Body-weight Shoulder Exercises

What are Body-weight Shoulder Exercises?

Your shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body, and it is also the joint most susceptible to injury. So, it’s essential to keep the muscles surrounding the joint are strong, stable, and mobile. You can strengthen and boost your shoulders from home, and it’s easier than you think. When you don’t have entry to a pull-up machine, a cable machine, or a shoulder press, you can still boost shoulder strength and stability using your body weight.

Body-weight Shoulder exercises are generally functional exercises — this means that they mimic everyday motions of your shoulders, like reaching, lifting, or supporting your weight. When you complete these exercises utilizing the correct form, you can improve your ability to do everyday activities, as well as improve your performance when you exercise. These shoulder exercises will aid to strengthen the tendons, ligaments, and muscles of the shoulder joint — giving you stronger, more flexible shoulders. This is essential for activities like swimming, paddle boarding, kayaking, as well as lifting and carrying everyday items.

What are the Health Benefits of doing Body-weight shoulder exercises?

These are some benefits you can gain from shoulder exercises:

• Makes any motion with your arms easier and more powerful. For Example- carrying, lifting, throwing, punching, swinging, etc.
• Prevents injury, and not just for the shoulder joint. Weak shoulders can cause all types of muscle and joint injuries. If the shoulders fail, other joints can too. That’s the kinetic chain effect.
• Self-confidence. This doesn’t require an explanation. Everyone is attracted to well-defined shoulders.
• Improves strength of your shoulder joint.

Which are the body weight exercises you can perform?

Below are some explained exercises you can do:

• Prone I to Y
• Incline push ups
• Mountain climbers
• Plank to Downward Dog
• Plank to alternating pike
• Elbow to high plank
• Pike push up
• Side plank with leg raises
• Triceps dips
• Cat/Cow
• Hand Walk
• Bent-Over Y / Bent-Over L
• Pull up
• Plank
• Side Plank
• Feet-Elevated Push up
• Uneven Wall Hold / Acceleration Wall March
• Child’s Pose
• Wall Handstand
• Commandos
• Bear crawl
• Inchworm
• Downward-dog & push-up
• YTW’s
• Superman Rows
• Up-Down Plank
• Shoulder Taps
• Triceps push-ups
• Crab crawl
• Dips
• Towel Pull-ups
• TRX Bicep Curls
• Band Push down
• TRX Tricep Extension
• Chin up
• Narrow-grip Chin ups
• Suspension-trainer Triceps Extension
• Push-ups on knees
• Lay down push-ups
• Tricep Dips With Leg Lifted
• Forearm Plank Reach Out
• Lateral Plank Walk
• Triceps Box Dip
• Body Saw
• Forearm Plank to Dolphin
• Plank With Spinal Rotation
• Plank Jack
• Burpee With Push-Up
• Plank Row
• Dead-Stop Push-Up

Prone I to Y

Lie on your stomach with your arms and legs completely extended. Rotate your shoulders down and back, and put your shoelaces on the floor.
Engage the core and, keeping your neck neutral, lift your shoulders and chest off the ground, maintaining an I shape with the body. Hold here for 1–2 seconds
Transition to a Y shape by moving the arms apart to a 45-degree angle. Hold here for 1–2 seconds.
Come back to an I shape, then slowly lower back down to begin.
Finish 6–10 reps.

Incline push-ups

Set up behind an elevated surface, like a couch or a bench. Put your hands about shoulder-width apart, and form a straight line with the body from head to heel.
Keeping your neck neutral, start to lower your chest down while keeping the elbows at a 45-degree angle.
Lower down as far as you can go, then push back up to begin.
Finish 8–10 reps.

Mountain climbers

Take a high plank position, with a neutral neck and your hands stacked directly below your shoulders. Your body should create a straight line from head to heels.
Engage your core and move your knees to your chest one at a time while maintaining a straight back. Go as fast as you can while maintaining proper shape.
Finish 15–20 reps on each side, alternating legs.

