Sculpt your arms and build lean muscle with these 9 effective shoulder lifts.
It’s time to focus on that upper body because tank top season is just around the corner. These 9 shoulder exercises – for beginners and weight room pros – are going to get us ready for it! 💪🏼 Not only will you build some serious strength, you’ll also get sexy lean arms! Who’s ready? 🙋🏻♀️
Heyoo!!! I can’t believe it’s already the end of May. Where has time gone?!
I’m finally cleared to start my regular workout routine, including plyometrics and lifting 😬 Last week I did my first HIIT workout after taking 2 months off. I was nervous and excited all at the same time.
It felt so good to have a serious heart pumping workout, but I know it’ll be a little while before I can go all out.
One thing I am going to focus on is building back some muscle, hence today’s blog post!
Shoulders are one of my all time favorite muscle groups to lift because there are so many different exercises you can incorporate.
My personal favorite is delt raises (but we’ll get to that!)
If you’re a woman reading this and thinking to yourself that the weight room is not your thing, I’m here to tell you to make it your thing. 😜
Weight training is so important, especially for women, because our bones deteriorate faster than males. Hello osteoporosis. What you might not know is that building muscles also helps maintain stronger bones.
So whether your a gym rat or just exercise because “you should” weight training is crucial for your overall health. Not to mention the hundreds of other benefits:
- Burns fat faster than cardio
- Strengthens connective tissue, muscles, and tendons to prevent injury
- Helps you execute daily life functions
To name a few.
How many times a week should I work shoulders?
It depends. I lift one muscle group per day, so it ends up being once a week (plus some shoulder focused exercises during my HIIT workouts). Depending on your workout regime, it could be upwards of 2 – 3 times/week. If you’re lifting heavy weight, give yourself at least a couple days for your muscles to recover.
(Collagen is a great way to help your muscles recover. My favorite is Vital Proteins.)
Can I do these shoulder exercises at home?
Absolutely, all you need is a set of dumbbells or bands and you can do most of these moves at home. If you have lighter dumbbells, try increasing the number of reps.
And now for the main event. Try incorporating a few (4 – 5) of these exercises into your weekly routine to build up that muscle and lean out those arms!
9 Best Shoulder Exercises for Women
Dumbbell Press – seated or standing. Start with dumbbells at shoulders and your palms facing out. Lifts dumbbells overhead (and try not to touch them at the top, this keeps the tension on your shoulders). Lower dumbbells back down to shoulders. Repeat (make sure not to arch your back with pressing overhead)
Standing Barbell Press – with your hands shoulder width apart on the bar, and palms facing out, knuckles pointing toward ceiling, lift bar overhead (fully extending arms)
Delt Raise – seated or standing. Start with arms at 90 degrees palms facing each other in front of your belly button. Lift elbows out, keeping arms at 90 degrees. Lift elbows up to shoulder height and (palms facing the ground at the top of the lift), then bring arms/elbows back down to starting position.
Leaning Cable Side Raise – start with the handle at the bottom of the machine. Leaning your body to the side with palm facing machine. Lift arm up to shoulder height (keeping arm mostly straight) and slowly lowering back to starting position.
Dumbbell Front/Side Raise – seated or standing. Front raise – holding dumbbells with palms facing toward your legs, lift arms up to shoulder height, then slowly lower arms back down. Side raise – with arms to side and palms facing legs, lift arms to shoulder height and then slowly lower them back down.
Landmine Press – either place barbell in clip or in the corner of a room (so barbell can’t slide). Hold the barbell closer to the end and place close to your shoulder. Extend your arm straight out in front of you at a 45 degree angle and then lower back to your shoulder position. Repeat for 10 reps and then switch arms.
Single Arm Clean and Press – with the bar still attached to the clip or anchored in a corner, grab the bar with your right hand (at the edge) and bring your arm up toward your shoulder, flipping your wrist at the top so that your palm faces outward and hand/bar is at the edge of your shoulder. Then press the bar out (about 60 degrees) so arm is fully extended. Slowly bring hand back into your shoulder and then flip your wrist, so palm is facing your body and bar is back down toward your waist. (this one is a little tough, so if you’re just starting out, trying working up to this exercise)
Cable Front Raise – hook a bar attachment to the cable machine and lower it to the lowest level. Straddle the cable (one foot on each side) and stand with bar in hands. Lift arms out straight to shoulder height and then slowly lower back to starting position.
Dumbbell Arnold Press – seated or standing. Start with dumbbells at shoulder height and palms facing toward your body. As you lift your arms slowly twist pinkys outward so that your hands/palms face forward. Full extend your arms and then reverse your palms back toward body on the way back down.
Looking for other strength-based workouts? Check out these:
- Bicep and Tricep Exercises for Sexy Toned Arms
- Best Back Lifts for Women
- 10 Best Chest Exercises for Women
- Leg Day Exercises that Tone and Tighten
