Target muscles: Shoulders
Equipment: dumbbells
In the starting position, the dumbbells are in front of the hips and almost touch them. The torso is straight, and the arms are almost straightened (but not completely) and fixed at the elbows until the end of the set. Keep the dumbbells neutral (palms facing each other).
Inhale and, holding your breath, raise your arms in front of you. Do not allow movement in elbow joint- do not bend your arms or straighten them until your elbows lock. All movement is concentrated exclusively in the shoulder joint. While lifting dumbbells, do not clench or spread your arms.
The distance between the dumbbells should always be constant: equal to shoulder width or slightly less. Raise the dumbbells to shoulder level or higher. Having reached the top point, exhale and smoothly lower the dumbbells.
Pause briefly and perform the next repetition.
If you want to hit your delts even harder, raise your arms 45 degrees above the horizontal line passing through your shoulders.
Don't use your body to help move the dumbbells at the beginning of the lift by tilting your shoulders back and/or pushing your pelvis forward. Better take lighter dumbbells.
Random Exercise
Random program
Program for training with dumbbells at home
The training plan designed for home or training gym with minimal sports equipment. You will train 3 times a week. You can train with it for a long period of time. Stop training according to this plan if you feel that it is no longer giving you results.Reading time: 10 min
Strong shoulders make the arms sculpted, emphasize the biceps and triceps, and help upper body look fit and athletic. We offer you the best shoulder exercises with dumbbells for women, which can be performed both at home and in the gym.
One main muscle is involved in the formation of the shoulder - the deltoid, and the back of the shoulder also forms trapezius muscle. It should be noted that shoulders are one of the the most difficult in terms of physical development body parts. This is explained by the complex structure of the deltoid muscles, which consist of 3 bundles: anterior, middle (lateral) and posterior. Front bun is responsible for raising your arms in front of you, the middle bundle is responsible for spreading your arms to the sides, the rear bundle moves your arms back.
Some shoulder exercises help to engage several muscles at once: these are the so-called basic exercises. These include standing or seated dumbbell presses, so they should definitely be included in your strength training. TO basic exercises you can also add insulating that work only one muscle group.
To train your shoulders, perform the selected exercises in 4-5 sets of 12-15 reps. Select the weight of the dumbbells so that you can do the required number of repetitions. The shoulder exercises listed below with dumbbells can be performed at home or in the gym. Deltoids It is very easy to injure, so be careful when performing exercises.
Shoulder exercises with dumbbells
1. Dumbbell press with a straight grip while standing or sitting
The dumbbell press is a basic shoulder exercise, always include it in your main workout. The dumbbell press primarily targets the middle deltoids, but the front and rear deltoids are also involved. The exercise can be performed standing or sitting.
Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, dumbbells held in your hands with a straight grip and raised at eye level. Lift the weight up, exhaling at the end of the lift. Take a short break and lower your arms to the starting position.
Sit on a bench, hold dumbbells with an overhand grip at eye level. Raise the barbell up, exhaling at the end of the lift. Pause and return to the starting position.
- Main working muscles: front and middle deltoids
- : triceps
2. Neutral grip dumbbell press while standing or sitting
Dumbbell press neutral grip helps to engage the front deltoids to a greater extent. This dumbbell shoulder exercise can be done either standing or sitting. There is also an option to perform it with alternately raising and lowering your arms.
Feet shoulder-width apart, dumbbells raised at chin level with a neutral grip. As you exhale, lift the projectile vertically up, take a short pause, and while inhaling, return to the starting position.
Sit on a chair, back straight, dumbbells raised at chin level with a neutral grip. Lift the projectile up as you exhale, and after a short pause return to the starting position.
- Main working muscles: front and middle deltoids
- Additional working muscles: triceps
3. Raising arms to the sides with dumbbells while standing or sitting
This is an isolation exercise for the shoulders with dumbbells that works the middle deltoids.
Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, body slightly forward. Bend your arms and legs slightly. As you exhale, spread the dumbbells to the sides without changing the angle of your elbows. Return to the starting position.
