When it comes to shoulder strengthening exercises, physical therapists want to target the specific muscles that are weak. While weak muscles may differ from person to person, there are certain muscles/muscle groups we like to target as they are most commonly found to be a bit weaker.
**This is not medical advice. Please consult your medical provider for more information.
Try these targeted shoulder strengthening exercises for a more well-rounded shoulder that performs to the best of its ability!
bruegger pulses
Place a resistance band around the back of your hands. Keep your elbows at the side of your body and flexed to 90 degrees. Pull the band apart quickly and return back to the start as if your repetitions are small pulses (see video to the left). You may feel the deltoids and the back of the shoulders burning. You typically perform this shoulder strengthening exercise for time so try to perform the pulses for 15-30 seconds. Feel the burn!
bruegger flexion
Your set up will be the same as the previous exercise. Place a resistance band around the back of your hands. Start with your elbows at the side of your body and flexed to 90 degrees. Keep your elbows flexed and lift your arms upwards. Maintain slight pressure into the resistance band with the back of your hands. Try to keep your shoulders, elbows, and hands all in alignment – don’t let your elbows move outside of your wrists. Whereas in the previous exercise you were performing the exercise for a set amount of time, repetitions will be performed for this exercise.
You may feel the deltoids working in this exercise, but you should also feel the area near your shoulder blades working.
You don’t have to lift your arms up completely straight. Instead, focus on keeping your wrists inline with your elbows. Don’t lift your arms higher if you break this form. Over time, you will gain strength to be able to raise your arms up higher.
Foam Roll Bruegger Flexion
Your set up will be the same as the previous exercise. Place a resistance band loop around the back of your hands. However in this exercise, your will start with a foam roll horizontally against the wall with your forearms against it holding it up. If you don’t have a foam roll, you can use a pillowcase or towel against the wall so it is easier for your arms to move up and down.
As in the previous exercise, maintain slight pressure into the resistance band with the back of your hands. While maintaining pressure into the foam roll, roll your arms upwards and back down. Maintain the pressure into the resistance band the entire time, trying to keep your shoulders, elbows, and wrists in alignment. You will also feel the same areas of the shoulders working in this exercise as you did in the previous exercise.
Common faults for this exercise involve the elbows moving outside of the wrists. Make sure to keep the shoulders, wrists, and elbows in alignment, as pictured to the right.
Also, do not flare your ribs in this exercises. This means your low back is arching in order to get your arms up overhead. This is a shoulder exercises so we want to target the shoulders and make sure not to compensate with the lumbar spine.
External Rotation at 90/90
For this shoulder strengthening exercise, you will use a resistance band anchored at shoulder height. Hold the band with your arm parallel to the floor. Hold this position while rotating the back of your hand up towards the ceiling. Try not to move your elbow and shoulder – they should stay in the position they started in. When you get to the end of the movement, slowly lower your hand back to the starting position.
Make sure not to let the band pull your arm quickly back to the start. Slowly controlling the movement is a crucial step for strengthening the back of your shoulder and you should really feel this area working hard!
Remember not to flare your ribs or arch your back.
Prone W
This exercise will be performed face down. Roll up a towel and rest your forehead on the towel for more comfort.
With your thumbs facing the ceiling, bring your arms up to shoulder height with your elbows bent. This is your W position. Squeeze your shoulder blades together while keeping the back of your hands reaching upwards towards the ceiling. Your elbows and hands should lift off of the ground towards the ceiling.
Squeeze and hold your shoulder blades together for a brief moment, then slowly return back to the starting position. You should feel the muscles between the shoulder blades working on this exercise.
Try not to let your thumbs drop below your elbow. This takes your shoulder into more internal rotation. To ensure you are strengthening the muscles along the back of the shoulder, try to keep your thumbs up towards the ceiling. This will keep your shoulder in a more externally rotated position.
All of these shoulder strengthening exercises aim to target the back of the shoulder. The area over the shoulder blade should be where you feel the majority of these exercises. They may be hard at first, but keep working at them to build that strength and you will notice it will get easier over time.
Other Shoulder Strengthening Exercises to Try
- 5 Important Shoulder Rehab Exercises for Optimal Function
- 5 Fantastic Exercises for Shoulder Strength They Don’t Teach You in the Gym
- The Exercise You Need for Pinching in Shoulder When Reaching
- Physical Therapy Exercises for Shoulder Pain: What You Should Know
TL;DR
These five shoulder strengthening exercises target the most commonly weak muscles and muscle groups found in the PT clinic. Give them a try to get your shoulders functioning properly and feeling great!
Tera Sandona is a licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) and the founder of PT Complete. She helps high-achieving women break out of cycles of chronic pain, stress, and burnout through her Regulate and Rebuild Method, a sequenced approach that addresses the nervous system first and builds strength second. Her work focuses on helping women finally understand their bodies, rebuild strength, and create lasting resilience that fits real life.
