The 3 best exercises for beginners to start training their shoulders

Best shoulder exercises for beginners

When Alfonso first entered the gym, he did not even know where to begin. The only thing he was sure of at that moment was that the membership with a minimum commitment was cheaper and came with a towel and a padlock as a gift. Why not take it?

After signing twice and entering the card numbers into the computer, he entered the gym: a short guided tour. These are the plate-loaded machines, this is the free-weight area, and remember that using a towel is mandatory… 

These are the women’s changing rooms, and these are the men’s. 

“Alfonso, is everything clear? Do you have any questions?”

Suddenly, Alfonso replied, somewhat frightened: 

• Yes, everything is clear. Thank you very much. 
• Welcome, and enjoy yourself. If you have any questions, we are at reception. 
• Thank you very much. 

Alfonso was 24 years old and had never set foot in a gym. He only knew about video games and history, which was what he was studying at university. A friend had recommended that he join a gym, telling him it would do him good and that his back would hurt less after spending so many hours in front of the computer and books. 

After a brief chat with the gym instructor, he heard something for the first time that caught his attention:

““Before worrying about lifting a lot of weight, strengthen your shoulders. They are key to your situation.”

Alfonso was left thinking. Shoulders? Wouldn’t it be better to start with chest or arms?

The truth is, I had no idea what exercises to do or how to train my shoulders safely as a beginner. After a quick search on TikTok, it all sounded like Greek to him: military presses, raises, reverse flyes… where should he start without getting injured?

If this situation sounds familiar, it is because at some point you have been like Alfonso, starting from scratch and not knowing what the 3 best exercises are to start training your shoulders as a beginner. This article is for you; you will learn step by step what the best options are, with practical advice designed especially for you. 

Why train your shoulders as a beginner?

When you start going to the gym, it is very common to focus only on the “most visible” muscles, such as the chest, biceps, or abs. But what many people do not take into account—and what you will know, giving you an advantage—is that the shoulders play a fundamental role in practically every upper-body movement. 

Besides being a very prominent part, it is also surrounded by very small muscles, which is why it is necessary work it carefully and, above all, know how to train it so you do not get injured. 

Therefore, training the shoulders as a beginner is important because: 

• They are the foundation of upper-body strength.
• They prevent injuries and discomfort, especially in the cervical region. 
• They improve posture and physical appearance. 
• They carry over to other exercises, such as the bench press or pull-ups.

Shoulder anatomy 

Understanding this is essential for comprehending how it works and knowing how to train it, since it has a wide variety of movements in different planes and directions, thanks to the interaction between bones, muscles, ligaments, and neurovascular structures. 

Bones and joints

The shoulder is primarily made up of the following bones (1): 

• Scapula
• Clavicle 
• Humerus 

This results in the formation of several joints, which allow for a great versatility and variety of movements. They are as follows: 

Joint	Main function
Glenohumeral	Primary shoulder mobility
Acromioclavicular	Scapular movements (shoulder blades)
Sternoclavicular	Connection of the arm to the torso
Scapulothoracic	Scapular displacement

Table 1. Shoulder joints and main functions. Adapted from (1,2).

Muscles and stabilizers.

As we have seen previously, the shoulder is one of the most mobile parts of the body, consists of several joints and therefore needs a strong muscular structure to keep it stable and safe when it has to move. 

And this is where the shoulder muscles come into play, which are as follows: 

• Rotator cuff (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, and teres minor), are essential for movement (3).
• Primary muscles: The deltoids, trapezius, and rhomboids contribute to mobility and provide support (4).
• Stabilizers: Static structures (labrum, capsule, ligaments) and dynamic structures (muscles) (5)

All these muscles, from the smallest (stabilizers) to the largest (deltoid or trapezius), are the ones we will need to train, and whether you are a beginner or not, you will be able to find out which exercises are best a little further down.

Tips for training shoulders as a beginner

Before starting shoulder exercises for beginners, progressing with them, or simply beginning to train in any situation, you need to prepare your body for it—especially when it comes to the shoulder, since we know that the risk of injury to this joint is high and often occurs because it was not properly prepared. 

