Shoulders define our stature. They influence our appearance far more than any other body part. Just as broad, well defined but relaxed shoulders are a sign of strength, self-confidence and contribute to your appearance, tight shoulder muscles, on the other hand, will cause discomfort and pain. Because of this, it is very important to train this body part with equal doses of strengthening and stretching exercises. The shoulder is a ball and socket joint. It is the most mobile joint in the body and therefore one of the most in danger of injury, especially dislocation. Because of this, it is important to secure its strength through specific exercises.
Guidelines for exercising
the shoulders.
• Do not work with momentum; that means, don’t swing. Stand firm & have
control of your movement.
• Keep your shoulders down, pulled away from ears.
• When you contract, you exhale. When you release or relax, you inhale.
• Pay attention to how the hands are held during exercise. If you turn the
hands outward or inward, you change the way the shoulder works. This can
cause impingement, especially when the arms are brought overhead
Shoulder exercise- Rear Shoulder Stretch
Stand in neutral position. Clasp your hands behind your back. Keep the arms
extended and pull them down. Hold for 20-30 seconds and shake out the arms.
Ex 1- Overhead Press with Bar
Hold the bar with palms down at chest height. Raise the bar upwards, keeping
your relaxed not tensed. Slowly lower the arms. This exercise trains the
middle shoulder muscle. Don’t use your body to throw the weight up.
Ex 2- Side Lateral Raises with Tubing
Place the ball of the foot in the middle of the tubing. Pull your arms
upward to the sides. Palms face down. Make sure that you do not lock your
elbows but keep them soft. Stand steady and don’t lean back. This exercise
trains the middle shoulder muscle.
Ex 3-Upright Row with
Tubing
Hold the handles of the tubing & step in the center of the tubing. Keep
neutral body alignment. Pull the tubing up, keeping your elbows out and your
shoulders down. Lower it down slowly to the starting position. When pulling
the tubing up, try to lead with your elbows. This exercise trains the middle
shoulder muscles.
Ex-4-Shoulder Stretch against the wall
Place one arm against the wall on your shoulder level parallel to the floor.
Rotate to the opposite side till you feel a good stretch in your shoulder
blade. Repeat it on the other arm.
Ex 6- Shoulder Raise with Hand Weights
Position: Standing or lying down on flat surface or inclined surface
or sitting on a Swiss ball. Works on Anterior Deltoid.
Method: Start with
arms slightly bent, lift the weights in front of you to shoulder level. Your
elbows are slightly bent while you control the movement in both directions.
Make sure your body is steady & upright as you lift your arm forward.
Maintain tight abdominals with your chest and head lifted.
Keep your elbows slightly bent & shoulders down.
Lift using your deltoids with your arm following their upward pull.
Lead with your elbow, not the weight or your hand- your arm & hand will be
on an even plane with your shoulders at the top of the movement.
Relax your grip on the dumbbells as you return to the starting position.
Control your movement in both the directions.
Exhale as you lift up; inhale as you return to starting position
Ex 7-Lateral Arm Raise
Position: Standing or in Squat position or sitting on a Swiss
ball.Works on Medial Deltoid.
Method: Stand with your legs shoulder width apart, knees slightly
bent, head and chest lifted and abdominals tight. Holding one dumbbell in
each hand, lift your arms to the sides, keeping your elbows slightly bent.
Leading with your elbow, not the dumbbell, lift your arms to shoulder level.
It is usually more effective to alternate arms with lateral raises.
Squeeze your lower trapezius together to minimize use of your trapezius and
hunching of your shoulders upward. Use deltoid muscle. This will allow your
middle deltoids to work harder to lift your arms to the side.
Lift using your deltoids- your arm follows the upward pull of the deltoids.
Lead with your elbow, not the weight or your hand.
Relax your grip on the dumbbell from time to time to allow the blood to flow
through your forearm more effectively.
Exhale as you lift up; inhale as you return to starting position.
To add variety you can rotate the thumb downwards as you reach the top of
the movement. This adds more definition to your deltoid muscles.
Ex-8-Posterior Deltoid Squeeze
Position: Squat or sit on a step or Swiss ball.
Works on Posterior Deltoids, Rhomboids, Trapezius.
Sit on the step, holding a
dumbbell in each hand, and lean forward from your hips. Maintain a straight
back with abdominals tight, and your head in a neutral position as you lean
forward. Place your hands under your legs and slightly behind your heels.
Lift the weights out to your sides, keeping your elbows bent and pointing
towards the ceiling. Imagine a string is attached to your elbows and the
ceiling, and it is pulling your elbows upward. Keep your wrists strong and
in neutral position. As you reach the end of your upward & outward movement,
squeeze your shoulder blades together to increase the activity of your
rhomboid muscles. Your rhomboids are very important muscles for maintaining
correct, upright posture and are vital muscles to work. They help prevent
rounding of the upper back and are the opposing muscle group for the
pectorals. Exhale as you lift up; inhale as you return to the starting
position.
Ex 9-Overhead Press
Position: Standing or sitting on a Swiss ball.
Works on Deltoids & Trapezius.
Method: Take weights in your hands on shoulder level. Palms face
forward. Elbows are bent. From here extend the arms up. So the weights go
overhead. Exhale on the way up & inhale on the way down. Make sure you do
not lock the elbows on the way up. Keep them soft.
Ex 10Overhead Press with Tubing
Sit with straight back on bench or in a chair; leaning slightly forward.
Pass the tubing under the bench or chair. Hold the tubing handles securely
at shoulder height, with knuckles towards the ceiling. Extend the arms
slightly forward and upwards. Exhale on the way up and inhale on the way
down. Also concentrate when you lower the tubing down.
Written By: kiran sawhney
Personal Fitness Trainer Kiran Sawhney runs her own fitness studio in E-193,
Greater Kailash-II, New Delhi, India by the name of Fitnesolution.
She has various international certifications in the field of aerobics, step
aerobics, kickboxing, yoga, pilates, dancercise, ramping up, bosu, thera
band, body sculpting and aqua aerobics.
All these activities except aqua aerobics are
held at fitnesolution.
To know more about the services offered, class timings, fee structures and
the profile of the trainer please see the web site www.fitnesolution.com
E-mail :kiran@fitnesolution.com.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this health article are strictly those of the writer and 123oye does not take any responsibility for them. Kindly consult a Doctor before following any advice.
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