It’s important to develop strength all throughout your body, and one of the ways you can do this is by paying attention to your shoulders when you work out. Stretching these joints is a vital part of a balanced workout, but those who want to go beyond flexibility to also focus on strength need to keep a few things in mind in order to get the most out of their workout. A new report explains how a shoulder strengthening mission can be carried out successfully.
The first thing that you can do is something called a shoulder press, which is best accomplished in the standing position while using a dumbbell. There are two ways to go about this: by taking one shoulder at a time or by lifting with both arms at once.
No matter which way you opt for, there are some things to remember. First, make sure that you’re keeping your back perfectly straight as you’re engaged in the activity. That way, you’re bracing yourself against the weight that you’re about to lift over your head, avoiding a potential strain in the process. Balance is harder to achieve when you’re only working one side at a time. As you lift a single dumbbell above your head, the temptation will be to lean in that direction, which actually compromises the viability of the movement.
If you’re worried about your ability to keep your back perfectly erect as you lift, you might lift with both sides at the same time. Take a reasonably sized dumbbell in each hand, bending your elbows and bringing each of those toward your shoulders. Then lift your arms straight up above your head and bring them back down toward the shoulders. Try to aim for 15 reps of this.
Another great exercise will require you to use a piece of gym equipment that uses a weight column and a cable. You’re going to want to stand facing away from the weight column and grab the cable with your palms facing backward (as opposed to turning your arms so they face the front).
When this is accomplished, you can take the cable in each hand, with your elbows in a slightly bent position. Then, pull that cable upward until your arms are extended forward from your body at around the same height as your shoulders. You should feel tension in your shoulders released when you do this. When you’ve reached that apex, you’ll want to bring the cable back down and then do again an appropriate number of reps.
For more information about these stretches and others, follow the link up above.
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