Welcome fitness friends! If you’re looking to build stronger, more defined shoulders, you’ve come to the right place. Properly training your deltoids (the muscles that make up your shoulders) not only helps you achieve that coveted v-taper, it also bulletproofs your shoulders against injury.
To build bigger delts and keep your shoulders healthy, focus on doing a variety of shoulder exercises that target all three heads of the deltoids – the front, side, and rear heads.
Below I’ll walk you through 15 of the most effective shoulder exercises to add size and strength to your delts. For each exercise, I’ll explain the proper form, muscles targeted, and benefits. Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
Front Delt Exercises
The front delts are responsible for shoulder flexion and internal rotation. Target them with the following exercises:
1. Barbell Front Raise
- Grasp a barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Keep arms extended straight down in front of thighs.
- Raise barbell straight up in front of body until arms are parallel to floor. Focus on lifting from shoulders, not momentum from arms.
- Slowly lower bar back to starting position.
- Repeat for specified reps.
Targeted muscles: Front delts, triceps
Benefits: Heavy compound lift that builds overall shoulder strength and size. Challenges stability.
2. Dumbbell Front Raise
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip, arms extended by sides.
- Raise both dumbbells straight up in front of body until arms are parallel to floor.
- Slowly lower weights back down to start.
- Complete reps then switch arms.
Targeted muscles: Front delts
Benefits: Allows you to better focus on using front delts alone. Unilateral move also improves shoulder stability.
3. Front Plate Raise
- Grab a weight plate and hold it vertically in front of thighs.
- Maintaining upright posture, raise plate straight up until arms are parallel to ground.
- Slowly lower back to start position.
- Complete reps then switch sides.
Targeted muscles: Front delts
Benefits: The vertical position makes this front delt exerciser even more isolated. Challenges grip strength too.
Side Delt Exercises
The side delts raise the arms out to the sides away from the body. Hit them with these moves:
4. Barbell Upright Row
- Hold a barbell with an overhand grip, hands about shoulder-width apart.
- Initiate movement by pulling barbell up towards chin, keeping elbows up and out to sides.
- Once bar reaches chest height, pause then slowly lower back down.
- Repeat for reps.
Targeted muscles: Side delts, traps
Benefits: Compound move that recruits multiple shoulder muscles. Pulling motion is very shoulder-friendly.
5. Dumbbell Lateral Raise
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing body. Keep a slight bend in elbows.
- Raise both arms straight out to sides until parallel to floor. Pause at top.
- Slowly lower weights back to start position.
- Complete reps then switch sides.
Targeted muscles: Side delts
Benefits: Strictly isolates side delts. Allows you to use heavier weight to spur growth.
6. Cable Lateral Raise
- Attach D-handles to low pulley cables on a cable station. Stand between pulleys with handles by sides.
- Raise arms straight out to sides, leading with pinky fingers.
- Slowly return to start position.
- Complete reps then switch sides.
Targeted muscles: Side delts
Benefits: Constant tension provided by cables helps deeply isolate side delts through full range of motion.
Rear Delt Exercises
The rear delts externally rotate the shoulders. Train them with:
7. Reverse Pec Deck Flye
- Sit at a rear delt machine with back against pad.
- Grab handles and bring elbows back to start position.
- Squeeze shoulder blades together as you bring elbows out to sides.
- Slowly return to start position.
Targeted muscles: Rear delts, upper back
Benefits: Safely allows you to focus tension on the rear delts through full range of motion.
8. Bent-Over Dumbbell Lateral Raise
- Hold dumbbells and hinge at hips to bend over until back is near parallel to floor.
- Raise arms straight out to sides until parallel to ground. thumbs pointed up.
- Slowly lower weights back down maintaining bent position.
- Complete reps then switch sides.
Targeted muscles: Rear delts, upper back
Benefits: Hits rear delts from a different angle while also engaging the upper back. Challenges stability.
9. Reverse Pec Deck Flye
- Lie chest down on an incline bench set to 30-45 degrees.
- Hold dumbbells with arms extended straight down, palms facing each other.
- Raise arms straight out to sides until parallel to ground.
- Slowly return to start.
- Complete reps then switch sides.
Targeted muscles: Rear delts, rotator cuff
Benefits: Allows you to isolate rear delts through full range of motion. Goes easy on shoulders.
Shoulder Press Variations
Presses target the entire shoulder in one move. Include these variations:
10. Barbell Overhead Press
- Clean a barbell up to shoulder height or take from a rack. Hands just outside shoulder width.
