The 10 Best Shoulder Building Exercises for Bodybuilding Beginners

For most guys, the biceps are the undisputed king of muscle! But what good is a king without a crown? If you want GUNS that get respect at the beach and on the street, you've got to crown them with cannon ball deltoid development! For big, muscular shoulders that'll produce personal pride and physical power, keep reading because I've got the 10 best beginning exercises for you right here.

1. Seated Front Military Press

Your shoulders consist mainly of 2 muscle groups, the trapezius and the deltoids. The trapezius or "traps" are the two large triangular shaped muscles that run across each shoulder from the back of your neck. Your deltoids or "delts" are the thick, triangular shaped muscles that cover your shoulder joints at the top of each arm. The deltoids consist of 3 sections known as the anterior, medial and posterior heads. For balanced deltoid development, you must train each section equally.

The front military press is a great starter exercise for building the anterior or front section of your delts. You can perform this exercise from a standing or seated position. For beginners, I recommend the seated position, preferably in a chair that has low back support to prevent arching or hyperextension of your spine. With proper technique, this basic military press will add thickness and power to the front of your shoulders. As you advance in your training, you should eventually graduate from this exercise to the dumbbell shoulder press.

2. Barbell Front Raises

This exercise is great for building shape and endurance in your anterior delts. Since barbell front raises put tremendous resistance on the front of your shoulders, you should not attempt to do this exercise with heavy weight. Moderate poundage with strict technique (i.e., no bouncing or jerking the weight with your body) is sufficient to add strength and shape to your anterior delts. For variety, you can also do this exercise with a straight bar attachment to a low cable apparatus.

Whether you use a barbell or low cable machine, you must stand with your arms straight as you raise the bar forward from the front of your thighs to a position parallel to the floor at about shoulder height. To put secondary resistance on your rear delts and traps, raise the bar slightly above shoulder height. It won't take long to feel the burn from this exercise, but the payoff in deltoid development is well worth it.

3. Seated Reverse Dumbbell Press

The reverse dumbbell press, aka the "Arnold Press" is another terrific shoulder builder for your anterior delts. When done properly, this exercise also puts concentrated resistance on the upper portion of your traps. You can do the reverse dumbbell press with both arms pressing the weights simultaneously or by alternating each arm. In either event, I suggest that you do this exercise in a seated position with good back support to avoid injury.

To do this exercise, hold 2 dumbbells at shoulder height with your palms facing you. Keep your back straight and don't bounce or jerk your body as you slowly press the dumbbells overhead. As you press the weight upward, rotate your wrists so that your hands face forward at the top of each lift. Return the dumbbells to the starting position as you lower them after each rep. If you've never done this exercise before, start with weight that you can easily balance and control and progress to heavier poundage when you've mastered your training technique. Take my word, the results will be awesome!

4. Dumbbell Front Raises

Like barbell front raises, the dumbbell version of this exercise puts extreme resistance on the front of your shoulders. In addition to building the anterior deltoids, front dumbbell raises put secondary but significant stress on the medial deltoid head. The mechanics of this exercise are basically the same as with barbell front raises. You must stand with your arms straight as you raise the dumbbells forward from the front of your thighs to a position parallel to the floor at about shoulder height. Again, due to the extreme level of training resistance that front raises produce, you should not attempt to do this exercise with heavy weight. Moderate poundage with strict form will give you great results.

5. Behind-The-Neck-Military Press

The "behind-the-neck" or rear military press is a solid mass builder for the medial deltoid or middle shoulder area. Like the front military press, you can perform this exercise from a standing or seated position. Again, I recommend that you do your military presses in a chair with lower back support to avoid arching or hyperextension of your spine. The seated position also helps to stabilize your torso so you won't jerk the weight upward and cheat on technique. As with all overhead lifting, go slow, master your training technique and the rear military press will add mass, power and symmetry to the middle portion of your shoulders.

