7 Shoulder Exercises for Strength and Stability

It's time to focus on shoulder workout for improving your torso strength and stability. Shoulder strength training can reduce your risk of injury by strengthening your core muscles, which makes you more stable and lessens imbalances.

• Assess yourself

Before beginning your shoulder strength training, you should assess your body and shoulders.

“Start by keeping your arm by your side the entire time. Complete one full shoulder circle going front-to-back, and then another back-to-front,” Coggan says. “You want a good range of motion in this movement, without pain. If you experience any discomfort, talk to a Gold’s Gym trainer before starting these exercises.”

• Do shoulder workouts twice a week

Doing shoulder exercises twice a week gives the muscles ample time for growth and recovery. Start with this approach:

First 10 minutes: Stretch the upper body, shoulders and back muscles.

Next 20 to 30 minutes: Shoulder exercises (listed below) paired with upper body training, such as chest, back and arms.

Next 5 to 10 minutes: Light stretching.

Last 10 to 20 minutes: Cap it off with cardio or high-intensity interval training.

• Choose your weight

One of the biggest mistakes a beginner can make is choosing either too much or too little weight.

Assess: Try 10 reps in good form. If you can easily go past 10 in good form, try a slightly heavier weight.

Tweak: If you’re struggling to get 10 or need to engage other muscles to finish the rep, you’ve gone too heavy. Go down about 5-10 pounds.

The sweet spot: If you can do 10 reps with great form and feel like you have just 1-2 reps left in the tank, you found the perfect weight for you.

• Change it up

There’s more than one way to train, Coggan says. And actually, doing the same thing repeatedly is a common mistake, he says. Bodies begin to adapt to an exercise and need variety to continue making progress. Just make sure you’re doing the basics right.

Gold’s Gym trainers, who can introduce a wide range of workouts, can make sure you’re using proper technique. Here, Coggan offers four exercises to try, as well as modifications for each fitness level.

1. Dumbbell front raise

                                                         Workout Movement Front Raise

This exercise is an effective move to isolate your anterior deltoid muscles, or the front of the shoulder. Standing, hold dumbbells in front of you with your palms facing your legs. Keep your elbows and knees slightly bent as you raise your arms straight in front of you to shoulder level. Slowly return to the starting position.

The goal: Four sets of 12 reps. Rest about 60 seconds between sets.

Beginner: Move up and down at an even pace. Two seconds up, two seconds down. Don’t lock out the elbows or lean back during execution.

Intermediate: Try decreasing the rest between sets to 30 seconds, and combine front, lateral and reverse fly shoulder raises in one sequence.

Expert: No rest between sets. Combine front, lateral and reverse fly shoulder raises in one sequence.

2. Dumbbell lateral raise

                                                          Workout Movement Lat Raise

Lifting laterally activates your posterior deltoids and upper-back muscles. Standing, hold dumbbells with your palms facing each other. Keeping your elbows and knees slightly bent, raise your arms out from your sides in wide arcs to about shoulder level. Slowly return to the starting position.

The goal: Four sets of 12 reps. Rest about 60 seconds between sets.

Beginner: Move up and down at an even pace. Two seconds up, two seconds down. Don’t lock the elbows or lean back during execution.

Intermediate: Try decreasing the rest between sets to 30 seconds, and combine front, lateral and reverse fly shoulder raises in one sequence.

Expert: No rest between sets. Combine front, lateral and reverse fly shoulder raises in one sequence.

3. Reverse fly

                                                          Workout Movement Reverse Fly

This exercise targets your posterior deltoids, as well as the rhomboid and middle trapezius muscles of your upper back. Standing, hold dumbbells with your palms facing each other. Bend your torso forward, forming a 45-degree angle with the floor. With elbows slightly bent, raise the dumbbells up and out to the sides until they are parallel to the floor. As you lift the weights, focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together.

The goal: Four sets of 12 reps. Rest about 60 seconds between sets.

Beginner: Hold your spine in a strong, flat neutral position throughout the movement. If you are not strong enough to do this on your own today, use a bench set to an incline to support yourself.

Intermediate: Try decreasing the rest between sets to 30 seconds, and combine front, lateral and reverse fly shoulder raises in one sequence.

Expert: No rest between sets. Combine front, lateral and reverse fly shoulder raises in one sequence.

4. Seated military press

                                                       Workout Movement Military Press

Along with building anterior, medial and rear deltoid strength, this exercise also targets the upper back. Sitting, hold a dumbbell in each hand, and raise both weights to shoulder level with palms facing out and elbows bent. Press the weights up and toward each other as you straighten your arms. At the top of the movement, keep a slight bend in your elbows. Slowly bring down the weights, and return to the starting position.

