You are at the gym, staring at the dumbbell rack and wondering how to build bigger shoulders.
Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered.
With these dumbbell shoulder workouts, you’d be able to train your shoulder from all angles and build big and strong shoulder.
The shoulder joint is quite flexible. It provides us with a range of motion and several arm movements.
For example
- Flexion – Raising your arm forward
- Extension – Lowering the arm
- Abduction – Raising the arm to the side
- Adduction – Bringing the arm back to the side
- Internal Rotation – Turning your arms towards the body
- External Rotation – Turning the arms away from the body
As you can see the shoulder joint is involved in a variety of movements. Thus making it a complex joint
Understanding shoulder muscles
The shoulder muscles are also known as the Deltoid Muscle
The deltoid is divided into three parts.
- The anterior or front deltoid
- The medial deltoid
- The posterior or rear delt
The anterior or front deltoid is primarily involved in shoulder flexion or raising the arm forward. Example dumbbell front raises.
The medial deltoid is involved in abduction movements, or raising the arms to the side. Example dumbbell lateral raises.
The posterior or rear delt is involved in extension and internal rotation.
Benefits of doing dumbbell shoulder workouts
There are many ways to train your shoulder muscles.
For example you can do barbell exercises or cable shoulder workouts or shoulder workouts with machines as well.
Dumbbell shoulder workouts have some benefits
- Dumbbells offer a wide range of motion. This is limited when you are doing barbell or machines.
- Dumbbell exercises are easier to learn and are usually joint friendly.
- Dumbbell requires less space. If you are working out at home, you can do a full dumbbell shoulder workout at home.
- Dumbbell allows you to train unilateral exercises. This will help in developing equal strength and train for any muscle imbalances
3 Best Dumbbell Shoulder Exercises
Dumbbell Shoulder Press for Front Delts
Below are some tips and information for dumbbell shoulder press.
Primary Muscle Involved | Anterior (Front) Deltoids |
Secondary Muscle Group | Traps, Trapezius, and Upper Back |
Form | Stand or sit with dumbbells at shoulder height, press upwards and away from the body, extending the arm fully, then lower back down to the starting position |
Repetitions | You can target 8-12 per set |
Sets | You can target 3-5 sets for this exercise |
Tips | Use a weight that allows proper form, keep the core engaged, and avoid swinging the dumbbells |
Variations | Seated, Standing, Alternating Arms, and Pause Press |
Dumbbell Lateral Raises
Dumbbell lateral raises is an isolation exercise. It is good for medial delts.
Target Muscle Group | Lateral Deltoids or Side Delts |
Mechanics | This is an Isolation movement. You should focus on moderate weights and proper technique |
Experience Level | Dumbbell Lateral raise is suitable for Beginner as well as Advanced lifters |
Starting Position | Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, hold dumbbells at sides |
Lifting | Raise dumbbells to the sides until arms are horizontal |
Lowering | Lower dumbbells back to starting position |
Tips | Focus on controlled movements, avoid wrist elevation, use appropriate weight |
Variations | Single arm cable lateral raise, resistance band lateral raise, kettlebell lateral raise |
Benefits | Strengthens lateral deltoids, improves posture, reduces injury risk, enhances upper body strength |
Front Dumbbell Raises
Front dumbbell raises is an isolation exercise. It works on the front or anterior delts.
Target Muscle Group | Anterior Deltoids (Front Shoulders) |
Mechanics | Isolation exercise. You should focus on moderate weight with slow and controlled reps |
Secondary Muscles | Upper Chest, Upper Back |
Starting Position | Stand with feet hip-width apart, hold dumbbells in front of thighs |
Lifting | Raise dumbbells in an arc motion to shoulder height |
Lowering | Lower dumbbells back to starting position |
Tips | Maintain neutral wrist position, engage core, adjust weight for proper form |
Variations | Alternating front raises, cable front raises, plate front raises, Barbell Front raises |
Benefits | Strengthens anterior deltoids, improves shoulder stability, minimizes imbalances, enhances upper body strength |
Dumbbell Shoulder Workout Routine
Now you understand the shoulder muscles, their functions and the best shoulder exerciess.
Let’s take a look at full dumbbell shoulder workout routines.
Dumbbell Shoulder Workout Routine A
Exercise | Sets | Reps |
Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 4 | 8-12 |
Lateral Raises | 3 | 10-12 |
Front Raises | 3 | 10-12 |
Bent Over Reverse Flyes | 3 | 10-12 |
Dumbbell Shoulder Workout Routine B
Exercise | Sets | Reps |
Arnold Press | 4 | 8-12 |
Upright Rows | 3 | 10-12 |
Lateral Raises | 3 | 10-12 |
Shrugs | 3 | 10-12 |
Dumbbell Shoulder Workout Routine C
Exercise | Sets | Reps |
Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 4 | 8-12 |
Arnold Press | 3 | 10-12 |
Lateral Raises | 3 | 10-12 |
Front Raises | 3 | 10-12 |
Bent Over Reverse Flyes | 3 | 10-12 |
Dumbbell Shoulder Workout at Home Without Bench
If you don’t have a bench at home, you can still do a complete dumbbell shoulder workout.
Here is a complete Dumbbell shoulder workout at home without bench.
1. Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 3-4 | 8-12 |
2. Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 3-4 | 10-15 |
3. Dumbbell Front Raise | 3 | 12-15 |
4. Reverse Dumbbell Fly | 3 | 12-15 |
5. One-Arm Dumbbell Swing | 3 | 12-15 each arm |
Powerful dumbbell shoulder workout tips
- Proper Weight Selection: It is important to lift the right amount of weight. You should aim for 60-80% of 1RM. In terms of RPE, your workout should be 7-8.
- Form over Weights : Our goal is to build muscle mass. You should focus on lifting moderate weight with proper muscle contraction
- Don’t Use Momentum : With dumbbells it is quite easy to use the momentum to lift weights. This will not help. Make sure every rep counts.
- Log Your Workouts: You should use some form of logging, for example pen paper or mobile app. This will help you track the amount of weight you are lifting and reps.
Dumbbell shoulder workouts : Summary
The shoulder joint is a complex joint with lots of movements. However, it is prone to injuries if you train improperly. The dumbbell shoulder workouts allows you to train your shoulder in different angles, with different weights and movements.
Refer to the best exercises I have shared above. For a full dumbbell workout refer to the workout plan I have shared above.