Shoulder Exercise with Free Weights

What are Free Weight Exercises for Shoulder Joints?

Your shoulders are important for a stronger, more defined upper body (and overall physique). And if you want to add seriously strength or mass to the deltoids, all you need is a pair of dumbbells and a well-structured workout. It’s easy to take the strength of our shoulders for granted. Many of the movements we perform in our daily lives such as carrying, reaching, lifting, and bending, are dependent on our back and shoulder muscles.

As individuals do their workouts every day, they must not forget to add some exercises for their shoulders as a part of their daily workout routine. The looks of individuals can be changed fully by performing shoulder exercises every day. If individuals can form strong shoulders through their workouts by making them stay in proper shape, it can boost their fitness levels in general. Moreover, by performing the various shoulder exercises, individuals would be able to improve their overall posture.

The following free weight exercises are planned to strengthen many of the major muscles of the upper body utilizing free weights. You should talk about the suitability of these exercises with your physiotherapist prior to beginning them. Generally, they should only be done provided they do not cause or increase pain.

For those who are untrained, you should start by performing one or two sets of only a few free weight exercises, with mild resistance, working a variety of muscle groups, and gradually improve the number of exercises, resistance, and sets over a number of sessions given there are no signs of injury.

Which are the free weight exercises for the Shoulder joint?

These are the list:

• Renegade Row
• Standing Dumbbell Fly
• Seated Dumbbell Clean
• Trap Raise
• Dumbbell Neutral Grip Overhead Press
• Dumbbell Raise Complex
• Farmer’s Walk
• Dumbbell Dead lift/Shrug Combo
• Bottoms-up Kettle bell Press
• Bent-over Reverse Flye
• Waiter’s Walk
• Dumbbell Incline Row
• Offset Single-Arm Chest Press
• Angled Press
• Seated Single-Arm Press
• Dumbbell Bent-over Lateral Raise
• Incline Bench-Supported Y Raise
• Dumbbell Front Raises
• Dumbbell shoulder press
• Dumbbell side lateral raise
• Dumbbell upright row
• Dumbbell shoulder shrugs
• One arm dumbbell swing
• Spell-caster
• See-Saw Press
• Palms-In Alternated Shoulder Press
• Seated Palms-In Alternated Shoulder Press
• Bent-Over Rear Deltoid Raise
• Rear Deltoid Raise
• Rear Deltoid Circle
• Push Press
• Crouched Rear Deltoid Row
• Dumbbell Scaption

Renegade Row

Initiate in the top position of a pushup with your hands on dumbbells shoulder-width apart.
Line one dumbbell toward the side of the body while balancing on the other hand and feet.
Hold for one second at the top and back the weight slowly to the start position.
Perform it on the other side.

Standing Dumbbell Fly

Grasp a dumbbell in each hand by your sides.
Without shrugging, utilize your torso to swing the weights up a few inches.
Your arms and upper body will create an upside-down V shape.
Imagine of it as a lateral raise with momentum but without full range of movement.

Seated Dumbbell Clean

Grab a dumbbell in each hand and sit on the edge of a bench.
Keep your lower back flat, and lean forward.
Explosively straighten the body and shrug the weights so your arms rise.
Permit the momentum to flip your wrists so you catch the weights at shoulder level.

Trap Raise

Place a bench to a low incline and lie chest-down with a dumbbell in each hand and the palms facing.
Retract your shoulder blades, then lift the weights straight out so your arms are aligned to the floor.

Dumbbell Neutral Grip Overhead Press

Grab a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level with palms facing each other and your elbows pointing forward.
Hold up the core and press the weights straight overhead.
At the high, shrug the shoulders and pause for a second.

Dumbbell Raise Complex

Grasp dumbbells at the sides with palms facing you.
Raise the weights up in front of you to shoulder height with thumbs pointing up.
Complete 12–15 reps and then lift the weights out to the sides 90 degrees (bend your elbows a bit as you raise).
Finish your reps and then switch to a lighter pair of dumbbells.
Raise them out to the sides and up to ear level with straight arms and thumbs pointing up.
Hold this pose for 30 seconds. Compress your glutes to help support you.

Farmer’s Walk

Grab the heaviest set of dumbbells you can handle and walk.
Compress the handles hard and walk with the chest out and shoulders back.
If you don’t have the area to walk in a straight line, walk in a figure-eight pattern.

