21 Bodyweight Shoulder Exercises: No Equipment

Are you looking for a convenient and effective way to strengthen your shoulders?

Look no further than bodyweight exercises! These exercises use your own weight as resistance, making them perfect for those who don’t have access to a gym or weights.

In this blog post, we’ll show you the best bodyweight exercises for targeting your shoulders and provide tips for incorporating them into your fitness routine.

Get ready to sculpt your delts and achieve those shoulder goals!”

Know About Shoulder Muscles

The shoulders are made up of several different muscles that work together to provide a wide range of motion and stability.

The main muscles of the shoulder are the deltoids, rotator cuff, and trapezius.

Deltoids

In fitness, “shoulder exercises” refers to resistance exercises that target the deltoid muscle.

While the deltoid is technically a single muscle, anatomically speaking it has three distinct sets of muscles fibers and muscle bellies, which are referred to as “heads.

• The anterior deltoid (In front),
• lateral deltoid (at the side), and
• Posterior deltoid (behind),

The deltoids are responsible for shoulder flexion, extension, and abduction.

Rotator cuff

The rotator cuff is made up of four small muscles that attach to the shoulder blade and help to stabilize the shoulder joint.

The supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis muscles all make up the rotator cuff.

Trapezius

The trapezius muscle is a large muscle that runs from the base of the skull to the middle of the back and is responsible for shoulder elevation, depression, and rotation.

Benefits of Bodyweight Shoulder Exercises

Several advantages come from incorporating Bodyweight shoulder exercises at Home into your deltoid workouts plan.

1. Convenience: Bodyweight exercises can be done anywhere and at any time, making them a great option for those who don’t have access to a gym or weights.
2. Cost-effective: Bodyweight exercises don’t require any equipment, making them a cost-effective way to workout.
3. Versatility: Bodyweight exercises can be modified to suit different fitness levels and goals, from beginner to advanced.
4. Improve posture: Many bodyweight exercises target the shoulders, helping to strengthen and stabilize the muscles that support good posture.
5. Reduce injury risk: Stronger shoulders can help to reduce the risk of injury and pain. Bodyweight exercises that work on the shoulders can help to strengthen the rotator cuff muscles, which are essential for shoulder stability.
6. Improve upper body strength: Bodyweight shoulder exercises can help to improve upper body strength, which can be beneficial for daily activities such as carrying heavy bags or lifting objects.
7. Improve overall fitness: Bodyweight shoulder exercises can help to improve overall fitness by building strength, endurance, and flexibility.
8. Bodyweight shoulder exercises allow the joints to move naturally within their range of motion by creating more joint stability.
9. Bodyweight workouts are perfect for the at-home exerciser with the limited space.

Bodyweight Shoulder Exercises beginner, intermediate and advance

Bodyweight shoulder exercises can be modified to suit different fitness levels, from beginner to advanced.

Here is an overview of bodyweight shoulder exercises for beginners, intermediates, and advanced individuals:

Beginners

For those new to bodyweight exercises, it’s important to start with exercises that are relatively easy to perform and to focus on proper form.

Some good options for beginners include. I, Y, T, W, wall push-ups, knee push-ups, and bird bog Pose.

Planks and shoulder taps are also great options for beginners.

Intermediates

As you build strength and confidence, you can progress to more challenging exercises.

Intermediate bodyweight shoulder exercises include regular push-ups, crab walk, and Hindu push-up.

Tabletop Reverse Pike and plank can also be included in intermediate level.

Advanced

For those who are looking for a more challenging workout, advanced bodyweight shoulder exercises include handstand push-ups, Pike push up, and inverted row.

These exercises require a high degree of upper body strength and skill, so it’s important to progress slowly and focus on proper form.

It’s important to note that the level of difficulty of exercises can vary from person to person, depending on their fitness level.

So, it’s important to use your own judgement and consult a trainer if needed.

Beginner Bodyweight Shoulder Exercises

Beginner bodyweight shoulder exercises are designed for individuals who are new to working out or who have limited upper body strength.

Here are some examples of beginner bodyweight shoulder exercises:

1. I, Y, T, W

These exercises focus on the shoulder and back muscles, mainly the middle and lower part of the trapezius.

