Here are seven of the best shoulder exercises with dumbbells in this home workout for women. Try this challenging 25-minute shoulder workout and build yourself strong, sculpted shoulders and arms.
Strengthening the shoulders can enhance posture, mobility, and even reduce the risk of injury. Strong shoulders will make simple tasks such as carrying groceries or lifting babies easier.
1.External Rotation
Targets: Shoulders (deltoids) and rotator cuff muscles.
How to Do it:
- Start standing, feet hip width apart, knees slightly bent, core engaged.
- Hold a light dumbbell in your right hand. Hold the dumbbell near your left hip, right elbow bent at a 90 degree angle and upper arm close to your body. Palm is facing in towards your body. Shoulder blades are pulled back and down.
- Slowly, keeping your elbow bent and your upper arm still, rotate your forearm and the dumbbell away from your body.
- Rotate until dumbbell is in front of shoulder, or you feel a stretch in your shoulder. Range of motion will be different for everyone.
- Then slowly and with control bring the dumbbell back to the starting position, maintaining a 90 degree bend in your right elbow.
2.Narrow Overhead Press
Targets: The shoulders, triceps, rear delts and upper back muscles.
How To Do it:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, holding dumbbells at shoulder height, palms facing in toward each other (neutral grip). Shoulder blades are pulled back and down.
- Engage your core, slightly tucking your pelvis to protect your low back. Then push the dumbbells overhead until your arms are fully extended.
- Slowly and in a controlled motion, bring the dumbbells down to the beginning position at shoulder level, and repeat.
3.Upright Row and Front Raise
Targets: Shoulders and upper back; specifically the front and middle heads of the deltoids (shoulders), as well as the trapezius and rhomboids (back).
How To Do :
- Stand with feet hip-width apart, slight bend in your knees. Keep a dumbbell in both your hands in front of your hips, palms towards the body.
- Leading with your elbows, pull the dumbbells up until your elbows reach shoulder height. As you pull the dumbbells up, think of pulling your shoulder blades down. Be sure to keep the dumbbells close to your body as you pull them upwards. This is an upright row.
- Control the dumbbells as you lower them back down the front of your body to return to the starting position.
- Then, lift the dumbbell in your right hand directly out in front of your body. Raise that weight up so that the level of your shoulder hits, keeping your right arm reasonably straight with a slight bend in the right elbow. That’s the front raise.
- Slowly with control lower the dumbbell down returning to the original position.
- Do another upright row with both dumbbells, but then do another front raise this time with the left dumbbell.
- Continue, alternating an upright row for every one single arm front raise.
4.Lateral Raises
Targets: The lateral deltoid (also engages the anterior deltoids and posterior deltoid).
How To Do it:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, slight bend in your knees, holding a dumbbell in each hand at hip level, palms facing in toward each other.
- Engage your core, then lift the dumbbell in your right hand out toward your right side, keeping a slight bend in the elbow. Just lift it to shoulder height.
- Lower the dumbbell, in control, to the starting position.
- Then repeat, this time holding the dumbbell in the left hand and performing the lateral raise.
5.Dumbbell Punches
Targets: Shoulders, triceps, upper back, mid-back, abs and core muscles.
How To Do it:
- Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Elbows bent at 90 degrees and palms facing in towards each other (hammer grip).
- Alternate punching each dumbbell forward a few inches, and then returning to center.
6.Single Arm Half Kneeling Arnold Press
Targets: All three heads of the deltoids, also known as your shoulder muscles.
How To Do it:
- Half kneeling. Feet are apart at shoulder width, the right knee rests on the floor, while the left is planted beside it on the floor, with shoulders aligned over the hips.
- Hold one dumbbell in your right hand in front of your face, at eye level, palm facing towards your face.
- Take an overhand grip on a dumbbell, engaging your core, squeezing your glutes as you slowly raise the dumbbell in your right hand overhead. As you finish raising the dumbbell and straighten your arm to make your arm fully extended, your wrist should be twisted inward so that your palm of your hand is going forward from your body.
- Hold, slowly reverse the movement, rotating the wrist while lowering the dumbbell down to return back to starting position, the palm in towards the body.
7.Single Arm Half Kneeling Arnold Press
Targets: The rear deltoids and front deltoids (shoulders) and core.
How To Do IT:
Begin in a half kneeling position, right knee touching the ground and left foot on the ground.
Hold one dumbbell in the right hand with a neutral grip, where your palm is facing your body.
Half Kneeling Hinge Swing Sit down on a half kneel with the dumbbell between your legs. Then swing your hips forward, thrusting the dumbbell up to your right shoulder; elbow aligned with your shoulder, and neutral grip.
From here do a single arm dumbbell shoulder press. Press the dumbbell straight overhead, locking out the elbow, right bicep near right ear.
Lower it slowly to the right shoulder and come back to the beginning with the dumbbell between your legs.
Workout Equipment:
$93.85 ON AMAZOM
Medium pair of dumbbells. I suggest anywhere from 5-20 lbs. I used 10-20 lb dumbbells for this shoulder workout.
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