Deltoid Exercises Using Nothing But Dumbbells
When it comes to deltoid exercises, using dumbbells gives you a greater choice than using a barbell does. In this article, I’ll take you through each of the deltoid heads and an effective dumbbell exercise for each…
Anterior Deltoid
Situated at the front of the shoulder, the anterior deltoid is used for pushing and drawing the arm upward in front of the body.
Dumbbell exercises which hit the anterior deltoid:
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Hold each dumbbell at shoulder height, to the sides of the shoulders with the elbows slightly out from the sides. Dumbbells shouldn’t be held in line as you would hold a barbell, but should be slightly angled so the ends are pointing slightly forward, as this is more of a natural positioning.
Now, press them up ahead, twisting the wrists outward as you do so, and touching the ends of the dumbbells together at the top, before reversing the motion and bringing them down slowly.
Medial / Lateral Deltoid
The medial (also known as lateral) deltoid is the one on the side of the arm, and is responsible for raising the arms upwards to the sides.
Dumbbell exercises which hit the medial / lateral deltoid:
Lateral Raise
In a standing position, slightly bent at the knees, and bent forward slightly at the waist, hold two dumbbells together in front of you. Now, using your shoulders – not rocking and swinging – raise them to the sides until they are level with the top of your head, giving a twisting motion as you do so, so the rear end of the dumbbells is slightly higher than the front. Lower in a slow and controlled manner.
Think of this as a pouring motion.
Posterior Deltoid
Situated at the back of the shoulder, the posterior deltoid is responsible for drawing the arm backwards, and also upwards to the rear of the body.
Dumbbell exercises which hit the posterior deltoid:
Rear Lateral Raise
Also known as bent over flys, this exercise is performed precisely the same way as lateral raises, only this time, the torso is bent at a full 90 degrees at the waist and is kept parallel to the floor all throughout the motion, keeping the strain on the posterior deltoids.
