The 31 Best Shoulder Exercises According to a Fitness Expert – Fitness Volt (2024)

Most bodybuilders are more than happy to work their chests several times a week, and the smart ones also do as much training for their backs. This push/pull approach to bodybuilding helps create a balanced, aesthetically pleasing physique.

But what about the shoulders? When and how often do you train yours?

If, like a lot of lifters, you work your delts with a few sets of overhead presses and lateral raises and call it a day, you are doing this muscle group a disservice. While it’s true that the deltoids get a fair amount of work during chest and back training, they’re a legitimate body part that deserves the same attention as your pecs, biceps, and legs.

The deltoids are the capstone of your physique. They’re responsible for much of your upper body’s width and V-taper and play a critical role in stabilizing your joints and preventing acute and chronic injuries. Neglect your shoulders at your peril!

So, don’t just train your shoulders as an afterthought at the end of your chest or back workout. Instead, prioritize them to make the most of this often-neglected body part.

In this article, we reveal the best shoulder exercises for building muscle and strength and share some tried-and-tested shoulder-building strategies and tips.

The 31 Best Shoulder Exercises

Are you looking for a comprehensive list of the best exercises for building deltoid size and strength? Well, look no further! Here are 31 fantastic shoulder exercises to try!

1. Barbell Standing Press (Military Press)
2. Barbell Push Press
3. Barbell Upright Row
4. Behind-the-Neck Press
5. Bradford Press
6. Z Press
7. Wide-Grip Barbell Bent-Over Row
8. Seated Dumbbell Press
9. Seesaw Shoulder Press
10. Arnold Press
11. Barbell Cuban Press
12. Shoulder Press Machine
13. Dumbbell Lateral Raise
14. Dumbbell Front Raise
15. Dumbbell Y Raise
16. Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly
17. Dumbbell Clean and Press
18. Dumbbell L-Fly
19. Single-Arm Landmine Press
20. Kettlebell Overhead Press
21. Face Pulls
22. Cable Lateral Raise
23. Cable Front Raise
24. Cable Rear Delt Fly
25. Cable External Rotation
26. Band Pull-Apart
27. Handstand Push-Up
28. Pike Push-Up
29. Wall Walks
30. Inverted Row
31. Waiter’s Walk

Note: Deltoid heads are listed in approximate order of recruitment, with the most active head first.

1. Barbell Standing Press (Military Press)

Muscles Worked: Anterior deltoid, medial deltoid, posterior deltoid, trapezius, triceps.

Before the bench press became the world’s favorite upper body exercise, the barbell standing press was the king of the lifts. Overhead presses build muscle mass and might and are a true test of strength. They’re also one of the best ways to develop massive shoulders.

Steps:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent.
2. Hold your barbell across the front of your deltoids using an overhand, shoulder-width grip. Your forearms should be vertical, elbows below your hands.
3. Pull your shoulders back and down, brace your core, and lift your chest.
4. Press the bar straight up and overhead to arm’s length.
5. Return to the starting position and repeat.

Tips:

• You can also do this exercise seated.
• Wear a weightlifting belt for additional support.
• Do not lean back, as doing so puts unnecessary strain on your lower back and turns what should be a shoulder exercise into more of a chest exercise.

2. Barbell Push Press

Muscles Worked: Anterior deltoid, medial deltoid, posterior deltoid, trapezius, triceps.

Most training advice suggests that lifters avoid using their legs during upper-body lifts. This ensures the target muscles are doing all the work. However, there are times when a little leg assistance can make your workout more effective. The barbell push-press combines a quarter squat with an overhead press to work your shoulders even harder than usual and is a great way to improve upper body strength and power.

Steps:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent.
2. Hold your barbell across the front of your deltoids using an overhand, shoulder-width grip. Your forearms should be vertical, elbows below your hands. Pull your shoulders back and down, brace your core, and lift your chest.
3. Bend your knees slightly and descend into a quarter-depth squat.
4. Explosively extend your knees and use this momentum to help you press the weight over your head to arm’s length.
5. Smoothly lower the barbell back to your shoulders and repeat.

