Bar and Weight Plate Shoulder Exercises
Bar and Weight Plate Shoulder Exercises
Barbell and weight plate exercises can increase your shoulder strength, stability, and definition. Read our shoulder exercise guide.
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Farmer’s Walk Handle Shrug
• Holding a farmers walk handle in each hand, stand tall with your feet shoulder width apart.
• Shrug your shoulders upwards, hold for a second, and lower them back down.
GET GOOD FORM: Try and perform this exercise with controlled and fluid movements.
Front Raise
• Hold a bumper plate in front of your body.
• Raise it to shoulder height, arms fully extended.
• Lower with control.
GET GOOD FORM: Make sure not to arch your back. You can perform this exercise leaning against a wall to ensure this.
Landmine 2 Up 1 Down Shoulder Press
• Hold a barbell above your shoulder, with both hands, using a single arm Viking press attachment.
• Push the bar away until your arms are fully extended.
• Only using one hand, lower it back to your shoulder.
• Swap sides and repeat.
WHY IT WORKS: Lifting the weight is more difficult than lowering it. This exercise lets you get closer to failure without overloading on the concentric phase.
Landmine Half Kneeling Shoulder Press
• Lower into a half kneeling position, gripping a barbell in one hand.
• Push the bar overhead and lower with control. Keep your core stable and spine straight throughout.
GET GOOD FORM: Your pressing arm should be on the same side as your back knee.
Landmine Seated Shoulder Press
• Sit on the floor, feet planted, with the bar 45 degrees in front of you.
• With one hand, push the bar overhead.
MULTIPLE MUSCLES: This Landmine exercise challenges your shoulder, chest, arms, and core.
Landmine Single Arm Rotational Press
• Stand in a split stance, left leg forward and holding the bar in your right hand.
• Rotate and squat towards your right leg.
• At the top of the movement, explode, rotating in the other direction and extending your arm.
MULTIPLE MUSCLES: This exercise targets your arms, shoulders, back, core, and legs.
Landmine Squat To Press
• Hold a barbell in both hands, close to your chest.
• Squat down.
• Explode upwards, pushing the bar overhead.
GET GOOD FORM: When you squat, make sure the bar doesn’t pull you forwards.
Landmine Standing Single Arm Press
• Stand with feet shoulder width apart and hold a bar in one hand.
• Push the bar forwards and upwards.
MULTIPLE MUSCLES: This exercise targets your shoulders, pecs, triceps, core, and glutes.
Military Press
• Stand with your feet together, holding a barbell just above your clavicle.
• Drive the bar overhead and lock your arms out.
TOP TIP: Dip your head out of the way of the bar ‘like a pigeon.’
Muscle Snatch
• With your feet under your hips, hold a bar in a wide grip.
• Keep your back straight, chest up, and bend until the bar is in front of your mid-shin.
• Extend your knees and hips, pull the bar up with your arms, and then catch it overhead with straight arms.
VARIATION: Unlike a traditional snatch, you won’t drop into a squat.
Overhead Lunge
• Hold a barbell in a wide grip.
• Fully extend your arms above your head.
• Perform a forward lunge, keeping the bar as high as possible.
WHY IT WORKS: This variation on a weighted lunge requires a lot of balance, so will work your core alongside your shoulders.
Overhead Press
• Hold a Barbell at shoulder height.
• Brace your core, breath out and push the bar overhead, locking your elbows.
GET GOOD FORM: Staggering your feet makes you less likely to overarch your back.
Overhead Shrug
• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell in an overhand grip.
• Extend the barbell overhead.
• Lift your shoulders towards your ears.
• Pause at the top of the movement and return the barbell back to the start.
TOP TIP: It is important to do this exercise with control to get the biggest benefits.
Plate Hold
• Grip the sides of a bumper plate with both hands.
• Raise the plate until your arms are pointing straight forwards.
• Hold the weight as still as possible before lowering it.
WHY IT WORKS: Isometric exercises increase the muscle time under tension, which promotes hypertrophy.
Push Press
• Hold a barbell in front of your shoulders.
• Lower into a quarter squat.
• Stand, pushing the bar overhead and locking your elbows.
MULTIPLE MUSCLES: The push press targets your upper body, lower body, and your core.
Seated Overhead Press
• Sit on a weight bench, underneath a racked barbell.
• Unrack the bar with an overhand grip, and lower it to your chest.
• Push the bar up, fully extending your arms.
VARIATION: The seated OHP means you can’t use your legs to drive the weight, giving a greater focus on your upper body muscles.
Shrug
• With your feet shoulder width apart, hold a barbell in an overhand grip, arms fully extended.
• Shrug your shoulders to your ears, keeping your arms straight.
• Squeeze your traps.
• Slowly lower your shoulders back down.
GET GOOD FORM: Keep your head stacked above your body, making sure you don’t lean forward or backwards.
Snatch Push Press
• Hold a bar in a very wide grip, balanced on your upper traps.
• Dip into a quarter squat.
• Raise your heels off the floor to explode the bar overhead, ending with your arms locked in a final snatch position.
WHY IT WORKS: This targets the final part of the snatch, letting you work on your shoulder strength.
Thruster
• Stand with your feet hip width apart and the barbell on your upper chest, palms facing forwards.
• Lower into a squat and explode upwards, pushing the bar overhead as you rise.
MULTIPLE MUSCLES: This exercise will build both upper and lower body power.
Trap Bar Shrug
• Stand inside a trap bar, holding the handles with your arms long.
• Shrug your shoulders to your ears, pause, then lower.
WHY IT WORKS: A trap bar shrug allows a greater range of motion than a straight bar shrug.
Viking Press
• With a Viking press attachment, lift the bar to shoulder height.
• Push the bar until your arms are locked out.
• Brace your core and lower the weight back to shoulder height.
WHY IT WORKS: The arced bar path reduces the stress on the shoulder joints.
Wall Sit with Forward Plate Hold
• Stand with your back against a wall, holding a Weight Plate in both hands.
• Lower into a seated position, knees open.
• Extend your arms out straight and hold the position as long as possible.
MULTIPLE MUSCLES: This exercise will target your chest, core, shoulders, arms, and legs.
Wall Sit With Overhead Plate Hold
• Stand with your back against a wall and walk your legs in front of you, knees apart.
• Holding a weight plate at your torso, slide down the wall.
• Lift the plate above your head and hold.
TOP TIP: If you are using a large bumper plate, angle it forwards slightly to stop it hitting the wall.
Z Press
• Sit on the floor, legs out in front of you.
• Dig your heels into the ground and hold a barbell at ear height.
• Engage your lats and push the weight overhead, locking your elbows.
WHY IT WORKS: The seated position means you can’t use your legs to increase power, relying more on your core strength.
Zercher Front Raise
• Begin with a bar on the inside of your elbows.
• Raise your elbows to chin height, keeping the bar balanced.
WHY IT WORKS: The shorter leaver makes it easier to lift more weight.
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