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Strong shoulders make the arms sculpted, emphasize the biceps and triceps, and help upper body look fit and athletic. We offer you the best shoulder exercises with dumbbells for women, which can be performed both at home and in the gym.
One main muscle is involved in the formation of the shoulder - the deltoid, and the back of the shoulder is also formed by the trapezius muscle. It should be noted that shoulders are one of the the most difficult in terms of physical development body parts. This is due to the complex structure deltoid muscles, which consist of 3 bundles: anterior, middle (lateral) and posterior. The anterior bundle is responsible for raising your arms in front of you, medium bun– for spreading the arms to the sides, the rear beam moves the arms back.
Some shoulder exercises help to engage several muscles at once: these are the so-called basic exercises. These include standing or seated dumbbell presses, so they should definitely be included in your strength training. TO basic exercises you can also add insulating that work only one muscle group.
To train your shoulders, perform the selected exercises in 4-5 sets of 12-15 reps. Select the weight of the dumbbells so that you can do the required number of repetitions. The shoulder exercises listed below with dumbbells can be performed at home or in the gym. The deltoid muscles are very easy to injure, so be careful when performing exercises.
Shoulder exercises with dumbbells
1. Dumbbell press with a straight grip while standing or sitting
The dumbbell press is a basic shoulder exercise, always include it in your main workout. The dumbbell press primarily targets the middle deltoids, but the front and rear deltoids are also involved. The exercise can be performed standing or sitting.
Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, dumbbells held in your hands with a straight grip and raised at eye level. Lift the weight up, exhaling at the end of the lift. Take a short break and lower your hands to starting position.
Sit on a bench, hold dumbbells with an overhand grip at eye level. Raise the barbell up, exhaling at the end of the lift. Pause and return to the starting position.
- Main working muscles: front and middle deltoids
- : triceps
2. Neutral grip dumbbell press while standing or sitting
Dumbbell press neutral grip helps to engage the front deltoids to a greater extent. This dumbbell shoulder exercise can be done either standing or sitting. There is also an option to perform it with alternately raising and lowering your arms.
Feet shoulder-width apart, dumbbells raised at chin level with a neutral grip. As you exhale, lift the projectile vertically up, take a short pause, and while inhaling, return to the starting position.
Sit on a chair, back straight, dumbbells raised at chin level with a neutral grip. Lift the projectile up as you exhale, and after a short pause return to the starting position.
- Main working muscles: front and middle deltoids
- Additional working muscles: triceps
3. Raising arms to the sides with dumbbells while standing or sitting
This is an isolation exercise for the shoulders with dumbbells that works the middle deltoids.
Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, body slightly forward. Bend your arms and legs slightly. As you exhale, spread the dumbbells to the sides without changing the angle of your elbows. Return to the starting position.
Sit straight on the bench with your elbows slightly bent. As you exhale, spread the dumbbells to the sides, trying not to change the angle of your elbows. Return to the starting position.
- Main working muscles: medium deltas
Another isolation exercise, only now for rear deltoid. Sit on the edge of the bench, tilt your body forward. As you exhale, spread your arms out to the sides until they are parallel to the floor, with your arms slightly bent at the elbows. After a short pause, return to the starting position.
- Main working muscles: rear delts
Isolation exercise for the rear deltoid. Lie horizontally on a bench on your stomach, arms with dumbbells down, elbows slightly bent. As you exhale, raise your arms to a position parallel to the floor, without changing the angle of your elbows. As you inhale, lower to the starting position. You can change the angle of the bench to engage new muscle groups.
- Main working muscles: rear delts
- Additional working muscles: medium deltas
This is an isolation exercise with dumbbells for the front and middle delta. Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, dumbbells held in your hands with a straight grip. As you exhale, raise the projectile in front of you until your arms are parallel to the floor. While inhaling, we return to the starting position.
- Main working muscles: front and middle deltoids
- Additional working muscles: trapezius, pectoral muscles
Basic shoulder exercise with dumbbells. Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, hands with the apparatus lowered and near your hips in front. Raise the dumbbells up to chin level, keeping the dumbbells parallel to the floor. Make sure your elbows are higher than your hands. Hold your hands at your chin for a second and lower them down.
