Complex of exercises for shoulder muscles

Your goal: Strong shoulder muscles

Your time: 20 minutes

The best way to build muscle isn't always the most obvious. For example, there's a common belief that if you have weak shoulders, you're not training hard enough. But the opposite is true, especially when it comes to the most obvious exercises. Men do too many shoulder presses. This can destabilize the shoulder joints and throw them out of action. So instead of getting stronger, your shoulders—and all the muscles that feed into the shoulder joints, including the chest and arms—get weaker over time.

The solution is the 4-week workout plan below. It’s designed to work the entire shoulder girdle – all the muscles that support your upper arm bone and move your shoulder blades. This includes the deltoids, trapezius, rhomboids and scapular stabilizers. However, you might expect that such a comprehensive approach would require you to spend extra time in the gym. Most chest and back exercises involve your shoulders – so you should only do this exercise once a week. Do Program A for the first two weeks and Program B for weeks three and four. Do the exercises in the order listed, completing all sets of one exercise before moving on to the next.

Program A: Weeks One and Two

Alternating Shoulder Presses

From a standing position, hold the dumbbells directly above your shoulders with a neutral grip (palms facing each other). Press the weight straight up with your right hand until your arm is fully extended, then slowly lower the dumbbell to the starting position. Now press the dumbbell straight up with your left hand and lower it. Continue alternating hands throughout the set.

Plan: Week 1, do 2 sets of 10 reps with each arm; week 2, do 3 sets of 8 reps with each arm. Rest 60-90 seconds between sets.

Dumbbell Row from Below

Standing, hold the dumbbells in front of your thighs, palms facing in, arms straight. Raise your upper arms parallel to the floor, keeping the dumbbells close to your body. Pause when the dumbbells are directly under your chin, then slowly lower them.

Plan: Perform 2 sets of 10 reps in week 1 and 3 sets of 8 reps in week 2. Rest 60-90 seconds between sets.

"Scaption" in a standing position

Standing, hold light dumbbells in front of your thighs with a neutral grip (palms facing each other). Raise your arms forward and out to the sides at a 45-degree angle until they are at eye level. Then slowly lower your arms.

Plan: Perform 2 sets of 12 reps, resting 45-60 seconds between sets.

Bent-over row and external arm rotation

Lie face down on a bench set at a 45-degree angle and hold light dumbbells in your hands with an overhand grip. Your arms should hang straight down, palms facing back. Keeping your head down, lift the dumbbells up until your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Keep your elbows out to the sides. Without moving your shoulders, rotate the dumbbells forward, palms facing down. Pause, then reverse the movement to return to the starting position.

Plan: Perform 2 sets of 12 reps, resting 45-60 seconds between sets.

Program B: Third and Fourth Week

Alternating Shoulder Presses on a Fitball

Sit on a fitness ball with your feet flat on the floor. Hold the dumbbells directly above your shoulders with a neutral grip, palms facing each other. Press the weights overhead until your arms are fully extended. Without bending your right arm, slowly lower your left arm to the starting position, then press it back. Without bending your left arm, lower your right arm and press it back up again. Continue alternating arms.

Plan: Perform 3 sets of 6 reps with each arm, resting 60-90 seconds between sets.

Dumbbell Shrugs

Standing position, hold heavy dumbbells in your hands, arms straight, palms facing inward. Without bending your arms, raise your shoulders as if you want to touch them to your ears. Stop, then slowly lower your shoulders until your hands are as low as possible.

Plan: Do 3 sets of 8 reps in week 3, and 4 sets of 6 reps in week 4. Rest 60-90 seconds between sets.

Lying pulls on a fibola and outward rotation of the arms

Hold light dumbbells in your hands, lie on your stomach on the exercise ball, chest against the ball, that is, your body should be at an angle. Your arms should hang in front of the ball, palms facing back. Without bending your neck, slowly lift the dumbbells up until the upper arms are parallel to the floor, then rotate your forearms forward so that your palms are facing down. Stop, then repeat the movement in reverse order to lower the dumbbells to the starting position.

Plan: Perform 2 sets of 10 reps, resting 45-60 seconds between sets.

Javorek Complex

Standing position, hold dumbbells in your hands, arms at your sides, palms facing each other. Raise your arms in front of you until they are parallel to the floor. Lower the dumbbells and perform 6 reps. Now raise your arms to the sides, parallel to the floor, and lower them. Perform 6 reps again.

Next, bend forward at the waist until your torso is parallel to the floor. Raise your arms out to the sides, lower them, and perform 6 reps. Stand up and place your hands on the front of your thighs, palms facing you. Raise the dumbbells until they are directly under your chin. Lower the dumbbells and perform 6 reps. Finally, rotate your palms so that they are facing each other, raise the dumbbells to your shoulders, and press them overhead. Reverse the movement and perform 6 reps.

Plan: Perform 2 sets, resting 90 seconds between sets.

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