Having strong shoulders is important for a variety of goals.
Shoulder strength comes into play whether you are trying to avoid injuries while training and as you get older, if you are attempting to an aesthetically pleasing physique, or if you are simply a pump-chaser who enjoys the blood flow to your shoulders after a good workout.
Luckily, you can develop a challenging shoulder workout without much equipment.
In this article, we will show you how to design a shoulder workout using nothing but a set of adjustable dumbbells.
The workout template in this article is simply meant to serve as a template for you to design a dumbbell shoulder appropriate to your specific needs. When creating a workout, always ensure you have carefully considered what exercises, reps, and sets best fit your individual level of fitness.
Dumbbell Only Shoulder Workout Overview
As mentioned, there’s several reasons why you may want to consider performing a dumbbell shoulder workout.
Perhaps you are a fan of bro-split style training and while traveling, the only pieces of equipment available to you are a variety of dumbbells.
You may also be performing a different style of training, such as an upper/lower split and decide that you would like an additional day to focus specifically on the muscles of your shoulders.
It is also possible that you enjoy working out from the comfort of your own home, and invested in a set of adjustable dumbbells that you’d like to use to train the various parts of your body.’
Whatever your reason, the workout template below will focus on training every single portion of your deltoids in a variety of movement patterns to help you build stronger shoulders. All you need is a set of dumbbells. This template also assumes you are performing a well-balanced workout routine that trains the other muscle groups of the body.
Dumbbell Only Shoulder Workout
| Exercise | Set Range | Rep Range |
| Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 4 | 6-12 |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 3 | 8-12 |
| Dumbbell Front Raise | 2-3 | 10-12 |
| Dumbbell Bent Over Rear Delt Raise | 2-3 | 10-15 |
| Dumbbell High Row | 2-3 | 10-15 |
Final Thoughts on Dumbbell Only Shoulder Workouts
Training your shoulder muscles can be rewarding in so many ways. The pump induced by working your shoulders will allow you to feel broader, resembling the often-coveted X-Frame physique. Stronger shoulders can also assist in injury prevention, especially when part of a well-balanced workout that corrects muscle imbalances.
The workout above pairs both compound movements and isolation exercises to assist you in building well-rounded deltoids. It should be modified in whatever way necessary to better fit your individual needs and goals.
Rest periods will vary depending on your individual fitness level. A recommendation would be to rest for 2-3 minutes after presses and 60-90 seconds after raises.
A dumbbell shoulder workout can be included in most dumbbell only workout routines.
If you have any questions about the shoulder workout in this article or dumbbell-focused exercises for your shoulders, please feel free to leave a comment below.