Here are 5 top exercises for building strong and stable shoulders. I bet you haven’t tried many of these exercises before! These exercises will be beneficial to your pull-up, push-up, and muscle-up performance (and how your body feels), and countless other exercises, sports, and daily activities.
You can do these exercises as part of your warm-up, during your main workout as filler/active rest exercises, or as part of your main workout.
#1) Single Arm Floor Presses + Posterior Band Resistance
This exercise strengthens the rotator cuff muscles, particularly the subscapularis. The subscapularis is the biggest and strongest rotator cuff muscle. It is responsible for the internal rotation and adduction of the humerus, and stabilizes the shoulder.
Coaching Tips:
- Attach a band so it’s behind you, and hold the band in your hand (or loop it around your wrist). In the same hand, hold a kettlebell in a regular position (or dumbbell).
- Lie on the floor, and bend your knees.
- Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace), and squeeze your glutes.
- Now perform a single arm press.
- Gain a moment of control when you are in the top position, and then return the kettlebell to the starting position with control.
- In the bottom position, do not allow your elbow to flare out.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your shoulders to shrug, or shoulder blades to elevate.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine, or hips to rotate.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and squeeze your glutes.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps per side.
#2) Push-Up + Serratus Press-Back
This push-up variation also strengthens the serratus anterior muscle, improves shoulder and scapular controlled mobility, overhead mobility, and lumbo-pelvic stability (think core).
As I talk about a lot, the serratus anterior is a key muscle that is overlooked by countless people! The serratus upwardly rotates, protracts, and posteriorly tilts the shoulder blades. If you struggle to get your arms into an overhead position, the serratus anterior might be the culprit!
If you can’t do this from the floor, perform a modified variation where you elevate your hands on a stable surface like you would with regular hands elevated push-ups.
Coaching Tips:
- Get into a plank position from your hands and feet.
- Position your hands so they are shoulder width apart or slightly wider. Figure out what hand width and positioning works and feels best for you.
- At the top of the push-up, your shoulders, elbows and wrists should be in a relatively stacked position.
- Your weight should be evenly distributed throughout your full hands and fingers, not just at the base of your hands/wrists. Pretend you are trying to spread your full hands and fingers to the floor (or elevated surface if you are modifying).
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt), and squeeze your glutes.
- Descend into the push-up and retract your shoulder blades. Think about lightly drawing your shoulder blades together and towards your spine as you are performing the eccentric component, but do not overdo this movement. Imagine you are pulling or “rowing” your body down to the surface. Do not just drop down.
- In the bottom position, your elbows should be positioned over your wrists, and forearms in a vertical position. Do not allow your elbows to flare out. In the bottom position, your body and arms should resemble an “arrow,” not a “T”.
- Once your upper arms are approximately parallel to the floor (or elevated surface if you are modifying), press your body diagonally/back, and get your arms into an overhead position. Your hips should also pike.
- When you are pressing your body diagonally/back and are getting your arms into an overhead position, really think about spreading your shoulder blades apart and moving them away from your spine, around your ribcage, and away from your opposite hip. Do not keep them pinned. In this movement you should be getting significant scapular protraction, upward rotation, and posterior tilt.
- Then return your body to the top/starting position of the push-up, and do a proper reset (breath in, brace, glute squeeze, etc) before performing the next rep.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or neck to collapse.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and squeeze your glutes.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 8-15 reps.
#3) T-Raises From Bear Crawl
This exercise strengthens the traps (most notably, the mid traps), improves shoulder and scapular controlled mobility (and stability on the planted side), and lumbo-pelvic stability (think core).
This exercise is extremely anti-rotational in nature, and is so much tougher than it looks!
Coaching Tips:
- Hold a light dumbbell or other weighted object. You will not need to use much resistance to make this both challenging and effective.
- Get into a bear crawl position. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position. Your thighs should be vertical, knees bent, and several inches above the floor.
- Place your feet so they are about hip to shoulder width apart.
- On the planted side, your hand should be underneath your shoulder. Spread your fingers, and pretend you are suctioning or screwing your hand and fingers to the floor.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt), and squeeze your glutes.
- Now perform a lateral/t-raise and retract your shoulder blade. Think about moving your shoulder blade in towards your spine.
- Once you hit your end range, really contract the muscles around your shoulder blade.
- Then lower your arm and the weight to the starting position with complete control. Your shoulder blade should perform the opposite movement and should protract (move away from your spine, and around your ribcage).
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your shoulders to shrug or round, or shoulder blades to elevate. Really focus on keeping your shoulders and shoulder blades down.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your spine to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, hips to pike or collapse, or weight to shift from foot to foot.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine), and squeeze your glutes.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps per side.
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#4) Hollow Body + Band Pull-Aparts
This exercise improves lumbo-pelvic stability (think core), and shoulder and scapular controlled mobility.
Coaching Tips:
- Lie on the floor. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Lift up your legs so they are in a vertical position, fully extend your knees, point your feet away from you (plantarflex).
- Hold a long resistance band in each hand. There should be resistance in the band for 100% of the exercise.
- Keep your neck in a neutral position, chin tucked, and tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt).
- Before you go, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core muscles (360 degree brace around your spine), and tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection/think about wrinkling the front of your shirt).
- Now slowly lower your legs towards the floor, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form (and feel your anterior core muscles). Maintain this position for the duration of the exercise.
- While keeping your body still, and elbows straight (but not hyperextended), move your shoulder blades in towards your spine (retract). When you do this your hands will spread apart.
- Once you hit your end range pause for a count and really contract the muscles around your shoulder blades.
- Now perform the reverse movement and spread your shoulder blades apart from your spine and move them around your ribcage (protract). When you do this your hands will come together (stop when your hands are in line with your armpits).
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your shoulders to shrug, or shoulder blades to elevate.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine or hips to rotate.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine). You can also flex your glutes and quads if you want to make this more specific to pull-ups and muscle-ups.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 10-20 reps.
#5) Band Resisted Multidirectional Taps From Single Leg Partial Squat + Bottoms-Up Kettlebell Hold
This unique exercise strengthens the glutes, the muscles in the foot and lower leg, improves shoulder and scapular stability, grip, and lumbo-pelvic stability (think core).
Coaching Tips:
- Place a band around your ankles. There should be resistance in the band for 100% of the exercise.
- Hold a kettlebell in a bottoms-up position, and so it’s in the bottom position of an overhead press. Do not allow your elbow to flare out.
- Your forearm should be vertical, and wrist in a neutral position. Maintain this position for the duration of the exercise.
- Get into a single leg partial squat stance. Your head, torso, and hips should be in a stacked position. Maintain this position for the duration of the exercise.
- On the planted side, form a tripod base by placing your weight on the back portion of your foot, and the base of your big and baby toes. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your foot to the floor.
- Perform taps in multiple directions. Aside from this moving leg, the rest of your body should remain in a fixed position for the duration of the exercise.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your knee to fall inside or outside of your foot. Lightly press your leg out against the band.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your shoulders to shrug, or shoulder blades to elevate.
- For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso, and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or hip to drop on one side.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace around your spine).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Do 2-3 sets of 8-15 reps per side (of the taps).
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