Top 10 Shoulder Exercises to Take Up Regularly

Everyone should have strong shoulders to make their personality more charming and dashing. With a broad chest and powerful muscles, one should also strive hard to build strong shoulders. The shoulder exercises depend on 2 factors, EMG tests for measuring the electrical activity in the deltoids and exercise’s ability to carry the load.

The top shoulder exercises on the list are as follows which you can do for stronger muscles as well as shoulders.

1. Barbell Push Press

This is one of the best shoulder exercises one can do for gaining strength in the whole body. You have to carry heavy weight over the head. In this exercises, one holds the barbell on the top of the upper chest and bend the knees by pressing the bar on the top.

With this exercise, the lower body, delts, triceps, upper pecs, and core are involved which provide strength and flexibility. You should do this exercise after warm up. But, you should not do it every day.

2. Seated Overhead Dumbbell Press

The next on the list of top shoulder exercises is an overhead dumbbell press in the seating position. With dumbbells, you have to move stabilizer muscles taking standing to seating position. This exercise involves the upper arms, middle delts, and anterior delts.

While doing this shoulder exercise, you should sit in a position which gives press to your spine. It is best to use a spotter for managing the weights at the start of the exercises. Before doing this exercise, you can take a weight in the hand and sit down. Placing dumbbells on the thighs, you can then lift the knee towards the shoulders.

3. Standing Military Press (Barbell or Dumbbell)

In this exercise, you have to place the barbell in the same level of upper chest and press overhead with short of lockout. You have to bend the knees slightly and give some relaxation on the lower back.

In this exercise, you have to maintain a neutral hip position. Keep your hips forward and butt back. It is better to choose dumbbells than barbells as they need less triceps activation. You can do standing military press exercise by skipping some of the other press exercises on the list.

4. Arnold Press

This is one of the best shoulder exercises for perfect chest and strong muscles. In this exercise, you need to take first a pair of dumbbells and hold them above the shoulder height. With bent elbows and palms in the front, you have to press the weights overhead.

You have to keep rotating the palms away from the body. You can do this exercise several times. Arnold press will burn the belly fats and is also beneficial for the spine.

5. Dumbbell Incline Row

This is another on the list of top shoulder exercises you should try. You have to use neutral grip in this exercise and lean in the incline bench. Keep your arms straight and hold a dumbbell in each hand using a neutral grip.

Retract the shoulder blades and bend the elbows to take the dumbbells to the sides. Then you need to stop for a moment and start again with the first step. You can do this shoulder exercise before adding single-joint movements.

6. Front Raise

The next on the list of best shoulder exercises is Front raise. First, you need to grab a pair of dumbbells in your hands. You have to stand in such a position that your back is against the wall.

Keep your elbows straight and raise the arms until you bring them to the level of the shoulders. The next step is to lower your back slightly down. Every day, you have to do 12 reps of this exercise for shoulder flexibility.

7. Upright Row

In upright rows, the middle delts and upright rows are involved. First, you need to take a barbell which has an overhead grip lesser than shoulder width. You have to then place the bar on the thighs and extend your arms and bend the elbows. Keep your back straight.

Lift the bar by using the sides of the shoulders and raise the elbows up and to the sides. Until the bar touches your chin, you have to raise it. You have to lower the bar back in a slow motion. Inhale and repeat the exercises as much as you can.

8. One-Arm Dumbbell External Rotation

This is one of the best exercises on the list of best shoulder exercises. You have to take a dumbbell in your right hand and stand with bent knees. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart. You have to then press the elbow on the side by holding the dumbbell. Then bend it at a right angle. Keep the hand in front of your torso.

In this exercise, you have to keep the elbow in the same place and rotate the arm in the back position. You have to do 15 reps each day for strong muscles.

9. Dumbbell Lateral Raise

This is a good exercise for the upper body. Take a pair of dumbbells and stand straight with the dumbbells at both the sides. Keep your palms facing the body. Lift the dumbbells till they reach the shoulder height. Then stop for a moment and lower the weight to the start. Keep dumbbells away from your body.

10. Car Drivers 

The last on the list of Best Shoulder Exercises are car drivers. In this exercise, you have to stand straight with legs apart. You have to then hold a dumbbell in one hand and extend the arms in the front. The next step is to turn the weight left and then to the right. It keeps your muscles stronger and healthier.

These are the top shoulder exercises you can do for muscle flexibility and strong shoulders. After warming up you can do these exercises for strengthening the lower back and erect spine. Within a few weeks, you will feel a good amount of flexibility in your whole body.