Shoulder Exercises
Sculpting your shoulders can totally transform the aesthetic appearance of your physique. Want a smaller waist? Build your shoulders. Want that enviable V-shaped torso? Build your shoulders. Want to look strong, powerful? Build your shoulders!!
And how do we build shoulders? By sufficiently challenging them with resistance and appropriately fuelling them with food, in order for them to grow.
Shoulder Muscles
The shoulder has around eight muscles that attach to the scapula, humerus and clavicle. They form the outer shape of the shoulder and underarm.
The muscles in the shoulder aid in a wide range of different movements and help to protect and maintain the main shoulder joint, known as the glenohumeral joint.
The largest and by far the most well-known of the shoulder muscles is the deltoid. This large triangular muscle covers and protects the glenohumeral joint and is the muscle that gives the shoulder its rounded shape. It stretches over the top of the shoulder from the clavicle (located at the front of the body) to the scapula (located on the back). It then stretches down to near the centre of the humerus bone – so it’s a pretty substantial muscle. The deltoid assists in many movements, including raising the arm and offering support to the pectoralis muscle, located in the chest.
Other muscles that aid in movement at the shoulder include:
Infraspinatus: Assists with the raising and lowering of the upper arm.
Teres major: Assists with rotation of the upper arm.
Subscapularis: Assists with rotation of the humerus.
Supraspinatus: Helps to raise the arm away from the body.
These four muscles make up the rotator cuff. They work together to stabilise the shoulder and hold the head of the humerus into the glenoid cavity in order to maintain the principal shoulder joint – one of the most mobile joints found in the human body!
Why Train Shoulders?
So, as well as the fantastic aesthetic benefits of built shoulders, there are, of course, many physiological benefits of having strong, powerful shoulders.
Reduced Risk of Injury
The shoulder muscles are used in a wide range of motion and are responsible for bearing heavy loads at a very flexible joint – shoulder muscle pain is, therefore, a common injury.
It’s well known, thoroughly researched and documented that resistance training, when performed well, can increase mass and strength, thereby reducing the risk of injury. Building strong shoulder muscles through regular resistance training will reduce your risk of injuring your shoulders during your day to day activities. One important function of the deltoid is preventing joint dislocation when a person carries heavy objects – this is when an injury can creep up on us, resistance training can stop this from occurring.
Improved Imbalances
Many of us have muscular imbalances without even realising. I conduct a thorough imbalance assessment during client onboarding and often see imbalances that have gone unnoticed and unaddressed. Imbalances not only have a visual impact but can cause injury and issues with movement patterns.
A 2008 Study by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that shoulder rotator cuff exercises can result in a decrease in shoulder rotator muscle imbalances and that shoulder strength balance can be altered with a strength training program as short as just 20 sessions.
Improved Posture
Standing up straight can help enhance the appearance of your shoulders and your body, as a whole. Opening your chest and drawing your shoulders back down your spine can help improve your posture which can make you feel and look more confident.
Strong shoulder muscles are needed in order to draw the shoulders down and back, and then keep them in this position.
Shoulder Workout
Research has told us that exercising one muscle per session, per week, isn’t the optimal way to build muscle, therefore, a shoulder workout should, ideally, form part of a full-body, high-frequency training session. My article on High Volume Training gives you more information on what the research tells us and how many times per week you should exercise a muscle group – essential reading.
These are a good set of shoulder exercises for your repertoire:
If you want help and support to carve out the physique of your dreams or simply to improve your health, check out my fantastic clients results and hire me as your Online Personal Trainer. I’ve helped many people, just like you, achieve amazing results.