The 5 Best Shoulder Exercises For Mass & Definition

Best Shoulder Exercise #1 – Rear-Delt Cable Flys

Step 1 – Face away from a high-pulley cable machine.
Step 2 – Grab on to the cable knob (with the handle removed).
Step 3 – Arms extended in front of you at shoulder width, shoulder blades protracted (forward), hands reaching for the front of the room.
Step 4 – Without changing your arm position, bring the cables back so that your body and your arms make a human “T” with your rear-delts fully contracted.
Step 5 – Key here is to contract your rear-delts, but to avoid total shoulder blade retraction.

Best Shoulder Exercise #2 – Bent Over Dumbbell Lateral Raises

Step 1 – Torso parallel to the floor and should blades protracted with a neutral grip (palms facing each other).
Step 2 – Without bending your elbows, retract your shoulder blades AND THEN raise the weights so that your arms are parallel with the floor.
Step 3 – Without changing your arm position, bring the cables back so that your body and your arms make a human “T” with your rear-delts fully contracted.
Step 4 – SLOWLY return the weights to the starting position without changing the bend in your elbow.
Step 5 – Important points to remember is to retract your shoulder blades BEFORE raising the weight, do not change the bend in your elbow and to control the negative.

Best Shoulder Exercise #3 – Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raises

Step 1 – Seated, abs contracted with a very slight forward lean.
Step 2 – Initiate the movement with your delts as you reach for the sides of the room
Step 3 – Bring the dumbbells up so your arms are parallel with the floor.
Step 4 – SLOWLY return the weights to the starting position (about six inches away from the bench) without changing the bend in your elbow.
Step 5 – Do not let your arms hang at the bottom of the move or you have lost tension in your delts.

Best Shoulder Exercise #4 – Arnold Shoulder Press

Step 1 – Seated, abs contracted with a very slight forward lean.
Step 2 – Dumbbells at your shoulders (not touching) and palms facing you.
Step 3 – Push the dumbbells up while simultaneously twisting your palms to face the front of the room.
Step 4 – Reach for the ceiling before reversing the movement so the dumbbells are back at the starting position.
Step 5 – Avoid the urge to lean back or let the dumbbells rest on your shoulders at the bottom of the move.

Best Shoulder Exercise #5 – Rear-delt Machine Flys

Step 1 – Seated with your body facing the rear-delt machine.
Step 2 – Grab on to the handles with your shoulder blade protracted and arms reaching for the front of the room.
Step 3 – Initiation the move with your rear delt and bring your arms back so you form a human “T”.
Step 4 – Do not change the bend in your elbow and fully contract your rear-delts without excessively retracting your shoulder blades.
Step 5 – As you bring your arms back, think about reaching outward to the side of the room.

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