Here are some important recommendations to keep in mind and apply before your shoulder workout as a beginner: 

• Do mobility exercises, especially those involving the rotator cuff. 
• The mobility and warm-up exercises should be performed well away from failure, remember that you want to warm up, not excessively fatigue those muscles. 
• Use a foam roller or myofascial therapy before training; this will improve joint mobility and reduce and relieve the tensions typical of this joint. 
• Use bands, TRX, or light weights, the goal is to prepare the joint, not to put it under excessive load. 

So that you do not feel too lost with so much information, here are some exercises you can do before training your shoulders: 

• Internal and external shoulder rotations with an elastic band. 
• Shoulder abduction with TRX. 
• Overhead movements with very light weights or bands. 

Perform these 3 exercises between 5 and 8 repetitions, away from failure, you can do it as a circuit or by performing sets, between 1 and 2 times would be enough. Remember that we do not want to become excessively fatigued. 

The 3 best exercises for beginners to start training their shoulders.

I’ve already told you about the bones, joints, and muscles of the shoulder. 

I’ve also told you how mobile this joint is and how sensitive it can be. 

Now that you know all this, the logical thing would be to get up and start training. But you should do it intelligently. 

So stick with me for two more minutes of reading, and I’ll give you the 3 best exercises to start training your shoulders.

Exercise	Sets	Repetitions	Notes	Muscle worked
Very Inclined Press on a Smith Machine	Between 2 and 3	5-8	The bench should be set at 75–80°; the bar lowers to the collarbone.	Anterior deltoid
Lateral Raises	Between 3 and 4	8-20	You should combine dumbbell raises with the pulley all the way down and with the pulley at hip height; you can also use machines.	Lateral deltoid, rotator muscles, and trapezius.
Reverse Fly	Between 2 and 4	9-15	You can do it with a cable or a dumbbell; if using dumbbells, it is recommended to stabilize yourself with a bench.	Rear deltoid, trapezius, rhomboids.

Table 2. The 3 best shoulder exercises if you are a beginner, adapted from (6,7).

Common mistakes

You now have your 5 exercises.

You know what you have to do, how to do it, how many repetitions, and even which part of the shoulder each movement works. Perfect.

Buuut…

There’s a very fine line between knowing what to do and doing it properly, and crossing it can lead to injury.

 And the worst part is that you don’t even realize it.

Because there are mistakes we all make. Even those who think they’re experts.

And if you don’t spot them in time, not only will you fail to improve, but you could also seriously hurt yourself.

So before continuing, take a look at this list of classic mistakes when training your shoulders. If you’re making them, don’t worry: they can be corrected. And if not, it’s better to know about them now so you don’t injure yourself. 

• Poor technique: when posture or positioning isn’t correct, the risk of injury increases exponentially (8).
• Overloading and overtraining can occur from training with excessively heavy loads or without enough rest. Resulting in overuse injuries (9).
• Muscle imbalances: if there isn’t a balance of muscle mass between the different parts of the shoulder, it can contribute to injuries (10).
• Ignoring muscle fatigue, if you don’t make an adjustment to training volume and intensity as fatigue increases, there is an 99% chance that shoulder will end up injured (11).

Now that you know what you don’t have to do,  it’s time to start training. You have all the information at your fingertips, so all you have to do is put it into practice. And if you need something to recover after your sessions and avoid terrible muscle soreness during your first week at the gym, if I were you, I wouldn’t look here. 

Conclusion

Now, after making it this far, you’re no longer the beginner who didn’t even know what a lateral raise was.

You know the 3 best shoulder exercises for beginnersyou know why it’s important to do it, which muscles are involved, and even which mistakes you should avoid if you don’t want to end up with a shoulder like a footballer’s knee—injured every other week.

The hard part isn’t understanding it; the hard part is getting started. So the next time you go to train at the gym, remember these 3 words: technique, progression, and common sense.

Shoulders don’t grow overnight, but you can injure them in seconds.

Train calmly, do things properly, and within a few weeks you’ll notice that your T-shirt fits better… and so does your back.

And if you see yourself as Alfonso at the beginning, don’t worry—everyone starts that way. The good thing is that you already have an advantage.