Tips:

• Lower the weight slowly to maximize the eccentric contraction and optimize muscle growth.
• Experiment with your grip width to determine what’s most comfortable and effective for your shoulders.
• You can also do this exercise with dumbbells or kettlebells.

3. Barbell Upright Row

Muscles Worked: Medial deltoid, posterior deltoid, anterior deltoid, trapezius, biceps.

The barbell upright row is a somewhat controversial exercise, as some people find it causes shoulder pain. This is probably due to the forced medial rotation combined with the use of heavy weights. However, plenty of exercisers can do this movement without issue. If you are one of them, there is no need to stop or avoid barbell upright rows. However, avoid using very heavy weights and skip this movement if it bothers your joints.

Steps:

1. Hold a barbell with an overhand, shoulder-width grip and stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent for balance.
2. Pull your shoulders down and back and brace your core. Lift your chest.
3. Leading with your elbows, bend your arms and pull the bar up the front of your body to your chest.
4. Lower the bar to arm’s length and repeat.

Tips:

• Keep your elbows above your hands at all times.
• You can also do this exercise using dumbbells or a cable machine.
• Adjust the width of your hands to find the most comfortable, effective position.

4. Behind-the-Neck Press

Muscles Worked: Anterior deltoid, medial deltoid, posterior deltoid, triceps.

The behind-the-neck press used to be a staple of bodybuilding training. However, it’s fallen out of favor recently, with many trainers saying it’s bad for your shoulders. The truth is that providing you have adequate upper body mobility, you should be able to do this exercise safely and comfortably. However, if it bothers your shoulders, you can do regular shoulder presses instead.

Steps:

1. Hold your barbell behind your neck with an overhand, shoulder-width grip. Use a false or thumbless grip for comfort. Brace your core and pull your shoulders back and down.
2. Press the weight up and overhead to arm’s length.
3. Lower it back down to your neck and repeat.

Tips:

• Do this exercise seated or standing as preferred.
• Avoid craning your head forward. Instead, pull the barbell back.
• Skip this exercise entirely if it bothers your shoulders.

5. Bradford Press

Muscles Worked: Anterior deltoid, medial deltoid, posterior deltoid, triceps.

The Bradford press combines in-front and behind-the-neck presses to provide your shoulders with a unique workout. Named after American shot-putter Jim Bradford, this exercise keeps your deltoids under near-constant tension, delivering a deep burn and skin-splitting pump.

Steps:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, a slight bend in your knees for balance.
2. Hold your barbell in front of your shoulders with a shoulder-width overhand grip.
3. Press the weight up to level with the top of your head.
4. Push the bar backward and then lower it down behind your neck.
5. Press the weight up and over your head, lowering it back to your shoulders.
6. That’s one rep – keep going!

Tips:

• The bar should only just clear your head, so don’t lift it higher than necessary.
• This exercise works best with light to medium weights for moderate to high reps.
• You can do this exercise seated or standing as preferred.

6. Z Press

Muscles Worked: Anterior deltoid, medial deltoid, posterior deltoid, triceps.

The Z press is named after legendary Lithuanian strongman Žydrūnas “Big Z” Savickas. Considered by many to be the greatest strongman to have ever lived, this exercise was one of Big Z’s favorite exercises and one he credits for making him such a tremendous overhead presser. This challenging exercise develops shoulder mobility, stability, and strength and could be your new secret weapon in your shoulder-building arsenal.

Steps:

1. Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you. Brace your core, pull your shoulders back and down, and hold your barbell in front of your chest with a shoulder-width, overhand grip.
2. Without leaning back, press the barbell up and overhead to arm’s length.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat.

Tips:

• Sit with your feet apart for a more stable base.
• You can also do this exercise with dumbbells.
• Sit on a raised surface, e.g., a step box top, as a workaround for tight hamstrings.

7. Wide-Grip Barbell Bent-Over Row

Muscles Worked: Posterior deltoid, trapezius, rhomboids, biceps.