The goal: Four sets of 12 reps. Rest about 60 seconds between sets.

Beginner: Use a bench with a back support to support your body throughout the shoulder press and decrease the demand on your abs and back. Focus on full range of motion from shoulders to arms straight, with your arms in line with your ears.

Intermediate: Remove the back support and slow down the movement for a two-second lift and a two-second descent.

Expert: Stand up. Consider including an explosive lift while continuing to lower the weights slowly and under control.

5. Standing dumbbell shoulder press

                                                     Workout Movement Standing Dumbbell

Lifting weight overhead from a standing position engages all the muscles of your shoulders and upper arms and works your core as it stabilizes. To begin, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, squeezing your abs and your glutes tightly throughout the movement to maintain a straight back. With the dumbbells at shoulder height, press the weight straight up until your arms are fully extended. When your arms cover your ears, you’ve achieved a straight-up position.

The goal: Three sets of eight reps. Rest about 60 seconds between sets.

Beginner: Keep the weight down and aim for 10–12 reps.  Focus on good form and proper body position.

Intermediate: Superset the presses by doing the dumbbell front raise for 10 reps immediately after your set is finished. The 1-2 punch will have your shoulders really burning.

Expert: Try one arm at a time. Be sure to lighten the dumbbells slightly at first as this will really challenge your core in a big way.

6. One-arm dumbbell push press

                                                       Workout Movement Push Press

This combines shoulder work with full-body power development, increasing your strength in overhead pressing movements in a big way. The heavier load makes it a big core challenge that really gets your heart rate up and will leave you feeling like you just ran sprints.  Start in the same position as the standing shoulder press, but with a dumbbell in only one hand. Begin the movement with a slight knee dip (think quarter squat depth). Rapidly extend your knees and hips to create driving power that will push the weight explosively with one hand over your head to a full lockout. Slowly lower the weight back down to shoulder height to repeat for reps.

The goal: Four sets of 6 reps per side. Rest about 90 seconds between sets.

Beginner: Most beginners should focus on more basic movements that do not involve a power component. Straight shoulder presses would be the best bet.

Intermediate: Try doing six sets of 3–4 reps with heavier weights that will challenge your strength to a greater degree.

Expert: Hold two dumbbells and alternate sides from one rep to the next.

7. Plank dumbbell shoulder raise

                                                 Workout Movement Shoulder Raise

This exercise combines a proven core development exercise with a staple shoulder developer, making it extremely effective and time efficient. Holding the dumbbells, start in a plank position supported on your hands and on your toes. Begin with your feet a little bit wider than shoulder width. Move your feet in if you need to increase difficulty. From this position, alternate reps lifting one arm off the ground and straight out in front of you until it lines up with your body (parallel to the ground).

The goal: Three sets of five reps per side. Rest about 60 seconds between sets.

Beginner: Complete the movement from hands and knees, rather than toes.

Intermediate: Complete as directed if you’re an intermediate.

Expert: Bring the feet in as close to each other as you can while maintaining a good flat back position and not shifting your hips. This will make the exercise much more difficult quickly, so just move in a little bit at a time.

This is all for today, I hope you got some meaningful understanding from today’s blog. Thank you for your precious time, see you all in the next blog.😁

By Aryan Veerwani (Team SYNC Snippets)

4 Habits To Increase Your Consistency In Workout

While you've read so many exercises and workout routines in our previous blogs, It's time for me to tell you what all can you do to increase your consistency for better results! One of the key elements to success in endurance sports is consistency. Learn the top four habits you should form that will help you stay on track with your training. 

Consistency is not a skill or talent, you have direct control over it. Here are four habits that will increase your consistency and ultimately your success on race day. 

1. Plan and Schedule Your Workouts

Scheduling workouts on the same day every week will help with consistency. For example, every Monday might be an easy swim, every Tuesday a hard bike and so on. By creating a repeating schedule that you know works for you you minimize the chances to missing a workout. If your goal as a triathlete is to complete three swim, three bike and three run workouts per week, put all the workouts into your calendar as repeating events. 

2. Be Purposeful

Each and every workout should have a purpose. Putting in unnecessary volume increases your risk of injury and overtraining. Instead, focus on the workouts you need to do and consider the quality, not quantity, of each session. In doing so, you free up time to do everything else that you need to do rather than create unnecessary conflicts.

