How to Build Arm & Shoulder Muscle
Having large, strong arm and shoulder muscles can be impressive and displays your upper body strength. Make sure you isolate and work these specific muscle groups. Although it is fairly easy to work the arms, many weightlifting exercises miss the back, leaving you with a soft back and possibly exposing you to injuries. Luckily, there are some specific weight routines you can use to focus just on your back.
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Instructions
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Begin working your shoulders first. This is the larger muscle group and by working the shoulders you often work your arms, too.
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Set two dumbbells down by the base of your feet. Keeping your back straight, pick up the two weights. Look forward while you are bent over. Looking into a mirror may help your posture. Pull the weights up to your chest, hold there for a moment, then release the weights back down. This works mainly your upper back and shoulder muscles, but also your arms. Perform two sets of 10 reps.
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Stand straight up with a heavy dumbbell in each hand. Roll your shoulders up toward your ears, then back around toward the starting location. You want your shoulders to roll in a circular motion. You may feel a little tight while your shoulders roll backward, but this is natural. Perform two sets of 10 reps each.
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Lighten the dumbbells and hold them up behind your head. Your elbows should be pointed outward. Lift the weights up until your arms are almost perfectly straight, all the while keeping your elbows close to your head. This works triceps of your arms. Return the weights back down behind your head. This is one set. Perform two sets of 10 reps.
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Stand firmly against a wall while holding two dumbbells. Lift the dumbbells up toward your chest, hold for a moment, then lower them back down. This is a standard curl, but keeping your back against the wall prevents your back from doing most of the lifting and isolates the biceps and triceps. Perform two sets of 10 reps.
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