How to Do a Rear Shoulder Muscle Exercise

The complex of muscles that form and surround the shoulder are critical in maintaining good posture, keeping you pain-free and allowing your arms and upper body a smooth and strong range of motion. To keep the shoulders balanced by working the rear shoulders and the serratus anterior, follow these steps.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Warm up by swinging your arm in large circles as you stand in place. After doing forward circles for 30 seconds, switch to backward circles. Then switch arms. Finish up by swinging your arms across your body and then opening them to stretch your rear shoulders and your chest.
2. Lie down on the ground as you hold a light weight in one hand. Raise the weight straight up above you. Push up so you bring the rear of your shoulder off of the ground. Then, slowly lower it back to the ground. Repeat the exercise for sets of between 8 and 12 reps.
3. Bend over at the waist while holding 2 light weights in your hands. Keep your feet fairly close together. Make sure your back is straight. Raise the weight up and away from your center in a motion that resembles a bird flapping its wings to work the rear, or posterior, shoulders.
4. Stand up straight as you hold a dumbbell in each hand. Make sure there is a slight inward curve in your lower back. Raise your arms upward, with the head of each dumbbell facing the ceiling. Raise the weights just above your ears in straight arcs, keeping your elbows straight. Then, lower the weights down to rest by your sides again.