- Main working muscles: middle deltoids, trapezius muscle (trapezius)
- Additional working muscles: front delts
The trapezius muscle is also involved in shaping the relief of the shoulders. One of effective exercises Shrugs are for trapezoids. Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, dumbbells at your sides. As you exhale, raise your shoulders as high as possible, then while inhaling, lower them to the starting position.
- Main working muscles: trapezius muscle (trapezius)
- Additional working muscles: medium deltas
Before performing shoulder exercises with dumbbells at home or in the gym, be sure to warm up your muscles. Shoulders are prone to injury, so watch the technique of doing the exercises and do not force the load. See also a selection of the best chest exercises with dumbbells.
Exists large number various exercises, many nuances and subtleties in the technique of their implementation. One of these nuances is the type of grip that is used when performing a particular exercise. And really, how to grip the bar correctly, how to place your palm on the horizontal bar, from below or from above, and at what width should you keep your hands on the bar?
Why are different grips used?
Different grips are used to pump muscles from different angles, more concentratedly affecting one or another area of the muscle group. By changing your grip, you change the groups of muscles being worked.
Thus, it turns out that there is no universal answer to the question: Which grip will be correct or which grip will be more effective. In most cases, the choice of grip will depend on the specific exercise and the goals you set for yourself when performing it.
Types of grips.
So, what types of grips are there? Depending on how your palm holds the bar or bar, there are three types of grip:
Straight or overhand grip.
Also called a pronated grip, from the word pronation, which means an inward rotational movement. In a position where the arms are down, with this grip the palms will look back.
Neutral or parallel.
In a position where the arms are lowered down, with this grip both palms are facing the body and looking at each other. A neutral grip is also called a grip on the horizontal bar when the palms face in opposite directions.
Reverse or underhand grip.
The so-called supinated grip, from the word supination, which means an outward rotational movement. In a position where the arms are down, with this grip the palms will face forward.
When performing exercises, the distance of the hands from each other is of great importance, therefore, depending on the width of the hands, grips are also divided into three types.
Narrow grip.
With this grip, you should place your hands narrower than shoulder width. The amplitude of movement with a narrow grip is the maximum, which has a beneficial effect on the result. However, using narrow grip, you often do not connect target muscles, for example triceps, which take part of the load on themselves and the effect of the exercise decreases.
Medium grip.
With this grip, your hands are shoulder-width apart. Medium grip is the most common, considered classic and often serves for complex training of the muscles involved in the exercise. Ideal for beginner athletes.
Wide grip.
A wide grip is a grip when your hands are positioned wider than your shoulders. With this grip, you can focus on the target muscle. However, this grip often reduces the effectiveness of the exercise, since it significantly reduces the range of motion.
According to the position of the thumb when gripping, grips differ into closed and open, or safe and dangerous, respectively.
Closed grip.
In this variant, four fingers hold the bar or crossbar on one side, and the thumb holds it on the other side, as if wrapping it in a ring. When performing exercises with a barbell, this type of grip is usually used, since it allows you to safely hold the apparatus. When performing exercises on the horizontal bar, it allows you to hold onto the bar more tenaciously.
Open grip (monkey, military).
This grip option is that the bar or crossbar is grasped not with four fingers, but with all five. Thumb in this case it does not hold, but simply touches the projectile. It is believed that this grip helps to squeeze more weight. However, since the projectile can come off your hand, it should be used with great care. In exercises with dumbbells, such a grip is generally not recommended. When doing pull-ups on the horizontal bar, quite a lot of people use this grip; on this apparatus, this grip is also called a monkey grip or a military grip.
So let's take a look at what grips are used on different equipment.
Grips when training with a barbell.
When performing exercises with a barbell, a closed grip is often used, which allows you to clearly fix the projectile in your hands. But there are still athletes who find it more convenient to hold the barbell with an open grip. This mainly applies to barbell exercises on the back and presses, especially the bench press, but since it is not safe, it will be better to use a closed grip.
Select direct or reverse grip is often determined by the exercise itself, but different grip widths are often used when exercising with a barbell. All kinds of presses and rows are often recommended to be performed with different grip widths, which helps to more fully work out the target muscles.
Grips when training with dumbbells.
Dumbbells should always be held with a closed grip. Unlike the barbell, in exercises with dumbbells it is possible to change the grip directly during the exercise; this is often used. Holding the projectile at the starting point with one grip, we change it to another at the end point.
