4. Dumbbell 6-Ways (Raise)
Dumbbell 6-way raises have been made popular in recent months thanks to IFBB Pro Bodybuilder John Meadows but they’ve been around for a while. Combination movements work very well because they do a lot of work in minimal time. So doing an exercise like this allows you to train all three areas of the shoulder while saving time on your workout. Doing more work in less time makes exercises like this a must on the list.
Click Open To Continue Reading…
ADVERTISEMENT
3. Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raise
The lateral raise with dumbbells is the ultimate free-weight exercise for targeting the lateral head of the delts. As long as you don’t try to generate momentum and swing the weight with every rep, you can see great gains. That’s why doing seated dumbbell lateral raises should be the preferred method. Doing these seated means you’ll have to focus more on lifting the weights instead of swinging them up like many lifters do when standing. This means the muscles will work a little harder and you can decrease the risk of injury. You will also have to keep the weights to your sides instead of allowing them to come to the front. This can help minimize the recruitment of the front delts.
ADVERTISEMENT
2. Clean and Press
The clean and press is the best barbell exercise on the list and among the most famous overall exercises in the lifting game. CrossFit athletes perform them regularly in various workouts. Bodybuilders can use them to achieve overall shoulder growth. Any strength athlete can see various benefits from doing this classic move. Beginners should learn how to do them immediately. They can see overall strength increases thanks to this. When it comes to the development of the muscle, the rear and side delts are active in the clean. The front delts join the party when you press the weight up while the other heads are there for extra support. Of course, the rotator cuffs are active throughout the exercise. And those are just the benefits for the shoulders. We haven’t even gotten into the benefits of leg and core stability as well as the improvement in power that can translate to other movements like the bench press.
Click Open To Continue Reading…
ADVERTISEMENT
1. Arnold Press
Yes, this is named after Arnold Schwarzenegger because he’s the one credited for inventing it but that isn’t the reason that it is the top exercise on this list. The Arnold Press is a great exercise that targets all three heads of the deltoids as well as the rotator cuffs. It’s a great all-in-one movement that can help you work on development, function, and strength. On the way up, the twisting motion affects the side delts. Of course, the press benefits the front head. When you come back down and twist, you do not only get the side delts again but you also recruit the rear delts for extra stabilization. All of that and you get the benefit of improved shoulder function and working the rotator cuffs. Furthermore, since you’re working with dumbbells, each shoulder has to do its work. One can’t help out the other. Those reasons are why this exercise is #1 on the list.
Click Open To Continue Reading…
ADVERTISEMENT
What’s Your Favorite?
Do you feel that a different exercise should be at the top? Is there a lift you like that isn’t on the list at all? Let us know by commenting on your favorite shoulder exercise and why you feel it should be considered among the best.