- Press barbell straight overhead, fully extending arms.
- Slowly lower back to shoulders.
- Repeat for reps.
Targeted muscles: Delts, triceps, upper traps
Benefits: Functional compound move that engages all shoulder muscles. Develops overhead pressing strength.
11. Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press
- Hold dumbbells at shoulder height while seated, palms facing forward.
- Press dumbbells straight overhead until arms are fully extended.
- Slowly lower weights back to shoulders.
- Repeat for reps.
Targeted muscles: Delts, triceps, upper traps
Benefits: Reduces involvement of lower body and focuses tension on shoulders. Allows for greater range of motion.
12. Arnold Press
- Hold dumbbells at shoulder height with palms facing body.
- As you press dumbbells overhead, rotate wrists until palms face forward in top position.
- Slowly lower weights back to shoulders in same rotational pattern.
- Repeat for reps.
Targeted muscles: Delts, upper traps, rotator cuff
Benefits: Adds an external rotation component to better target all delt heads. Reduces risk of impingement.
Supporting Exercises
Include these moves to bring up lagging delt heads:
13. Front Delt Raise
- Lie on an incline bench set to 45-60 degrees holding a dumbbell in each hand.
- Raise arms straight in front of you until perpendicular to floor.
- Lower back to start position.
- Complete reps then switch sides.
Targeted muscles: Front delts
Benefits: Hits front delts from declined angle for greater isolation. Reduces stress on shoulders.
14. Bent Over Delt Raise
- Hinge over at hips until back is parallel to floor. Hold dumbbells hanging in front of thighs.
- Raise arms straight out to sides until parallel to floor. Thumbs point up.
- Lower to start position. Complete reps then switch sides.
Targeted muscles: Rear delts
Benefits: Hits rear delts from a different angle to better isolate them. Challenges stability.
15. High Pulley Lateral Raise
- Attach D-handles to high pulley cable and stand between pulleys.
- Raise arms straight out to sides until parallel to floor.
- Slowly return to start position.
- Complete reps then switch sides.
Targeted muscles: Side delts
Benefits: Allows you to isolate side delts through a large range of motion.
Maintaining Proper Shoulder Health
Building bigger, stronger shoulders requires intensely training them with heavy weights and high volume. However, the shoulder joint is inherently prone to overuse injuries if not properly cared for. Here are some tips to keep your shoulders feeling healthy and pain-free:
- Warm up thoroughly before lifting. Do arm circles, band pull aparts, and light lateral raises to get blood flowing into the shoulder muscles and lubricate the rotator cuff.
- Stretch the shoulders after every workout. Focus on stretching the pecs, delts, upper back, and lats. Tight surrounding muscles contribute to poor shoulder mechanics.
- Strengthen the rotator cuff with face pulls, external rotations, and scaption raises. The rotator cuff stabilizes the shoulder joint during big lifts.
- Avoid overtraining shoulders. Limit intense shoulder sessions to 2-3 times per week max to allow for adequate recovery between sessions.
- Use proper form on all lifts. Flaring elbows out on presses or hiking shoulders up on raises overstresses the joints.
- Periodize your training to build foundational joint strength. Cycle between higher volume hypertrophy blocks and lower volume strength blocks.
- Manage external shoulder stress. Take breaks from overhead lifting, highly repetitive motions, or sleeping on your side if it irritates your shoulder.
- Consider supplements like glucosamine and turmeric to support joint health. Fish oil provides anti-inflammatory omega-3s.
- Monitor pain signals. If an exercise causes sharp pinching or aching, stop and reassess your form. Some discomfort is expected, but pain is not.
With diligent injury prevention habits, you can continue building beastly shoulders safely well into your lifting career. Just be patient in your approach and balance muscular development with proper joint care.
Exercise Order for Maximum Muscle Activation
The sequence in which you perform your shoulder exercises can impact their effectiveness. To get the most out of your workout, order your exercises as follows:
- Overhead Press: Compound shoulder presses fully warm up all the delt heads, preparing them for isolation work. Do 2-3 warm-up sets before hitting your heaviest working set.
- Lateral Raises: Lateral raises best isolate the side delts when placed early in the workout before fatigue sets in. Use a challenging weight and perform 3 sets of 10-12 reps with excellent form.
- Front Raises: Follow up with front raises to directly target the front delts. Select a weight that allows you to complete 3 sets of 12-15 quality reps.
