How to Strengthen Shoulder Muscle

1. Shoulder Stability Exercise

How to Strengthen Shoulder Muscle ? You may start the exercise by starting in the low plank position and pushing off from the ground in the high plank. Ensure that you engage the core, keeping the buttocks as stable as you can. Now, return to the low plank status and repeat the process. Alternate your position between starting with your arms.

Repeat the exercise ten to eleven times on each side and do three sets in total.

Pro Tip: Stretch a resistance band in between your arms. Now, move the shoulders in circles in either direction along the wall. This exercise can be done at different lengths to stimulate the muscles. Repeat this exercise around twelve times and do three sets.

2. Arm Circles with Weights

Stand with your feet through a distance hip-width apart. Hold something light in your hand, for example, a liter water bottle in each hand. Now, hang your arms loosely at the sides, lifting your bottles upwards and making circles as they get in a horizontal position. Hold the position and slowly lower the arms once again.

Repeat the exercise twelve times on each side and alternate between backward and forward circles. Now, do a total of three sets on each side.

3. Water Bottle Stabilizer

Fill around half a water bottle and pick it up with your right hand. Stretch your arm straight in front of you and ensure that the hand is at shoulder height and the arm is totally straight. Now, you need to try holding the bottle steadily. Hold the position for half a minute to a minute, and then switch your sides. Repeat the process and do three sets on each side.

4. Internal and External Rotation with Resistance Band.

Attach a resistance band to a handle or an anchor point. Now, stand along a side next to it. Take the band in your hand and keep pulling it until it gets tight. Check that your arm is present at a right angle and keep the elbow in approximation to your body. If this is not practical, alleviate the tension on the resistance band as you stand close to the door handle.

Keep the arm position and then rotate your shoulder externally; this way, your hand will move in the direction of the handle. After that, rotate your shoulder as you pull the resistance band again towards your body against the band resistance.

Repeat the exercise ten to eleven times on each side and do three sets each. Your pelvis needs to be stable, facing in the forward direction. There should be no upper body or hip rotation present.

5. High and Low Hand Raise

Lie down on your stomach on a flat surface like a bed or a table and put an arm out at the shoulder level. Your elbow needs to be bent 90 degrees, and your hand must be down. As you keep your hands bent, keep rotating your shoulders, so the hand raises up towards your ceiling. Now, lower your hands slowly and repeat the process at least ten times. Repeat the exercise with the opposite arm.

Lie on one side on a flat surface such as the ground or on your bed. Place the upper arm aside and as you bend your elbow to a right angle, put your palm down as your rest your forearm against your chest. Rotate the shoulder outwards and raise the forearm till you reach the shoulder level. Now, lower your hands rather slowly.

6. Can Emptying Exercise

Stand with both your arms being slightly present behind you as you put your thumbs down. Now, raise the arms up and pretend as you empty a can in your head using both your hands one by one. Lower your arms gradually and repeat the process ten times.

7. Passive External Rotation

This is not a proper exercise but a stretch that will help you strengthen your shoulder muscle. If you want to know how to strengthen shoulder muscle, including this stretch in your routine is a must for you. The main muscles getting worked in this include teres minor and infraspinatus muscles. You would feel a stretch in the back of your shoulders. You would need a light stick and a yardstick to get started with this. There will be four repetitions needed on each side.

Grasp a stick using one hand and then cup the other end with the other hand. Keep the shoulder elbow you stretch against the side of your body and push the stick in a horizontal position to the point where you feel a pull with no pain. Hold for 30 seconds and relax for another 30 seconds. Repeat the process on the opposite side.

8. Sleeper Stretch

If you want to know how to strengthen shoulder muscle, this stretch will help you a lot as it would help you stretch and provide strength to your outer upper back, in the region behind the shoulder. Repeat the process thrice a day with four reps.

Lie on the side on a flat surface with one shoulder under you and the bent arm. You can also place a pillow for comfort if you need it. Use the unaffected arm for pushing the other arm downwards and stop pressing down as you feel a stretch in your affected shoulder’s backside. Hold the position for half a minute and relax for another half a minute. Don’t bend the wrist or press down on the wrist. If you want to know how to strengthen shoulder muscle, then this one is a must.

9. Standing Row

You can feel the exercise at your shoulder back and also in your upper back region. You would need to use an elastic stretch band to provide comfortable resistance. As the exercise gets easier for you to perform, you can progress to three sets having 12 reps each. If you can go to a gym, you can also take the help of a weight machine to perform this exercise. A fitness assistant at the gym would instruct you on the mechanism for safely using the machines. You can make a 3-foot long loop with your elastic band and attach it to a stable object.

Stand as you hold the band with an elbow bent at the side and keep the arm close to one side. Now, slowly pull the elbow straight back. Return to the initial position and repeat the process. Squeeze the shoulder blades together when you are pulling your body in the process.

Final Words

If you want to know how to strengthen shoulder muscle, then you need to know all major conditioning, stretching, and major workout exercises you can perform that will help you to attain the solidity you want to attain in your shoulders. As you learn these exercises, you would be better able to protect your upper body from pain and discomfort that often arises in the upper back and neck region, radiating from the shoulders.

Whatever be the reason, there is never a way shoulder muscle exercises are going to come of no use. Make sure you take out some time and improve your physical health as you learn some of these simple yet effective techniques.

FAQs- How to Strength Shoulder

1. Why do we need to strengthen our shoulder muscles?

It is necessary to take action in your life to relieve pain and protect yourself from further damage. Stability in the shoulder would help in building a strong base that solidifies your shoulder movement and protects you against any kind of unwanted stress. If you want to learn how to strengthen shoulder muscles, go through some conditioning exercises.

2. How do you improve strength in the rotator cuff?

If you are playing sports that cause any shoulder pain, you need to make sure you are utilizing good technique and form. The rotator cuff muscles are pretty much prone to tears and inflammation because of the repetitive overhead motions. So, an important way for reducing the rotator cuff injury or tears this way is to strengthen the muscles, and then the exercises provided below would help you do that.

3. What discomfort do we feel in shoulders?

People complain they have experienced some shoulder discomfort as they start feeling tension, stiffness, or tenderness happening within their shoulder. The mobility of their shoulder may get impaired. Some people lose strength in their joint that makes it tough for them to complete normal functions as simple as moving around or lifting their arm.

4. Who gets repeated shoulder discomfort or pain?

Sometimes, the discomfort of the shoulders might be caused by the chronic use of the muscles through activities such as sports. Those individuals who need to stay active are used to making repetitive, excessive, and overhead movements that put a lot of pressure and stress on the shoulder. This includes the soft tissues as well as the surrounding muscles.