She Strengthens

Unlock the Power of Your Shoulders

Your shoulders are the unsung heroes of your body, providing the foundation for most of your daily movements. From reaching for that top shelf to lifting your little ones, strong shoulders are essential for living life to the fullest. But how can you build and maintain shoulder strength without breaking the bank or sacrificing precious time?

The Importance of Shoulder Strength

Shoulders are often overlooked, but they play a critical role in our overall mobility and functionality. According to ACE certified trainer Rachel MacPherson, “Shoulders provide most of our movement capabilities,” making them an essential component of our daily lives.

Efficient Shoulder Workouts at Home

The good news is that you don’t need a fancy gym membership to build strong shoulders. With a few simple exercises and minimal equipment, you can target those essential muscles from the comfort of your own home.

Dumbbell and Resistance Band Exercises

These exercises require a pair of moderate-weight dumbbells or a resistance band.

• Shoulder Press: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding dumbbells at chin height. Press the weights up overhead, then lower back down.
• Lateral Raise: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding dumbbells at your sides. Lift your arms out to the sides until they’re parallel with the floor.
• Front Raise: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding dumbbells in front of your thighs. Lift your arms to shoulder height, then lower back down.
• Upright Row: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding dumbbells in front of your thighs. Bend your elbows and bring the dumbbells up to your armpits.
• Single-Arm External Rotation: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in one hand. Bend your arm to 90 degrees and rotate your weight 45 degrees.
• Car Driver: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell with both hands. Turn the weight to the left and right, mimicking a steering wheel motion.
• Raise and Pull-Apart: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding dumbbells in front of your thighs. Lift your arms to shoulder height, then take them out to the sides.
• Military Press: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding dumbbells at shoulder height. Press the dumbbells straight over your shoulders.

Bodyweight Exercises

No equipment? No problem! These bodyweight moves can be done anywhere.

• Cat-Cow: Kneel on a yoga mat, inhaling and exhaling as you arch and round your back.
• Walkout/Inchworm: Stand with feet hip-width apart, then hinge at your hips and walk your hands forward into a high plank position.
• Push-up: Start in a high plank position, lowering your body until your chest barely touches the floor.
• Plank: Hold a straight line from head to heels, engaging your core and glutes.
• Side Plank: Lie on your side, propping yourself up on your elbow or hand.
• Plank Shoulder Tap: Start in plank position, lifting one hand to tap the opposite shoulder.
• Plank to Down Dog: Start in plank position, hinging at your hips to push into Downward Dog.

Putting it All Together

To get started, warm up with some light stretching and overhead reaches. Choose five or six exercises and perform three sets of each, aiming to work out your shoulders twice a week. Remember to listen to your body and adjust the intensity as needed. With consistent practice and progressive weight increases, you’ll be rocking strong, round, defined shoulders in no time!