Forget push-ups — this dumbbell shoulder workout sculpts a strong upper body and core in 3 moves

Supercharge your upper-body strength programs using this three-move dumbbell workout. It's designed to torch your arms, shoulders and core and won't involve spending an hour in the gym. Efficient (tick) and effective (tick).

I recommend a set of the best adjustable dumbbells to tackle this because you might want to adjust the weight depending on the exercise. That's optional, though — you can just use a medium-heavy set of weights.

Once you’re set, get started with this three-exercise shoulder workout with dumbbells to sculpt stronger muscles and develop upper-body power.

Watch: 3-move dumbbell upper-body workout

This upper-body workout primarily loads your deltoids (shoulders), arms, upper chest and core, including your obliques, as you rotate your body. Choose a weight that allows you to lift with good form, but so that the last few reps are challenging to complete. If you've got more than 2-3 reps maximum in the tank every set, consider adding load.

1. Dumbbell steering wheel

This shoulder burner torches the upper body fast with very little weight needed. Try to keep your dumbbell at shoulder height, then rotate the weight in both directions with the fullest range of motion you can.

Keep your core engaged and your stomach zipped in; a mistake I often see is people leaning back and pushing their hips forward when the weight gets too heavy for them to manage, which arches the spine and puts pressure on the lower back. Think about slightly tucking your pelvis toward you so that your butt doesn't stick out.

2. Wood chops

This rotational exercise engages your obliques, which are muscles that run along your waist, as well as your arms and shoulders. You'll also feel your back and hips working as you turn and reach.

Control the weight in both directions and try to focus on driving the weight overhead to one side, then down to the opposite hip on the other side, switching sides accordingly. Send your gaze in the direction of the weight to avoid strain on your neck, and keep your stomach engaged and pulled in to avoid arching your back or pushing your hips forward.

3. Frontal raise with overhead twist

Frontal raises hit the fronts of the shoulders, but you'll be using a fuller range of motion to drive the weights all the way overhead, then adding in more rotational movement to hit your core. The overhead position works your upper chest, arms and shoulders, so use a weight you feel comfortable shelving above your head.

Again, think about plenty of core engagement to keep your torso upright and pulled in so that you don't lean back or arch your spine. Zip your ribcage down and your pelvis in.

Rotate both sides every rep, but lower the weight between and repeat the frontal raise. And with all these exercises, draw the shoulders down and back away from the ears, focusing on knitting them together rather than hunching or rotating forward. This will keep your shoulders in the correct position before you start an exercise under load, reducing strain on the joints and the muscles in your upper back.

The workout

Increase the weight, reps, or rounds to suit your ability and focus on form quality over rep quantity.

For this workout, you'll perform it pyramid-style: start with 30 seconds of each move with a 10-second rest between exercises; on the second round, work for 45 seconds and rest for 15 between moves; on the third round, work for 50 seconds with a 20-second rest.

Reverse back down, repeating the 50-second round, then the 45 and 30-second rounds. Repeat from the top. You can opt to perform wood chops on one side for the first pyramid, then switch for the second pyramid, or just alternate sides.

There is no given rep range for this workout, but whatever reps you manage to hit each working set for each exercise, try to match them again.

If you have a current injury, are pre or post-natal, or have a current health condition, I strongly recommend speaking with a qualified medical professional before proceeding.

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