Weight Training Exercises For Shoulders

We have put together a list of the most productive shoulder exercises that can be done with free weights. This way as you read through the exercise routines in magazines or our book Fat To Fit you will know how to do them properly.

Shoulder Exercise: Military Presses (Seated Barbell Shoulder Press):

Sit on a bench with your back supported. With a wide grip that puts your forearms and biceps at 90 degrees to each other at the bottom, hold the bar at upper chest level slightly below the chin. With your elbows back, press the weight directly overhead. Lock out at the top, but dont hyperextend your arms should be semistraight and slowly lower the bar to the starting position.

Barbell shoulder press exercise Barbell shoulder press exercise

Shoulder Exercise: Clean and press:

Start this movement off as a regular deadlift. Grip should be over hand and about shoulder width. Perform the dead lift until the bar reaches your upper thighs. From there and without pause, keeping your elbows higher than your hands, raise the weight to your upper chest. As the barbell reaches its highest point, flip your wrists to a palms-up position so that the barbell comes to rest across the front of your shoulders. From here, press upward until your arms are almost locked out. Slowly lower to the shoulder-high position, then slowly return to the starting position and repeat. As you become more proficient, you will want to move the bar as fast as safe to do so. This will allow you to use momentum to cruise through the sticking points.

Clean And Press Video Clip

Shoulder Exercise: Dumbbell Shoulder Presses (Seated):

Same as above but done with dumbbells. The palms can face inward towards your head as an optional grip but palms forward is the norm.

Dumbbell Shoulder Press Exercise Video Clip

shoulder press top shoulder press bottom

Shoulder Exercise: Lateral Raises:

Stand upright with your feet shoulder width apart and your knees slightly bent. Let your arms hang in front of your body with each hand holding a dumbbell, palms facing inward. There should be a slight bend at the elbow to reduce stress on the joint. Inhale and lift your arms out and away from your body, using your shoulders, until your hands are at shoulder height. The elbows should be slightly higher than the hands. When you reach the top position the arms and body should resemble the letter "T". Lower your arms, using the shoulders, back to the starting position. For added variety, at the top of the movement turn the hand so the pinkie finger is a bit higher than the thumb, like when pouring a pitcher of water.

lateral raise exercise lateral raise exercise

Shoulder Exercise: Rear Lateral Raises:

Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart. Lean over so your back is parallel with the ground. Do not round the back. Keep your elbows slightly bent while holding the dumbbells, palms inward, hanging straight down from the shoulders. Raise the dumbbells out to your sides until your upper arms are a little higher than your shoulders. Control the dumbbells back to the starting position.



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Ray Burton is a 15 year veteran weight loss coach who specializes in helping busy moms and parents maximize their results.