What Exercise Is a Good Way to Build Shoulder Muscles?
The shoulder muscle, or deltoid, actually consists of three parts. Building shoulder muscles properly requires working each of these parts equally, so when developing a workout plan be sure to include exercises for each of the three. Also consider your workout goals and weight resistance options when choosing exercise apparatus, as there are several options available for working the three parts of the deltoid.
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Shoulder Muscle Anatomy
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The muscle controlling shoulder movement is the deltoid. This muscle consists of three parts, or heads: the anterior at the front of the shoulder, the lateral to the side and top of the shoulder, and the posterior at the back of the shoulder. All three deltoid heads attach to the humerus, the major bone of your upper arm, and function to lift the arm away from the body, either to the forward, side, or back.
Exercises - Anterior
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The anterior deltoid muscles lift the arm forward away from the body and also contribute to movements associated with the pectorals, such as bench presses. Bench presses, inclined bench presses, butterflies and forward arm raises are all excellent exercises for the anterior deltoids.
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Exercises - Posterior
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The posterior deltoids control arm movement back and away from the body, and also contribute to upper back movements. Rowing exercises are good for activating the posterior deltoid muscles.
Exercises - Lateral
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The lateral deltoids are engaged in movements lifting the arm up and to the side of the body. Vertical presses and lateral raises are the best exercises for this part of the deltoid muscle.
Resistance Options
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The use of weight, and the type of weight resistance used, is a personal choice. Dumbbells require balance in addition to movement against the resistance, thereby working surrounding muscle groups in addition to the primary muscle used in each exercise. However, when a more controlled movement is necessary due to injury risk or desired outcome, cable systems or specifically designed exercise machines provide options.
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