Shoulders can be tricky to activate outside of the gym. It can seem impossible to grow or even maintain shoulder strength and muscle mass from home. Strong shoulders balance out your body, improve posture, and increase upper body strength. Just because you think that you lack the equipment, don’t skip working out your shoulders. Doing a shoulder workout at home can be just as effective as in the gym.

In fact, an at-home shoulder workout can prove to be even more beneficial than at the gym. This is because it puts more emphasis on shoulder mobility. A lot of people lack proper shoulder mobility, yet don’t improve it in the gym. With minimal equipment at home, now is the perfect opportunity to improve.

For each of these exercises, you should be performing between 8-12 reps for 3-5 sets. For the best results, perform these exercises between 1-3 times a week. Make sure that you pay attention to technique and speed. Each exercise should be executed perfectly and at a steady pace. Focus on feeling your shoulders activate and engage as you perform each rep.

For bodyweight exercises like these, progressions are super important. When you do a home shoulder workout, you probably won’t have access to several different weights. So, that means that you have to increase the difficulty. You can do this by increasing reps, sets, or the complexity of the exercise. If you can do 12 reps of each exercise for 5 sets, try pausing for 3 seconds while contracting your muscles. Then you should feel your body work even harder.

You can perform these exercises as a full home shoulder workout. You can also mix them with other exercises to create a full body work out. Or, pair them in supersets with exercises for different muscles. To avoid injury, make sure that you rest for at least 48 hours every time you work out your shoulders at home.

So, here are 5 exercises for your home shoulder workout:

Exercise #1: Pike Push Up:

The pike pushup is first on our list for our home shoulder exercises. This exercise targets the shoulders, upper back, and triceps. To start, begin in a downward dog position while maintaining a straight spine. Spread your fingers wide so that you can get a full grip on the floor. Make sure that you lift your hips. Then, bend your elbows and drive the crown of your head towards the floor. As you go down, inhale. To come back up, exhale while pushing against the floor until you’ve extended your elbows. That’s one rep.

Exercise #2: Tricep Dips:

Get a sturdy chair or find a good bench to perform the tricep dip. With your back to the chair, place your palms on the edge on either side of your hips. Your behind should be off the chair but still against it. For the easier variation, keep your knees bent at a 90-degree angle. For the harder variation, keep your legs extended with your heels on the floor. Your elbows should be pointed back. As you breathe in, bend your elbows and bring your body down until your upper arms are parallel with the floor. Come back up as you exhale. That’s one rep.

Exercise #3: Crab Walk:

The crab walk is a fun exercise that makes for a great warm-up. It works on shoulder mobility and engages the whole entire body. To start, invert your body into a supine tabletop position. Your hips should be dropped so that they nearly touch the floor. Then, move your right hand and right foot backward, then left foot and left hand backward. That’s one rep.

Exercise #4: Shoulder Taps:

Shoulder taps work on your shoulders, core, and upper back. Start at the top position of a push up with your arms extended and fingers wide. Straighten your spine and keep your core tight. Bring one hand up to tap the opposite shoulder. Then, place your hand back on the floor and repeat with the other hand. That’s one rep.

Exercise #5: Side Plank Dips:

The side plank is an exercise that works your shoulder as well as your core. To start, lie on your side and place your elbow underneath your shoulder. Extend your legs and stack them one on top of another. Engage your abs, glutes, and shoulders. Keep your ear far away from your bottom shoulder and avoid collapsing your shoulder. Lift your hips until your body is in a straight line. Then, inhale as you lower your hips until they almost touch the ground. Exhale as you bring your hips back in line with your body. That’s one rep. Make sure that you perform hip dips on both sides of the body.