3. Follow Your Plan as Best as you Can

For most of us who do not make our living as professional athletes, the reality is that we may not be able get in 100 percent of our workouts each week. A good target is to complete 75 to 85 percent of your planned workouts in a given week. Note the key workouts during the week and focus on getting those workouts in. You’ll receive the desired training effect while allowing more flexibility in your life.

4. If You are Short on Time, Do a Shorter Workout

This may seem obvious, but I’ve been guilty of skipping long workouts altogether rather than doing a quick 30 minute swim, bike or run. Rather than feeling down about not getting the full workout in, be positive about having done some workout rather than nothing.

While these are fairly simple steps to follow, they are also very important. One of the key elements to success in any fitness goal is putting in the work over time. Staying consistent through every week leads to fitness gains and limits injuries so you can reach your full potential. As Jim Rohn once said, ”Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.”

Here are some bonus tips for you to be more consistent:

• Do what you like to do
• Track your workouts
• Don’t overdo it
• Trim down your goals
• Don’t get pigeonholed into one type of workout
• Forget the ‘all or nothing’ mentality — look at each day as a series of choices

This is all for today, I hope you got some meaningful understanding from today’s blog. Thank you for your precious time, see you all in the next blog.😁

By Aryan Veerwani (Team SYNC Snippets)

15 home workouts to tone your body - No weights required

15 minutes of strength training, five days a week is all you need to start seeing results from an at-home strength training routine.

Ready to get started? Do these 15 strength exercises at home to tone your arms, legs, glutes and core using just your bodyweight.

Lower body exercises

Walking squat

Start in a squat position with your feet as wide as your hips. Pull the abs in and bend the knees to sit back as if you’re trying to sit into a chair. Then step your right foot to the right into a wide leg squat, and bring your left foot a step to the right to the starting squat position. Keep walking sideways with this squat 10 times, then stand up and repeat to the other side.

Squat with knee lift

Start in a squat position. As you press down through the heels to stand up, lift your left knee up toward your chest. Gently put the foot back down and lower into the squat, then stand up again but lift your right knee up. Repeat this 10 times to each side.

Side lunge with a twist

Step your left foot to the left into a side lunge as if you’re trying to sit your left butt cheek down into a chair. Then press off of the left foot to come back to center and lift the left knee up toward your chest. Twist your torso to the left to engage your core and also work your balance on your right leg. Repeat this 10 times, then switch sides.

½ lunge walking lunge

Step your feet as wide as your hips. Then step the right foot forward and bend the right knee halfway to a half lunge. Bend the left knee halfway down. This is a half lunge position. Continue walking forward for 20 half lunges.

Standing leg lift to the back

Stand upright on your right leg with your left leg pointed back. Pull your navel in toward your spine and lift your straight left leg up behind you to work the glute. Repeat this 10 times, then switch legs.

Upper body exercises

Pushups on the knees

Coming down onto your hands and knees, place your shoulders over your wrists and knees underneath your hips. Then walk the hands forward about 1 foot, and bring the shoulders forward to stay over the wrists. Pull the naval in toward the spine, and bend the elbows out to the side to lower down into a pushup. Press down through the palms of the hands to come up to the starting position. Repeat 10 times.

Tricep dips

Sit on your butt on the ground, and place the hands behind you. Turn the fingers to face your butt, and lift your butt up off of the mat. Keep your knees over your ankles, and bend the elbows straight back lowering down into a tricep dip. Press down through the palms of the hands to straighten the arms, while working the tricep muscle (the back of the arms). Repeat 10 times.

Plank to downdog

Starting on your hands and knees, walk the knees back to tuck the toes under and lift up into a plank position. Maintain a flat back as you keep the shoulders over the wrists and reach the heels toward the back of the room. Then, pull the abs in and lift the butt up toward the ceiling and back, coming into an upside down "V" position. Take a breath in, and then exhale as you shift forward into plank. Repeat this 10 times.

Lat pulldowns

Standing up straight, reach your arms up toward the ceiling, keeping them shoulder-width apart. Then pretend that you’re grabbing a bar as you pull the arms and elbows down with the elbows bent out to the sides, engaging the upper back. Squeeze the shoulder blades together. Then return the arms to the starting position. Repeat this 10 times.

Arm circles

Reach the arms out to the sides as high as the shoulders and move the arms in 10 circles forward and then 10 circles backward. Repeat this 10 times total!

