Breakdown of the Best Bodyweight Shoulder Exercises for Maximum Strength

Best Bodyweight Shoulder Exercises

If you're looking to work out your shoulders and build strength without weights, then bodyweight shoulder exercises are the way to go. With bodyweight exercises, you get to work on building endurance and strength without having to use anything in your workout other than your own self. It's easy to see why these exercises are popular; no need to worry about having the right equipment for your home gym or anything like that.

The shoulders can be a slightly difficult area to target in your workouts. Naturally, it won't do to just let them go undeveloped. The shoulder connects your whole arm to the rest of your body, and anyone who has ever had a serious shoulder injury can attest to how difficult it makes things. Fortunately, there are a bunch of bodyweight shoulder exercises that are known to yield substantial results.

Hindu Pushup

If you're doing these exercises for muscular endurance, then its important to pick an exercise that'll allow you to do about 16 reps or more, depending on what your ultimate goal is. One of the best bodyweight shoulder exercises for building endurance is the Hindu pushup. Pushups are great for targeting the shoulders in general. For this particular exercise, you start by placing your legs and arms roughly a shoulder width apart. The body is then formed into a sort of upside-down “V” shape while keeping the spine, head and neck aligned—in Yoga, this position is commonly known as the Downward Dog.

From here, you bend your elbows, bringing your chest down until it rests just above the floor, and then you move forward into a Cobra Pose (torso raised, legs and lower abdomen pressed against the ground). To return to the Downward Dog position, simply raise the abdomen and then push backward. Hindu pushups are good because they not only target your shoulders, but they also work your chest.

Decline Pushup

Aside from the Hindu variation, there are many other ways to do pushups that effectively work your shoulders. One popular method is the decline pushup. Here, you place your feet on a higher surface with your hands pressed against the floor. This puts more strain on the shoulders because more of your body's weight is concentrated into one spot. The higher you rest your legs, the more stress your shoulders will receive and the more endurance you'll ultimately gain.

Shoulder Press Pushup

Another variation is the shoulder press pushup. This is something of a cross between a decline pushup and a handstand pushup; instead of assuming a diagonal position, you keep your upper body perpendicular to the floor. This is more effective because it puts even more strain on the shoulder muscles. However, you should probably start smaller and work your way up to doing shoulder press pushups due to how taxing they can be.

Plank Exercise

Another good exercise to try is planking. This is a relatively simple exercise. It starts off with you lying face-down, hands entwined and held straight out in front of you. Using your arms and legs, lift up your hips so that your weight is concentrated on your toes and forearms. Make sure that while planking, your body is kept as straight as possible and your head is relaxed. You should generally hold this position for 30 to 60 seconds before stopping.

There are countless other ways you can work to target your shoulder muscles using only your own weight. These are just a few of the easiest and most effective. They're by no means the best exercises for everyone, and the workout you need depends on what your aim is. Make sure to read up on other possible exercise techniques before beginning.

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