They also hit all rotator cuff muscles which include the infraspinatus, subscapularis, teres minor, and supraspinatus muscles.

These work together to stabilize the shoulder and move the arm.

How To Do

1. Lay with your stomach flat on the ground with your arms and legs fully extended.
2. Point your toes away from your body and fully extend your elbows and fingers, positioning your palms facing inwards.
3. Brace your abdominal muscles to stabilize your spine, depress and retract your scapulae (pull shoulders back and down) and attempt to hold these positions (I, Y, T, W) throughout the exercise.
4. Align your head with your thoracic (upper) spine.

I’s

1. Lift your arms off the floor (maintain a formation of the letter “I”), with palms facing inward.
2. Hold for a few seconds, then relax.

Y’s

1. Lift your arms off the floor, moving your arms into the “Y” formation.
2. Hold for a few seconds, then relax.

T’s

1. Lift your arms off the floor, moving your arms into the “T” formation (90-degree angle).
2. Hold for a few seconds, then relax.

W’s

1. Lift your arms off the floor, flexing (bending) your elbows and dropping them to a 45-degree angle to the sides of your body with palms facing inward (“W” formation).
2. Hold for a few seconds, then relax.

Pro Tips

• Try holding for only 5 or 10 seconds for the first time, and work up to 30 seconds in future workouts.
• To increase the difficulty for either version, add a 1-3 pound weight in each hand.
• Do not hold your breath. Breathe regularly.

2. Incline Push-Ups

Incline push-ups are a variation of the traditional push-up exercise that targets the shoulders, chest, and triceps.

They are a great option for individuals who are looking to progress from knee push-ups or wall push-ups.

How To Do

1. Stand in front of the bench. Place the hands shoulder-width apart on the edge of the bench.
2. Adopt an incline plank position by extending the legs backward until the legs and back form a straight line.
3. Slowly bend the arms to lower the chest toward the bench. Remember to keep the elbows and arms close to the body.
4. Slowly push the body away from the bench, extending the arms but maintaining a slight bend in the elbow.

Pro Tips

• Exhale while you exert.
• Stand at a comfortable distance from the bench.

3. Side Plank

The side plank is one of the best bodyweight exercises for strengthening the core and shoulder muscles.

It is a great exercise for building stability and strength in these areas.

To make the exercise more challenging, you can add a leg lift by raising the top leg towards the ceiling while holding the side plank position

How To Do

1. To perform a side plank, start by lying on your side with your legs straight and your feet together.
2. Prop yourself up on your elbow and forearm, and raise your hips off the ground.
3. Your body should be in a straight line from your head to your feet.
4. Hold this position for a specific time (10-30 seconds) as per your comfort and repeat the same for the other side.

Pro Tips

• Keep your body in a straight line, avoid letting your hips sag or lifting too high
• Start with less time and gradually increase it as you progress

4. Bench Dips

A bench dip is a medium-intensity exercise that uses your own bodyweight to strengthen your triceps and deltoid.

Bench dips are fairly simple to learn and can be done almost anywhere, making them bodyweight shoulder exercises for home-workout.

How To Do

1. place your hands on a bench or a stable surface behind you, with your fingers facing forward.
2. Your feet should be placed on the ground in front of you, with your legs bent at a 90-degree angle.
3. Lower your body towards the ground by bending your arms.
4. Then push yourself back up to the starting position by extending your arms.

Pro Tips

• Keep your back close to the bench and avoid letting your shoulders dip too low.
• Start with fewer repetitions and gradually increase as you progress

5. Bird Dog Exercise

The bird dog is a bodyweight exercise that looks elegant and is also very effective for training the abs muscles, lower back, and shoulder muscles. 

Several other muscles are also addressed, including the glutes and hamstring. 

How To Do

1. Get on your knees and place your hands on the floor in front of your body at shoulder width.
2. Contract your abs and lift one hand and the opposite knee slightly off the floor.
3. Now extend your arm and leg all the way out. 
4. Try to form a straight plane from your hand to your foot.
5. Hold this position for about 10 seconds and then return to the starting position.
6. Repeat the exercise with the other side.