6. Dumbbell Lateral Raises

Nothing beats dumbbell lateral raises for targeting the medial head of your delts. And this is another shoulder exercise that provides great results without using excessively heavy weight. With your arms at your sides, grasp a dumbbell in each hand. Slowly raise your arms outward and upward until the dumbbells reach shoulder height in a position that parallels the floor. Return to the starting position. To work the medial delts from every possible angle, vary your workouts by doing some sets with your hands at your sides, some sets with your hands slightly in front of your thighs, and some sets with your hands behind your hips. This exercise is great for adding the shoulder girth necessary to beef up your V taper.

7. Single Arm Cable Lateral Raises

This exercise is a good substitute for dumbbell lateral raises for variety or when dumbbells may not be available to you. Except for the fact that you alternately train each shoulder, the mechanics of this exercise are basically the same as with the dumbbell version. With your arm at your side, simply grasp a low cable handle and slowly raise your arm outward and upward until the handle reaches shoulder height in a position that parallels the floor. Return to the starting position. For maximum effectiveness, you should vary your workouts by starting some sets with your hand at your side, some sets with your hand in front of your thighs, and some sets with your hand behind your hips.

8. Seated Two-Armed Dumbbell Rows

Unless you focus on training your rear delts, it's easy to forget about them and end up with unbalanced shoulder development. This happened to me years ago when I was still more or less in my infancy when it came to serious bodybuilding. At the time I was living and training in Montreal at "Winston's Gym," a bodybuilding powerhouse then owned by Canadian bodybuilding great, Winston Roberts. So one day I asked Winston what I should do to build mass into my rear delts.

Without hesitation he told me to sit on the edge of a flat bench, grab a dumbbell in each hand, lean forward to about 45 degrees and pull the dumbbells toward my torso as though to touch my elbows behind my back. Wow, did this work! My rear delts responded almost immediately to this new workout, and the "Seated Two-Armed Dumbbell Row" was born! To make sure that you fully develop each section of your deltoids, you've got to include this rear delt builder in your shoulder workouts.

9. Bent-Over Lateral Raises

This exercise also isolates the posterior deltoid area for full, symmetrical shoulder development. Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart and your knees slightly bent. Bend forward at the waist but keep your back straight and your head facing forward. Grasp a dumbbell in each hand with your elbows bent slightly and raise your arms outward and upward until the weight reaches shoulder height. Return to the starting position. For variety or if dumbbells aren't available, you can also do this exercise with a low cable machine.

10. Upright Rows

Finally, one of my all time favorite shoulder shapers, the upright row builds the entire deltoid area and I love the secondary biceps pump I get whenever I do this exercise. Just grab a barbell with an overhand and slightly wider than shoulder width grip. If you're using a cambered or EZ Curl Bar, use the wide grip hand position. Raise your arms and pull the bar upward until it nearly touches your chin. To put more resistance on your traps, try pulling your elbows up a little beyond shoulder height as you complete each rep. Return to the starting position. I'm continually amazed at how seldom I see anyone doing this exercise. But you've got to do upright rows if you're serious about building big, muscular shoulders.

Well, that's it - my Top 10 list of shoulder-building exercises for beginning bodybuilders. Try them, have fun with them, and make sure that you use safe amounts of weight and proper training technique with every exercise.

Mark G. Winston, "The Master Gunslinger," is author of the ground-breaking training manual, "GO For Your GUNS - 7 Simple Secrets to AWESOME ARMS." He has also created GOforyourGUNS.com, a bodybuilding and fitness website dedicated entirely to helping you build big, muscular arms. Mark's forthcoming book will be jammed with workouts and training techniques to help you build the big, muscular arms that you deserve! To learn about the GO For Your GUNS bodybuilding system and get free arm training tips that really work, visit [http://www.GOforyourGUNS.com]

Shoulder Injuries and Weight Lifting

Of all the places on your body to be injured, shoulder injuries in weight lifting will render your upper body strength next to useless. If your shoulder is badly hurt, you will have a challenging time pulling or pushing anything heavy.