No, we haven’t inadvertently added a back exercise to our shoulder article. Instead, using a wide grip and pulling the bar into your chest hits your rear deltoids rather than your lats. The posterior deltoid is often neglected, and this is a convenient way to fix this oversight. Wide-grip barbell bent-over rows are an excellent posture exercise as they also strengthen your entire lower back, glutes, and hamstrings.

Steps:

1. Hold a barbell with an overhand, wider than shoulder-width grip. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent.
2. Hinging from your hips, lean forward until your torso is roughly parallel to the floor, arms hanging straight down. Brace your core and retract your shoulders.
3. Bend your arms and pull the bar up and into your chest.
4. Extend your arms and repeat.

Tips:

• Pull the bar into your chest to maximize posterior deltoid engagement.
• Take care not to round your lower back, as doing so could lead to injury.
• Lead with your elbows and keep your wrists straight to hit your rear delts as hard as possible.

8. Seated Dumbbell Press

Muscles Worked: Anterior deltoid, medial deltoid, posterior deltoid, triceps.

While there is nothing wrong with barbell overhead presses, using dumbbells may be better for some lifters. Using dumbbells means your arms can move independently, which can be more joint-friendly. Plus, you’ll have to work harder to stabilize two weights instead of one. So, safer, more comfortable, and potentially more effective? Dumbbells aren’t looking all that dumb now, are they!?

Steps:

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, level with your shoulders, palms facing forward. Brace your core and lift your chest.
2. Keeping the weights level, press them up and overhead to arm’s length. The dumbbells should follow an arc and come together above your head.
3. Lower the weights back to your shoulders and repeat.

Tips:

• You can perform this exercise seated or standing as preferred.
• Use a neutral or palms-in grip for variety.
• Use as large a range of motion as possible without hyperextending your shoulders.

9. Seesaw Shoulder Press

Muscles Worked: Anterior deltoid, medial deltoid, posterior deltoid, triceps.

The seesaw shoulder press offers a nifty twist on conventional dumbbell presses. It’s not necessarily better, but it is different, and that can be all you need to stay out of training ruts and keep those shoulder gains coming. Working one arm at a time also keeps your muscles under tension for longer, which may be helpful for improving endurance and hypertrophy.

Steps:

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms turned inward. Hold one dumbbell overhead and the other in front of your shoulder.
2. Press one weight as you simultaneously lower the other down.
3. Continue this seesaw action until you have completed the required number of reps.

Tips:

• Do this exercise seated or standing as preferred.
• Keep your core braced and shoulders down and back throughout.
• You can also do this exercise with your palms facing forward instead of in.

10. Arnold Press

Muscles Worked: Anterior deltoid, medial deltoid, posterior deltoid, triceps.

Named after legendary bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Arnold press is an old-school shoulder exercise that’s been popular for many decades. It hits your deltoids in an unusual way, which may be just what’s needed to build bigger, more muscular shoulders. It worked for Arnold, who won an incredible seven Mr. Olympia titles, and it could work for you, too.

Steps:

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and curl them up to your shoulders, palms facing your chest. Pull your shoulders back and down and brace your core.
2. Open your elbows and then press the weights up and overhead in one smooth action.
3. Bend your arms and return to the starting position, which should resemble the midpoint of a biceps curl.

Tips:

• Do this exercise seated or standing as preferred.
• This exercise works best with light to moderate weights and medium to high reps.
• Avoid this exercise if it irritates your shoulders.

11. Barbell Cuban Press

Muscles Worked: Medial deltoid, posterior deltoid, anterior deltoid, rotator cuff, trapezius, biceps, triceps.

The Cuban shoulder press is one of the few shoulder exercises to hit all three deltoid heads pretty evenly. Combining upright rows with external rotations and an overhead press, this move was originally used as a shoulder prehab exercise in Olympic weightlifting. It has since found favor with time-pressed bodybuilders and functional exercisers.

