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When I was a wee boy (or possible in my mid-twenties). I used to think bodyweight shoulder exercises consisted of nothing more than a quick set of parallel bar dips.
So for years, I practiced an ineffective shoulder routine that relied heavily on just this exercise and not much else.
I’d sometimes throw a quick finisher in at the end of my workout that involved a few minutes of light dumbbell work that mainly targeted that shoulders.
But other than that, I didn’t really do anything else to give my shoulders the workout they deserved.
Now, if I’m totally honest, I actually spent a lot of time thinking that pullups, dips, pushups, and squats were everything I needed to get a full-body workout in.
And while they did go a long way to chiseling out a half-decent physique. Over time I realized that I was neglecting a few key moves that left me with less than the stunning shoulders.
And it wasn’t because I was doing the wrong exercises…
…Far from it.
It was merely because I was doing them in a way that didn’t engage my shoulders correctly when I executed them.
And now I’ve learned the error of my ways (and thrown a few other exercises into the mix). I’ve finally found a way to target my shoulders in a way that works quite well.
Anyway…
The reason I’m telling you this is because I can only assume you’re looking for the creme de la creme of bodyweight shoulder exercises to get you well on your way to getting the badass shoulders you deserve.
Well, fear not my little padawan, Jedi knight because today, I’ve got you covered.
WATCH VIDEO: Learn How To QUICKLY Master The Planche, Muscle-Up, Human Flag, And Other Advanced Calisthenic Moves That Defy The Law Of Gravity
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Table of Contents
The 3 Heads Of The Shoulder
So before I dive in and start throwing a list of random exercises your way. I feel it’s first important to highlight the 3 HEADS of the shoulder.
These are the…
- Front Delts (front of the shoulder)
- Medial Delts (side of the shoulder)
- Rear Delts (back of the shoulder)
Now, you’ll probably read a lot of websites that mention a few exercises like pike pushups, handstand pushups, and the like.
But other than that, they don’t really give you much more detail.
There’s nothing wrong with these exercises, by the way. The problem, however, is that all of these exercises mainly target the medial delts.
This often leaves both the front delts and rear delts taking a back seat.
And it’s a shame really because there’s so much more you can get out of your shoulder workout if you do it right.
Bodyweight Shoulder Exercises That Work Each Head
So now you’re up to speed, I’m going to show you how to target all 3 heads specifically.
Some exercises you might be familiar with and some you won’t. Either way, if you take even the smallest snippet of information from this post that helps you improve your shoulder workout in some way. Then I’ve done my job.
Front Delts
So the most common exercise you might associate with the front delts would be the pushup…
…Or, more specifically, the decline pushup.
Now, without getting too technical, this is basically because your feet are positioned on a higher platform. Which, in turn, creates a greater demand on your front delts.
Makes sense so far, right?
But other than this exercise, a lot of people tend to draw a blank when figuring out what else they can do to effectively target this area.
And this is where using leverage comes in handy.
Take the parallel bar dip, for instance…
Now, if I were to grab the handles of the bar and position myself vertically while performing parallel bar dips. I’d pretty much just be targeting my chest and/or triceps with minimal activation from the front delts.
But if I were to get a little creative and hinge at the hips. I could then position my body at a nearly 45-degree angle to create a higher demand from my front delts.
This can be a little difficult at first, especially if you’re not used to performing regular parallel bar dips.
So if you’re struggling, what I recommend doing instead is simply tucking your knees up towards your chest before hinging your body.
I find it takes some of the stress away from your joints while still effectively targeting your front delts.
Another awesome bodyweight shoulder exercise that targets front delts is the pseudo pushup.
If you’ve never heard of this pushup variation, it’s basically a pushup with your hand positioned further towards your waist.
Again this is another great example of using leverage to change the angle of attack on what muscle groups you’re working.
You’ll find that the closer your hands are towards your waist, the greater the load on the front delts.
It’s not the most natural exercise in the world. So if you’ve got limited training experience. I’d recommend practicing this exercise with your hands a little further towards your chest until you’ve got the required strength to do it correctly.
Medial Delts
Moving swiftly on, I’m going to show you how to target your medial delts.
To be honest, the exercises that target the medial delts are primarily overhead pressing style movements. So there isn’t really anything too in-depth to explain here.
The basic progressions go something like this…
- Pike Pushup
- Feet Elevated Pike Pushup
- Supported Handstand Holds (against the wall)
- Supported Handstand Pushups (against the wall)
- Handstand Holds
- Handstand Pushups
Although this looks quite simple, it can actually be quite problematic when transitioning to more difficult progressions.
A while back, I personally had trouble going from an elevated pike pushup to being able to hold a handstand against a wall. Because I still didn’t have the shoulder strength to hold the exercise.
So what I did was I continued to perform elevated pike pushups. But instead of just repping out till failure, I’d position my weight further to one side of my body to increase the load on one of my shoulders.
