Overhead Dumbbell Press
Description
If you only have time for one shoulder exercise - the overhead dumbbell press is it. No other exercise even compares to the overhead dumbbell press when it comes to targeting the shoulders and stimulating the development of lean muscle. The overhead dumbbell press is classified as a compound, multi-joint movement. These types of exercises generally trigger a greater anabolic hormone response, which is beneficial for both muscle gain and fat loss.
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Execution
- Select appropriately weighted dumbbells, sit on an upright bench and rest the weights on your thighs.
- Initiate movement by kicking up one weight at a time to provide assistance in getting the weights up to starting position. Starting position has your arms at a 90 degree angle with wrists in alignment with your elbows.
- Exhale, extend your arms and drive the weights overhead. The finishing phase of the exercise has the weights making slight contact.
- Inhale and lower the weights back to the original starting position which has your arms at a 90 degree angle with your wrist and elbow aligned.
- Repeat until the desired number of repetitions are completed.
Variations
Performing the overhead dumbbell press while standing instead of sitting on the upright bench is slightly more functional in the sense that it mimics day-to-day movements. This version also requires more stability so additional muscles - particularly those of the core - are recruited.
Arnold Shoulder Press
Description
Current governor and six time Mr. Olympia, Arnold Schwarzengger, used this variation of the shoulder press while training for his bodybuilding competitions - which is why it has been dubbed the “Arnold shoulder press”. The variation - which involves alternating the arm position to alternate muscular recruitment within the shoulder - is quite advanced and should be performed using lighter weights than you would normally use for a typical shoulder press.
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Execution
- Select appropriately weighted dumbbells and sit on an upright bench.
- Kick the dumbbells up to a position that has the palms facing the shoulders.
- Exhale, drive the weights overhead and gradually rotate the palms away from the body throughout the motion.
- Inhale and at a controlled speed, lower the weights back down while gradually turning the palms back inwards.
- Repeat until the desired number of repetitions are completed.
Variations
Performing the Arnold shoulder press while in a standing position will draw additional recruitment from the core muscles to maintain the upright position.
Bent Over Lateral Raises
Description
Bent over lateral raises are classed as an isolation movement and are typically completed nearing the final stages of a back or shoulder workout. However, from my personal experiences, performing bent over lateral raises immediately prior to moving to a row type exercise is a great way to pre-exhaust the muscles of the upper back before drawing assistance from the biceps. For spinal safety reasons, it is important not to allow any curvature within the spine and your body should be positioned almost parallel with the ground. Their are two versions of this movement with each drawing different muscle recruitment. This is the posterior deltoid version..
Execution
- Grasp an appropriately weighted dumbbell in each hand using a neutral grip, slightly bend knees, push buttocks out and while keeping back flat, bend over at the hip until your torso is almost parallel with the floor.
- Exhale, retract shoulder blades and while keeping the elbows slightly bent, pull arms apart until they reach torso height. The dumbbells should be drawn up in alignment with the shoulder.
- Inhale and lower back down to starting position at a controlled speed.
- Repeat until desired number of repetitions are completed.
External Rotation Exercise
Description
The purpose of the external rotation exercise is to strengthen the external shoulder rotators within the rotator cuff (infraspinatus & teres minor). Muscle imbalances frequently lead to injuries and considering that the shoulders are extra susceptible to injury due to their anatomical makeup, it is important to identify and correct these imbalances. In most cases, the frontal rotators are tight and overdeveloped and the rear rotators (infraspinatus & teres minor) are underdeveloped and weak. Performing the external rotation exercise will strengthen the rear rotators, which is one of the steps in the preventative process against these imbalances. However, it should be noted that these exercises must be strategically placed within a properly tailored program to avoid over-training. These rotation movements should always follow, and never be executed prior to a shoulder, chest or back workout.
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Execution
- Attach a single grip handle onto a pulley positioned at a low 45 degree angle in relation to your shoulder.
- While facing the pulley, grasp the handle using an overhand grip. Draw your arm up until your elbow is in horizontal alignment with your shoulder.
