Sculpting sexy shoulders is at the top of many fitness fanatics "to-do" lists. And while including shoulder exercises in your overall strength training program is beneficial, there are a few things you need to know before stacking on the weight.
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"The shoulder is a highly injured area of the body, so it is advisable that you are not only working the larger shoulder muscles, but also the smaller stabilizing rotator cuff muscles," says Grayson Wickham, CSCS, physical therapist and founder of Movement Vault. "Any type of shoulder-intensive exercise has the potential to damage your shoulders."
If you don't have the necessary mobility and stability in your shoulder, Wickham says you're more likely to compensate by using muscles you don't mean to use or performing the move incorrectly. This can cause stress to the shoulder joint and surrounding muscles, ultimately leading to unnecessary wear and tear and even shoulder injuries.
Shoulder Exercises You Might Be Doing Incorrectly
With all this potential for a shoulder injury, you may want to consider working with a personal trainer, physical therapist or strength and conditioning specialist, especially if you're not sure how to execute the movement correctly. They can help you dial in your form and design a program that works best for you. That said, some exercises can hurt your shoulders more than others, especially if you're doing them incorrectly.
Shoulder Exercises to Avoid
While most exercises involving the shoulders are safe to do, there are a few the experts say should remain on the "do not include" list.
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Tips to Help Prevent Shoulder Injuries
Since the shoulder muscles are involved in a lot of everyday, upper-body movements, it's important to keep them healthy and injury-free. But sometimes that's easier said than done. Here, Wickham shares five tips for avoiding shoulder injuries when working out.
How to Safely Include Shoulder Exercises in Your Workouts
Training your upper body means you're going to recruit your shoulder muscles to assist in many of the movements. That's why it's important to know how to safely incorporate shoulder exercises into your fitness routine. Wickham says how you go about it depends on your goals and level of training.
"Someone that is looking to build muscle and train in a bodybuilding style workout split will train differently than someone that is training in a powerlifting style, CrossFit style or general fitness," he says.
If you have four to five days to train each week, Wickham says you can work the shoulders one to two times a week in isolation or as part of a full-body workout. However, if you're going to do a heavy shoulder workout, it's advisable to not work that area for one to three days afterward to allow for proper recovery.
In general, Dr. Adam says to consider doing shoulder exercises with a "thumbs up" position when incorporating them into an overall workout. This position is healthier for the shoulder.
That said, if this still causes pain in the shoulder area, Dr. Adam says to stop doing it or try a modification. She also likes to include functional exercises that target multiple muscle groups. For example, she says an exercise like the farmer's carry engages both the core and shoulder stabilizers.
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