Weight Training & Weight Lifting Exercise Program

Weight Training & Weight Lifting Exercises

Shoulder Weight Training Exercises

The shoulders are among the most difficult of body parts to train. For one thing, the shoulder, or deltoid, is comprised of three heads: the anterior (front), the medial (middle), and the posterior (rear). As such, there's no single exercise that optimally works the entire shoulder. Shoulder trainees need to use a variety of exercises combined with correct body positioning, and the latter is where a lot of people miss the shoulder boat. Using good form is very important in avoiding shoulder injuries.

The Shoulder Workout

Overhead dumbbell presses
Lateral dumbbell raises
Seated rows

Overhead Dumbbell Presses

#1 Overhead Dumbbell Presses

Sit on a bench with or without a back support. Pick up a pair of dumbbells, and hold them at shoulder height, elbows out completely to the sides and palms facing forward.

The Exercise: Slowly press the dumbbells up and in, so they meet or nearly meet above the crown of your head. Press the weights to just short of lockout, so you don't put stress on the cartilage. At the top, mentally contract the shoulder muscles as much as possible.

Now, slowly lower the dumbbells, keeping the weight balanced over your elbows. Stop when your elbows are just below parallel with your shoulder joints.

Tip: You might find you have to lighten the weight a bit to do this exercise correctly.

Lateral Dumbbell Raises

#2 Lateral Dumbbell Raises

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart or closer or sit on an exercise bench. At this point, your elbows should be directly below your shoulder joints, not behind them and not in front of them, with your hands facing your body. Keep your elbows in a slightly bent position. Keep your chest elevated. (This is something you should do for just about every upper body exercise.)

The Exercise: Slowly add tension to the deltoids by mentally flexing the muscles. While standing or sitting up straight, slowly raise the arms out to the sides and up. Stop when your elbows and the weights are parallel with your shoulders. Then, lower the weights slowly to the starting position. Don't rotate your shoulder externally as you raise the dumbbells.

Tip: Focus on your elbows instead of the dumbbells.

#3 Seated Rows (on a machine)

Grab the handles, pull back the weight, and sit down on the pad. Bring your upper body into proper spinal alignment by sitting up straight. Place your feet firmly on the ground to stabilize yourself. Position your scapulas (shoulder blades) in a neutral position (don't shrug your shoulders), and keep them there throughout the exercise.

The Exercise: Slowly row your elbows straight back while keeping them in line with your shoulders. Be sure to slowly contract the deltoids as much as possible. Try to concentrate on activating the rear delts while relaxing the front delts.

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