Core exercises

Crunch with knees up

Lying down on your back, bend the knees at a 90-degree angle. Place the hands behind the head, elbows open wide. Lift the head and neck about 1 inch off of the ground. This is the starting position. Engage the lower abs as you curl up as high as you can and hug the elbows in to try to touch your knees. Lower the head, neck and elbows down to the starting position. Repeat this 10 times.

Criss cross & reach with knees up

Lying on your back, keep the knees lifted at a 90-degree angle. Press the palms together at the center of your chest. Curl up as you reach the arms across the right thigh, then come back to center. Curl up as you reach the arms across the left thigh, then come back to center. Repeat this 10 times to each side.

Single leg lower & lift

Lying on your back, place your left foot on the ground and lift your right leg up toward the ceiling. Tilt the pelvis to press your low back into the ground. Keep your back pressed against the ground as you lower the right leg down about 45 degrees, then bring it up to center. Repeat 10 times and then switch legs.

Single leg straight toe touch

Lift both legs and both arms up towards the ceiling. Curl your head and neck off of the ground as you lower the right leg and reach your fingertips toward your left toes. Come back to center, bring the right leg in and lower the left leg down. Reach up toward the right toes. Repeat 10 times to each side.

Modified side plank elbow to knee

On your knees, lower the right hand down to the ground to the right of your body; making sure the right shoulder stays over the right wrist. Then extend the left leg out as high as your hip. Place your left hand behind your head, and crunch the left elbow toward the left thigh. Your body may not move very much, but you’ll feel the left side waist engaging. Repeat this 10 times, then switch sides.

Sample weekly workout plan

Unsure of how exactly to incorporate these exercises into your routine? I’ve created a sample weekly workout plan using the three body-weight circuits above. This full body strength-training routine can complement your cardio walking plan.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: Lower body circuit + core

Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday: Upper body circuit + core

Sunday: Core

This is all for today, I hope you got some meaningful understanding from today’s blog. Thank you for your precious time, see you all in the next blog. 😁

By Aryan Veerwani (Team SYNC Snippets)

Can you really reach Zero State of mind with a world full of Distractions?

Before I answer your question, lets understand what exactly is Zero State Of Mind. Zero thought state is a state when our mind is doing nothing, nothing means nothing. Like our attention, observation, awareness of senses became zero. No thoughts run in our mind. During meditation we try to control our thoughts, meaning we are doing something but in a zero thought state we are doing nothing. 

Now let's get back to the question, Can we really reach zero state of mind with a world full of distractions? The answer to this question is Yes, you can. We all know 2024 is the era of AI and Web 3.0. But if you are someone who can execute deep work with a calm mind, you can easily achieve zero thought state. 

When, through practice, meditation and discipline, one is able to achieve at least for a few minutes, a state when no thoughts are present in the mind, that is when this 'empty' mind is bursting with creative potential, that is called 'nirmal sthiti'.

Here are some simple steps that you need to follow consistently at a fixed point of time according to your routine to achieve Zero Thought State:

• Practice Meditation - To start a meditation practice, simply find a place where you can sit and relax. Then observe your thoughts without becoming attached to them. Once you've noticed them, let them go and bring your focus back to the present moment.

• Mindfulness meditation techniques can be used to help you reach this zero thought state, where you are free from the constant chatter of your mind. 

• With guided relaxation meditation scripts, you can learn how to focus on your breath and let go of any mental stress or worries. 

• Even just 5 minutes of meditation per day can have amazing benefits for your mental health and wellbeing. 

• Breathwork is a powerful tool that can help us reach a zero thought state and tap into our inner wisdom. 

• Pranayama breathing technique, which is an ancient yogic practice, teaches us to focus on the breath and use it as a tool to calm the mind. 

• Breathwork exercises for beginners are easy and accessible, making it possible for anyone to learn the basics of this powerful practice.

• By connecting with our breath we can access deeper states of relaxation and peace. This can help us reduce stress, anxiety, and negative thought patterns while increasing clarity of mind. 

• Breathwork can be used as an effective tool for personal transformation and growth

• Visualization exercises can be a powerful tool to help you reach the zero thought state. This is an essential step in achieving inner peace and relaxation. With the right visualization techniques, you can quickly get into a deep meditative state and achieve clarity of mind.

• Guided visualization relaxation scripts are one of the most popular ways to use visualization exercises for relaxation. These scripts provide step-by-step instructions on how to relax and visualize your desired outcome. 

This is all for today, I hope you got some meaningful understanding from today’s blog. Thank you for your precious time, see you all in the next blog. 😁

By Aryan Veerwani (Team SYNC Snippets)