Dumbbell Dead lift/Shrug Combo

Hold dumbbells at the sides and stand with feet shoulder-width.
Fold your hips back to squat down until the weights are knee level.
Now explode upward and shrug hard at the high.
Reset your feet before initiating the next rep.

Bottoms-up Kettle-bell Press

Stand tall with feet shoulder-width apart, grasping a kettlebell in one hand at your shoulder.
Grasp the kettlebell’s handle, placing the kettlebell upside down, so the bell is pointing toward the ceiling.
Keeping your wrist perfectly extended and the kettlebell steady, press your arm straight up, extending the elbow.
Carefully bend the elbow and lower the kettlebell back to shoulder height.

Bent-over Reverse Flye

Put up as you did for the neutral-grip row but with lighter dumbbells.
Raise your arms out to the sides 90 degrees, contracting your shoulder blades together at the top for a second.
Done your set and then rest until the end of three minutes, when the timer goes off.

Waiter’s Walk

Grab a kettlebell or dumbbell in one hand and hold it either overhead or with your elbow flexed so it’s near your face.
Keep the shoulder blades pulled down and back, and your wrist straight.
Fire the glutes as you walk 10 yards out and 10 yards back.
Change hands and repeat.

Dumbbell Incline Row

Straddle the seat of an incline bench and lie prone, holding a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing in, both feet on the ground.
Retract the shoulder blades and row both dumbbells aligned to your hips.

Offset Single-Arm Chest Press

Lie on a bench with the left glute and left scapulae on the bench and right glute and right scapulae off the bench.
Grab a dumbbell in your right hand and either extend your other arm or hold on to the bench just above your head.
Lower the weight until your elbow is in line with the shoulder, then press it up until your arm is fully extended.

Angled Press

Grasp a light kettle bell or dumbbell with both hands and, keeping the lower back arched, bend your hips back until your upper the body makes a 45-degree angle.
Hold the weight at shoulder level as you would perform a normal overhead press, then press it at that angle.
Hold the need pose for a moment.

Seated Single-Arm Press

Sit on a bench, feet on the ground, a heavy dumbbell in the left hand, holding it at shoulder level to begin.
Press dumbbell overhead, then back to start for 1 rep.
Perform all reps on the left side, then switch sides.

Dumbbell Bent-over Lateral Raise

Hold a dumbbell in each hand and, keeping the lower back in its natural arch, bend your hips back until your upper body is about parallel to the floor.
Permit your arms to hang.
Now squeeze your scapulae together and raise the arms out 90 degrees, with thumbs pointing up, until your upper arms are aligned to the floor.

Incline Bench-Supported Y Raise

Straddle a bench place to a 45-degree incline, a light (3 to 10 pounds) dumbbell in each hand.
Raise arms up and out to create the letter Y. Hold this pose for 6 to 8 seconds.

Dumbbell Front Raises

From a standing position, hold the dumbbells in front of you, with the palms facing your body.
Lift the dumbbells straight out to the front, until your arms are aligned to the floor. Hold the up pose for 2 seconds.
Back to the start position.

Dumbbell shoulder press

Pick a correct weight for your needed number of reps. Raise each weight up and allow the dumbbells to sit on the shoulders (or just above) with your palms facing forwards.
Push the weight up over the head and touch the dumbbells together above the head. Then, return the weight back down until the dumbbells sit back on your shoulder.
Make sure you perform full reps — all the way up and back down. The greater the range of motion, the more muscle fibres you will utilize, leading to greater muscle growth in the shoulders.
Repeat the steps for the chosen number of reps and sets. Try to keep the weight the same throughout the workout.

Dumbbell side lateral raise

Hold a dumbbell in each hand and sit on a bench with the palms facing inwards, next to your thighs.
Lift your arms up to the side so that the knuckles are in line with your shoulders and your weights are aligned with the floor. Hold this pose at the top for a second and slowly lower the weight back down to the starting pose.
Try to concentrate work on your shoulder heads, as otherwise, it’s easy for the trap muscles to take some of the strain.
For the standing variation of the exercise, stand in the same pose as you would for front raises but with your hands at the side.
The goal is for 2 to 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps.

