Best Seated Shoulder Strength Training Routines

Here are the best seated shoulder strength training routines. I'm a certified personal trainer. The perk about doing shoulder strength training routines while in a seated position is that this forces more isolation of the muscles you want to target, and it minimizes cheating.

In no particular order, here are some superb strength training routines for the shoulders that can be done while in a seated position.

Shrugs. You can sit at the edge of a bench and shrug dumbbells. However, there is equipment just for this purpose: a shrug machine (that you can add weight to) that you sit in; it has an adjustable seat and you place your hands on either side of the seat where there are handles to pull upwards. Adjust the seat so that you must lean forward a bit to reach the handles with straight arms. This way you won't be starting out with bent arms, but rather, tension upon straight arms. Straighten your back and shrug the shoulders.

Lateral raises. These kill the middle deltoids when done in a seated position, because it's much harder to cheat. You'll need lighter weights than what you normally use while standing. Let the weight come down slowly to really feel the muscle burn.

Front raises. These can be done with palms down, facing each other or facing the ceiling, and with dumbbells. Or, you can use a barbell, but with a barbell I recommend palms down.

Reverse flyes with dumbbells. Lean over while seated at the end of a bench, dumbbells on the floor at your feet. Pick them up and, keeping back straight (not rounded), perform the motion of reverse flyes. If you bend your arms too much, the exercise will recruit less of the back of the shoulder muscles (posterior deltoid), and more of the rhomboids. So keep arms minimally bent.

You can lean over quite a bit with these, or half way over. In fact, perform this exercise with different degrees of a lean-over.

Reverse flyes with the pec-deck machine. The tendency is for people to cheat by bending their arms too much. Again, minimize the bend.

Dumbbell presses. This is a classic seated shoulder strength training routine, and can be done with or without a back support. With the support, you'll be able to push up heavier weights.

Military press. Using a barbell, simply push it above your head for a blast in your shoulders. Use a back support.

The above seated shoulder strength training routines are all great for shaping and strengthening the shoulder muscles.