10 Best Calisthenics Shoulder Exercises

Shoulder strength, tone, and stability may all be improved with the help of a calisthenics exercise. This post will reveal the finest shoulder exercises you can perform without any additional weights or gym machines.

Why You Should Do Shoulder Calisthenics Exercises

Many different kinds of sports need strong and mobile shoulders. You may expect to do better at things like boxing and CrossFit if you work on developing delts mobility. The following are a few of the most compelling arguments in favor of including bodyweight shoulder exercises in your regular workout routine.

• To execute calisthenics exercises for the shoulder, you need no equipment. Almost all of them can be done with your body weight and very little other special gear.
• These exercises don’t demand much. You can perform them whenever and wherever you wish, even when you’re on vacation and don’t have access to your regular gym.
• The intensity of any exercise may be increased by using resistance bands, which are not required but are recommended.
• Such workouts have the power to boost your strength and improve your posture and general body composition.

What Muscles Do Calisthenics Shoulder Exercises Work

Calisthenics exercises work all three heads of deltoid muscles. We talk about the anterior, medial, and posterior delts. Secondary the workouts may target:

• supraspinatus
• triceps brachii
• middle and lower trapezius
• serratus anterior
• upper pectoralis major
• biceps brachii

Shoulder muscles don’t need a lot of weight to fatigue or grow muscle. Therefore bodyweight workouts are ideal for them. 

What Are The Best Calisthenics Shoulder Exercises

• Pushup
• Pike Pushup
• Cobra Pushup
• Handstand Pushup
• Wall Walk
• Handstand Hold Against A Wall
• Wall Handstand Shoulder Taps
• Planche Hold
• Planche Pushup
• Snow Angel

1. Pushup

The pushup is an excellent bodyweight strength training exercise that requires you to straighten and flex your arms while you lift and lower your upper body. While exercising, sportsmen prop themselves up on their hands and feet. The pectoral, tricep and anterior deltoid muscles benefit significantly from consistent push-up practice. This workout helps speed up the body’s energy metabolism. This way, you burn more calories. You can work on your push-up skills with nothing more than your body weight and some spare time. 

How to do pushups:

• Start in a high plank position, with your arms extended and your hands flat on the floor, about shoulder-width apart.
• You should position your feet flat on the floor, perpendicular to your thighs.
• As you keep your back straight and gaze a few feet in front of you, steadily lower your body until your chest nearly touches the ground. Your arms should be at your sides, with your elbows tucked in and your back straight.
• Exhale and bring your hands down toward the floor as you return to the starting posture.

2. Pike Pushup 

Combined with other hard exercises, this one boosts strength, endurance, and stability. The muscles of the shoulders, arms, chest, back, and abdominals are all engaged in this routine. There is no prerequisite for tools. Your time is the sole investment necessary to reap all the rewards.

How to do a Pike Pushup:

• Begin by covering the floor with some cushioning.
• In a four-pawed position, lift your buttocks. Keep your hands on the floor, palms down, about shoulder-width apart. The feet are flat on the floor, and the knees are locked.
• Lower the body and tuck the head in between the arms. Shape your body like the letter A.
• Lower your head to the floor by bending both elbows.
• Reverse the course and return to the start. When doing these push-ups, keep your head in between your arms at all times.

3. Cobra Pushup

A cobra pushup combines a standard push-up and a yoga position. The action resembles a series of push-ups performed with the upper body while the bottom body remains stationary. More range of motion is implied here than in standard push-ups. So cobra-pushups enhance your flexibility. The resistance created by the trajectory of the exercise is sufficient to provide a quality load to the muscles being worked. The cobra pushup is a compound exercise for many muscular groups at once. It aids in calorie burning and the reduction of excess fat. You can perform cobra push-ups anywhere, anytime, with no special gear.

How to do Cobra pushups:

• Do a push-up by placing your hands on the floor before your shoulders. Having a little more room than a shoulder’s breadth between your hands is best. Position yourself so that your hips and feet are flat on the floor.
• Do a push-up with your hips as near to the floor as you can get them and your upper body tilted forward just a little bit. Lift your head.
• Stay put at the peak of the action for a bit. To return to the original posture, lower your body until it is parallel to the floor and bend your arms.

4. Handstand Pushup 

One of the most effective ways to build strength in the upper body is practicing handstand push-ups. The muscles in your shoulders, chest, arms, and back will all get a boost from this workout. However, newcomers may find it too complicated.

How to do a Handstand pushup:

• Kick or press up to a handstand position, keeping your hands shoulder-width apart.
• Maintain your legs together for better balance. Ensure your abs remain braced.
• Bend your elbows, performing a pushup. Your elbows should move forward during descent.
• When your head touches the ground in front of your hands, it’s time to go up.