- Rear Delt Flyes: Move to rear delt flyes next to emphasize the posterior delts. Go lighter here with 3 sets of 15-20 reps.
- Shoulder Press Variation: Finish off with a secondary shoulder press like an Arnold press. The rotational component provides a novel stimulus to spur continued growth.
This shoulder exercise sequence allows you to safely progress from heavy compound lifts to lighter isolation work. You’ll fully fatigue each delt head while prioritizing the most challenging lifts when you’re fresh.
Advanced Shoulder Training Techniques
Once you’ve built a solid foundation of size and strength in your shoulders, incorporating more advanced training techniques can help drive further gains:
- Rest-pause sets: After completing your target reps on an exercise, rack the weight and rest 10-20 seconds. Grab it again and bang out as many reps as possible. Repeat 2-3 times. This intensifies metabolic stress.
- Partial reps: Use a challenging weight and perform the top half or bottom half of each rep, holding the peak contraction for 2-3 seconds. Partials place greater tension on the target muscles.
- Forced reps: After reaching muscle failure on an exercise, have a partner assist you with performing 2-3 additional forced reps. This helps extend the set beyond normal failure.
- Supersets: Superset shoulder presses with lateral raises to combine heavy and light loads. Or alternate between front raises and rear delt moves for opposing muscle groups.
- Unilateral training: Perform one-arm overhead presses, lateral raises, and front raises. This improves stability and increases difficulty.
- descend sets: Start with a heavy weight and perform 6-8 reps. Immediately drop the weight 10-20% and hit another 6-8 reps. Repeat this 2-3 times descending in weight.
When pressed for further gains, employing these techniques can help shock shoulders out of plateaus. Just be sure to only utilize them periodically to avoid overtraining.
Best Shoulder Exercises for Women
Female trainees aiming to sculpt sexy, defined shoulders should emphasize the following exercises:
- Lateral raises – Isolate the side delts and build that coveted cap. Use strict form and higher reps of 15-20.
- Front raises – Shape and define the front delts. Lightweight and controlled reps are key.
- Reverse flyes – Target the rear delts and round out shoulder development. Bent-over raises or machine flyes are great options.
- Overhead press – This functional multi-delt exercise builds pressing strength, albeit with lighter weight than men.
- Upright rows – Emphasize the side delts with this cable or barbell vertical pull. Keep elbows up.
- Shoulder press machine – Machines like the hammer strength press offer greater stability for overhead pressing.
- Plate raises – Raise a 5lb or 10lb plate directly out to the sides or front for targeted isolation.
- Cable lateral raises – Cables provide constant tension through the entire lateral raise range of motion.
- Delt tri-set – Combine overhead press, lateral raise, and bent-over raise for an efficient delt burner!
Female shoulders require higher volume at lower intensities to maximize growth. Aim for 3-4 sets of 10-20 reps on most exercises, focusing on perfect form and contraction.
Conclusion
There you have it – 15 dynamite shoulder exercises to help you sculpt bigger, stronger delts! Program these moves into your training split 2-3 times per week for the best results. Focus on controlled form and getting a deep muscle contraction on every rep.
Be sure to work through the full range of motion on each exercise. Partial reps will limit your muscle and strength gains. It’s also important to balance heavy presses like shoulder presses with isolation moves like lateral raises that better target each delt head.
Make your shoulders a priority and they’ll reward you in return with that wider, more impressive physique. Just remember to take care of your shoulders and allow for proper rest between training sessions. Done right, you’ll be looking like a superhero in no time. Now get to work building those boulders!
Frequently Asked Questions
How many shoulder exercises should I do per workout?
Aim for 3-5 shoulder exercises per workout, including at least one press and 2-3 isolation moves. This ensures you fully fatigue each delt head.
How much weight should I use for lateral raises?
Lateral raises are best done with lighter weight and higher reps, around 12-20. This allows you to really isolate the side delts through a full range of motion.
Are behind the neck shoulder presses dangerous?
Yes, behind the neck presses place the shoulder joint in a vulnerable position and can lead to injury. Stick to traditional overhead pressing movements for optimal shoulder health.
Should I train shoulders and chest on the same day?
It’s best to separate your shoulder and chest workouts by a day or two. Training them on the same day can hinder recovery and limit your strength on compound presses.
How can I add mass to my rear delts?
Focus on reverse fly motions like the reverse pec deck fly and bent over raises. Higher reps in the 15-20 range will help boost sarcoplasmic hypertrophy in the rear delts.
