Add these four movements to your upper body workout using two dumbbells to build bigger shoulders. Even if you only have one weight, you can try this by working on one side at a time.
To build balanced shoulder muscles, you need to target all three shoulder heads: the anterior, posterior, and lateral deltoid muscles. This means using weights in different planes of movement to challenge all the muscle groups that make up your shoulders.
If you’re ready to build boulder shoulders, grab a set of the best adjustable dumbbells and try the four-movement workout below.
What is the 4-move dumbbell shoulder workout?
YouTuber Marino Katsouris shows you four moves to make your shoulders bigger. You’ll need two dumbbells to challenge your muscles without compromising your form.
There are four shoulder exercises:
- Lateral raise
- upright row
- bent over row rear deltoid focus
- Alternate Hammer Shoulder Press
- Repeat 10-12 times, rest 90 seconds, repeat for 4 rounds
trainer tips
This upper body dumbbell workout targets three areas of your shoulders that are responsible for muscle definition. Each movement is programmed to use two dumbbells, but if you have limited access to the best gym equipment, split or double the reps to work out one side of your body at a time. You can also.
Click here to learn more about how to perform lateral raises. However, be sure to push the weight away when lifting it and control your descent when lowering it. Avoid swinging the weights when lifting dumbbells. This indicates that the weight is too heavy. Also, keep your core engaged during both the lifting and lowering stages of the exercise.
Katsoulis recommends leaning forward slightly to perform upright rows. This is a common movement that targets several muscle groups, including the lateral deltoids and frontalis, trapezius, and biceps. It is also known to aggravate your shoulders if not performed properly. Once your elbows are close to shoulder height, slowly squeeze your shoulder blades together and tighten your back muscles in a rowing motion. As long as your shoulders don’t internally rotate when rowing, there’s no need to aggravate your joints.
As you approach the bent-over dumbbell row, adopt a wider arm position to help focus on the rear deltoids. Keep your back flat as you hinge at the hips and squeeze your stomach, adopting an overhand grip with your palms facing your body.
Finish the workout with an overhead press using a neutral hand position with palms facing each other. It’s a narrower version of the dumbbell press called the hammer grip shoulder press. Now alternate arms and do it strictly. This means you’ll develop core strength without using your legs (known as a push press), while also working your pecs and triceps.
It’s unclear in the video how many reps you should do for each move, so we recommend sticking to 10-12 reps and resting between rounds. Katsulis says he recommends four rounds before reaching a smoldering shoulder, with rest between rounds to temporarily recover.
Benefits of dumbbells for shoulders
If there’s one technique I’ve learned over the years teaching weightlifting, it’s that free weights are better than gym machines for building functional strength and muscle. Dumbbells, barbells, and kettlebells are great for improving mobility, stability, and range of motion, recruiting more muscle groups, and helping you learn better and more efficient movement patterns.
Building strong shoulders is the foundation for all upper body exercises that involve pulling, pushing, and stabilizing. Whether you’re a powerlifter working on the clean and jerk or a novice weightlifter learning the ropes, strengthening your shoulders will help you lift heavier weights more safely.
Each of the above movements relies on activation of the core muscles that provide stability and proper posture, as well as the rotator cuff muscles that stabilize and move the shoulder joint. Guaranteed (or more effective). your shoulders).