Thumb-raises Shoulder Workout

(Primary muscles: lower traps)

Lie prone on a floor mat with your arms extended in front of your head at 10:00 and 2:00. Bend your arms at approximately 10 degree angles and point your thumbs upward toward the ceiling and raise your hands approximately 2-3 inches off the ground. You should feel the muscles of your mid back working and tightening.

Note: Avoid shrugging the shoulders towards your ears when performing this exercise.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer in Vancouver. For further information call his office at 604-420-7800.

Seated Side Lateral Raise

(Primary muscles: medial deltoids)

Sit upright with your elbows bent at 10 degrees and hold two fairly light dumbbells to that they are resting at your sides. Raise the DB’s outward to the sides and upward until they are slightly above shoulder level. Hold this peak contracted position before slowly lowering your arms back to the starting position.

Note: You can do this exercise with one arm at a time for variation.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer in Vancouver. For further information call his office at 604-420-7800.

Seated Dumbbell Press Workout

(Primary muscles: anterior-medial deltoids and triceps)

Grasp one dumbbell in each hand and sit down on a bench that provides back support. Bring your hands beside your shoulders with your palms facing forward. Sit erect and press the weights directly upward and then in toward each other near the top of the movement, so they touch directly over your head when your arms are straight. Be sure to keep your elbows under your hands during each rep. Reverse the motion to return slowly to the starting position.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer in Vancouver. For further information call his office at 604-420-7800.

Rear Delt Machine

(Primary muscles: posterior deltoids)

Sit in the pec deck machine facing the padded back support. Extend your arms to the side, grasping the handles. Bring your arms to the rear keeping the elbows and wrists in line with the shoulders. Once your arms are just past your shoulders, hold this peak contracted position before slowly returning back to the starting position.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer in Vancouver. For further information call his office at 604-420-7800.

Prone Incline Rear Dumbbell Raise

(Primary muscles: posterior deltoids)

Grasp two dumbbells and lie facedown on a 30-45 degree incline bench. The dumbbells should be hanging straight down from your shoulders with your palms facing each other. Use your rear deltoid strength to raise the dumbbells out to the sides until they are slightly above the level of your shoulder joint. Hold this peak contracted position and then slowly lower the dumbbells back along the same arcs to the starting position.

Note: Periodically, change the angle of the incline bench to stress the posterior deltoids differently.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer in Vancouver. For further information call his office at 604-420-7800.

Lying Straight-Arm Barbell Rear Deltoid Raise

(Primary muscles: posterior deltoids)

Lie face down on a high flat bench with your head over the end of the bench. Hold a light barbell at arms length, not allowing it to touch the floor. With your hands approximately 6-12 inches apart, your arms straight, and your elbows locked, raise the bar in a semicircular motion until your arms are parallel with the floor. Lower to the starting position using the same path.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer in Vancouver. For further information call his office at 604-420-7800.

Front Dumbbell Raise

(Primary muscles: anterior deltoids)

Standing straight, grasp two fairly light dumbbells with your arms straight so that they are resting against your upper thighs. Keeping your torso as motionless as possible, raise one of the dumbbells forward and upward until it reaches shoulder height. As you begin to lower the dumbbell, raise the dumbbell in the other hand and repeat.

Note: This can also be performed by raising both your arms at the same time or with a barbell with an over-grip.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer in Vancouver. For further information call his office at 604-420-7800.

External Rotation with Rubber Band

(Primary muscles: rotator cuff)

Standing with good posture, hold your rubber band so your hands are a little narrower than shoulder width apart and your elbows are beside your waist at approximately a 90-degree angle. Keeping your elbows stationary, slowly rotate your hands outward as far as you can. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat. This should be felt deep in your shoulders.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer in Vancouver. For further information call his office at 604-420-7800.

Bent-over Low-Pulley Rear Raise

(Primary muscles: posterior deltoids)

Attach loop handles to the ends of two cables running through the floor pulleys about 8-10 feet apart. Cross your arms and reach across your body to grasp the right handle with your left hand and the left handle with your right hand. Set your feet shoulder width apart and bend forward at the waist until your torso is parallel to the floor. Use your posterior deltoid strength to raise the pulley handles up and out to your sides until your hands are slightly above shoulder level. Hold this peak contracted position for a moment before slowly lowering the pulley handles back along the same arc to the starting position.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer in Vancouver. For further information call his office at 604-420-7800.

Barbell Upright Row

(Primary muscles: trapezius and anterior and medial heads of the deltoid)

Take a narrow over-grip (with approximately 4-6 inches between your index fingers) on the barbell handle. Stand straight with your feet shoulder width apart and the barbell resting against your upper thighs. Keeping the barbell close to your body and without shrugging your shoulders, slowly pull the barbell upward until the back of your fists approach the underside of your chin. When gripping the barbell, keep your elbows well above the level of your hands. At the top of the movement, rotate your shoulders to the rear and briefly press your shoulder blades together before slowly lowering your arms back along the same arc to the starting position.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer in Vancouver. For further information call his office at 604-420-7800.

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