Plank to Downward Dog

Begin in a high plank position: Your hands should be stacked below your shoulders, and your body should create a straight line from head to heel. Your feet should be around shoulder-width apart. Avoid letting the hips sag.
Transition to Downward Dog: Push your hips up to the roof while allowing your heels to move toward the ground. Keep your legs straight and your arms straight through this motion. Your body should create a V shape at the top.
Pause here, then return to begin in a fluid motion.
Finish 8–10 reps.

Plank to alternating pike

Perform a plank to Downward Dog.
At the top of the motion, take your left hand and reach back to touch your right shin or foot, depending on your flexibility.
Return to begin, then repeat with the opposite hand.
Finish 8–10 reps on each side.

Elbow to high plank

Begin in an elbow plank: Your forearms should be on the floor, your elbow stacked under your shoulders. Your body should create a straight line from head to heels.
Inhale and bring one palm to the floor, followed by the other, to push up into a high plank.
Stay on a high plank for 1 second.
Return to a forearm plank.
Finish 6–10 reps, alternating the starting side.

Pike push up

Assume a Downward Dog position, then raise your head slightly so you’re looking at the floor instead of your feet.
Flex your elbows out to the side and start to let your head lower toward the ground, dropping as far as you can.
Push back up to begin.
Finish 6–10 reps.

Side plank with leg raises

Lie on your side with your bottom arm flexed and your forearm on the floor with your hand in front of your body.
Press into your forearm and raise your bottom hip off the ground to make a straight line from your foot to the top of your head. Reach your other arm to the roof.
If you can hold this position while keeping your chest open to the side, try raising your top leg.
Lower your leg and then lower the hips.
Repeat 8–10 times. Or, for an added challenge, hold the side plank while you raise and lower the top leg 8–10 times before lowering down.
Repeat on the opposite side.

Triceps dips

Hop onto the parallel bars so your arms are extended, your body leans forward slightly and the shoulders are down and back.You can cross your legs and flex your knees into a comfortable position. If you have a band, you can utilize it for assistance by keeping it under your knees.
Flex the elbows and lower your body down until your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Your elbows should rest close to your body.
Push back up to begin by straightening your arms.
Aim for 6–10 reps.

Cat/Cow

Begin on all fours with hands beneath your shoulders and knees on the floor.
Inhale, dropping your chest as you push your hips and scapulae back into cow position.
Lift your chin and chest and gaze forward.
For “cat,” exhale as you move your belly button to your spine and round your back toward the roof like a cat.
2 sets of 10 reps of each with 30 sec. rest between sets.

Hand Walk

Stand with legs extended and hands on the ground.
Walk your hands out. Keeping legs extended, walk your feet back to your hands utilizing short steps from your ankles.
2 sets of 10 reps with 30 seconds pause between sets.

Bent-Over Y / Bent-Over L

For the Y, stand bent-over at the waist with your back straight and your chest up.
Squeeze your scapulae back and down, and lift your arms above your head to create a Y.
Keep your thumbs up and initiate the motion with your shoulder blades, not your arms.
For the L, begin in the same position. Lift your elbows to the roof as they bend to 90 degrees, and rotate your hands to the roof, palms down. Return to the beginning position and continue for the prescribed number of reps.
2 sets of 10 reps with 30 seconds pause between sets.

Pull up

Grasp the bar with an overhand grip.
Hanging from the bar, pull your scapulae back and down to lift your body up and build momentum.
Complete by pulling up with your arms.
2 sets of 10 reps (or as many as possible) with 30 seconds pause between sets.

Plank

Lie in a prone push up position with forearms resting on the ground, elbows under shoulders, and flexing 90 degrees.
Push up off the elbows, tucking the chin so your head is in line with your body.
Keep your head in line with the spine and your belly button is drawn in. Hold for one minute.
2 sets of 60 seconds with 60 seconds pause between sets.

Side Plank

Start on the ground on your right side with your right forearm on the ground and your elbow under the shoulder.
Push up off your elbow, forming a straight line from ankle to shoulder.
Your hips should be off the floor and only the side of your bottom foot and your elbow should be on the floor.
Hold for 30 seconds or perform 10 reps of 3 seconds each.
2 sets of either of the above alternatives.

