MILITARY PRESS

Stand with feet at shoulder width, and lift a barbell off of a rack or off of the floor up to shoulder height, in front of your body. Keeping your back straight, push the barbell up until your arms are totally extended. DO NOT lock out. Slowly lower the weight down all the way to your shoulder level, again, in front of your body. Repeat for reps. This exercise can also be done as a behind the neck version, although it is fairly well accepted that this puts more strain on your shoulder joint. Can also be done sitting back on a bench, preferably one with a back support.

DUMBBELL PRESS

Stand with feet at shoulder width, or sit on a sturdy bench, and lift a pair of dumbbells up to your shoulders, palms facing forward. Keeping your back straight, push the dumbbells up until your arms are totally extended. DO NOT lock out your elbows. Slowly lower the weights down almost all the way to your shoulders, stopping about even with your ears. Repeat.

ARNOLD PRESS

Invented by Arnold himself. In this variation of a standard dumbbell press, you start with two dumbbells held at shoulder level, palms facing towards you, much like the top position of a dumbbell curl. As you press the weights upward, rotate your wrists outward so that at the top of the movement your palms are facing outward. Reverse the rotation as you lower the weights back to the initial starting position. Repeat for reps.

SHRUGS

Hold a dumbbell in each hand, standing with feet shoulder width apart, arms hanging by your sides, and palms facing inward. Alternatively, hold a barbell in front of your thighs, arms hanging by your sides. Using only your shoulders, shrug your shoulders upwards and slightly backwards, as if you were trying to move your shoulders to a position just behind your ears. Slowly lower your shoulders and repeat for reps.

LATERAL RAISES

Hold a dumbbell in each hand, standing with feet shoulder width apart, arms hanging by your sides, and palms facing inward. Keeping your arms with elbows in a slightly flexed position, slowly raise your arms straight out to the sides in an arc until the weight is at a level with your shoulders. DO NOT swing the weight or lean backwards. Slowly lower the weight and repeat.

FRONT LATERAL RAISES

Start as you would doing standard lateral raises, but raise your arm straight forward instead of to the side, until your arm is level, with the palm facing downward at the top of the motion. Can be done both arms simultaneously, one arm first then the other, or alternating arms.

REAR LATERAL RAISES

Start standing with feet shoulder width apart and a dumbbell in each hand. Lean forward at the waist, with your back straight, until your torso is at a 70 - 90 degree angle in relation to the floor. Keeping your arms with elbows in a slightly flexed position, raise the weights out to the sides, making sure that when your arms come up to the top position your hands are pinkie side up, not thumb side up. This will help emphasize the rear deltoids.

UPRIGHT ROW

Hold a barbell or two dumbbells in front of your pelvis with arms extended downward and using a overhand grip, (palms facing you). Slowly raise the weight by pulling up with your elbows in a rowing motion, keeping the weight close in to the front of your body, and making sure that your elbows stay higher than your hands at all times. Raise the weight to a height about even with your upper chest. Lower slowly and under control. Repeat.