Sit straight on the bench with your elbows slightly bent. As you exhale, spread the dumbbells to the sides, trying not to change the angle of your elbows. Return to the starting position.
- Main working muscles: medium deltas
Another isolation exercise, only this time for the rear deltoid. Sit on the edge of the bench, tilt your body forward. As you exhale, spread your arms out to the sides until they are parallel to the floor, with your arms slightly bent at the elbows. After a short pause, return to the starting position.
- Main working muscles: rear delts
Isolation exercise for the rear deltoid. Lie horizontally on a bench on your stomach, arms with dumbbells down, elbows slightly bent. As you exhale, raise your arms to a position parallel to the floor, without changing the angle at your elbows. As you inhale, lower to the starting position. You can change the angle of the bench to engage new muscle groups.
- Main working muscles: rear delts
- Additional working muscles: medium deltas
This is an isolation exercise with dumbbells for the front and middle deltoids. Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, dumbbells held in your hands with a straight grip. As you exhale, raise the projectile in front of you until your arms are parallel to the floor. While inhaling, we return to the starting position.
- Main working muscles: front and middle deltoids
- Additional working muscles: trapezius, pectoral muscles
Basic shoulder exercise with dumbbells. Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, hands with the apparatus lowered and near your hips in front. Raise the dumbbells up to chin level, keeping the dumbbells parallel to the floor. Make sure your elbows are higher than your hands. Hold your hands at your chin for a second and lower them down.
- Main working muscles: middle deltoids, trapezius muscle (trapezius)
- Additional working muscles: front delts
The trapezius muscle is also involved in shaping the relief of the shoulders. One of effective exercises Shrugs are for trapezoids. Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, dumbbells at your sides. As you exhale, raise your shoulders as high as possible, then while inhaling, lower them to the starting position.
- Main working muscles: trapezius muscle (trapezius)
- Additional working muscles: medium deltas
Before performing shoulder exercises with dumbbells at home or in the gym, be sure to warm up your muscles. Shoulders are prone to injury, so watch the technique of doing the exercises and do not force the load. See also a selection of the best chest exercises with dumbbells.
12 T-nation experts talk about dumbbell exercises.
1. Goblet Squat
Dr. John Racine, Strength and Conditioning Coach
For some reason, the goblet squat is considered a preventative and rehabilitation exercise, which is prescribed only to the elderly and injured. Of course, it can be performed for these purposes, but if you take heavy weight, this squat variation turns into one of the most effective exercises for increasing leg strength and mass.
Why don't lifters do it? Some try to quickly forget about the injury and shameful movements that they did in the exercise therapy room. And others are simply unaware of its power potential. Goblet squats are useful not only for developing the lower muscles, but also strengthen cardiovascular system and increase endurance. Holding the weight in front of you during the set requires significant stability. shoulder girdle and spine.
Do you think that if the barbell is much heavier, then the squat with it is better in every way? Find the biggest dumbbell in the gym and try to do as many reps as possible with it. The next day you will feel how much your legs have worked, and you will probably want to include a goblet squat in your program. And after a while you will find that even in a regular squat with a barbell, the weights begin to increase.
The only warning: if you are lucky enough to find a giant dumbbell, do not pick it up from the floor, but pick it up from a bench or box, like a barbell from a rack.
2. Dumbbell press with rotation
Nick Tumminello – trainer and writer
I included this exercise in my book, Your Workout Perfected. In addition to pumping up the deltoids, it works the muscles that rotate the body and improves the mobility of the pelvic girdle. Very useful for athletes who need to transfer force from the lower body to the upper body: boxers, strikers, throwers, etc.
Here's how to do it:
- Stand straight with dumbbells raised to your shoulders.
- Squeezing a dumbbell right hand, turn left.
- To better rotate your pelvis, lift your right leg onto your toes.
- Smoothly lower the dumbbell, turning to the starting position.
- Then repeat the same on the other side.
After strict presses, you can add pushes using your legs (see video). This is even more useful for boxers and hand-to-hand fighters.
