Even if you prefer targeting your chest or triceps, your shoulders should never be neglected. Not only will they add great shape to your upper body (enhancing that desired ‘V-shape’ and creating the illusion of a smaller waist), but strong shoulders improve your posture too. You don’t need to spend hours working them either, just grab a pair of dumbbells (or two large water bottles) and add this five minute workout onto your next upper body session.
Our shoulders help us complete everyday tasks, from carrying shopping to driving a car. They're a vital part of our mobility and and help us move effectively. According to the British Journal of Sports Medicine, an hour a week of shoulder-specific strength training, or three 20 minute sessions a week, significantly reduced neck and shoulder pain in office workers (who are notorious for hunching over their desks and experiencing pain in this area).
Louis' five minute shoulder workout
For this workout created by Alo Moves personal trainer, Louis Chandler, you're going to be doing a superset (when you perform two exercises back to back without any rest between them). Supersets are perfect for when you're pushed for time, as they allow you to pack more into your workout. Plus, they cause greater muscle activation as they up the intensity of your workout.
You'll do both exercises below for 12 reps each, followed by a 30 second rest and you'll keep repeating this until your five minutes is up. Here's your exercises:
1. Dumbbell lateral raises
Grab a pair of lightly weighted dumbbells and get into position by standing neutrally, with soft knees, keeping the core tight.
Hold a dumbbell in each hand at waist level, then raise them to the sides with straight arms up to shoulder level. Make sure to lead with the elbows to protect the joints.
2. Lateral raises
This time, instead of raising your arms to the sides, raise them directly in front of you while maintaining straight arms and lifting them to shoulder level.
Add this session onto the end of this tricep workout and this 20 minute chest workout, and you'll have a full upper body push workout. If, however, you're looking to target your legs and glutes next, give this 20 minute lower body dumbbell workout a try, which is ideal for building muscle and increasing strength.