An example of changing a direct, neutral or reverse grip would be the Arnold press or dumbbell lateral raises, when we supinate or pronate the dumbbells when pressing to the top point. In exercises with dumbbells, the width of the grip is the distance between the hands, which is also customary to change in some exercises, bringing the hands together at the top point and spreading them out at the bottom, for example when bench pressing dumbbells.
The ability to use these techniques gives dumbbells an advantage over the barbell, which allows for a more diverse impact on the muscles and, ultimately, a beneficial effect on their development.
Grips for pull-ups on the horizontal bar.
This is where all sorts of different grips are used, namely when doing pull-ups on the horizontal bar. What you get as a result depends on exactly how you grab the crossbar. Different grips will help athletes with different levels of training achieve the desired result.
Using a reverse grip helps beginners master pull-ups, as it makes it easier to perform the exercise due to the fact that stronger biceps are involved in the work and removes some of the stress from the back. The width of the grip helps the experienced athlete concentrate the load on individual areas of the back and work the target muscles.
As you can see, different grip types are an important part training process, so it is recommended that you take the time to learn how to use them in different situations. Knowledge of subtleties and features various types grip, applying them in practice will help diversify and improve your training, which in turn will help you achieve the result you want.
This is one of the main basic exercises for pumping up the deltoid muscles. It will help you gain mass and strength shoulder girdle, will make your shoulders wider and give them the desired rounded-convex shape.
The dumbbell overhead press is one of the most popular exercises in bodybuilding. According to many professionals, it is almost impossible to “pump up” the deltoid muscles without dumbbell presses. Most trainers believe that this exercise, first of all, loads the anterior bundles of deltoid muscles, and secondly, the middle bundles of deltas are involved in the work, and rear end The shoulder receives a very insignificant share of the load.
The difference between the barbell press and dumbbells is that the amplitude and trajectory of movement when pressing dumbbells is much greater, which means that the muscles receive more load and are better worked out, which is undoubtedly a big plus for this exercise.
Ways to do the exercise
1. Dumbbell overhead press while standing and sitting
Take dumbbells and stand up straight or sit on a bench. In the starting position, the dumbbells are at eye level or slightly lower. Elbows are turned to the sides. Forearms are vertical. There is a deflection in the lower back. As you exhale, press the dumbbells up, bringing them together slightly above your head. As you inhale, smoothly return to the starting position.
During the exercise, carefully control the trajectory of the dumbbells. Be sure to bring them together above your head, this will increase the dynamics of muscle work. Hands should move in the same plane.
- Standing overhead dumbbell press.
- Seated dumbbell overhead press.
2. Neutral Grip Dumbbell Overhead Press
Take dumbbells and hold them with your arms bent at right angles at shoulder level. Forearms are perpendicular to the floor. As you exhale, perform a dumbbell overhead press. As you inhale, lower the dumbbells to your shoulders.
Exercise options:
- Standing neutral grip dumbbell overhead press.
- Alternating dumbbell overhead presses with a neutral grip while standing.
- Standing one-arm dumbbell overhead press with a neutral grip.
- Seated dumbbell overhead press with a neutral grip.
Target muscles: Shoulders
Equipment: dumbbells
In the starting position, the dumbbells are in front of the hips and almost touch them. The torso is straight, and the arms are almost straightened (but not completely) and fixed at the elbows until the end of the set. Keep the dumbbells neutral (palms facing each other).
Inhale and, holding your breath, raise your arms in front of you. Do not allow movement in elbow joint- do not bend your arms or straighten them until your elbows lock. All movement is concentrated exclusively in shoulder joint. While lifting dumbbells, do not clench or spread your arms.
The distance between the dumbbells should always be constant: equal to shoulder width or slightly less. Raise the dumbbells to shoulder level or higher. Having reached the top point, exhale and smoothly lower the dumbbells.
Pause briefly and perform the next repetition.
If you want to hit your delts even harder, raise your arms 45 degrees above the horizontal line across your shoulders.
Don't use your body to help move the dumbbells at the beginning of the lift by tilting your shoulders back and/or pushing your pelvis forward. Better take lighter dumbbells.