Pro Tips

• Keep your core tight and engage your lower back muscles throughout the exercise
• Don’t raise your leg and arm higher than your back.

Intermediate Bodyweight Shoulder Exercises

6. Plank To Push-up

The plank to push-up is a great exercise for building upper body strength and endurance. It also works the core and improves stability.

It combines the traditional plank exercise with the push-up exercise to create a more challenging shoulder workout.

How To Do

1. Start in a plank position with your hands placed directly under your shoulders and your feet together.
2. Keep your core tight and maintain a straight line from your head to your heels.
3. From the plank position, lower yourself down into a push-up by bending your arms.
4. Keep your body in a straight line and avoid sagging your hips or lifting your back.
5. Push yourself back up to the starting position, fully extending your arms.

Pro Tips

• Maintain proper form throughout the exercise to ensure that the shoulders, chest, and core are being targeted

7. Plank to alternate pike

The plank pike is an effective exercise that develops shoulder strength and core stability while increasing stability and mobility throughout the spine and hip region.

It is a more advanced variation of the plank exercise and requires a good level of core and shoulder stability.

Must add this exercise in your shoulder workout arsenal.

How To Do

1. start in a plank position with your hands placed directly under your shoulders and your feet together.
2. Keep your core tight and maintain a straight line from your head to your heels.
3. From the plank position, raise your hips towards the ceiling by keeping your hands and feet in place.
4. The movement should resemble an inverted V shape.
5. Slowly lower your hips back down to the starting position.

Pro Tips

• Do not allow your back to round at any point.

8. Tabletop Reverse Pike

Table-top reverse pike targets and trains your arms, shoulders, and core and improves your overall strength and stability.

This exercise also engages your glutes, and legs.

How To Do

1. Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you.
2. Place your palms, with fingers spread wide, on the floor slightly behind and outside your hips.
3. Press palms into the ground and lift hips off the floor until knees are at 90 degrees, and body is parallel with the floor.
4. Arms should be straight with hands directly under the shoulders, with ankles directly under knees.
5. Engage your abs and balance on your heels and hands.
6. Hold this position for a set amount of time.

Pro Tips

• Don’t allow your hips to sag or your shoulders to hunch.

9. Crab Walk

The Crab walk is an excellent bodyweight exercise that particularly works the upper arms, shoulders, legs, and core.

It is excellent for toning, effectively targeting all your muscle groups and working them hard to build strength.

Moves like the crab walk are great total-body exercises that don’t require any additional equipment, making them ideal moves to perform when you don’t have a lot of time or fitness gear on hand.

How To Do

1. Position your hands and feet so that they are flat on the ground, and you are face up.
2. Lift your butt up off the ground by tightening your gluteal muscles.
3. Begin “walking” by first moving your hands and then your feet.
4. Avoid excessive shoulder strain by moving your hands no more than 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20 cm) at a time.

Pro Tips

• As a caution, do not let your feet get moving too fast for your upper body so as not to injure your shoulders.
• Control your movements

10. Hindu Push Up

The Hindu push-up, also known as a “Dhand” , is a bodyweight exercise that targets the shoulders, chest, and triceps, as well as the core and back muscles.

It is a dynamic exercise that combines elements of yoga and traditional push-ups to create a more challenging shoulder workout.

How To Do

1. Start in a downward dog pose, with your hands shoulder-width apart, your body in a V shape.
2. Bend your elbows and lower your chest until it’s just above the floor..
3. In a scooping motion, scoop your head upward while arching your lower and upper back and go into cobra pose.
4. Return to the starting position, you do not need to reverse back through the sweeping, arching motion.
5. Simply push back into the starting position.

Pro Tips

• Engage your core, relax the spine and neck, open the shoulders and keep the movement smooth.
• Keep the elbows close to your body.

11. Archer Push-Up

In Archer push-up, the arms are kept wider than the normal push-up position and as you lower your body, you transfer the majority of your weight to one of your hands and incline towards that hand while the other hand is kept straight.

Simultaneously move your body to both sides. You have to maintain a tight, steady, and controlled body to perform an Archer push-up. 