Steps:

1. Hold a barbell with an overhand, slightly wider than shoulder-width grip. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Pull your shoulders down and back, and brace your core.
2. Bend your elbows and pull the bar up the front of your body to your lower chest.
3. Next, rotate the bar forward and up to your forehead.
4. Then, press the weight overhead to arm’s length.
5. Reverse this sequence to lower the bar and return to the starting position.

Tips:

• You can also do this exercise with dumbbells or a low-cable machine with a rotating handle.
• Use a light weight and do this exercise for medium to high reps. It is not suitable for heavy loads.
• Do not blend the movements together. Instead, do them as three separate actions to maximize the effectiveness of this exercise.

12. Shoulder Press Machine

Muscles Worked: Anterior deltoid, medial deltoid, posterior deltoid, triceps.

Many so-called functional fitness experts are very quick to throw shade at the shoulder press machine. They say it doesn’t train your muscles and joints as they work in nature. However, if your goal is hypertrophy and you don’t care about functionality, the shoulder press is an excellent option. After all, it allows you to train your deltoids to failure with little risk of injury and without your stabilizer and synergist muscles failing first.

Steps:

1. Adjust the seat so that, when you sit on it, the handles are just above shoulder height.
2. Take a handle in each hand, brace your core, and pull your shoulders back and down.
3. Press the handles up until your arms are straight but not locked.
4. Bend your arms and lower the handles, stopping just short of letting the weights touch together.

Tips:

• Experiment with the available grips to see which one suits you best.
• Rep out to failure, reduce the weight by 10-15%, and then rep out again. This is called a drop set, and an excellent muscle-building strategy.
• Note that shoulder press machine designs vary, and you should ask for help if you are unfamiliar with how the machine in your gym works.

13. Dumbbell Lateral Raise

Muscles Worked: Medial deltoids, trapezius.

The medial or side deltoids have one major function – the abduction of your arm, which means they lift them out and away from the midline of your body. The medial deltoids give your shoulders their width and, as such, should be a training priority for most people. Lateral raise variations are the only way to isolate this deltoid head.

Steps:

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms by your sides, and palms facing your legs. Your elbows should be slightly bent.
2. Raise your arms up and out to your sides until your hands are level with your shoulders.
3. Lower the weights back to your legs and repeat.

Tips:

• Keep your elbows slightly bent but rigid throughout.
• Do this exercise seated or standing as preferred.
• No dumbbells? No problem! Use resistance bands

14. Dumbbell Front Raise

Muscles Worked: Anterior deltoids, trapezius.

Very few exercises have underdeveloped anterior deltoids. All that pushing and pressing means that this muscle is generally overdeveloped. However, on the off-chance you’re not one of the masses, dumbbell front raises are one of the best ways to isolate this muscle. However, while this is an excellent exercise for the rest of us, it’s probably unnecessary.

Steps:

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your thighs. Bend your elbows slightly, brace your core, and pull your shoulders back and down.
2. Raise one arm forward and up to parallel to the ground.
3. Lower the weight back to your thigh and then switch arms.
4. Continue alternating for the required number of reps.

Tips:

• You can also raise both arms together.
• Use a weight plate instead of dumbbells.
• Use a natural instead of a palms-down grip if preferred.

15. Dumbbell Y Raise

Muscles Worked: Posterior deltoids, medial deltoids, trapezius.

The dumbbell Y raise is a unique exercise and is typically used in a rehab/prehab setting. However, it’s also an excellent posterior deltoid movement that’s great for posture. Doing it on a bench provides all the lower back support you could ever need, making it very lumbar spine-friendly. Go light – this exercise is harder than it looks!

Steps:

1. Set an adjustable bench to a 30-degree incline. Lie face down on the bench with your head uppermost. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and allow your arms to hang down from your shoulders, palms facing inward.
2. Keeping your shoulders down and back, raise your arms forward and up to form a Y-shape.
3. Lower the weights and repeat.