Once you are comfortable with alternating presses, you can try pushes with both hands at the same time; or work with only one hand - this will add power to the blow and further strengthen the body stabilizers.
3. Pullover with arm curls (PJR pullover)
Akash Vaghela - powerlifting and bodybuilding coach:
A couple of years ago, the triceps were a lagging group for me. I constantly tried different exercises and techniques until I learned this movement from Paul Carter. And since then I have been doing it every week. It has two huge advantages: 1) it works the long head of the triceps better than any other movement, 2) it spares the elbows - unlike many triceps exercises.
A regular pullover is performed in two versions - with straight or bent arms, but here you bend your arms while lowering the dumbbell behind your head (the triceps are fully stretched), then, lifting the weight back, straighten your arms. The result is a cross between a pullover and a French press (arm extension).
Add 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps at the end of each upper workout.
4. Triple Press
Tom Morrison, weightlifting, martial arts and CrossFit coach:
This is a megaset for bulking and building endurance: you alternate between three pressing movements, stretching the set. Of course, you need to be able to perform all these exercises correctly; practice them first with light weights.
Strict press: lifting the dumbbells to your shoulders and fixing the position of your body, squeeze the shells using only the triceps and deltoids. Do not help with your body and legs.
Push press: sit down a little and, straightening your legs, push the dumbbells at the beginning of the movement, then press with your hands. (in TA it is called “shvung press” - translator’s note)
Half squat push: push the dumbbells up first, and then squat down a second time, straightening your arms. Then rise from a half squat with the dumbbells overhead. In weightlifting, the exercise is called the “shvung push.”
Try to increase the weight or add reps to your total each workout.
But don't limit yourself to the same range for each movement - do as many technical reps as possible before you have to switch to the next variation.
5. Burpee + lunge
Eirik Sandvik, Sports Training Specialist
If you have to rest for a long time between exercises with a basic barbell (and physical form leaves much to be desired), try this superset:
- Lower yourself into a lying position, leaning on dumbbells, and do a push-up.
- Jump your feet toward your hands, taking a seated position, and stand up.
- Do a reverse lunge on each leg.
An easy option is when you do lunges with dumbbells in your arms, but you can make it more difficult - lift the dumbbells above your head.
Increase speed and add reps (performing max 30, 45, 60 seconds) without increasing the weight. This is an exercise for endurance, not strength. It is best to place it at the end of the workout as a finisher. Once you get the hang of it, you can alternate with supersets for other muscle groups to create a circuit block for 3-5 minutes.
6. Push Press with Slow Lowering
Joel Seedman, Ph.D., strength coach, athletic training specialist
The standing press is an excellent exercise for developing strength; the leg push press adds power; The one-handed version connects multiple stabilizers and improves coordination. Add a slow descent to increase the load on the working muscles.
As a result, you will not only work your deltoids and triceps, but you will strengthen your shoulders, spine, core muscles (and improve your posture), which will contribute to progress in other exercises.
Working with one hand and focusing on the negative will help correct imbalances in muscle development. If you've always pressed with only two hands, this variation will be a little challenging at first, but will be very rewarding over time.
It can be performed not only according to the power scheme, but also to develop endurance; add repetitions - and just one set will exhaust you like a sprint with maximum acceleration.
7. Goblet Squat with Jump
Calvin Huynh, strength coach
Jump squats are very effective for developing speed and power (and activating the maximum number of fibers), but doing them with a barbell is somewhat awkward and not very good for the spine and knees. Even a technical landing with a barbell on your shoulders can overload your joints.
The option with dumbbells on the sides is better, but also not ideal: you subconsciously try to bring your knees together so as not to hit the projectiles on your thighs.
But the goblet squat allows you to give all your best, working freely with your legs, and also relieves the spine. Try adding 3 sets of 5 reps to your next leg workout.
8. Side swing
Tim Arndt, strength coach
Dynamic lateral raises used to be popular, but today few people do them - and in vain, they add strength and power to the deltoids and trapezius.
