It can pay off both physically and aesthetically to include time in your exercise plan to grow and tone your shoulder muscles. Having upper body muscles can result in a very athletic appearance and improve posture while making everyday tasks easier.
Not all of the best arm workouts engage your shoulders, so don’t just rely on your usual bicep curls to build strength and muscle in your shoulders.
Instead, fitness trainer Lisa Lanceford (opens in new tab) shows five resistance exercises specifically designed to grow your shoulders and create a more defined upper body. The routine uses a mix of fitness equipment, including free weights and machines.
But don’t worry if you prefer to train at home or do these moves without your usual equipment, e.g. B. want to apply on vacation. Lanceford has conveniently provided alternative versions of each move using one of the best resistance bands. More specifically, a tubular band with two handles.
Check out Lisa Lanceford’s Five Move shoulder workout
No version of the exercises, weighted or banded, is too advanced for a beginner to take up. You’ll just want to make sure you’re getting in the right form by watching Lanceford’s demonstrations. Poor form is inefficient for achieving your goals and can lead to injury.
If you’re new to these shoulder-based movements, start lightly with whatever form of resistance you want to train with. When doing the banded version of this routine, start with a light resistance band.
When using dumbbells and machines, start with a lighter load. Once you feel more confident and your muscles can handle more, you can add progressive overload to your regime. This is an effective way to achieve muscle hypertrophy.
Below we’ve listed all the exercises you need to complete Lanceford’s shoulder build workout:
- Alternate shoulder presses 4 sets x 12 reps
- One-arm side oblique raises 4 sets x 12 reps
- Alternate front raises with holds 4 sets x 15 reps
- Variation front raises 4 sets x 12 reps
- Incline front raises 4 sets x 12 reps
Lanceford’s range of exercises is even backed by science to improve your delt gains. A study published in the Journal of Human Kinetics (opens in new tab) found that overhead presses and lateral raises resulted in greater muscle activation in the deltoids compared to other exercises such as bench press and dumbbell flies.
Your upper body gains don’t have to end here. Practicing the same old routine over and over again can become unmotivating and you may find that you plateau in progress. If this happens, you can try this alternative dumbbell workout. Alternatively, if you fancy a day without weights, you can try these shoulder bodyweight exercises.
Today’s best deals on adjustable dumbbells
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