The elastic in bodybuilding offers a practical and effective alternative when indoor work with machines or dumbbells is not possible or desired. The elastic allows a complete muscular work at home provided you apply a few rules and use an appropriate method. It can be taken anywhere easily and allows you to train in a small space.
The shoulders, fragile joints surrounded by muscles, require isolation exercises for effective work. Rubber bands are the best alternative for these shoulder exercises, as they offer resistance comparable to weights and dumbbells while favoring and securing this joint. Find out in this article how to perform shoulder exercises with rubber bands.
What are the benefits of using rubber bands to work the shoulders?
Body resistance band training offers a multitude of benefits. These shoulder exercises with rubber band can be beneficial for your weight training routine, alone or in addition to exercises using weights:
- Safe and low impact: This is especially ideal for complex joints such as the shoulders, as they are prone to injury. You can apply resistance from any angle, allowing you to focus on specific areas.
- Injury Prevention: Performing gentle exercises to increase strength, stability, and mobility can help you maintain shoulder health and prevent injury.
- Great for Health: Elastic shoulder exercises improve flexibility and correct muscle imbalance. Plus, they help relieve pain, especially after injury or surgery, so you can go about your day in greater comfort.
- Better Coordination: The bands work much like a pulley machine, allowing you to maintain constant tension on the muscle. You'll also use more stabilizing muscles to keep the band tight throughout each exercise, adding a different dynamic to the same movements.
- For all exercisers: resistance bands get tougher as you stretch them. This makes the exercises more difficult as the bands are stretched. This way it is easy to change the intensity of a movement. So you can adapt the level of resistance to your individual needs.
- Portable, Inexpensive, and Easy to Use: The rubber band is a cost-effective strength training accessory that you can use absolutely anywhere. So you can easily incorporate them into your fitness routine. They also allow many variations and modifications.
Also read: The elastic military press: easily strengthen your shoulders
Rubber band restrictions for shoulder muscle training
As a general rule, shoulders are managed to the nearest kilo. With rubber bands, this is not possible. The resistance is fluctuating, which is one of its interests. Thus, we must forget the principle of progression from kilo to kilo at each session. With rubber bands, you're working more on the length of the stretch based on the thickness of the rubber band as well as the speed of the movement.
Thus, the sensations are totally different.But with a bit of learning and experience in bungee, it is quite possible to train as effectively as with weights and dumbbells
With elastic bands, you also have to think about slowing down the negative phase of your exercises. This is important for two reasons: it is a phase of the movement which is very productive for muscle growth, but in addition, the rubber band tends to accelerate this phase, which will accentuate the difficulty for you, and therefore its effectiveness for your muscles.
To learn more: How to effectively build muscle with a rubber band?
Before you start your elastic shoulder exercises
There are a number of things to think about before you start your elastic shoulder exercises.
Breathing
Always breathe deeply, even when the exercise requires effort and concentration.
Indeed, good breathing allows the muscles to get oxygen, which is essential for regeneration. If you find the exercise difficult, reduce the number of repetitions or the resistance.
The resistance of the elastic
To work with a rubber band, you have to use its tension. Also, your starting position for each exercise should already slightly stretch your elastic band, then proceed with your movement keeping the band taut.
To increase efficiency, you can hold the position with the strongest resistance for two breaths.
Posture
Be careful not to accompany the movement of the rubber band but, on the contrary, to resist.
Pay attention to the posture of the back in particular or the alignment of the pelvis. Also be sure to keep your shoulders down so you don't tense up.
Warm-up
Start by warming up ! Dance, mobilize your joints to lubricate them, and visualize your exercises before you start. You can do them without a rubber band to warm up.
Also read: Bodybuilding: how to get broad shoulders quickly?
Top 8 exercises to work the shoulders with a rubber band
To exercise the shoulder muscles, it is important to work the 3 bundles of the deltoids as well as the trapezius muscles.
The three bundles of the deltoids allow multiple movements such as antepulsion, retropulsion, abduction and external rotation of the arm.
Anterior deltoids
Down press with rotation
The rubber band is placed on a low fixed point. Grab one of the two handles on the back of the device, one hand at the waist and the other at shoulder level.
The legs are slightly bent for more stability. Exercising a slight rotation of the bust, extend your arm towards the sky and come back down, mastering the gesture.
Military bench press
Place the elastic at an equal distance under the feet. Then grab the handles and position them at ear height.
Practice a vertical thrust until the arms are fully extended. Slowly come back down, pointing your elbows towards the floor.
To know: The complete guide to vertical pulling with elastic
Anterior middle deltoids
Lateral Raises
Place the elastic at an equal distance under the feet. Then grab the handles at the hips.
Arms outstretched, hands rise laterally so as to slightly exceed shoulder height Then slowly lower without breaking the tension with the elastic.
Front Raises
Place the elastic at an equal distance under the feet. Next, grab the handles at the hips.
Arms outstretched, hands raised in front of you slightly above shoulder height. Then slowly lower without breaking the tension with the elastic.
Also read: The Complete Guide to Your Deep Back Muscles
Posterior deltoids
Shoulder spreads
In a standing position, the elastic is placed in front of the chest. The hands are a little wider than the shoulders and the elastic is in light tension.
Spread your hands so that they pass slightly behind your shoulders. Then return to the initial position without releasing the tension of the elastic.
High horizontal draw
Stand with one foot back to ensure good stability. The elastic is attached to a high point.
Grasp the handles and place the elbows at shoulder height. Then pull back, keeping your elbows high. Return to the initial position while maintaining tension on the elastic.
Learn more about horizontal pulling: The Complete Guide to Horizontal Pulling with Elastic
Reverse Fly
Stand with your feet planted on the floor on the middle of the resistance band. Cross the ends of the opposite hands so that the band crosses in front of your legs. Lean slightly forward, keep your spine straight and maintain a slight bend in the knees throughout the movement.
Pull the band up and to the sides until your hands are at or above chest height. Contract your shoulder blades well during the exercise. Hold this position for a few seconds. Slowly return to starting position.
Traps
Shrugs
Place the elastic at an equal distance under the feet. Next, grab the handles at the hips.
Shrug your shoulders keeping your arms straight before returning to the starting position.
Rowing
Place the elastic at an equal distance under the feet. Then grab the front handles at hip level. Pull vertically along the chest.
At the end of the movement, your elbows are the highlight. Go back down slowly without breaking the tension of the elastic.
An article to read also: The complete guide to rowing with rubber bands
Which elastics to work the shoulders?
To perform all of these resistance band exercises, you need to find a strong, comfortable, and versatile resistance band to perform all of these movements.
To make life easier for athletes and offer them high quality equipment, Fit Superhuman has developed a model of elastic resistance bands. Supplied with a carrying bag and a user guide, you can perform more than 100 exercises with this model!
The load is adjustable from 5 to 75 kg of resistance to suit both beginners and experienced athletes. This kit is ideal for organizing your shoulder session with the bodybuilding exercises detailed just above.
For more information: Strengthening your shoulders: the best exercise with rubber bands
In conclusion on the work of the shoulders with elastic
It is important to work the three bundles of the deltoids as well as the trapezius muscles during your special shoulder session. And what could be better than using the now essential accessory for bodybuilding fans: elastic !
It adapts perfectly to shoulder muscle exercises replacing machines or weights that can injure this fragile joint. Do not hesitate to opt for this equally effective method which brings resistance while ensuring the safety of your shoulder.
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