For myself, shoulders have always been my weakest link. I can't do much on the barbell press without having shoulder pain. Dumbells are better but I lose strength in that lift quickly if I don't keep up with it.

Then I tried Handstand Push-Ups. The first few times I did them, I had a spotter, grab my legs and hold me up. If you're not experienced with kicking up into a handstand, you may want to try that.

This is a TOUGH exercise, just fyi. You'll have to have strong shoulders at the outset to be able to even perform one rep. But the payoff is HUGE. It'll not only build ridiculous shoulder strength, it'll develop balance and athleticism at the same time.

So here's the handstand push-up and how to do it...

Do a handstand beside a wall so that your feet are in contact with it (see the Kick Up section below). Your hands will be a little wider than shoulder width. Lower yourself until your head touches the ground then push up.

The Kick Up:

Place your hands about 3 inches away from the wall. Your starting position will be similar to a sprinter's at the start of the race. The leg you will push up with is the one that is furthest back.

Bounce down a little then explode your legs up. I like to do it with split legs, catching the wall with the bottom of one foot to slow things down without smacking my heels. Once you're up, straighten your legs - that's the top position!

The kick up requires practice to be able to do efficiently and without smacking your heels against the wall. Wear shoes when practicing! Practice it a few times to get the hang of it. You want to do it on a mat or other padded surface the first few times.

Ensure you keep your elbows locked out or very close to it, and your elbows are stiff. This will prevent you from crashing down on your head, especially the more sets you do (even more so with negative reps). Practice with both feet to see which feels more comfortable. If you get more comfortable with one, it is still not a bad idea to practice with the other one as well.

Now, once you're in the top position, it's a simple (yeah, simple!) matter of doing the push-up.

Lower your head to the floor then push yourself directly back up.

Move your mouse on an off this picture below to see it in action.

Once you've done as many reps as you can, it's time to come back down.

The way down is just the opposite from the kick-up. My preference is again, split up the legs so that you're basically dropping one leg down, then the other. This helps me keep balance and cushion the landing. Once the first foot is down, the other is already on the way. The video shows this quite well.

Tricks:

1. To focus on the delts more, turn your hands inward somewhat so that your fingers are pointing at each other a little (not too much).

2. A spotter can be used to hold your body upright and to help pull you up if you need it. If you want to add resistance, get a spotter to push down on your legs.

3. A great way to improve your pushing power is to do them with a bottom-stop. At the bottom of each rep, let your body weight rest mostly on your head, releasing much of the tension off your shoulders. This will eliminate any elastic force you may have in your muscles. This has the added effect of building up your neck muscles. At that point, develop tension in the delts then push up explosively.

4. Splay your fingers out as wide as possible. This will help with controlling your motion. It will also improve hand strength. Don't have your fingers flat on the floor, however. Keep them bent so that you can exert force. It will make your hands resemble a claw.

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Again, I can't tell you strongly enough...this is a GREAT shoulder exercise. But it can also be a tough and somewhat dangerous shoulder exercise (since you're upsidedown and it requires strength and balance to perform). If you have any doubts about your ability to perform it safely, use a spotter or, if you'd like to try an easier version of it, check out this version, done on a barbell:

Pike Handstand Push-Ups on a Barbell