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Shoulder muscle strengthening exercises
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 08.07.2025
Use these exercises to relieve shoulder pain and strengthen your upper body.
Strains and pain cause men to avoid exercises like the bench press, which leads to decreased muscle mass and constant complaints that your shoulders are not strong enough.
The secret is not to avoid pain. Instead, add ligament-strengthening movements to your routine.
Follow this exercise program and you will see your pain disappear and you will be able to build strong muscles in your arms, chest, shoulders and back.
Perform these exercises as part of your overall full-body or upper-body routine. Complete all sets in each sequence (e.g. 1A and 1B) before moving on to the next number. To add variety, you can use the variations listed below to target your shoulders and entire upper body.
A. Floor Press
3 or 4 sets of 6-8 reps (can also be done with a barbell)
Take the dumbbells and lie on your back on the floor, knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Hold the dumbbells above your shoulders, arms straight. Lower the dumbbells until your elbows touch the floor, then press the dumbbells back up to the starting position. That's one rep.
Benefits: This movement limits shoulder strain—that is, the strain on the muscles in front of your shoulders as you lower the dumbbells to your chest. Too much strain on the front of your shoulders leads to shoulder instability and injury. It's a good substitute for the bench press if your shoulders are in poor shape. You can also use it simply to ease into the workout periodically.
Other variations: Dumbbell bench press and incline dumbbell press.
B. Medium Grip Barbell Row
3-4 sets of 6-8 reps
Grab a barbell with an overhand grip, hands about shoulder-width apart, and hold it in front of your thighs with your knees slightly bent. Bend at the hips and lower your torso to 45 degrees, letting the bar hang down. Pull the barbell up toward your torso, pause, and then lower it slowly.
Benefits: Many men overemphasize their chest and arm muscles. Back exercises will balance out your workout routine and help maintain natural shoulder movement and avoid muscle weakness and pain.
Other variations: Medium-grip cable row, dumbbell row
A. Bent-over Lat Pulldown
2 or 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Sit in front of a vertical pulley and grab the cable handle with an underhand grip, about 1.5 times shoulder width apart. Lean back about 30 degrees. Bring the cable to your lower chest, making sure to pull your shoulders down and back as you move your arms. Return to the starting position with a soft, controlled motion.
Benefits: The angle of your body reduces stress on the rotator cuff, increasing shoulder stability. Also, a 30-degree tilt can increase the activity of your lats.
Other variations: Underhand Grip Lat Pulldown
B. "Scaption" (exercise for the shoulder blades)
2-3 sets of 10-12 reps
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, dumbbells at your sides, palms facing each other, arms slightly bent at the elbows. Without bending your arms, lift the dumbbells until your arms are parallel to the floor, moving them out to the sides at 30 degrees. Stop, then lower your arms to the starting position.
Benefits: This exercise activates the muscles surrounding the shoulder joint and shoulder blade. You pump up the muscles and strengthen your shoulders at the same time.
A. Rope pull to face
2-3 sets of 12-15 reps
Attach the rope to the cable on the high pulley and hold the ends of the rope in your hands, palms facing each other. Step back until your arms are straight in front of you and you feel the tension in the rope. Now pull the middle of the rope toward your eyes, bending your elbows, bringing your shoulder blades together and spreading your elbows out to the sides. To return to the starting position, slowly straighten your arms in front of you.
Benefits: You work the small muscles in your upper back, maintain shoulder strength and rotation, and improve trapezius strength. All of this will increase the stability of your shoulder blades and shoulder joints.
Other variations: push-ups, reverse rows
B. External arm rotations while lying on your side
2-3 sets of 12-15 reps on each side
Take a dumbbell in your right hand, lie on your left side, place a rolled-up towel under your right elbow. Bend your left arm and rest your head on it. Bend your right arm at a 90-degree angle and hold the dumbbell in front of your stomach. Do not bend your wrists. Raise the dumbbell above body level, keeping your upper arm close to your body. Slowly return to the starting position.
Benefits: Because you're lying on your side, you activate the rotator cuff muscles at the back of your shoulders, which improves shoulder stability. The exercise also reduces the risk of rotator cuff tendinitis, as well as the risk of rotator cuff impingement syndrome, a painful condition in which the front of your shoulder blade puts pressure on the rotator cuff muscles or tendons when you raise your arm.
