Six-pack abs, bulging biceps and a huge chest might get the lion’s share of the positive press when it comes to building an impressive physique, but no body part screams ‘jacked and capable’ quite like a broad set of shoulders. In fact, once we walk out of the weights room and whack the pump cover back on, often the only sign that we workout is an impressive set of delts to hang our hoodies on.
If you’re looking to build a pair of death star sized delts but only have access to a single dumbbell or kettlebell, don’t fret, this workout, consisting of a hybrid movement paired with a ‘ladder protocol’, will pump up your upper body in short order. Grab you ‘bell and get to work.
One Dumbbell Shoulder Workout
You’re going to be using one movement in a ‘ladder’ format, meaning that after a thorough warm-up, you’ll work your way down in reps from 10 to 1. You’re only using one bell, so you’ll alternate sides each round, giving your shoulder on each side just enough time to rest before you put them back to work, ramping up the muscle-building metabolic stress. To perform this protocol nail ten reps with your left arm, followed by ten with your right before switching back to your left for nine reps, then 8 on each arm, then 7 etc. Continue in this fashion, alternating arms until you reach a one-rep shoulder-burning crescendo, finishing with 110 muscle-swelling reps in total.
If you need to rest at any point to finish your reps, shake it off, take a few deep breaths and try to get back to work as quickly as possible.
Here’s the move you’re going to be working with, and the instructions you'll need:
Dumbbell Hang Clean and Press x 10/10, 9/9, 8/8…1/1
Stand tall holding your dumbbell at your side. Hinge at the hips to lower it towards your knees (A). Stand back up explosively, coming right onto your toes and using the momentum to pull the dumbbell on to your shoulder (B). If the weight is heavy, dip at the knees and use your legs to help (C) press your bell overhead. Hold it at the top for a one count before SLOWLY lowering the bell under control to your shoulder, then dropping to your waist and repeating. If your bell is light enough, keep the press strict, but always control that descending motion if building muscle is your goal.
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With almost 18 years in the health and fitness space as a personal trainer, nutritionist, breath coach and writer, Andrew has spent nearly half of his life exploring how to help people improve their bodies and minds.
As our fitness editor he prides himself on keeping Men’s Health at the forefront of reliable, relatable and credible fitness information, whether that’s through writing and testing thousands of workouts each year, taking deep dives into the science behind muscle building and fat loss or exploring the psychology of performance and recovery.
Whilst constantly updating his knowledge base with seminars and courses, Andrew is a lover of the practical as much as the theory and regularly puts his training to the test tackling everything from Crossfit and strongman competitions, to ultra marathons, to multiple 24 hour workout stints and (extremely unofficial) world record attempts.
You can find Andrew on Instagram at @theandrew.tracey, or simply hold up a sign for ‘free pizza’ and wait for him to appear.