Unlike strict lateral raises, the swing is performed with acceleration, and only with one hand. To do this, of course, you will need reliable support - a power frame or other exercise machine. And, of course, you should wave without fanaticism, without breaking your hand out of shoulder joint. As the dumbbell stops rising and begins to fall, consciously slow down. Fast concentric and slow eccentric is the best combination for power and hypertrophy.
9. Squat with a dumbbell between your legs
Bret Contreras, strength and conditioning specialist
This is my favorite glute exercise my client Tawna Eubanks McCoy, a competitive fitness professional. Although gym bros consider it “girly” and don’t even try it, believe me, 3 sets of 20 repetitions with a dumbbell of 50 kilograms will convince the quads and glutes of any doubter.
Stand on steps or bars to lower the dumbbell between them until your legs are fully bent and your working muscles are stretched. Perform 3-4 sets of 8-20 repetitions. Are quads still lagging behind? Place pancakes under your heels so that the load is not removed at the top point. And for glute development, alternate this squat with a bridge.
10. French press of two dumbbells with a neutral grip
Mark Dugdale, IFBB professional bodybuilder
While it's common to use a curved bar or one dumbbell, I suggest trying two. This method has a number of advantages:
- a neutral grip (palms facing each other) removes the load from the pecs, which are included in the version with a barbell,
- separate work with both hands activates the triceps more,
- after strict repetitions, you can change the inclination of your arms and continue the approach (see video), which cannot be repeated with one dumbbell,
- this option is much easier on the elbows and wrists.
11. Bench Dumbbell Compression Press
Tony Gentilcore, Strength and Conditioning Specialist
This is one of best moves for those who strive to build outstanding pecs. The barbell is good (you can use more weight), but dumbbells in the bench press are always better for developing pecs. The range of motion of the barbell is limited by the bar, plus you are only doing the lift, but with dumbbells the range is greater, and you can add a curl by pressing the dumbbells together throughout the entire approach.
I do as a helper after regular bench press lying down:
- Bench press - add weight to heavy sets of three reps,
- I unload by 10-15% and do another 3-4 sets of 3
- I finish with this “squeezing” dumbbell press in 3-4 sets of 10-15 repetitions.
- And I regularly change my tilt: head up, horizontal bench, head down. Give it a try and soon your pecs will start cutting through your T-shirt.
12. Spider curl
Michael Warren - strength and conditioning coach
An excellent exercise for working the short biceps. Usually the biceps are targeted on a music stand, but spider curls are better because they keep the muscles under load at the top of the movement.
One Bitz Hack – Press the dumbbells together throughout the movement and pause at the top, then slowly lower. When you reach failure, move your elbows back a little (shortening the range of motion) and perform a few extra reps.
Hammer curls are one of the classical exercises for the development of biceps and shoulder muscles. It helps to make the biceps voluminous and prominent, as well as increase the width of the forearm in a short time. The exercise is also known as hammer or mallet.
Features of the exercise
With dumbbells with a neutral grip or hammers you train:
- biceps;
- brachialis (brachial muscle);
- brachioradialis (brachioradialis muscle);
- pronator teres.
One exercise helps develop a number of small muscles. Some trainers classify the hammer as a basic exercise, but this is not entirely true. The muscle groups being developed are too small. Moreover, the movement is carried out due to the work of one joint. For these reasons, it is more correct to consider it isolated.
The main advantage of this type of curl is that it allows you to increase the overall muscle mass of your arms. Muscle development occurs in a complex manner, and you will definitely be pleased with the end result.
The grip you use directly affects which muscles receive the most stress. Before you start training, pay attention to the following nuances:
- The more the palm looks down, the greater the load on the brachialis.
- The more the palm is turned upward, the greater the load on the biceps.
- A neutral grip, with your palms facing each other, targets both of these muscles evenly.
When choosing which grip to hold the dumbbells in, think about which muscles you want to develop first.
Execution technique
How to do the exercise correctly? First you need to choose the appropriate dumbbell weight. It is generally recommended to work with a weight that allows you to complete 8-10 repetitions.
