Shoulder Exercises for Strength

Stand erect with your hands clasped behind your back. Lift your arms up and away from your body until you feel a comfortable stretch, being sure to keep your back and elbows straight. Hold this position for up to 15 seconds. This exercise will help strengthen the front of the shoulders and improve flexibility.

This exercise will increase strength in the back of the shoulder. While standing, raise your right arm and reach across your body, touching your back between the shoulder blades. Grasp your right elbow with your left hand and pull it inward toward your body until you feel the stretch. Hold this position for up to 15 seconds, then repeat the exercise with your other shoulder.

Holding a dumbbell in each hand while sitting on an exercise bench, raise them up to shoulder height with your palms facing away from your body. Slowly raise the dumbbells above your head, stopping just short of locking your elbows. Return the weights to shoulder height, and repeat nine more times.

This exercise is performed while standing with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs. Extend your arms away from your body and up toward your shoulders, forming the shape of a T. Lower your arms back to the starting position and repeat nine more times.

As with lateral raises, shoulder raises are performed with your feet shoulder-width apart and the dumbbells resting in front of your thighs. But instead of lifting the dumbbells to your side, this time you will raise your left arm directly in front of you to shoulder height while keeping your arm extended. Return to the starting position, then repeat with your right arm. Continue alternating until you complete 10 repetitions with each arm.