down to shoulder level, then push the weights back up.

    Front Seated Raise

    • Sit on an exercise bench or chair. Use a 5-pound weight in each hand at waist level. Raise the weights straight out in front of you going up to top of head. Then lower back to waist level.

    One Arm Raise

    • Using a resistance band in one hand, stand with hand at waist level. Make sure the resistance band is secured to floor level on one end. With the end in your hand, pull band to outside of your body and straight up to head level. When finished with this arm, go to the other.

    Weight Raise

    • Hold a 5-pound weight in each hand. Place arms, wrists inward, at waist. Pull weights up into your underarms. Then lower weights back to waist level.

    Standing Cross

    • Hold a 5-pound weight in each hand at shoulder level. Extend arms outward, cross over one the other, then pull them back to shoulders.

    Dumbbell Lying Raise

    • Lie on one side, holding your head up with your arm. Place the free arm straight in front of your body. Holding a 5-pound weight, lift that arm straight up over your shoulders. When finished with this arm, rotate to the other.

    Chair Bench Press

    • Sit with your back to a chair. Wrap a resistance band around behind the chair and hold one handle of the band in each hand. Start with hands at chest level against chest and push out. Pull hands back to chest and start over.