If you are an experienced athlete, then you can choose a super heavy weight for 4-6 repetitions, and perform the last lifts, supporting yourself with your core. But this practice requires perfectly honed movement technique. You need to break this very technique skillfully, understanding the process of muscle work. Otherwise, there is a big risk of getting grass.
Technique for performing hammers while standing and sitting. Proper execution hammer bends as follows:
- After you decide on the load, take the starting position. Stand straight and place your feet shoulder-width apart. A slight natural arch should form in the lower back. Make sure your posture is comfortable and stable.
- Fix your elbows on the sides of your body. Make sure that they do not move forward or backward during the exercise.
- Take dumbbells with a neutral grip. A neutral grip means that the palms of the dumbbells face each other.
- As you exhale, lift your arms almost to shoulder level. Achieve peak muscle contraction. It is important to say that the peak contraction of the biceps occurs somewhat earlier than the hand touches the shoulder. By bringing your forearm to a vertical position, you remove the load from the biceps and transfer it to the tendons. Therefore, you need to raise your arms without bringing your forearms to a vertical position. Try to concentrate on doing the exercise and be aware of the muscles working. This is a very useful skill for an athlete. Hold at the top peak point for a few seconds.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells down, returning to the starting position. Without pausing, lift your arms again.
- Repeat the required number of times (8-12), rest and perform another 2-3 approaches.
The hammer can be done sitting or standing, lifting dumbbells simultaneously or alternately. It all depends on your physical fitness.
If the above exercise seems too difficult for you, you can simplify it a little. First, change your starting position. Sit on a bench, spread your legs wide and straighten your back. Next, try lifting the dumbbells one at a time and at the same time. Lifting dumbbells at the same time is usually easier because it makes it easier to coordinate the movements.
Exercises for the hands will be most effective if you follow the following rules when performing them: simple rules. To improve your training results, pay attention to the following recommendations:
- Start each session with a warm-up. Rotational movements in the joints and vigorous warming up of the arm muscles will make further lifting of dumbbells less traumatic.
- Make sure that during the approach the position of the dumbbells in your palms does not change, and each subsequent lift is performed with the same grip. It is the grip that influences the distribution of load across the biceps and brachialis.
- Avoid unnecessary movements during the exercise. Body tilt and elbow instability significantly reduce the load on the biceps, thereby making the exercise less effective.
- Train at a moderate pace and do not take unnecessary breaks. Finish the session by stretching the target muscles.
When mastering the hammer, it is better not to fully extend your arms at the lowest point. This way the muscles will maintain tension throughout the exercise.
Hammers are an exercise that increases the volume of the biceps and gives them definition in as soon as possible. By combining it with other arm exercises, you can achieve amazing results.
As is known, in strength training There are many types of grip. One of these types is the semi-supinated grip, also known as a neutral or parallel grip, characterized by the palms facing each other.
Variety is extremely important point for lasting progress, so simply changing your hand position can provide a new training stimulus. Plus, as a bonus, a neutral grip quite often feels more natural and thus takes excess stress off your joints. So to maintain successful long-term training, try the following variations of popular neutral grip exercises.
Overhead presses with neutral grip
Overhead presses are great exercise m for extension muscle mass shoulders and triceps. And the “beam” allows you to perform them with a neutral grip, which is a fairly popular exercise at strongman tournaments. By the way, the world record for standing bench presses with a log, set by Zydrunas Savickas, is 222.5 kilograms.
For correct execution For this exercise, the body must be slightly tilted back so as not to touch the chin. However, for those who have had or have back problems, this technique may cause some discomfort. If this is your case, then perform the dumbbell variation using a neutral grip.
Neutral grip bench presses
Of course, the bench press is the most popular exercise for training the upper body, however, overusing a pronated grip can cause shoulder problems, and a supinated grip is simply uncomfortable for many. Meanwhile, there are two great variations of the neutral grip bench press - the football bar bench press and the log bench press.
The football bar provides several different grip angles, one of which is neutral. For those who want to make the job more challenging, there is even a variation with thick handles. As for bench presses with a log, for safety reasons they must be performed in a power rack, with the bar resting on the stoppers at chest level.