Feet-Elevated Push up

Take a push up position with your feet on a stair, bench, or Swiss ball.
Lower while inhaling until your chest nearly touches the ground.
Exhale as you push back up.
2 sets of 10 with half minute between sets.

Uneven Wall Hold / Acceleration Wall March

For wall hold: Stand leaning forward with the hands on a wall.
Your ears, shoulders, knees, and ankles should be in a straight line.
Raise one knee and foot toward the wall.
The foot should be directly below the thigh with your toes dorsiflexed (pulled toward your shin).
Pause yourself there, making sure you don’t let your body twist.

For acceleration wall march: Stand leaning forward with the hands on a wall.
Your ears, shoulders, ankles, and knees should be in a straight line.
Raise one knee and foot toward the wall and pause.
Drive the same foot to the beginning position as you lift the other knee toward the wall and then pause.
Perform a set of 10 on each side.
2 sets of half a minute per side with 30 seconds between sets, or 2 sets of 10 per side with 30 seconds between sets.

Child’s Pose

From a kneeling position, touch the big toes together and sit on your heels.
Separate your knees about hip-width apart, and lay your upper body down between your thighs.
Place your hands on the ground along your torso, palms up, and release the fronts of your shoulders toward the ground.
You should feel the weight of the front of the shoulders pulling the scapulae wide across your back.
Hold the pose for half a minute.

Wall Handstand

Option 1: Begin by facing away from the wall. Lower yourself into a push up pose with your feet facing the wall.
“Walk” your legs up the wall—ensure your shoes won’t scuff it—and into a handstand position.
Have a gym partner spot you to ensure you don’t fall.
Hold that position, making sure the fingers are facing away from the wall, not to your sides.
Don’t let your elbows hyperextend—keep your arms bent and engaged.

Option 2: Begin by facing the wall. Place your hands, and kick up into a handstand hold with your feet against the wall; if you can’t quite kick yourself up, have a gym partner assist you to lift your legs into a starting position.
You can also try getting a moving begin, and step into the hand plant as you kick up against the wall.
Make sure your fingers are pointed toward the wall, not to the sides. Don’t allow your elbows to hyperextend.
Begin by attempting 30-second holds. Relax at least 1 minute between attempts.

Commandos

Begin by placing your forearms (wrist to elbow) on a yoga mat and extending both of the legs behind you, resting on the balls of your feet. This is your beginning position.
Release your left forearm to place your hand firmly on the mat directly below your left shoulder and push up onto your left hand. Release your right forearm to place your hand firmly on the mat directly below your right shoulder and push up onto your right hand. Ensure that you keep your core activated to avoid your hips from swaying.
Inhale. Release your left hand and lower your forearm to the mat, then release your right hand and lower your forearm to the mat to return to the beginning position.
Repeat this exercise, starting with your right arm. Continue alternating between left and right for 5 repetitions on each side.
If you require an alternative to this exercise, you might try the shoulder tap as a variation.

Bear crawl

Beginning on all fours on a yoga mat, ensure that your knees are under your hips and your hands are below your shoulders.
Set your spine in a neutral position and draw your scapulae down and back.
Tuck your toes and raise your knees off the mat, resting on the balls of your feet. This is your beginning position.
Take a small step forward with your right foot and left hand at the same time, ensuring that you keep your abdominals engaged to aid minimize torso movement and that your torso remains parallel to the ground.
Take a small step forward with your left foot and right hand at the same time, once again, ensuring that you keep your abdominals engaged to aid minimize torso movement and that your torso remains parallel to the ground.
Continue alternating between right and left for ten repetitions.

Inchworm

Plant both feet on the ground shoulder-width apart.
Flex at the hips and while keeping your legs as straight as possible, place your hands on the ground directly in front of your feet. This is your beginning position.
Inhale. Without moving the feet, walk your hands forward until the body is in one straight line from your head to your heels, resting on the balls of your feet, making sure that your legs remain as straight as possible.
Exhale. Without moving the feet, walk your hands backward to return to the beginning position, once again, making sure that your legs remain as straight as possible.
Repeat 8-10 times.