Dumbbell upright row

Hold a set up dumbbells and stand up straight with the weights resting on the front of the thighs with your palms facing downwards.
Engage your shoulders (the muscles on the side) and raise the hands and elbows upwards, keeping the palms facing the ground.
At the top of the motion, when the muscles are fully contracted, the weights in the hands should be in line with your shoulders and facing forwards. There should almost be a 90-degree flex from the elbow to the shoulder.
Hold this pose for a second and return slowly to the starting position.
To work the traps more, maintain the weights closer together inside the thighs.
The goal is for 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps.

Dumbbell shoulder shrugs

Grab a dumbbell in each hand and hold the weights outside the hips, by the side of the thighs.
Your arms should be fully straightened with your elbows relaxed and not locked out. Raise the dumbbells as high as you can with the traps by shrugging your shoulders up towards the ears. Hold for a second before lowering their return to the starting position.
Prevent pushing your head forwards. This is a common mistake, but it shortens the motion and makes it less effective.
Engage the core and repeat.
The goal is for 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps.

One arm dumbbell swing

Hold a dumbbell at arm’s length between the legs.
Sink into a squat and swing the dumbbell through the legs before immediately driving yourself forward, bringing the dumbbell up towards the head, as you straighten your legs.
Perform this movement, then swap sides.

Spell-caster

Grab a dumbbell in either hand.
Stand with the legs wide, knees slightly bent.
Swing both dumbbells to one side and raising them up as though making a circle from hip level to above shoulder height.
Swing the weights to the opposite side, dipping down to the hip before raising them again. Continue repeating this motion.

See-Saw Press

Hold two dumbbells just behind the shoulders, palms facing forwards.
Look up and tilt the body to the left, extending the right arm straight above you.
Lower the dumbbell and repeat on the other side to create a see-saw movement.
One rep is equivalent to both arms doing the move.

Palms-In Alternated Shoulder Press

Stand up and grab two dumbbells, one at shoulder level and the other high with the arm extended, palms facing each other.
Push one dumbbell straight up until the elbow comes close to locking and return it back down after a short pause. Alternate hands.
Be careful not to jerk your back in an effort to aid you to raise the dumbbells.

Seated Palms-In Alternated Shoulder Press

Sit on a bench and grab two dumbbells, one at shoulder level and the other high with the arm extended, palms facing each other.
Push one dumbbell straight up until the elbow comes close to locking and return it back down after a short pause. Alternate hands.
Be careful not to jerk your back in an effort to aid you to raise the dumbbells.

Bent-Over Rear Deltoid Raise

Sit on one end of the bench and lower your body to grab one dumbbell in each hand just below the ground.
Lift both dumbbells to your sides until your arms are close to being aligned to the ground and return them back down slowly after a short pause.
Keep the same small arch in the elbows throughout.

Rear Deltoid Raise

Lie down on a high bench (face down) and one dumbbell on each hand below the chest, arms slightly bent.
Raise both dumbbells to the sides until your arms are close to being aligned to the ground and return them back down slowly after a short pause.
Keep the same small arch in the elbows throughout.

Rear Deltoid Circle

Lie down on your chest on a bench and grab one dumbbell in each hand on each side of the hips, arms slightly arched.
Bring both dumbbells forward until you can look both at the same time and bring them backward slowly after a short hold.
Maintain the same small arch in the elbows and keep both dumbbells at the same height from the ground throughout.

Push Press

Stand up and grab two dumbbells just above your shoulders, palms facing each other, knees arched.
Push the dumbbells straight up until the arms are close to locking and return them back down slowly after a short pause.
Exhale when pushing up and breathe in when lowering back.

Crouched Rear Deltoid Row

Crouch by flexing your hips and knees and grab one dumbbell with each hand close to your knees, palms facing backward.
Lift the dumbbells straight up until your elbows form a 90-degree angle and lower them back down after a short hold.
Try to concentrate on only moving your arms during the exercise.

Dumbbell Scaption

Begin standing with a dumbbell in each hand, and arms at your sides.
Grab the dumbbells in a neutral grip with your palms facing your body.
Brace your abdomen and raise the dumbbells in front of your body at about a 45-degree angle.
Lift the weights until they’re slightly above shoulder height.
Then, return the weights back down with control.

Author: Dr.Nidhiphysio

Physiotherapist in Mobile Physiotherapy Clinic Bapunagar, Ahmedabad