Bent-over rows with neutral grip
One of the problems with performing bent-over barbell rows is that there is too much neural drive required to maintain the correct position. As a result, the lats, as well as other upper body pulling muscles, do not receive the optimal training stimulus. In addition, the moment the bar touches the chest, the range of motion is also limited.
Seated rows with one hand with a neutral grip allow you to grasp top part body with your free hand, which in turn helps to increase the activation of the torso muscles. In addition, this variation allows you to use a wider range of motion compared to a barbell. In addition, seated rows can be performed on a low block using handles for a neutral grip, which also provides a wider amplitude.
Neutral grip bicep curls
Neutral grip bicep curls, also known as hammer curls, are performed similarly to dumbbell curls, the only difference is that the arms remain in a neutral position. By the way, this is a very valuable exercise for the arms, since this increases the work of the forearms, and as we know, weak forearms inhibit the growth of biceps. However, it should be noted that if you have structural balance, then the working weight in curls with a neutral grip should be 15 percent more than when using an underhand grip.
Neutral grip triceps extensions
There are several variations of lying triceps extensions. Using dumbbells and a neutral grip allows you to get a wider range of motion than with a barbell because it moves the weights along your head.
Neutral grip pull-ups
Changing from a pronated or supinated grip to a neutral grip changes the way the elbow flexors work. In this case, the strongest grip for stretching is, as a rule, a medium neutral grip. This variation increases the work of the elbow flexors, and the grip width should be approximately 55-60 centimeters. But a narrow neutral grip increases the work of the shoulder extensors; the width is approximately 15-20 centimeters (as a rule, a V-shaped handle is perfect for this). In addition, it is worth noting that this exercise considered advanced.
Front squats with neutral grip
As you know, front squats are an excellent exercise for the lower body, however, when performing this movement, many are not able to keep their elbows up due to flexibility problems. This problem can be overcome by using a safety parallel squat bar, or by using wrist straps and holding them with a neutral grip.
Attach the straps to the bar at shoulder width or whatever width is more comfortable for you. Stand so that your shoulders are under the bar, with your palms facing each other. How high you can hold the straps depends on your flexibility, meaning people with very poor flexibility will have a larger gap between the bar and their arms. Now remove the bar from the power rack and start squatting. As you progress, you will find that using the straps in this manner allows you to keep your elbows high without causing discomfort.
Neutral grip deadlifts
Deadlifts are a great exercise for building overall strength and size. And thanks to the hexagonal bar, this movement can be performed with a neutral grip.
The hexagonal shape allows you to perform it while standing inside the bar itself. This helps maintain a more upright body position, which in turn increases leg work. By the way, this type of bar was invented more than 30 years ago, and was inspired by the “trap bar” developed by Al Gerard, a powerlifter from North Carolina, many years before that.
Thanks to the hexagonal bar design, this exercise keeps the center of the bar in line with your hips, as opposed to a regular bar where your legs get in the way. The arms are positioned at the sides in a neutral position.
Jump squats with neutral grip
The hex bar is the best tool for performing jump squats. One study published in 2011 in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that the biomechanics of hex bar jumps are much more similar to jumps performed in sports. With a hex bar, you can jump higher and produce much more force and power than with a straight bar. As a bonus, jumping with a hex bar also helps develop trapezoids, since during such jumps a person performs shrugs.
Neutral grip shrugs
Hex bars, trap bars, dumbbells and many types of shrug machines allow you to perform this exercise while keeping your arms at your sides in a neutral position.
In contrast to dumbbell shrugs, a straight bar allows for a smoother movement because the weights are not caught in the legs. Perform this exercise in a power rack with the bar on the stoppers. You can also grab one of the frame posts with your free hand, which will help you maintain a more vertical body position.
Variety is the key to success in strength training. However, not only does it cause muscle growth and strength, it also helps maintain healthy joints. This article presented several ways to train large muscle groups using a neutral grip. Try them and see how your training will change for the better.