Downward-dog & push-up

This push-up variation engages the shoulders and upper back as you move between the two positions. Keep your core switched on throughout the motion.
You can drop to your knees to finish the push-up to make this move easier.
Put both hands on the mat slightly further than shoulder-width apart, feet together on the mat behind you while resting on the balls of the feet in a push-up position. While keeping a neutral spine and stabilizing through your abdominals, elevate your hips to form an inverted “V” shape. With knees slightly flexed, press your heels into the mat and tilt your tailbone upwards. This is your beginning position.
Lower the hips into a push-up position, making sure that your shoulders are stacked over your wrists and your body is in one the straight line from head to heels.
While keeping a neutral spine, flex your elbows and lower your torso towards the mat until your arms form two 90-degree angles.
Exhale. Push through your chest and extend your elbows to raise your body back into a push-up position. Elevate your hips to return to the beginning position.
Repeat for 10-15 repetitions.

YTW’s

Plant both feet on the ground shoulder-width apart. Hinge forward from your hips so that your upper body is at a 45-degree angle to the ground.
Flex your knees slightly and extend your arms directly below your chest, keeping the hands in a neutral position (palms facing each other). This is your beginning position.
Utilizing the muscles in your shoulders and back, slowly lift your hands forward and upward until your arms are in line with the ears and they resemble the shape of a “Y”. You should feel a small squeeze between your scapulae.
Lower your arms to back to the beginning position.
While maintaining a slight flex in your elbows, lift your hands outward and upward until they are in line with your shoulders to resemble the shape of a “T”, ensuring that you draw your scapulae down and back.
Lower your arms to return to the beginning position.
Rotate your wrists so that you are now holding the palms facing your body.
Flex your elbows to bring your hands in towards your lower ribs. While keeping your elbows as still as possible, rotate the hands upward until they are in line with the shoulders to resemble the shape of a “W”.
Rotate your palms downward before extending the elbows to lower your hands and return to the beginning position.
Repeat 10 times.

Superman Rows

Lie face down on the floor or a mat, with your arms by your side.
Engaging the core and arching your lower back, swing the arms out in front with your arms straight and elbows in line with your ears.
Exhale to raise into a superman back extension by reaching forward through the arms and backward through your legs.
Keep your abdominals engaged, flex your glutes, and keep a long lifted hold.
In the Superman position, flex your elbows to row your arms down your back, pressing your scapulae together and pulling your elbows back.
Extend the arms long again, and repeat the row for 10 reps, exhaling each time you pull.

Up-Down Plank

Start in a full plank with your fingers facing forward and palms placed below your shoulders, with feet hip-width apart.
Bend your left arm and then your right arm to place both elbows on the mat, keeping your hips steady and parallel to the floor.
Take a deep breath in and on the exhale, place your left hand on the mat and push through your palm to straighten the, followed by the right arm, returning back to the beginning position.
Alternate sides on each repetition.
This exercise places a lot of pressure on the wrists, so be sure to take a break by dropping the knees if you feel a strain.

Plank to Downward Dog

Start in a plank position, engaging your core and keeping your hips square to the floor.
Exhale and push through your palms to lift your hips and glutes into the air to form a pike-up, feeling the shoulders activate.
Slowly lower the body back into a plank, keeping your core engaged and making sure not to arch your back.

Shoulder Taps

Initiate in a high plank with your palms flat, hands shoulder-width apart, shoulders piled directly above the wrists, legs extended behind you, and the core and glutes engaged.
Tap your left hand to the right shoulder while engaging the core and glutes to maintain the hips as still as possible.
Do the same thing with your right hand to your left shoulder. That’s 1 rep.
Continue, alternating sides.
To make this easier, try separating the legs a little more.

Triceps push-ups

Moves the weight from your chest to the back of your upper arms by getting into plank position with your hands underneath your chest and legs together.
Your second fingers and thumbs should create a triangle.
From this position, flex your elbows to lower your body toward the floor.
When you’re inching above it, extend the elbows to return to the beginning position, keeping your core tight the entire time.
A little easier: Drop to the knees and position their hips-width apart.

