Workouts for Shoulder Flexion

Your shoulders are considered ball-and-socket joints, which allow them to move in an array of different directions. When you lift your arms in front of you, it’s anatomically referred to as shoulder flexion. Complete your shoulder flexion workout no more than three days per week, and always allow a day of rest between each one so that your musculoskeletal system has time to fully recover and heal.

  1. Muscle

    • The muscle that is primarily responsible for shoulder flexion is your anterior deltoid, which is located at the front area of your shoulder. The anterior deltoid originates at the outside of your clavicle and then runs in front of your shoulder, where it inserts at the outside of your upper arm bone. Therefore, when it contracts, it’s in a position to pick your arm up and lift it in front of you. According to ExRx.net, also contributing to shoulder flexion are the lateral, or middle, area of the deltoid, the upper pectoralis major and part of your biceps brachii.

    Exercises

    • Exercises that involve shoulder flexion include front raise, military press and pike press. Front raise can be done with either a pair of dumbbells or a barbell. Stand and hold the weight down in front of your thighs. Your palms should face in toward your legs. If you’re using a barbell, grab the bar with a shoulder-width grip. Keeping your arms straight, lift them in front of you until they are level with your shoulders, and then lower them back down. Military press is done with a weighted barbell. Hold the bar at your upper chest with your hands set to shoulder-width apart and your palms facing away from you. Your elbows should be under your wrists. Push the barbell over your head until your elbows are straight and the bar is over the line of your ears. Lower the bar back to the upper chest. Pike press is a body-weight exercise performed between a pair of flat benches. Set the benches side by side about a foot apart. Place your hands on one end of the benches and your feet on the other so that your hips are pointed up in the air. Bend your arms to lower your head between the benches, and then push yourself back up.

    Strength or Size

    • The number of sets and repetitions to do of each of the three shoulder flexion exercises depends on whether you’re trying to build strength or size. If you’re just starting out, begin with one to two sets of each exercise, with each set consisting of about eight to 12 repetitions. If you’ve been training consistently, focus on building strength by doing two to six sets of each exercise, with each set consisting of six or fewer repetitions. If instead you want to train for size, do three to six sets of six to 12 repetitions of each exercise.

    Considerations

    • If you suffer from shoulder pain or instability, avoid incorporating the full military press into your workout. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, overhead presses can cause further problems if you already have swollen or irritated shoulder joints. Instead, perform the exercise with a limited range of motion and never lower the barbell below ear level.