According to a particular study with elite powerlifters, the most commonly injured areas when lifting iron are the shoulders, lower back and knees. The study also found that if you are older than 40 then you chance of an upper body injury was a lot greater than if you were younger. All in all, however, powerlifting as a sport has an injury rate "low compared to other sports." Olympic weight lifters tend to get more back and knee injuries whereas powerlifters tend to get more shoulder injuries

Anatomy of the Shoulder

The shoulder is a rather complex structure because it is capable of so much mobility. It is comprised of three bones: The humerus (upper arm bone), the scapula, (shoulder blade), and the clavicle (collar bone). The articulations of these three bones make up three main shoulder joints. There are about a dozen major muscles (such as deltoids) that collaborate in shoulder movement as well with minor muscles and tendons (fibrous tissue connecting muscles to bones).

The Shoulder's Rotator Cuff and Bursae

The main shoulder joint is called the glenohumeral joint which is a ball and socket structure where the shoulder blade attaches to the upper arm bone. A rotator cuff covers this ball and socket joint to keep it tight and in place with a group of 4 muscles and their associated tendons. The four rotator cuff muscles are called the supraspinatus, the infraspniatus, the teres minor, and the subscapularis; each one serving different functions to move the upper arm bone (humerus) in different directions within the socket (glenoid fossa).

At the top of the shoulder is a bone called the acromion which is actually an extension of the shoulder blade (scapula). It hooks from around the back to the top. Between the acromion and the rotator cuff is a synovial fluid filled sac called a bursa that cushions and buffers the acromion from the rotator cuff's movements. There are eight such bursae located at different points about the shoulder girdle.

Shoulder Injuries and Causes

The rotator cuff is the most common source of shoulder pain. This includes any problem underneath the acromion bone. A health care professional specializing in sports injuries may be the best one to diagnose the exact cause. They will check the different movements that give you shoulder pain and test your range of motion. Whenever you raise your arm, the space between the acromion and the rotator cuff becomes smaller. This may cause the acromion to push or impinge against the bursa which can swell and become inflamed. This commonly happens with athletes who use repetitive overhead movements such as baseball pitchers, volleyball players, swimmers and the like. It can also occur in the workplace with painters, plumbers, electricians or anyone using repetitive movements overhead. When it comes to a sport such as powerlifting, one study shows there is no correlation between shoulder injuries and any specific exercise.

If the rotator cuff itself is injured then it may be a tear. There are two types of tears: Chronic and Acute. A chronic tear occurs over time because of overuse and usually after a tendon has been rubbing against a bone for awhile. An acute tear is the result of a sudden movement. The shoulder is one of those areas of the body where this is little blood circulation. If an injured tendon sustains microscopic tears and does not get an adequate supply of blood to heal, this could lead to tendon degeneration. This condition, however, is usually related more to age and overuse than it is a result of a trauma or sports injury.

The shoulder is the most unstable joint in the body. Many times the cause of a shoulder injury is because there is too much play in the ball and socket joint. One of the main functions of the shoulder is to provide stability to movements using the arm. If your shoulder is unstable, you will definitely develop problems. Be sure you are diagnosed correctly before you start doing a lot of laterals with dumbbells. Your health care professional will probably give you a few exercises to do for your rotator cuff.

Treatment for Shoulder Injuries

To get a better look at the possible damage within your shoulder, your doctor may suggest arthroscopic surgery. This is a minor invasive surgery where a small incision is made in your shoulder and then they look around inside with a very small camera. Your doctor can see whatever damage there is and help you make a decision about what options are available.

If you suffer an acute trauma to your shoulder perform the first aid procedure known as R.I.C.E. and see a health care professional immediately.

• Rest - Stop using the afflicted part.

