15 Shoulder Exercises For Strengthening And Toning

Before you jump directly to the shoulder exercises, you must dedicate 10 minutes to warming up your muscles.

1. Lateral Raises

Target – Medial or lateral (side) deltoids, lats, and pectoralis major (chest muscle). How To Do Lateral Raises

2. Dumbbell Front Raises

   Target – Anterior (front) deltoids, lateral (side) deltoids, lats teres major and minor, serratus anterior (side of your chest), and pectoralis major (chest muscle). How To Do Dumbbell Front Raises

  1. Grab two dumbbells, stand straight, with the legs hip-width apart, palms on the front of your thighs, facing inwards. 2. Raise your hands. Pause at the shoulder level and lower them slowly. Do 2 sets of 12 reps. Variation – Raise one arm at a time. This is also known as single hand dumbbell front raise.

3. Reverse Fly

Target – Posterior (back) deltoids, lats, rhomboids, serratus anterior (side of your chest), pectoralis major (chest muscle), biceps, triceps, and traps. How To Do Reverse Fly

4. Shoulder Shrugs

Target – Lateral (side) deltoids, posterior (back) deltoids, lats, levator scapulae (side of your neck), and pectoralis major (chest muscle).  How To Do Shoulder Shrugs

5. Standing Shoulder Press

Target – Anterior (front) deltoids, lateral (side) deltoids, posterior (back) deltoids, biceps, triceps, lats, serratus anterior (side of your chest), and pectoralis major (chest muscle). How To Do Standing Shoulder Press

6. Bent Arm Lateral Raises

Target – Medial or lateral (side) deltoids, anterior (front) deltoids, lats, pectoralis major (chest muscle), and serratus anterior (side of your chest). How To Do Bent Arm Lateral Raises

7. Side Plank

Target – Lateral (side) deltoids, anterior (front) deltoids, posterior (back) deltoids, triceps, biceps, abs, obliques, glutes, hamstrings, and quads. How To Do Side Plank

8. Pec Deck Butterfly

Target – Anterior (front) deltoids, pectoralis major (chest muscle), triceps, and lats. How To Do Pec Deck Butterfly

9. Elbow Plank

Target – Anterior (front) deltoids, lateral (side) deltoids, posterior (back) deltoids, triceps, abs, glutes, hamstrings, and quads.  How To Do Elbow Plank

10. Overhead Tricep Extensions

Target – Posterior (back) deltoids, triceps, lats, serratus anterior (side of your chest), and pectoralis major (chest muscle). How To Do Overhead Tricep Extensions

11. Plank Ups

Target – Anterior (front) deltoids, lateral (side) deltoids, posterior (back) deltoids, triceps, biceps, abs, glutes, hamstrings, and quads. How To Do Plank Ups

12. Seated Bent-over Rear Delt Raise

Target – Lateral (side) deltoids, posterior (back) deltoids, biceps, triceps, lats, serratus anterior (side of your chest), and pectoralis major (chest muscle). How To Do Seated Bent-over Rear Delt Raise Note: This exercise can be performed in the standing position, but if you have lower back pain, it is better to do it in the sitting position with precautions.

13. Push-ups

Target – Anterior (front) deltoids, lateral (side) deltoids, posterior (back) deltoids, biceps, triceps, lats, serratus anterior (side of your chest), and pectoralis major (chest muscle). How To Do Push-ups

14. Dumbbell Upright Rows

Target – Lateral (side) deltoids, posterior (back) deltoids, biceps, triceps, lats, rhomboids, serratus anterior (side of your chest), and pectoralis major (chest muscle). How To Do Dumbbell Upright Rows

15. Pike Push-ups

Target – Anterior (front) deltoids, lateral (side) deltoids, posterior (back) deltoids, triceps, serratus anterior (side of your chest), and pectoralis major (chest muscle). How To Do Pike Push-ups These are the 15 best shoulder exercises for women. You must cool down and relax after you complete your workout session. Here’s what you should do.

Cool Down

Cooling down is as important as warming up your muscles. It will help you relax and prevent any delayed post-workout injury. Check out this video and follow the instructions to cool down. What are some shoulder exercises for women? Some of the best shoulder exercises for women are:

Lateral raises Dumbbell front raises Reverse fly Shoulder shrugs Standing shoulder press Bent arm lateral raises Side plank Pec deck butterfly Elbow plank Overhead tricep extensions Plank ups Seated bent-over rear delt raise Push-ups Dumbbell upright rows Pike push-ups

How can I reduce shoulder fat? You must do cardio 3 times a week and eat healthy foods to help burn fat. After 3-4 weeks, you will start to see results. You can then start strength training or lifting weights to tone your shoulders. Lift weights under the supervision of a professional trainer. How can I increase shoulder size at home? You can increase shoulder size at home by adding dumbbells, barbells, and resistance bands to your shoulder workout routine. Along with exercise, you must also consume protein powders. How to strengthen the rotator cuff? Stretching and strengthening the muscles that support the rotator cuff is important. But you must do exercises and stretches under the supervision of a licensed physical therapist. Do the following exercises to reduce rotator cuff pain:

Pendulum Doorway stretch Crossover arm stretch Shoulder external rotation Shoulder internal rotation Resisted shoulder extension Shoulder abduction using resistance band Reverse fly Side-lying external rotation Sleeper stretch Standing row Elbow flexion Elbow extension Scapula setting Scapular retraction/protraction Bent over horizontal abduction

Do push-ups work? Yes, push-ups work your shoulders, chest, biceps, triceps, and core. Doing push-ups regularly will help you build toned and strong shoulders. When should I see a doctor for shoulder pain? You must see a doctor if there is swelling, pain, redness, and skin surface heat and if it affects mobility. If a pain-subduing spray doesn’t work, it is better to get an X-ray done and consult a licensed orthopedician.