Crab crawl

Begin from a seated position on the floor with the soles of your feet and palms on the ground, fingers pointing toward your heels.
Raise your hips.
Move forward by advancing your other hand and foot simultaneously, alternating sides.
Each step forward is one rep.
A little easier: Instead of moving forward, raise the hips off ground for a count of 5 to 10 seconds to finish one rep.

Dips

Get on a dip bar, keep your chest out, and lower yourself until the elbows make a 90-degree angle. At the bottom, drive back up. To keep pressure off your neck, look at a spot on the floor a few feet in front of you.

Towel Pull ups

Wrap two towels around a pull up bar and grasp the ends.
Squeeze your scapulae together and pull yourself up while leading with your chest.
If two towels are too hard, just use one towel and get equal reps on both arms.

TRX Bicep Curls

Grasp a TRX and face the anchor point.
Lean away, keep the body straight, and pin your upper arms to your sides.
Then curl the TRX towards you. To make this harder, move the feet closer to the anchor point.

Band Push-down

Attach a light band to a static overhead object and grab an end with both hands.
Pin your upper arms at the sides and extend your elbows to lockout.
Grasp the band where the level of resistance will take you to about 50 to 75 reps before you fatigue.

TRX Tricep Extension

Grasp a TRX and stand facing away from the anchor point.
Lean forward and keep the body straight.
Now keep your elbows in front of the chest and hands around forehead height.
While keeping your body rigid and upper arms stationary, extend the forearms forward to activate your triceps and push yourself up.

Chin up

To do a chin up, grasp a bar with your palms facing you (aka supine grip).
Keep your legs extended and the toes pointed—no kicking—pull yourself slowly so the chin is above the bar.
Lower yourself back downwards gradually and under control. That’s one rep.

Narrow-grip Chin ups

Hang from a chin-up bar with your palms facing toward you and only a few inches apart.
Squeeze your scapulae together and pull yourself up—make sure you keep the legs straight and held together—until your chin is over the bar.
Slowly lower yourself down until the arms are fully extended again. That’s one rep.

Suspension-trainer Triceps Extension

Grasp the suspension trainer’s straps and stand facing opposite from the anchor point.
Lean forward and keep the body straight. Now hold the elbows in front of your chest with your elbows flex and your hands close to your fore.
While keeping the body rigid and upper arms stationary, extend the forearms forward to activate your triceps and push yourself up.

Push-ups on knees

Take plank position, with the hands under but slightly outside of your shoulders. Drop your knees to the ground – make sure your body still creates a high diagonal between shoulders and hips.
Lower the body until your chest nearly touches the ground. As you lower yourself, tuck the elbows, pulling them close to your body so that your upper arms form a 45-degree angle when your upper body is in the bottom position of the move.
Pause, then push back to the beginning position as quickly as possible. Keep the core braced the whole time.

Lay down push-ups

Take a prone position with arms out in front of you and legs straight behind, with toes pointing to the ground.
Placing both hands on either side of the chest, extend the arms and lift up into a push-up, resting on the balls of your feet. Lower your body slowly back to the ground keeping your back straight.

Tricep Dips With Leg Lifted

Sit on the edge of a bench with the hands just outside your hips, fingers pointed toward your feet.
Move your butt off the bench and flex your legs at a 90-degree angle.
Raise one leg straight out in front of you and flex your elbows to a 90-degree angle for one dip.
Push back up so arms are straight and repeat, raising the opposite leg.

Forearm Plank Reach Out

Begin in a forearm plank position, with your elbows directly under your shoulders, hands facing forward so the forearms are parallel, hips level, core engaged, and legs extended straight behind you.
From this position, reach your left hand forward and tap the ground in front of you. Return your left hand to your starting position, and then reach forward with your right hand to tap the floor in front of you.
Continue to change sides as you concentrate on keeping your hips steady throughout.
Make it easier: If this exercise feels too challenging, take the feet wider than hip-width apart. The wider the feet, the easier the movement should be.

