Exercises to tone upper body

Exercises to tone upper body

Five “Must Do” exercises next time you hit the gym for strong, broad and powerful shoulders. You can do these exercises at the comfort of your home as well with just a pair of dumbbells or no-equipment at all.

Why bother doing shoulder exercises at all?

Shoulder strength exercises improve posture and muscle function. Doing these exercises on a regular basis can help to treat and prevent injuries and allow you to move with greater ease and strength.  Wide and strong shoulders can help you with everyday tasks such as lifting heavy objects or playing sports. You’ll also be less likely to injure yourself during exercise.

Well-developed shoulders can indicate strength and good health since you’ll have lots of upper body muscle mass. It’s recommended that you support shoulder strength with a strong back and arms. Wide shoulders are desirable because they can make your frame look more proportional by widening the appearance of the upper body. They’re often associated with athleticism.

Anatomy of your shoulders

The shoulders consist of three "heads" of a single muscle group: the front (anterior), side (lateral), and rear (posterior) deltoids. Many beginners make the mistake of treating the heads as one muscle and train it like they do chest: with presses, presses, and more presses.  Without middle and posterior development, the shoulders will look narrow from both the front and the side. It can also result in imbalances. To avoid these one must treat them as three small muscles and train them equally.

How to do shoulder workouts

Perform one shoulder workout per week if you are a beginner or prefer working out only 3-4 times a week. If you are at intermediate or advanced level of fitness, you can do shoulder workout twice a week.

Below is the list of five such simple yet effective exercises you can do to make you feel and look more confident.

1.     Push up plank with shoulder tap

This three-for-one move works your core, chest, and shoulders at the same time. Start in a high plank position with your arms straight and tightened core, bend your elbows to lower down into a traditional push-up. Straighten your arms to return to start, then tap each shoulder one at a time with your opposite hand (be sure to keep your hips square and avoid rocking back and forth). To modify, come down to your knees.

2.     Pike push ups

Pushups are the ultimate shoulder workout, arguably one of the most fundamental ones for both strength and muscle building. Out of all the shoulder specific exercises, it’s the go-to and arguably the best. You can do them practically anywhere without any equipment. There are, however, plenty of variations to try out. One of the most challenging push up variation is the pike push up which is a great exercise for building shoulder strength and improving core stability. Pike push-ups are a great way to build a bigger chest, shoulders, forearms, biceps, and triceps.

a. Start in a downward dog position with straight arms and legs. With your head in line with your arms and heels slightly raised off the ground, slowly bend your elbows as you lower your upper body into a push-up. Make sure to keep your legs as straight as you can.

b. Once your head is slightly hovering above the ground, straighten your arms and push yourself back up to a downward dog position.

 3. Dumbbell shoulder press

The dumbbell shoulder press exercise targets your shoulders while placing some emphasis on your triceps and upper back. This is one of the best exercises to add mass to your upper body as it involves a multitude of muscles working together. The more muscles that are involved the more weight can be lifted, which directly leads to muscle growth.

a. To start with pick a suitable weight.

b. Raise each weight up and let the dumbbells sit on your shoulders (or just above them), with your palms facing forwards. Push the weight up above your head and, still above your head, touch the dumbbells together.

c. Next, lower the weight back down until the dumbbells are sitting back on your shoulders. 

4. Bent-over dumbbell raise

The bent-over dumbbell raise works the posterior or rear shoulder head. The posterior head is responsible for giving that fully developed rounded look to the shoulders and is often the most difficult to develop. This shoulder muscle is activated when lifting weight away from your body (shoulder abduction) but the body is bent over instead of being upright.

a. Stand up and lean your torso forward towards the floor and keep your lower back straight so that your torso is almost parallel to the floor. Keep your head in a neutral position and avoid extending your neck upwards.

b. Your arms should be down in front of you, dumbbells in hand, and palms facing each other. Make sure your elbows are relaxed, with a very slight bend, and not locked.

c. Engage your rear delts and pull your elbows up towards the ceiling in a reverse fly motion. The weights should end upwards, almost parallel to the floor, with your palms facing the floor.

d. Avoid bouncing your torso and relying on momentum. Instead, keep your core engaged throughout the movement.

5. Cable Face Pulls

Cable face pulls target your lateral and posterior deltoids, teres minors, trapezius, and more.

Start by standing in front of a cable machine, cable in hand at shoulder height. Bring your elbows to a slight bend pull it towards your face in an upward motion.

Always remember - You don’t need any fancy equipment or a gym membership to effectively work your shoulders. If you incorporate these exercises into your regular workout routine, you should start to see noticeable improvements within weeks. However, it is rightly said, “Patience is the Key.” Workouts should always be complemented with a good diet. Try to maintain a balanced lifestyle to live a stress free and confident life.