Are you tired of boring deltoid exercises with no results? No problem! I’ve put together a list of deltoid exercises that work.
Check out this list to find out which will get you the best results. This is a simple ranking of the top 12 bodyweight deltoid exercises from worst to best.
To be clear, no one is arguing that these exercises are the best exercises for building bigger, rounder, and more defined deltoids. Rather these are the best deltoid exercises you can do with your body weight.
It’s much easier to use free weights when working out, but if you’re out of shape or injured or traveling then sometimes bodyweight is all you have available. That’s where this list comes in handy.
The Deltoid:
Photo Source: The White Coat Trainer
The deltoid muscle is one of the strongest muscles in the body and has two primary functions: it raises the arm to 90 degrees and helps to rotate it.
It is made up of three separate parts called the anterior, lateral, and posterior deltoid.
The anterior deltoid:
The anterior deltoid is a muscle that helps you move your arm to the front, in a straight line. It’s one of three main muscles that make up your shoulder, and it’s named for its location on the front of your upper arm.
The lateral deltoid:
The lateral deltoid is a muscle in the shoulder that helps you raise your arm to the side. It’s often used when you’re playing sports and need to move your hands from one side of your body to the other quickly, like when you’re throwing or batting.
The lateral deltoid is a very powerful muscle that can be strengthened with weight training.
The posterior deltoid:
The posterior deltoid is a muscle that runs along the back of your shoulder and helps you turn your arm inward. It’s one of three muscles that make up the deltoid muscle group, which is responsible for lifting your arm to the side, front, or back.
I decided to divide the 12 deltoid exercises into 4 categories, from D (the worst) to A (the best):
D CATEGORY
12. Side Plank Rotation
11. Crab Walk
10. Plank Up-Down
C CATEGORY
9. Regular Push-Up
8. Chest Dip
7. Pike Walk
B CATEGORY
6. Shoulder Dip
5. Bodyweight Lateral Raise
4. Rear Delt Press
A CATEGORY
3. Handstand Push-Up
2. Pike Push-Up
1. Planche Push-Up.
So, let’s get started!
D CATEGORY
12. Side Plank Rotation
Photo Source: Fitwirr.com
Side Plank-Rotation is a great way to work your obliques, improve your balance, and strengthen your core.
It’s also a way to build strength in the shoulder, core, and glute muscles.
This exercise has a similar shoulder movement to a bend-over lateral raise. The issue with this exercise is that it needs a lot of abdominal strength and help from other muscles like the serratus anterior, so it won’t be able to train the deltoids too effectively.
How to do it:
1. Start in a side plank position, with your elbow on the floor and your forearm aligned with your shoulder. Keep your hips up and try to keep your back flat.
2. Rotate your body to the other side, so that you’re balancing on one hand and forearm. Hold for a few seconds, then return to the starting position.
3. Repeat several times as a set, then repeat on the opposite side of the body for another set of reps.
The number of repetitions depends on your fitness level and goals, for example, if you’re trying to gain strength or tone your arms and shoulders, do eight to 12 repetitions per side. If you’re trying to build endurance in those areas, aim for 20-30 reps per side.
11. Crab Walk
Photo Source: Fitness Volt
The Crab Walk is a great way to strengthen the deltoids because it requires you to lift your knees off the ground while keeping your feet together, which engages the deltoids as they work to keep your torso stable.
Crab walks are great for your health and fitness. They also help strengthen your core muscles and improve your balance, which means less risk of falling when you’re doing everyday things like getting out of bed or walking up steps.
Crab walking also helps improve flexibility and mobility in your hips, knees, ankles, and back, which means less strain on those joints as well.
So, this one is more a compound movement than a shoulder one, but the good thing is that it works your rear deltoids.
How to do it:
1. Start on all fours. Your hands should be directly under your shoulders and your knees should be directly under your hips. Your back should be straight and parallel to the ground.