How To Do

1. Start in a standard push up position.
2. Maintain a strong core position and shift your upper body toward your right side.
3. Pull your right chest toward your right hand as you bend your right elbow.
4. As you lower toward the right side, allow your left arm to straighten.
5. Your left arm should be fully extended, forming a straight line from your shoulder to your hand.
6. Repeat for your desired number of repetitions, switch sides.

Pro Tips

• Make sure your body is in the straight line from head to the feet

12. Shoulder Tap Push Up

Shoulder Tap Push-Up is a full-body strength move that focuses on your arms, shoulder, and chest while also strengthening your core.

It can be challenging, especially if you’re new to them.

To make them easier, you can do them on your knees instead of your toes

How To Do

1. Start in a traditional push-up position
2. Lower yourself by flexing your elbows so that your chest comes within a few inches of the floor.
3. Raise your body to the starting position by pushing up with your arms.
4. Tap your left hand to your right shoulder.
5. Place it back on the floor and repeat your next push up and shoulder tap with another hand.

Pro Tips

• Tighten your core, engage your glutes, and keep your spine, head and neck aligned.
• Your arms should resemble an arrow in the bottom position, not a “T”

13. Plank with Arm Extension

The plank with arm extension is an advanced plank variation that requires you to hold the plank with one arm raised in front of you.

The main objective of this bodyweight exercise is to strengthen the core and shoulder muscles.

How To Do

1. Start in a high plank position.
2. Raise and straighten your right arm, and hold it so that it’s parallel to the rest of your body.
3. Hold this position for a set amount of time and slowly lower to the starting position.
4. Then raise your other arm and repeat.

Pro Tips

• Ensure your body is straight and rigid.

14. Stability Ball Push Up

Using an exercise ball, giving you an uneven surface to increase the difficulty of exercise, which help to involve the shoulder and triceps more.

You’ll have to focus on maintaining your balance on the ball, which allows you to work more.

How To Do

1. Lay with your chest on the stability ball. Place your hands on the ball at the sides of your chest.
2. Place feet back and lean forward so that your chest is directly over the ball, and you are supported on your toes.
3. Push your body up until your arms are almost straight. Pause here for a second.
4. Breathe out and extend your arms to bring your upper body back to starting position.

Pro Tips

• Do not let your lower back sag or your butt rise. Ensure your body is straight and rigid.
• Keep your glutes and core muscles contracted.

Advanced Bodyweight Shoulder Exercises

Advanced bodyweight shoulder exercises are designed for individuals who have a high level of fitness and are looking to push themselves to the next level.

Here are some examples of advanced bodyweight shoulder exercises:

15. High reverse plank

The reverse plank exercise is a great bodyweight shoulder exercises for strengthening your core and the key muscles of your posterior chain, namely, your erector spinae, gluteus maximus, and hamstrings.

Beginners should start with learning the regular plank.

How To Do

1. Place your palms, with fingers spread wide, on the floor slightly behind and outside your hips.
2. Raise your hips off the floor until your body is straight.
3. Keep your arms and legs straight and look up to the ceiling.
4. Hold this position for a set amount of time.

Pro Tips

• Your arms should be vertical and your body should be perfectly straight.
• Don’t allow your hips to sag or your shoulders to hunch.

16. Inverted Row

The inverted row is another name for bodyweight rows.

The inverted row puts your body in a horizontal position, making it easier to perform.

It also works the back and shoulder muscles from a different angle and improves scapular retraction.

How To Do

1. Adjust the height of the chair and bar so that it’s a little higher than arm’s length from the floor.
2. Lie under the bar with your legs and body straight. Grasp the bar with an overhand grip that’s a little wider than shoulder width.
3. Keeping your legs and body straight, exhale as you pull your chest up to the bar. Hold for a count of two and squeeze your back muscles.
4. Inhale as you lower your body until your arms and shoulders are fully extended. Repeat.

Pro Tips

• Do not allow your butt to sag. Flex your tummy, squeeze your butt cheeks, and keep your body stiff from your head to your toe.
• Make sure you go down completely. Lower your body and ensure the arms are extended and raise your body until you touch the chest touches the bar.