Tips:

• Take care not to arch your lower back excessively during this exercise, as doing so puts unnecessary stress on your lumbar spine.
• Try both a neutral and pronated grip to see which you prefer.
• Raise your bench on blocks if your hands touch the floor between reps.

16. Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly

Muscles Worked: Posterior deltoid, trapezius, rhomboids.

As mentioned elsewhere in this article, the rear deltoids are involved in all shoulder exercises, but their role is often minimal. That’s especially true during most pressing exercises. For this reason, it pays to train them on their own, i.e., in isolation. The dumbbell rear delt fly is a simple and convenient way to do this.

Steps:

1. Sit on an exercise bench with your legs bent and feet flat. Lean forward and rest your chest on your legs. Let your arms hang down outside your legs, palms facing inward. Brace your core and pull your shoulders down and back.
2. Without bending your elbows, raise the weights up and back until your arms are parallel to the floor.
3. Lower your arms and repeat.

Tips:

• Go light – using weights that are too heavy invariably results in cheating and using your lower back.
• You can also do this exercise freestanding, i.e., standing and leaning over from the hips.
• Make this exercise more lower back-friendly by doing it face down on an inclined bench.

17. Dumbbell Clean and Press

Muscles Worked: Anterior, medial, and posterior deltoids, trapezius, rhomboids, biceps, triceps.

The dumbbell clean and press is an athletic, explosive exercise that builds strong, powerful shoulders. Combining a pull with a push, this exercise is a highly simplified version of the Olympic clean and jerk. The good news is that it’s much easier to learn and a movement that can benefit all types of lifters.

Steps:

1. Stand with a dumbbell in each hand, feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the weights next to your legs, palms facing inward. Brace your core and pull your shoulders back and down.
2. Hinge forward from the hips and lower the weights down to mid-thigh height.
3. Stand up explosively and use this momentum to help you raise the weights to shoulder level.
4. Next, press the weights overhead to arm’s length.
5. Lower the dumbbells back to your shoulders and then to your sides. Reset your core and repeat.

Tips:

• You can also do this exercise by starting each rep with the dumbbells resting on the floor.
• Use kettlebells instead of dumbbells if preferred.
• This exercise can also be done unilaterally, i.e., one arm at a time.

18. Dumbbell L-Fly

Muscles Worked: Posterior deltoid, rotator cuff.

While this exercise probably won’t make your shoulders much bigger, it should make them healthier. Most upper body exercises involve a lot of medial or inward shoulder rotation, which can lead to muscle imbalances. The dumbbell L-fly is an external rotation exercise and, as such, can help redress any such issues. Do this exercise as prehab to prevent shoulder problems or rehab if you are currently suffering from shoulder issues.

Steps:

1. Lie on your side on the floor or an exercise bench. Hold a dumbbell in your uppermost hand. Tuck your elbow into your ribs and pull your shoulder back and down. The weight should rest across your abdomen, elbow bent to 90 degrees.
2. Rotate your forearm (and therefore your shoulder) outward to raise the dumbbell up as far as comfortable.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat.
4. Do the same number of reps on the other arm.

Tips:

• Go light – the muscles you are training are small and comparatively weak.
• You can also do this exercise while lying on the floor.
• Use a slow, deliberate tempo and pause at the midpoint of each rep to maximize muscle engagement.

19. Single-Arm Landmine Press

Muscles Worked: Anterior deltoid, medial deltoid, posterior deltoid, trapezius, triceps, core.

A landmine is a device that turns a barbell into a versatile, functional training machine you can use to work every muscle in your body. Landmine presses are especially beneficial, as they hit your shoulders from a unique, joint-friendly angle. No landmine? No problem! Just shove one end of an Olympic barbell into a corner and hold the other. Simple, yet effective!

Steps:

1. Load your landmine bar and stand next to it, facing toward the pivot point. Grab the handle and raise it to shoulder height, palm facing inward. Adopt a split stance for balance. Pull your shoulder down and back and brace your core.
2. Extend your arm forward and up so your elbow is straight but not locked.
3. Bend your arm and lower the handle back to your shoulder.
4. Continue for the prescribed number of reps, and then switch sides.