2. Lift one hand off the ground, keeping your other hand firmly planted on the ground. Then lift your opposite foot off the ground and shift it forward so that it is right in front of the hand you just lifted off the ground.
3. Repeat this movement with the opposite side so that you are moving forward in a sideways crab-like motion.
10. Plank Up-Down
Photo Source: A Singletrack Mind
Plank Up-Downs is a great way to work your deltoids. These muscles help you rotate and raise your arms. They also help with shoulder extension and flexion.
Plank Up-Downs can help strengthen these muscles so they can better support your upper body and shoulder joints, as well as improve your posture.
This is more of a compound movement with a strong abdominal component instead of a shoulder builder, but still, is more efficient than the regular plank because the press-up emphasizes your front deltoid.
How to do it:
1. Get into a plank position, with your forearms on the floor and your hands directly beneath your shoulders. Your body should form a straight line from head to toe. Keep your core tight and don’t let your hips sag or lift too high.
2. Do an up-down movement by raising one hand off the floor at a time, returning it to the floor, then raising the other hand off the floor at a time and returning it to the floor. Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels throughout this exercise.
C CATEGORY
9. Regular Push-Up
Photo Source:
The push-up is one of the most basic, yet highly effective exercises for your arms, chest, and shoulders.
In addition to building muscle, regular push-ups will also improve your overall strength and help you maintain good posture.
So, targeting all your upper body muscles is not a direct deltoid-focused exercise, but still, a good exercise that trains your shoulders, along with the chest and triceps.
How to do it:
1. Place both hands on the floor shoulder-width apart with your arms straight and body in a straight line from head to heels
2. Bend your elbows to lower yourself until your chest nearly touches the floor then push yourself back up
3. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
8. Chest Dips
Photo Source: Men’s Health
These are great exercises for the deltoid muscles. They help to build strength and endurance in your shoulders, chest, and triceps.
The movement of the dip is like that of a push-up, but you’re pushing yourself away from the floor instead of pushing your body up toward it. You’re also using less weight than you would be if you were doing a push-up on the ground.
How to do it:
1. Find a bench that is high enough to allow your feet to hang freely. You can also use a chair if you don’t have a high enough bench.
2. Place the palms of your hands flat on the edge of the bench. Make sure your arms are fully extended and locked into place.
3. Keeping your elbows locked at 90 degrees, slowly lower yourself until your arms are parallel to the floor. Your chest should be just above parallel with the floor at this point as well.
4. Pause for one second, then push yourself up until you return to the starting position, where both arms are fully extended again.
7. Pike Walk
Photo Source: Pinterest
It works your shoulders, arms, and chest muscles, which means you’re going to look good, but it also means that you’ll be strengthening your shoulders and upper body.
Improves flexibility and range of motion, so you’ll be able to move more easily as you age.
How to do it:
1. Start in a high plank position with your feet hip-width apart and your hands directly under your shoulders. You can rest your forearms on the floor or keep them straight.
2. Lift your hips as high as you can, making sure to keep your body in a straight line. Your body should form a triangle shape with your head at the top (this is also known as an inverted V). This is the top position of the exercise.
3. Slowly lower your hips back down until they’re at about where they started in step 1, make sure to keep that straight line! That’s one rep!
Once in this position, walk as far forward as possible with your hands while keeping your back flat and core tight. When you reach the end of your range of motion, go back to the starting position.
B CATEGORY
6. Shoulder Dip
Photo Source: A Lean Life
The shoulder dip is a great exercise to build upper body strength and definition. It targets the front of your shoulders, as well as your triceps and chest muscles.
It also gives you a great stretch in the chest and upper back. This helps relax the tightness in these areas that may cause discomfort when performing other exercises like push-ups or pull-ups.
This is a variation of the regular dip. To target your shoulder optimally you not only have to lean forward but you also must aim for a straight body.