- Exhale and externally rotate shoulder until your knuckles are facing the ceiling and your wrist is in alignment with your elbow.
- Inhale and at a controlled speed, lower back to starting position.
- Repeat until the desired number of repetitions are completed.
Note: The pulley-method, which was just described, is the most effective way to target the rear rotators due to the constant tension that is placed upon the targeted muscles throughout the entire movement.
Variations
The external rotation exercise can also be performed by using dumbbells while in a standing position. Unfortunately, once gravity takes over, there is little tension on the targeted muscles near the top of the movement.
Resistance tubing will deliver maximum tension at the top of the movement but as the hand is lowered, the tension gradually decreases. This is a good choice when equipment availability is a factor.
Front Rope Raises
Description
Using the cable machine and the rope attachment to perform front raises is yet another effective way to strengthen the front of the shoulders (anterior deltoids). The notable techniques to be employed throughout execution involve limiting the range of motion. On the decent, it is important to stop prior to the hands reaching the top of the thigh. Doing so will keep the resistance on the shoulders between repetitions. Also, the trainee should also be careful not to extend the arms beyond shoulder height to reduce the risk of sustaining an injury.
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Execution
- Attach the rope to the cable attachment and slide it to the bottom of the column.
- While standing with back towards the weight stack, bend down and pull the rope up between the legs.
- Exhale and while maintaining only a slight bent at the elbows, draw the rope straight forward until the hands reach shoulder height. Briefly hold position.
- Inhale and lower the arms back down at a controlled speed until the hands are approximately 6-8 inches from the thighs.
- Repeat until the desired number of repetitions are completed.
Reverse Cable Flies
Description
While performing reverse flies, it is important to remember that the muscular recruitment can be easily manipulated by alternating the position in which the arms are drawn back. If the arms are in a position that has the elbows in alignment with the shoulders, the primary emphasis will be placed on the posterior region of the shoulder. If the elbows are positioned slightly below the shoulders upon retraction, maximal emphasis will be placed on the upper back region.
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Execution
- Place the appropriate hand grips on the cable attachments and select desired weight. The cable column should be slid upwards if using an adjustable version.
- Grasp the handle grips by bringing the right arm across the left side of the body and the left arm across the right side.
- Exhale and while maintaining only a slight bend at the elbows, draw the arms back in an arching motion until a contraction is felt within the rear shoulders/upper back region.
- Inhale and at a controlled speed, lower back to starting position.
- Repeat until the desired number of repetitions are completed.
Seated Reverse Flies
Description
Seated reverse flies are executed using the chest fly machine and they’re effective for strengthening the posterior deltoid (rear shoulder) as well as the muscles of the upper back region. Due to the reduced movement complexity compared to the dumbbell version, the seated reverse flies are an ideal option for those who are in the beginning phases of their exercise programs.
Execution
- Sit in a position that has you facing the padding on the chest fly machine. Adjust the handles and weight stack to your desired settings.
- Grasp the side handles using a grip that has your palms facing the ground.
- Exhale and while maintaining only a slight bend at the elbows, draw the arms back until your hands move just beyond your shoulders. Hold position briefly.
- Inhale and lower back down slowly stopping just shy of the starting position. Doing so will keep the stress on the posterior deltoid.
- Repeat until the desired number of repetitions are completed.
Lateral Dumbbell Raises
Description
Lateral dumbbell raises - when done correctly - are very effective in strengthening the middle or “lateral” portion of the deltoids. The shoulder joint is more susceptible to injury due to its increased mobility. Because of this heightened risk of injury, extra caution must be taken and exercises - lateral dumbbell raises included - should be completed using proper form. Unfortunately, when it comes to lateral dumbbell raises, an astonishing amount of people are doing it wrong. Although lateral dumbbell raises are fairly simplistic compared to some of the more involved compound (multi-joint) movements, people still seem to perform them incorrectly and use poor, often-times dangerous form.
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Lateral Dumbbell Raises - Do’s & Don’ts
DO
1) Bend forward slightly at the hips prior to and throughout movement initiation. The lateral portion of the deltoid is located more to the back of the shoulder than the actual middle. Slight hip flexion will create a more effective line of pull for lateral deltoid recruitment.
