Pump up your shoulders with this four-move dumbbell workout
Build stronger, healthier shoulders with these four exercises
Shoulders should never be skipped, but sometimes we don’t give them as much love as other areas of our upper body, like our back and chest. With workouts as straightforward as this one you won’t ever have to make up an excuse for missing a shoulder sesh ever again. The four exercises are beginner-friendly and will leave you with a great pump, as well as help you develop some lean muscle. It doesn’t require a lot of equipment either, just a pair of dumbbells.
“Strengthening the muscles, ligaments, and tendons that keep the shoulders in place helps to prevent injuries, as well as assist with these functional activities,” says PureGym. These can be everyday tasks, from carrying in the shopping to hoovering the house. They also contribute to having a healthier posture too.
Four moves in total for this workout (although the last one is quite a toughie, we won't lie). For each exercise you're going to do slightly different reps, so we've popped them below, but you're aiming to do three rounds of this workout in total. Once you've finished one exercise, take a 45 second rest before moving onto the second. Then, once you've done a set of each exercise, have a minutes rest before going into your second round. Here's your workout:
- Single arm Arnold press - 10 reps each side
- Front/side lateral raises - 12 reps
- Bent-over flys - 12 reps
- Pike push-ups - 15 reps
As this workout has a lots of reps, choose a medium-weight dumbbell, where you're just struggling to do the last couple of reps. If it's too heavy, it's unlikely you'll be able to finish them all. Make sure you stay hydrated throughout this session too with one of the best gym water bottles. If you're now dedicated to exercising your shoulders regularly, give this 15 minute shoulder workout a go next, or if you're pushed for time we've got a 10 minute muscle-building delt workout.