17. Pike Push Up

Pike Push-ups aka shoulder push-up is a variation of the push-up that increases strength and stability in the shoulders and triceps.

Performing the exercise in a more upright position will target the shoulders more than the chest.

How To Do

1. Start in a standard push-up position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and elbows completely locked out.
2. Lift the hips up and back until your body forms an inverted V shape.
3. Slowly lower the top of your head towards the ground.
4. Once your head is about to make contact with the ground, pause for a second.
5. Then slowly push back until your arms are straight, and you’re in the inverted V position.

Pro Tips

• Make sure you maintain control throughout the movement.

18. Clapping push-up

Clapping Push-ups is an advanced bodyweight exercise that works your chest, triceps, abs, and shoulders.

With this type of push-up, a “jumping” element is added to the exercise to make it more challenging and explosive.

How To Do

1. Start in a standard Push-Ups
2. Start to lower your body as if you’re going to do a push-up until your chest is almost touching the floor.
3. Reverse the motion by pushing hard through the palms, just as your arms reach full extension, pull your hands up off the floor.
4. Rapidly clapping the hands together and placing them back in the original position.

Pro Tips

• Do not let the elbows flare out.
• Keep the elbows close to your sides throughout.

19. Elevated pike push-up

The elevated pike push-up is a great exercise for building upper body strength, especially in the shoulders and triceps.

The elevated position also increases the demand on the core muscles, making it a great exercise for targeting the core as well.

How To Do

1. Start in a decline push-up position.
2. Lift the hips up and back until your body forms an inverted V shape.
3. Slowly lower the top of your head towards the ground.
4. Once your head is about to make contact with the ground, pause for a second.
5. Then slowly push back up until your arms are straight, and you’re in the inverted V position.

Pro Tips

• Be sure to have first mastered the pike press before trying the elevated pike press.
• Make sure you maintain control throughout the movement.

20. Handstand Push Up

The handstand push-up also called the vertical push-up is a type of push-up exercise where the body is positioned in a handstand.

It is an advanced bodyweight exercise that targets the shoulders, as well as the arms and core.

They require a high degree of upper body strength and skill and should be attempted only after proper training and conditioning.

How To Do

1. start in a handstand position against a wall, with your hands placed on the ground and your body in a straight line.
2. Slowly lower your body down towards the ground by bending your arms, keeping your body in a straight line.
3. Push your body back up to the starting position by extending your arms.

Pro Tips

• It is important to have a spotter or use a wall for safety and support when attempting this exercise.

21. Parallel Bar Dip

Bar Dip is an excellent exercise to build lower Chest muscles. It also works on Triceps and anterior deltoid. This exercise is done on a pair of Parallel bars.

How To Do

1. Hold onto the parallel bars and raise yourself at arm’s length.
2. Using your arms, lower yourself as low as possible, feeling a good stretch in your chest muscles.
3. Press back up and feel a good chest contraction in addition to your triceps, which are obviously contracting hard now.

Pro Tips

• Hold a dumbbell between your legs if you need additional resistance.
• A little forward body bend will hit the chest muscles harder.

How to incorporate Bodyweight Shoulder Exercises into Your Routine

Here are some tips for incorporating bodyweight shoulder exercises into your routine:

1. Schedule in specific days for shoulder exercises: Designate specific days of the week for shoulder exercises and stick to them. This will help you to stay consistent and make sure that you are adequately targeting the shoulders.
2. Incorporate them into your full-body workouts: You can also incorporate bodyweight shoulder exercises into your full-body workout routine. This will help to ensure that you are working on all muscle groups and also keep your workout interesting.
3. Keep a workout log: Keeping a log of your workout routine can help you to track your progress and make adjustments to your routine as needed.
4. Start with fewer repetitions: Start with fewer repetitions, and gradually increase as you build strength and endurance.
5. Be consistent: Consistency is key when it comes to bodyweight shoulder exercises. Make sure to stick to your routine and be consistent with your workouts.
6. Mix it up: Mixing up your exercises can help to prevent boredom and target different muscle groups.