• Ice - 10 minutes on, 10 minutes off for an hour (or whatever feels comfortable).

• Compress - Wrap a compression bandage around the injury. This may keep down the swelling.

• Elevate - Keep the injured part propped up and elevated above the level of your heart. This may help keep down the swelling.

Recovery and Continuation after Shoulder Injuries

Recovery usually always begins with plenty of rest. When continuing with your weight training program, follow some key do's and don'ts such as warming up with as many sets as it takes in order to get blood circulation going. The shoulder should feel good before you start a working set. Start off with lighter weight before you are capable of handling anything heavy. Do shoulder stretches after a workout. Know the difference between shoulder soreness discomfort and the pain of an injury. If you have any doubts about a shoulder injury then go see a doctor.

If you liked this article, you may also by interested in the Weight Training and a Back Injury. Check out http://weighttrainingforever.com/ for more weight training information.

Weight Lifting Exercises For Gaining Massive Shoulders - Shoulder Exercises That Build Mass Fast

The shoulder muscles have been known for centuries as being the icon of strength; from ancient Greek wrestlers to bodybuilders today. The shoulders are where you get noticed.

There is a common theme amongst bodybuilders today and in Western society that the chest is developed much more than the shoulders. I personally don't think that's a great look. I mean, who want to have big boobs if you're a man anyway!

I know, muscle is muscle, and strength is strength. If you're not concerned with a great Greek god like physique, then stop reading now. I'm interested in a proportioned body, not just a massive strong one.

Anyway, I digress.

Shoulder exercises should be used to develop your upper body strength the majority of the time.

Bench is good, because it targets the shoulders and chest at the same time, but again, it's primarily a chest exercise and you'll develop way too much chest muscle if this is all you do to workout your shoulders.

Try the Military Press instead. Sometimes called the behind the neck press. It's the best comprehensive shoulder muscle exercise you will find and if you're looking for size, and strength you've got it all right here.

It's similar to any other pressing exercise. You can use either dumbbells or a bar. Even the smith machine, but as stated in previous articles, you do not get the whole range of movement available and therefore do not develop the supporting muscles as easily. This can lead to injury so grab the free weights.

How it works:

1. Take a seat on your favorite bench

2. Position the dumbbells to each side of your shoulders with your elbows below your wrists. (If you're using a bar, place bar behind your back and rest on the nape of your neck)

3. Push that weight above your head until you reach a full arm extension, but do not lock your elbows

4. Lower the weight slowly, and repeat

It's easy to perform this exercise, and you can build up to some massive weight and shoulder strength.

I've personally found that using the shoulder press, lat pull downs (or chins), and bench press will be a great all round upper body workout wherever you are.

It's simple, they are all comprehensive exercises that target major muscle groups, and they all pack on stacks of strength and muscle.

Here are some extra tips:

Try doing the shoulder press standing up to get a whole body stability workout. Even start by lifting the weight from the floor in a clean and jerk motion, to the shoulders in a lateral raise motion, then shoulder press a few times before lowering the weight. It's intense, and will stimulate your body to grow VERY quickly.

Vary the focus. Try cycling about an 8 week turnover focusing on Shoulder press, then Bench, then Chins.

i.e. Workout Shoulder Press FIRST during the first 8 week cycle, then complete the rest of your workout. Next cycle, workout the Bench FIRST... etc.

You'll find that by the time you get back to shoulder press, you've packed on massive muscle all over your upper body, and you've improved your overall strength for each exercise.

As always: If you're not getting better, you're getting worse. So get back to work!

Do you need answers to any of the following questions?

What's the best training program?
What do I eat, and when?
What exercises should I do for my body type?
How long will it be until I will see results?

Get answers to these questions and more when you check out these FREE tips on how to achieve bigger muscles fast and the techniques I use to help me keep building muscles now

These are proven effective and 100% guaranteed to pack on stacks of muscle to your body fast.

See you there...

Sincerely,

Dave Vower