2) Keep a slight bend in the elbow to minimize stress on the joint.
3) Stop raising arms once hands have reached shoulder level. Raising beyond this point will increase the risk of sustaining an injury to the supraspinatus as it becomes impinged between the clavicle.
4) Perform a “shoulder set” which involves raising the shoulders up, back and down, prior to movement initiation.
DON’T
1) Allow too much of a bend at the elbow. The greater angle in which the elbow is bent, the easier the movement is to complete. You’re better off to simply lighten the weight and perform the exercise with only a slight bend.
2) Allow your arms to fully fall to the sides between repetitions. When this happens, it gives the deltoids a rest between reps. To maintain constant involvement of the deltoids, stop downward phase of the movement approximately 12 inches from the outer thighs.
3) Turn thumbs down at the top of the movement if you’re bent over at the hips. The purpose of turning the thumb down is to draw optimal recruitment from the lateral region of the deltoid. This is already accomplished by flexing forward, therefore, alternating hand position is unnecessary. If both methods are completed simultaneously, the risk of sustaining a shoulder injury is increased.
Execution
- With appropriately weighted dumbbells in each hand, perform a “shoulder set” by drawing the shoulders up, back and down.
- While maintaining a comfortable bend in the knees, bend over slightly at the hips while maintaining spinal alignment.
- Exhale an draw arms up and out to the sides. Elbows should be bent slightly and your hand should be in alignment with your shoulder at the top phase of the movement.
- Inhale and lower back down at a controlled speed. The downward phase should be halted once hands come within 12 inches of the outer thighs.
- Repeat until the desired number of repetitions are completed.
Variations
A similar movement can be performed using cables instead of dumbbells.
Lying Dumbbell Laterals
Description
The lying dumbbell raise draws a slightly different recruitment pattern than the standing method. While both versions effectively target the mid-shoulder region, maximum emphasis is placed on the muscle at different ranges of motion. While standing, the mid-shoulder maximally contracts while the dumbbell is brought up to shoulder height. However, the lying version draws maximal mid-shoulder recruitment upon movement initiation. As a result, it may be a good idea to mix up the two versions to keep the muscles guessing.
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Execution
- Select an appropriately weighted dumbbell, keeping in mind that the lying version is slightly more difficult to perform than the standing method.
- While lying to the side on a flat bench, prop yourself up using your elbow. The dumbbell should be placed in your opposing hand and resting alongside the outer-thigh.
- Exhale and while maintaining a slight bend in the elbow, elevate your arm out to the side. Stop at a 45 degree angle. Hold position for 1-2 seconds.
- Inhale and at a controlled speed, lower your arm back down to a position approximately 2 inches from the outer thigh. By not dropping the arm completely back down to starting position, the mid-shoulder does not get alleviated from the resistance.
- Repeat until the desired number of repetitions are completed.
Incline Shoulder Raises
Description
Front dumbbell raises can be done with either a straight bar or dumbbells and they are an excellent method to isolate the anterior (front) aspect of the shoulder region. Throughout execution, it is important not to raise the weights too high and at the same time, it is equally important not to lower the weights too low. When the dumbbells / straight bar is lowered to a point where they make contact with the legs, the stress is alleviated from the shoulders - the opposite of what you want. If the dumbbell / straight bar is raised too high, the same effect will occur and the shoulder stress will be reduced. It is important to work within a specific range of motion to maximize the involvement of the anterior deltoid. That range is approximately 45 degrees during the upward phase and stopping just above the legs on the downward phase.
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Execution
- Set the incline bench to a 35 to 45 degree angle.
- After making an appropriate weight selection (dumbbells or straight bar), lay back on the bench and rest the weights atop the thighs.
NOTE: the elbows should be slightly bent and the hands should be positioned shoulder width apart with the palms facing downwards. - Exhale and elevate the arms up to a 45 degree angle.
- Inhale and lower the weight back down at a controlled speed, stopping just short of leg contact.
- Repeat until the desired number of repetitions are completed.