Lateral Plank Walk

Initiate in a high plank with the palms flat, hands shoulder-width apart, shoulders directly above the wrists, legs extended behind you, and the core and glutes engaged.
Step left, leading with your left hand and left foot, maintaining a plank as you move. This is 1 rep.
Do your reps in one direction, and then repeat in the other direction.

Triceps Box Dip

Sit on the ground with your knees bent, feet flat, and your back against a box or step.
Place the hands on the box, fingers toward your body.
If your box is high, place your hands on the box first, and then walk your heels out so you can comfortably lower the body in front of the box without hitting it.
Straighten your arms to raise your butt, then flex your elbows to lower yourself without sitting down completely. That’s 1 rep.
Keep your heels on the ground and your elbows pointed directly behind your body (not flared out to the side).

Body Saw

Begin in a forearm plank with your forearms on the floor, elbows directly underneath the shoulders, and hands facing forward so that your arms are parallel, and your legs are extended behind you. Tuck the tailbone and engage your core, butt, and quads.
Rock forward on your forearms so the shoulders come in front of your elbows, and you come to the very tips of your toes.Concentrate on moving as far forward as you can without piking the hips or losing your core engagement.
Now push in the other direction, rocking as far back as possible, extending your forearms slightly, and rolling onto the balls of your feet. Again, focus on keeping core engagement and not piking your hips.
Continue to move forward and back.

Forearm Plank to Dolphin

Begin in a forearm plank with your forearms on the floor, elbows directly underneath the shoulders, and hands facing forward so that your arms are parallel, and your legs are extended behind you. Tuck your tailbone and engage the core, butt, and quads.
Press through your forearms and raise your hips and back up, creating an inverted V-shape with your body. Your head should be between the shoulders.
Hold for a second and then slowly lower back into a forearm plank. That’s 1 rep.

Plank With Spinal Rotation

Set up in a high plank with the palms flat, hands shoulder-width apart, shoulders piled directly above your wrists, legs extended behind you, and the core and glutes engaged. Position your feet hip-width apart.
Rotate your entire body to the left into a side plank, so that your left shoulder is stacked above your left wrist and your right the hand is extended toward the ceiling.
Pause here for a second, then back to begin. That’s 1 rep.

Plank Jack

Set up in a high plank with the palms flat, hands shoulder-width apart, shoulders piled directly above the wrists, legs extended behind you, and the core and glutes engaged.
Jump the feet out and in (like jumping jacks). Try not to allow your butt and hips to bounce as you jump.
Perform it for a set amount of time.

Burpee With Push-Up

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms by the sides.
Squat and reach forward to place your hands on the ground, shoulder-width apart.
Kick the legs straight out behind you into a high plank with your hands stacked underneath the shoulders.
Flex your elbows to lower your chest to the floor, then straighten them to perform a push-up.
Jump your feet toward the hands so your lower body is in a squat.
Jump straight up into the air, reaching the arms overhead. That’s 1 rep.

Plank Row

Begin in a high plank with your palms flat on the floor, hands shoulder-width apart, shoulders stacked directly above the wrists, legs extended behind you, and the core and glutes engaged.
Brace the core muscles and keep your back flat and straight. Keep your eyes looking downwards. This is the beginning position.
Perform a row by pulling your hand directly up toward your chest, keeping your elbow hugged close to the body, and squeezing your scapulae for 2 seconds at the top of the movement.
Slowly reverse the movement back to the starting position. Finish all the reps on one side, then change the sides

Dead-Stop Push-Up

Initiate in a high plank with the palms flat, hands shoulder-width apart, shoulders piled directly above the wrists, legs extended behind you, and the core and glutes engaged.
Flex the elbows and lower your chest to the floor.
When your chest hits the ground, raise your hands up so your chest is resting on the ground.
Place your hands back down, and push through the palms of the hands to straighten your arms. This is 1 rep.

Author: Dr.Nidhiphysio

Physiotherapist in Mobile Physiotherapy Clinic Bapunagar, Ahmedabad