How to do it:
1. Place your hands on the edge of a chair or bench. Keep your feet flat on the floor, with your legs bent at a 90-degree angle.
2. Slowly bend your elbows and lower yourself toward the floor until your upper arms are parallel to the ground and your shoulder blades are pinched together at the back of your body.
3. Pause for a second at this position, then return to the starting position by straightening your arms as you press down with them into the chair or bench.
5. Bodyweight Lateral Raise
Photo Source: Home Gym Review
Bodyweight lateral raise is a simple exercise that can be used to build upper body strength and improve your balance. It’s also a great way to stimulate the muscles of your shoulders and core.
This exercise is also good for building core strength, which is important for maintaining proper posture. It’s also an excellent way to help you improve your balance and coordination.
How to do it:
1. Stand about a foot away from the wall, with your feet hip-width apart and your hands up by your shoulders.
2. Support yourself perpendicularly with your left elbow against a wall.
3. From here, you just push your body from the elbow and then return to the starting position.
4. Change the sides.
4. Laying Rear Delt Press
Photo Source: YouTube
This move targets your rear deltoids, as well as several other smaller muscles in your shoulders and upper back.
It’s a great way to increase strength and endurance, and it’s super easy! It will help you improve your posture and keep your back healthy.
How to do it:
1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, about hip-width apart.
2. Place your hands beside you, palms facing away from you.
3. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and lift your chest off the floor by pressing on your elbows until it’s in line with your hips.
4. Hold for one second at the top of the movement, then lower back down to complete one rep.
A CATEGORY
3. Handstand Push-Up
Photo Source: Inspire USA Foundation
Handstand Push-Ups are one of the most challenging exercises you can do. They require strength, balance, and coordination to perform them correctly.
Handstand push-ups are also a great way to build core strength and increase your upper-body endurance.
Handstand push-ups are also great for improving posture because they involve holding yourself up in an upright position with straight arms while balancing on one leg at the same time.
How to do it:
1. Start in the handstand position. Your hands should be directly under your shoulders, and your feet should be together.
2. Lower yourself down to the ground by bending your elbows, keeping them close to your body. Your body should form a straight line from head to heels.
3. Raise yourself back up to the starting position by straightening your arms out.
2. Pike Push-Up
Photo Source: A Lean Life
Pike Push-Ups are a type of push-up that uses the core to lift the body, rather than the arms. This makes it a great exercise for building strength in your back and deltoids.
Pike Push-Ups are also an excellent way to work on your flexibility and balance. Because you’re lifting your entire body off the floor and into a tight pike position, Pike Push-Ups help improve overall coordination as well as balance.
How to do it:
1. Start in a high plank position, with your feet together and your hands directly under your shoulders.
2. Lift your legs off the ground and straighten them so that they are aligned with your torso, forming a triangle shape with your body. Your lower back should be flat, not arched or rounded. Your core should be engaged, and your glutes squeezed tight. This will help protect against injury and keep you stable during the exercise.
3. Lower yourself into a push-up position, lowering as far as you can while maintaining control over each rep. Pause at the bottom of each rep before pushing yourself back up again to complete one rep of this exercise.
1. Planche Push-Up.
Photo Source: Healthline
It will improve your upper body strength and increase your flexibility, it’s good for your wrists, deltoids, and back muscles, and it’s an excellent way to build up endurance in the arms, shoulders, and chest areas.
How to do it:
1. Start in the plank position, with your body straight and parallel to the floor.
2. Lower yourself to the floor while keeping your body straight in a diagonal line from head to toe (like a plank).
3. Push back up until you’re back in plank position again.
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Last Thoughts:
You now have 12 solid deltoid exercises to add to your regimen. Each of these will target the muscles in slightly different ways, and we’ve already covered how you can customize each exercise to maximize your results.
Let these 12 exercises be a stepping stone on your journey to bigger and better deltoids, and when you’ve mastered them all, kick it up a notch by adding machine work or free weight work on top of them.
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