Random Exercise
Random program
Program for training with dumbbells at home
Given training plan designed for home or training gym with minimal sports equipment. You will train 3 times a week. You can train with it for a long period of time. Stop training according to this plan if you feel that it is no longer giving you results.Hammer curls are one of the classical exercises for the development of biceps and shoulder muscles. It helps to make the biceps voluminous and prominent, as well as increase the width of the forearm in a short time. The exercise is also known as hammer or mallet.
Features of the exercise
With dumbbells with a neutral grip or hammers you train:
- biceps;
- brachialis (brachial muscle);
- brachioradialis (brachioradialis muscle);
- pronator teres.
One exercise helps develop a number of small muscles. Some trainers classify the hammer as a basic exercise, but this is not entirely true. Developing muscle groups too small. Moreover, the movement is carried out due to the work of one joint. For these reasons, it is more correct to consider it isolated.
The main advantage of this type of bending is that it allows you to increase the overall muscle mass hands Muscle development occurs in a complex manner, and you will definitely be pleased with the end result.
The grip you use directly affects which muscles receive the most stress. Before you start training, pay attention to the following nuances:
- The more the palm looks down, the greater the load on the brachialis.
- The more the palm is turned upward, the greater the load on the biceps.
- A neutral grip, with your palms facing each other, targets both of these muscles evenly.
When choosing which grip to hold the dumbbells in, think about which muscles you want to develop first.
Execution technique
How to do the exercise correctly? First you need to choose the appropriate dumbbell weight. It is generally recommended to work with a weight that allows you to complete 8-10 repetitions.
If you are an experienced athlete, then you can choose a super heavy weight for 4-6 repetitions, and perform the last lifts, supporting yourself with your core. But this practice requires perfectly honed movement technique. You need to break this very technique skillfully, understanding the process of muscle work. Otherwise, there is a big risk of getting grass.
Technique for performing hammers while standing and sitting. Proper execution hammer bends looks like this:
- After you decide on the load, take the starting position. Stand straight and place your feet shoulder-width apart. A slight natural arch should form in the lower back. Make sure your posture is comfortable and stable.
- Fix your elbows on the sides of your body. Make sure that they do not move forward or backward during the exercise.
- Take dumbbells with a neutral grip. A neutral grip means that the palms of the dumbbells face each other.
- As you exhale, lift your arms almost to shoulder level. Achieve peak muscle contraction. It is important to say that the peak contraction of the biceps occurs somewhat earlier than the hand touches the shoulder. By bringing your forearm to a vertical position, you remove the load from the biceps and transfer it to the tendons. Therefore, you need to raise your arms without bringing your forearms to a vertical position. Try to concentrate on doing the exercise and be aware of the muscles working. This is a very useful skill for an athlete. Hold at the top peak point for a few seconds.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells down, returning to the starting position. Without pausing, lift your arms again.
- Repeat the required number of times (8-12), rest and perform another 2-3 approaches.
The hammer can be done sitting or standing, lifting dumbbells simultaneously or alternately. It all depends on your physical fitness.
If the above exercise seems too difficult for you, you can simplify it a little. First, change your starting position. Sit on a bench, spread your legs wide and straighten your back. Next, try lifting the dumbbells one at a time and at the same time. Typically, lifting dumbbells at the same time is easier because it makes it easier to coordinate the movements.
Hand exercises will be most effective if you follow a number of simple rules when performing them. To improve your training results, pay attention to the following recommendations:
- Start each session with a warm-up. Rotational movements in the joints and vigorous warming up of the arm muscles will make further lifting of dumbbells less traumatic.
- Make sure that during the approach the position of the dumbbells in your palms does not change, and each subsequent lift is performed with the same grip. It is the grip that influences the distribution of load across the biceps and brachialis.
- Avoid unnecessary movements during the exercise. Body tilt and elbow instability significantly reduce the load on the biceps, thereby making the exercise less effective.
- Train at a moderate pace and do not take unnecessary breaks. Finish the session by stretching the target muscles.
When mastering the hammer, it is better not to fully extend your arms at the lowest point. This way the muscles will maintain tension throughout the exercise.
Hammers are an exercise that increases the volume of the biceps and gives them definition in the shortest possible time. By combining it with other arm exercises, you can achieve amazing results.
