Building in the time to your workout schedule for growing and toning your shoulder muscles can pay off both physically and aesthetically. Having upper body muscle can create a very athletic appearance and it can improve posture, all the while making everyday tasks easier.
Not all of the best workouts for arms engage your shoulders, so don't just rely on your usual bicep curls to improve the strength and muscle in your shoulders.
Instead, fitness trainer Lisa Lanceford demonstrates five resistance exercises specially designed to grow your shoulders and create a more defined upper body. The routine uses a mix of gym equipment including dumbbells and machines.
But fear not if you prefer to train at home or still want to use these moves when you are without your usual equipment, such as when on holiday. Lanceford has handily provided alternative versions of each move using one of the best resistance bands. More specifically, a tube style of band with two handles.
Watch Lisa Lanceford's Five-Move Shoulder Workout
Neither versions of the exercises, weighted or banded, are too advanced for beginners to pick up. You will just want to ensure that you adopt the correct form by watching Lanceford's demonstrations. Poor form is inefficient for reaching your goals and it can lead to injury.
If these shoulder-based moves are new to you, then start light with whatever form of resistance you choose to train with. If you are completing the banded version of this routine, begin with a light resistance band.
If you are working with dumbbells and machines, start with a lighter load. Once you feel more confident and like your muscles can handle more, then you can adopt progressive overload into your regime. This is an effective way to achieve muscle hypertrophy.
Below we have listed all the exercises you will need to complete Lanceford's shoulder building workout:
- Alternate shoulders press 4 sets x 12 reps
- Single arm incline lateral raise 4 sets x 12 reps
- Alternating front raise with hold 4 sets x 15 reps
- Front raise variation 4 sets x 12 reps
- Incline dumbbell front raise 4 sets x 12 reps
Lanceford's choice of exercises is even backed by science for enhancing your shoulder muscle gains. A study published in the Journal of Human Kinetics found that shoulder press and lateral raise exercises resulted in a greater level of muscle activation in the deltoids when compared to other exercises like the bench press and dumbbell fly.
Your upper body gains don't need to end here. Practicing the same old routine over and over again can become unmotivating and you might find you reach a plateau in progress. When this happens you can try this alternative shoulder dumbbell workout. Alternatively, if you fancy a day off the weights you can give these shoulder bodyweight exercises a go.
