How to Sculpt Your Shoulders, Safely
If you're big and strong (or even just working to be big and strong), you probably think of yourself as someone who can shoulder heavy loads, literally.
Your shoulders, which are not just one or two muscles but complex structures composed of muscles, tendons, and ligaments supporting ball-and-socket joints, are involved in pressing movements, rotation, and more. If you're working on training your upper body, your shoulders are most likely involved. That's a good thing—but also a reason to be cautious.
While your shoulders can (and should) take on heavy loads in your training, you should also be mindful of the positions you put yourself into when you lift weights. Those joints can be delicate, and moving with poor mechanics can put your shoulder health at risk. For some, mobility issues can make training with the right form even more important. That makes using perfect form—and being smart with how much weight you're taking on—even more important when you're training shoulders than some other muscle groups.
Add these shoulder-safe exercises to your upper body workouts to help you build stronger, healthier shoulders.
The Shoulder-Safe Exercises
Lateral Raise
3 sets of 12 to 15 reps
This simple staple of shoulder training should be in everyone's repertoire to grow the lateral part of the shoulder (and while we're here, we'll mention that you can pair lateral raises with front raises to hit even more parts of your shoulders). Just make sure to use light weights, especially if you're only just starting out on your training journey or if you've ever had issues with shoulder health before. Check out this guide for more details.
Military Press
3 sets of 10 to 12 reps
A true OG of shoulder training, the dumbbell version of the movement allows your shoulders to have a greater range of motion (and thus put you in a more shoulder-safe position) than if you were to use a dumbbell. Want to challenge your core while you smash your shoulders? Try it from a kneeling position. Check out more details about the movement here.
Bottoms Up Kettlebell Press
3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
You'll take advantage of the kettlebell's unique shape and weight distribution for this movement—which can help to challenge your shoulders without loading them up with too much weight. Hold the kettlebell by the handle, and it becomes a challenge to stabilize s you press. This is another movement that can benefit from kneeling, too. For more form tips, give this a read.
Arnold Press
3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
Typically, this is an exercise that would be considered somewhat risky, due to the amount of internal rotation the standard version requires. But this is a different method—one that minimizes opportunities for over-rotation. Make sure to check out this guide for the full details of about how to focus for safety and success.
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