Bodyweight Shoulder Workout plan

When designing a workout plan, it’s important to start with a lower training volume and gradually increase it as you build strength and endurance.

Beginner Bodyweight Shoulder Workout Plan

Here is a sample bodyweight shoulder workout plan for beginners:

1. Warm-up: Start with a 5-minute light cardio warm-up such as jogging in place or jumping jacks.
2. I, Y, T, W: 2-3 sets of 3-4 reps.
3. Incline push-ups: 3 sets of 8-10 reps.
4. Side Plank: 3-4 sets of 10-20 sec hold.
5. Bird Dog: 3 sets of 8-10 reps.
6. Cool-down: Finish with a 5-minute cool-down, such as stretching exercises for the shoulders.

Intermediate Bodyweight Shoulder Workout Plan

Here is a sample bodyweight shoulder workout plan for intermediates:

1. Warm-up: Start with a 5-minute light cardio warm-up.
2. Plank To Push-up: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
3. Tabletop Reverse Pike: 3 sets of 10-20 sec hold.
4. Dips: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
5. Crab Walk: 3 sets of 12-15 reps
6. Shoulder Tap Push Up: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
7. Cool-down: Finish with a 5-minute cool-down.

Advance Workout Plan

Here is a sample bodyweight shoulder workout plan for advanced individuals:

1. Warm-up: Start with a 5-min cardio warm-up.
2. Pike push up: 3 sets of 8-12 reps
3. Handstand push-ups: 3 sets of 8-10 reps
4. High Reverse Plank: 3 sets of 10-20 sec hold.
5. Clapping Push-Up 3 sets of 8-12 reps
6. Handstand Walk: 3 sets
7. Cool-down: Finish with a 5-minute cool-down.

This workout can be done 2-3 times a week, but it’s important to give your body rest.

As you progress, you can increase the number of reps, sets, and add difficulty to the exercises.

How To Progress Bodyweight Shoulder Training

Here are some ways to progress your bodyweight shoulder training:

1. Increase the volume: As you progress, you can increase the number of repetitions, sets, or the duration of the exercise. This will increase the intensity of your workout and challenge your muscles further.
2. Add resistance: You can add resistance to your exercises by using resistance bands or weights. This will increase the intensity of your workout and help to build muscle mass.
3. Increase the difficulty level: As you progress, you can try more advanced exercises such as one-arm push-ups, muscle-ups, and handstand push-ups. This will increase the intensity of your workout and challenge your muscles further.
4. Incorporate new exercises: Incorporating new exercises into your routine can help to target different muscle groups and prevent boredom.
5. Prioritize form: As you progress, it’s important to focus on proper form to ensure that you are targeting the shoulders effectively and to prevent injury.

FAQs

Can you build shoulders without weights?

Yes, it is possible to build shoulders without weights.

Bodyweight exercises such as push-ups, pike push ups, dips, and planks can effectively target the shoulders and help to build muscle mass and strength.

Do planks work shoulders?

Planks are a great exercise for targeting the shoulders, as well as the core, back and glutes.

Planks work the shoulders by engaging the shoulder blades and the rotator cuff muscles, which are responsible for stability and movement of the shoulders.

By holding the plank position, the shoulders are actively working to hold the body in a stable position, which can help to build muscle and strength.

Do pushups work shoulders?

Yes, push-ups can effectively work the shoulders. Push-ups target the anterior deltoids, which are the muscles located in the front of the shoulders. They also target the triceps and chest muscles.

As you progress, you can add variation to the push-up such as incline push-ups, decline push-ups, pike push-ups and more to target the shoulders specifically.

Takeaways

In conclusion, bodyweight shoulder exercises are a great way to build strength and muscle mass in the shoulders, as well as improving overall fitness and stability.

There are exercises suitable for beginners, intermediates and advanced individuals.

These bodyweight shoulder exercises are highly recommended for anyone interested in building a wider shoulder and who wants to gain strength.

It is easy to do and requires no more scientific details and fancy equipment. Incorporate some exercise from these 21 exercises into your workout regimen.

If you do these bodyweight shoulder exercises consistently, the results will speak by themselves.

Thanks for reading, enjoy your workout!

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