The shoulder is part of your upper body and contributes greatly to lifting performance. It has a large role in throwing the ball, digging, and grappling activities that require lots of leverage. The success of these movements depends on having strong shoulders which can only be developed with proper exercise.
If you’re looking to improve your strength, posture, and functional performance – then you’ve found the right place. Through these shoulder workouts with a barbell, you can expect to grow bigger shoulders, develop strong and stable shoulders, and improve your range of motion.
1. Barbell push press
The barbell push press is one of the most versatile pressing exercises for the shoulders. It allows you to target a lot of different muscles in your shoulders, in addition to an increase in strength and size. This exercise allows you to work your entire shoulder girdle, including your rotator cuff muscles. If you are having problems with building up strength in the shoulders then this exercise will help.
Here is how you do the barbell push press:
- Position the barbell across your shoulders with a space of about shoulder width between your hands.
- Drive your heels into the ground and press the barbell up until your arms are fully extended, maintaining a straight back and spine.
- Lower the barbell back to the starting position, and repeat.
The barbell push press is a great exercise for the shoulders, but it can be used to target other muscles as well such as the abdominals. This exercise forces you to stabilize your body, which will help with balance and muscle recruitment. If done properly, this exercise can help to strengthen your entire shoulder girdle.
2. Seated barbell shoulder press
The seated barbell shoulder press is a compound exercise that works all the major musculature groups in your shoulders and upper back. It’s one of the best exercises for your shoulders because it hits several muscle groups including the deltoids, pectorals, and latissimus dorsi muscles.
To do this exercise:
- Sit on a bench with a barbell resting on your shoulders.
- Grab the barbell with your hands shoulder-width apart.
- Press the barbell overhead until your arms are fully extended.
- Lower the barbell back to your shoulders and repeat.
If you’re looking for an exercise that will challenge your shoulder girdle and blast your entire upper body, look no further than the seated barbell shoulder press. The seated angle is more comfortable on your back, and it reduces the amount of upper body twisting that occurs during the movement. Just be sure to keep your back straight while you’re lifting and avoid injury.
3. Overhead press
The overhead press is a popular exercise that’ll boost your shoulders and triceps. Overhead presses are also good for your core and hip stability, which helps you move efficiently on the court or field. The overhead press takes a short time to complete, which makes them perfect for athletes who want to work their abs and build upper body strength in one workout.
Here is how you do this exercise:
- Start with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell at shoulder level with your palms facing forward.
- Press the barbell overhead, extending your arms fully.
- Lower the barbell back to shoulder level.
- Repeat.
To do an overhead press with good technique and achieve the best results, you need to pause for a second at the top of the movement. This gives your muscles a chance to recruit the maximum amount of muscle fibers and work together to produce more force. The more force you can produce, the more weight you’ll lift!
4. Barbell shrugs
The barbell shrug is one of the best exercises for building shoulder muscles. It is a compound exercise that uses your entire muscle groups, including your biceps, forearms, and back muscles. This exercise hits multiple muscles in between the shoulders which gives you a more defined look of your shoulders.
Here is how you do barbell shrugs:
- Start by standing up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
- Next, hold a barbell in front of you with your palms facing your thighs.
- Keeping your back straight and your core engaged, raise your shoulders as high as you can.
- Reverse the motion and lower your shoulders back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
The barbell shrug is a relatively simple exercise to perform, but be sure to use proper form when lifting weights. Always go slowly and concentrate on making sure you’re using your back muscles and not just your arms to lift the weight. This exercise can also be used as a warm-up before other weight training exercises are performed.
5. Barbell front squat into overhead press complex
With the barbell front squat into the overhead press complex, you will be performing two different lifts in succession. To do this, you must have a good understanding of each movement and set a personal record with each one. This will get your heart rate up, really challenge your strength, and get you in great shape.
Here is how you do this exercise:
- Start with the barbell in the rack at about shoulder height.
- Step under the bar and position it across the front of your shoulders, resting it on your clavicle.
- Lift the bar off the rack and take a step back with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Squat down by bending your knees and hips until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
- Stand back up by extending your hips and knees until your legs are straight.
- Press the bar overhead by extending your arms until your arms are straight.
- Lower the bar back down to your shoulders and return to the start position.
This movement is good mainly because it uses different muscle groups and gets your heart pumping. It requires good form and can be modified to higher or lower weights depending on whether you want to get strong or tackle endurance. Barbell front squat into overhead press complex is perfect for anyone looking to improve their overall training.
Conclusion
The key to doing these shoulder workouts properly is to make sure that you are always maintaining good sound form. These exercises should never be painful. Always ensure that you are getting constant feedback from your body to guarantee safety, the most efficient performance, and to obtain the best results.