This helped me maximize my shoulder strength pretty quickly. So if you’re struggling in this department, then I’d recommend giving it a go.
WATCH VIDEO: Learn How To QUICKLY Master The Planche, Muscle-Up, Human Flag, And Other Advanced Calisthenic Moves That Defy The Law Of Gravity
(Video Will Open In A New Window)
Rear Delts
Last up, I’m going to show you how to target your rear delts.
Now to be fair, you can actually target your rear delts quite easily using both pullups…
…And a modified version of inverted rows called face pulls.
But the trick here is to perform each exercise in a specific way that focuses on body positioning and form.
Take the pullup, for instance…
When most people perform pullups, they tend to knock out half-ass reps without really focusing on their range of motion.
However, if you start each rep of your pullup from a deadhang position with your scapular (shoulder blades) fully protracted. Then the initial pulling phase of the movement (protracted to retracted) has a massive amount of rear delt activation. (see image)
Inverted rows, on the other hand, have you performing a pull from a horizontal position until your chest is level with the bar.
But if you position yourself so that you’re performing a face pull (pulling your face towards the bar). It will ultimately take some of the load away from your upper back and help target your rear delts.
Applying Bodyweight Shoulder Exercises Into Your Workout
I won’t lie. I’m a huge fan of full-body workouts. And the idea of targeting one muscle group per workout isn’t really my style.
This isn’t to say that body parts splits are ineffective. It’s just that I’d rather focus my time on the multi-joint compound movements that give me the highest potential for improvement.
See if you structure your workout correctly. You can still carve out an adonis like body using nothing more than the major bodyweight compound movement and their progressions.
Let me explain…
Now, the 4 main movement patterns for the upper body consist of nothing more than…
- Horizontal Push (Pushups)
- Horizontal Pull (Inverted Rows)
- Vertical Push (Parallel Bar Dips/Pike Pushups)
- Vertical Pull (Pullups or Chinups)
Bear in mind that I’ve already covered how each of these exercises targets each part of the 3 heads when you perform them correctly.
Your front delts can be targeted by modifying the pushup or parallel bar dip with both pseudo pushups, and parallel bar dips with a 45-degree hinge.
Your medial delts can be targeted with pike pushups, handstand pushups, and all of their progressions.
And your rear delts can be targeted by performing pullups from a deadhang position (more specifically scapula pulls)…
…Or by modifying the inverted row into a face pull.
Taking Things To The Next Level
Now, in the grand scheme of things. There isn’t really any need to start adding more bodyweight shoulder exercises to your routine unless you’re training for something more specific.
Advanced exercises like the planche, human flag, and handstand pushup require a massive amount of both core and shoulder strength. Along with the will of a mighty spartan to accomplish them.
Not to mention a killer training program.
But if you’re serious about getting the best out of yourself and want to take your bodyweight workout to the next level. Then here’s what I’d suggest…
It’s called Bar Brothers The System
In a nutshell, it’s a 12-week transformation program that’s specifically geared towards helping you build the strength and physique you so desperately want using nothing more than your bodyweight.
Check out the video below to see what it’s all about…
WATCH VIDEO: Learn How To QUICKLY Master The Planche, Muscle-Up, Human Flag, And Other Advanced Calisthenic Moves That Defy The Law Of Gravity
(Video Will Open In A New Window)
I won’t’ lie. It’s pretty hardcore, especially if you’re not used to hammering your body into oblivion.
But the results you can get (provided you put in the work) are pretty insane. And I predict that if you’re willing to go all-in with this program, then it will change your body and your life for the better.
To sweeten the deal, I’ll also personally throw in over $100 of my own training guides if you invest in the program…
This includes…
- HIIT to Fit
- Functional Strength
- And Kettlebell Transformation
Here’s what they look like…
Now each one of these training guides sells for anywhere from $27-$47. But they’re yours free when you join Bar Brothers.
If you want them, just shoot me a quick message with some sort of proof (screenshot, receipt, etc…) that you purchased Bar Brothers via the contact form on my website…
…Or by emailing me directly at Dan@Un-Ripped.Com
And I’ll send you ALL 3 training guides to your email address within the next 48 hours as a sincere thank you for buying the program.
Anyway…
If you’re going to take anything away from this blog post, let it be this…
Effective bodyweight training can be as easy or as difficult as you make it.
But given the right knowledge (and a little motivation), you really can get your body into the condition you want it with a structured plan of action.
Is it easy?
No…
But nothing worth having ever is. And if you think that a half-ass approach is going to cut it, then I’m afraid you’re sh*t out of luck.
However, if you’ve got the determination and motivation to succeed, all I can say is good luck to you on your journey.
Oh, and by the way… If you have anything you’d like to add on bodyweight shoulder exercises, I’d love to hear your thoughts…
So feel free to drop a comment below…