5. Wall Walk 

If you want to develop your balance and form in a safe environment, a Wall walk is a great approach to gradually introduce the inverted action of a handstand. It builds your upper body strength and improves stability and coordination. Workout is excellent for increasing muscle mass and strength, especially in the abdominals, chest, legs, triceps, and shoulders.

How to do a Wall walk:

• Begin in a push-up position with your feet against the wall.
• Walk your feet up the wall while simultaneously walking your hands back towards the wall.
• Keep your core as tight as possible. Get as close to the wall as you can. Pause for a second.
• Walk down the wall and move your arms until you are in a starting position.

6. Handstand Hold Against A Wall 

 Handstand push-ups are strength exercises. The motion focuses on the upper body (neck, shoulders, chest, arms, and back). It may also be modified to suit different needs. Using resistance bands and bars allows you to control the intensity of your workouts.

How to do Handstand hold against a wall:

• Find a vertical wall and stand there. Since you’ll be relying on your back, with your head on the ground, you should do this exercise on a cushioned surface.
• Position yourself on all fours with your arms extended and your back against a wall. Hold your arms out, so there is space between them and your shoulders.
• Accomplish a set of push-ups. When pressing, make sure your elbows are directly above your wrists. At the peak, lock out your arms completely.
• Keep your chin up and your abdominal muscles taut.

7. Wall Handstand Shoulder Taps 

By requiring you to transfer your weight from one arm to the other, shoulder taps strengthen your shoulder muscles and improve your ability to maintain a stable base of support. Practicing this can help you transition into a handstand walk. Bone health, circulation, respiration, and mental wellness are also benefits of this workout.

How to do a Wall handstand shoulder taps:

• Assume a handstand position facing the wall. 
• Arms should be locked out and shoulders pressed up in the ears.
• Rock your hips from side to side to shift the weight from one hand to the other.
• As you shift the weight, you pick up one of your hands and touch the same shoulder. Then, bring the hand back to the floor.
• Move your hips to another side and touch your shoulder with another hand.

8. Planche Hold 

Planche hold is an isometric exercise where you are holding your entire body weight with your hands on the ground and your arms fully locked out. The exercise engages almost all muscles in your body cause you need to hold yourself tight throughout the whole movement. However, the load emphasis is on the shoulders, lats, biceps, core, chest, and glutes.

How to do a Planche hold:

• You can do a squat or a push-up by crouching between two bars and grabbing onto them with your hands. You may also do the planche on the floor by squatting with your hands on the ground instead of using bars.
• Put your palms flat, exactly below your belly button. Forward lean with hands on hips.
• Lean forward with your hands on the ground (or bars) and your palms facing front. Your arms should be absolutely straight the whole time.
• Utilize your hands to propel your body upward. Using your hands as a springboard, lift your legs and lower torso into the air and rest flat on the ground. You should put all of your weight into your hands.

9. Planche Pushup 

The planche pushup is the ultimate pushing exercise that requires great strength and balance. As a whole-body exercise, the planche pushup challenges every muscle. Your arms, upper body, and core all play a role in keeping you balanced and steady. During this workout, you will also utilize the muscles in your hips, glutes, and legs.

How to do a Planche pushup:

• Position yourself on your stomach with your arms outstretched, palms facing down.
• You can make a slanted fist by rotating your wrists and pointing fingers.
• Do a push-up by putting all your weight on your hands and lifting yourself up.
• Lean forward, concentrating your body’s weight on your chest and shoulders.
• Raise your feet and legs off the ground while engaging your abs and pressing your legs together.
• You may bring your chest down to the floor by bending your elbows.
• Keeping your legs raised is essential. Pause for a few seconds.
• To go back to the original starting posture, just straighten your elbows.

10. Snow Angel 

Strengthening the shoulder external rotators and the muscles that stabilize the shoulder are the primary focuses of the snow angel exercise. Building up the strength in these muscles helps to bring the shoulders back, which not only supports proper posture but also reduces discomfort in the shoulders and neck.

How to do a Snow angel:

• Lay on your belly. Make sure you put pressure through our abs by bracing.
• Spread your arms to the sides. Lift them off the ground together with your chest and shoulders. Legs come up as well.
• Visualize making a snow angel. Bring your arms and legs together and then spread them apart.
• Remember to maintain the brace through your belly and not arch your back. Try to keep your neck relaxed.

Conclusion

Do you prefer to work out in the comfort of your own home with little equipment? Then calisthenics exercises might be a great choice. Strength, stability, balance, and flexibility will all benefit from such workouts. Shoulder size cannot be increased as well with bodyweight calisthenics as it can through weight training. However, your general fitness, performance, and flexibility will be improved without a doubt.