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STAKE STRONG, HEROIC shoulders are probably high on your list of training goals. To do this, you’ll want to arm yourself with the best tools, which means sorting through the many shoulder exercises you’ve seen other people do at the gym or online.
The problem is that the shoulders can be a difficult muscle group to train. The shoulder joints are extremely small, and because the muscles are so involved in heavy pressing movements that target other areas of the upper body, you’re likely to focus almost exclusively on the shoulders during compound exercises. So choosing the right movements is essential to avoid injuries and overwork.
Here MH fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, CSCS shares five shoulder exercises that are never worth your time—despite what the TikTok people or old bodybuilders at your gym say. Take them out of your rotation and replace them with some of our alternatives to protect your shoulders from injury and maximize your benefits.
5 Shoulder Exercises to Avoid
Presses behind the neck
Men’s health
Neck presses are just overhead presses that go (you guessed it) behind the neck. The movement brings your elbows out of the plane of the skull, which allows for more complete and healthy movement in our scapula.
Now you can feel good about pressing behind the neck. However, the movement pulls your shoulders out of alignment, which can have negative long-term effects. “It’s just not worth it,” says Samuel.
Do this instead: the overhead barbell press
Men’s health
Try a regular overhead barbell press instead. You will be able to move more weight and feel much more comfortable.
Barbell vertical row
Men’s health
Using the barbell for upright rows requires a lot of internal shoulder rotation, which can be quite uncomfortable. That being said, there is a time and a place for the vertical row—just maybe not with a barbell. A barbell doesn’t give us the range of motion we need to properly move through the pattern.
Do this instead: Dumbbell vertical row
Men’s health
Grab a pair of dumbbells instead. In this way, you will get the necessary freedom of movement. You’ll also be able to pull your elbow back a bit to engage some of your back muscles.
Heavy side raises
Men’s health
“The side raises themselves are great for building the medial head of our shoulders,” says Samuel. “But very often you’ll see guys in the gym picking up 40-, 50-, 60-pound dumbbells.
This causes a lot of form errors that distract from the shoulders. They will start to swing at the hips, which doesn’t do much to develop the shoulder muscles. They will also bend more at the elbow to compensate for the heavy weight that goes into internal rotation, a vulnerable position.
Instead, do this: form the first shape / lift to the side
Men’s health
Instead, find a weight that you can control with good form. Fully extend your arm and pause at the top of each rep. You can even do them on an incline bench.
Standing dumbbell external rotation
Men’s health
Plain and simple: this exercise makes no sense. The force of gravity does not even descend on the shoulders in this position. If anything, it’s a bicep hold.
Do this instead: Cable External Rotation
Men’s health
Use a cable machine or resistance band instead. The angle of the load will be set in the correct position and you will actually get something out of it.
Front lift
Men’s health
Yes, the front raise will work the front of your shoulders (aka front delts). But if you want to build noticeable size, you want to work mainly the medial and lateral portions of the deltoid. Your front delts get enough attention because of the overhead press.
Do this instead: Middle and back palm exercises
Stick to the other moves on this list and you’ll have all the anterior deltoids you need. Then add others to balance yourself out.
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