Here is your complete guide to shoulder workout with dumbbell.
Introduction to Shoulder Workout With Dumbbell
The barbell is an excellent tool for developing strong and attractive shoulders, but so are dumbbells. You may not be able to move as much weight with dumbbells, but that is where the disadvantages end. Because of the freedom of movement provided by the dumbbell, training the shoulders with dumbbells is gentler on your wrist, elbow, and shoulder joints. Furthermore, because you’re lifting each dumbbell unilaterally, you get a diverse exercise selection, grip variations, increased range of motion, and the ability to reduce strength imbalances between sides. These are just a few of the advantages of dumbbells. The point is that dumbbells are all you need for a punishing, hypertrophy-inducing shoulder workout… So What do you need to know about shoulder workout with dumbbell? What are the best shoulder workout with dumbbell? Here is your complete guide to shoulder workout with dumbbell.
THE BENEFITS OF SHOULDER TRAINING
Aside from the obvious vanity benefits of having rippling 3D shoulders, having strong and muscular shoulders has important performance and health benefits.
- Improved Posture: Strengthening the shoulders improves posture and prevents the dreaded ape-like posture that results from sitting too much and playing with your phone. Are you looking for a great way to strengthen them while also increasing joint range of motion? Try out the dead hang!
- Improved Shoulder Stability/Injury Resistance: The shoulder joint is a shallow ball and socket joint that is great for mobility, but it is also prone to injury. The stability component of this equation is entirely up to you. Strengthening the muscles surrounding the shoulder joint will improve shoulder stability and lower your risk of injury.
- Improved Performance: Exercises such as vertical and horizontal presses, rows, chin-ups, and pull-ups rely heavily on the shoulders. They are the secondary muscles in some exercises, allowing the primary muscles to do their work. Wouldn’t it be a shame if your shoulders failed before you could maximize your chest and back gains? Improving your shoulder strength will help you perform better in sports and in life. After all, you are only as strong as your weakest link.
- Better Big 3: Squat, deadlift, and bench require a lot of shoulder mobility, but this must be balanced by shoulder stability. Balanced shoulder training that targets all three deltoids will improve shoulder stability and performance with the big three.
THE DELTOIDS’ ANATOMY
The deltoids are large triangular-shaped muscles with three heads: anterior (or front), middle (or lateral), and posterior (or back). They all come from the clavicle and scapula and insert on the upper humerus (arm).
The deltoids are located over the shoulder joint, giving you the boulder shoulder look that almost all lifters desire.
Read More About The Best Back Workout For Men.
HYPERTROPHY DUMBBELL SHOULDER TRAINING
Training the shoulders for strength is essential, but with the exception of beginners, dumbbells are not the best tool for strength. Dumbbells alone can provide a strong foundation for beginners. However, as you progress, it will be necessary to incorporate heavy low rep presses with barbells to increase your maximal strength.
However, the goal of this ultimate dumbbell shoulder workout is not strength. We’ve come to strengthen our boulder shoulders. As a result, we will focus on moderate to heavy loads for reps ranging from 8 to 15.
The most common cause of shoulder hypertrophy is an increase in volume, which leads to more time under tension. The dumbbell is one of the best tools for this. Dumbbells are gentler on the joints, easier to set up, and allow you to work on one side at a time to correct muscular imbalances. When it comes to aesthetics, symmetry is everything.
Furthermore, because the deltoid muscles run in different directions, dumbbells allow you to change the angle of the lift to hit these muscles in their entirety, resulting in significantly improved shoulder development.
The exercises in the following workout include some compound movements as well as a few isolation exercises that are ideal for shoulder hypertrophy. Here are some general guidelines for designing dumbbell shoulder workouts for muscle growth.
- varying loads (75-85% 1RM)
- Sets of moderate difficulty (2-4)
- Increased reps (8-15+)
- Rest moderately between sets (90-120 seconds)
Read More Best Back Exercises With Cable.
SHOULDER EXERCISES WITH DUMBBELLS
Before we begin, let’s go over the six dumbbell shoulder exercises that will be performed…
The dumbbell shoulder press can be done seated or standing, but doing them seated isolates the shoulders more and eliminates the possibility of cheating (leg power and body English). The angle (wide for more shoulder, narrow for more anterior deltoid and triceps), grip width, and even rotation are all ways to change up this exercise. All of your options are good, but it depends on the rest of your workout. We’re going to use a standard to wide angle for this workout. The benefit of all overhead presses is that they train all three deltoids. Yes, even the back, because when you’re overhead, the posterior deltoid stabilizes the weight.
To perform seated dumbbell shoulder presses, follow these steps:
- Place the dumbbells on your shoulders and sit upright on an incline bench.
- Puff out your chest, brace your core, and find your favorite pressing angle.
- Then, with both dumbbells overhead, press them until your elbows lock out.
- Lower the dumbbells slowly back to your shoulders, reset, and repeat.
Dumbbell Bentover Reverse Flye
Why does it work? This back-and-shoulder exercise targets your rhomboids, which help support shoulder movement, open up the chest, and contribute to a broad back. It’s also an excellent move for targeting the deltoids’ posterior heads.
How to do it: With a dumbbell in each hand and your feet shoulder-width apart, maintain a straight back and lean forward to become slightly bent over. Hold the weights together and slowly release them to the sides. Keep your arms slightly bent and your elbows out behind you.
10 reps is the prescription.
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Upright Dumbbell Row
Why it works: This easy-to-do compound movement strengthens and stabilizes the shoulders and upper back while also challenging the triceps.
Standing with your feet hip-width apart, hold dumbbells palms-down in front of your body. Raise the dumbbells vertically, elbows to the ceiling, while keeping your shoulder blades back and chest up. Return to the starting point.
10 reps is the prescription.
Front Dumbbell Raises
Primary Shoulder Muscle Activated:
Deltoid Anterior (Front)
- Hold the dumbbells in front of you, palms facing your body, from a standing position.
- Raise the dumbbells straight in front of you until your arms are parallel to the floor. Hold the position of up for 2 seconds.
- Return to the starting point.