Tips:

• You can also do this exercise using both arms together, i.e., a two-handed landmine press.
• Adopt a half-kneeling position to take pressure off your lower back and stop you from using your legs to lift the weight.
• Lower the weight more slowly than you lift it to maximize muscle engagement.

20. Kettlebell Overhead Press

Muscles Worked: Anterior deltoid, medial deltoid, posterior deltoid, trapezius, triceps.

You can use kettlebells instead of dumbbells in many exercises without changing the effects of the movement. However, studies suggest that using kettlebells rather than dumbbells for overhead presses increases anterior deltoid engagement (3). This is because of the position of the load relative to the shoulder joint. As such, in some instances, kettlebell overhead presses may be a better exercise than the dumbbell variation.

Steps:

1. Hold your kettlebell so it rests on the back of your forearm. Hold the weight slightly in front of your shoulder. Brace your core, pull your shoulders back and down, and stand with your feet apart and knees slightly bent.
2. Without using your legs, press the weight up and overhead to arm’s length.
3. Lower the kettlebell back to your shoulder and repeat.

Tips:

• Save time by doing this exercise with two kettlebells simultaneously.
• You can also do kettlebell overhead presses with two weights.
• Perform this exercise seated or standing as preferred.

21. Face Pulls

Muscles Worked: Posterior deltoids, trapezius, rhomboids, biceps.

The face pull is one of the most effective posture exercises you can do. It hits all the muscles across the back of your shoulders, including those all-important rear deltoids. If you care about your posture, shoulder health, or joint stability, this exercise needs a place in your workouts. Do it between sets of horizontal presses to keep your shoulders balanced and strong.

Steps:

1. Attach a rope handle to an adjustable pulley set to chest height. Take one end in each hand, extend your arms, and step back to tension the cable. Pull your shoulders back, brace your core, and bend your knees slightly for balance.
2. Bend your arms and pull the handles back to either side of your head. Imagine you are trying to put your thumbs in your ears.
3. Extend your arms and repeat.

Tips:

• Pause at the midpoint of each rep to maximize muscle engagement.
• Lead with your elbows and keep them up to make this exercise as effective as possible.
• Don’t go too heavy, as this will force you to use your lats more and your rear deltoids less.

22. Cable Lateral Raise

Muscles Worked: Medial deltoids, trapezius.

While there is nothing wrong with dumbbell lateral raises, using cables keeps your muscles under tension for longer, which may produce better hypertrophic results and a more intense pump. This exercise works best as a high-rep finisher, e.g., 20-30 reps, so you really feel the burn.

Steps:

1. Attach a D-shaped handle to a low pulley machine. Stand sideways onto the weight stack and hold the handle with your opposite hand so the cable runs in front of your hips.
2. Stand with your feet apart, bend your knees slightly, and pull your shoulders back and down. Brace your core.
3. Keeping your elbow slightly bent but rigid, raise your arm up and out to the side until it’s parallel to the floor.
4. Lower your arm, crossing it in front of your body to increase the range of motion.
5. Continue for the desired number of reps.

Tips:

• You can also do this exercise using two cables simultaneously by standing in the center of a cable crossover machine.
• Lead with your elbow to maximize medial deltoid engagement.
• Avoid going too heavy with this exercise. Instead, focus on the movement and keeping tension on the target muscle(s).

23. Cable Front Raise

Muscles Worked: Anterior deltoid, trapezius.

Cable front raises are a very effective, popular anterior deltoid exercise. Like most cable exercises, they keep the target muscles under near-constant tension, producing a deep burn and satisfying pump. If you are looking to isolate your anterior deltoids, this exercise is a great choice.

Steps:

1. Attach a straight bar to a low pulley machine. Stand astride the cable with your back to the weight stack.
2. Hold the handle in front of your legs using an overhand, shoulder-width grip. Brace your core and pull your shoulders back and down.
3. Keeping your elbows slightly bent but rigid, raise the handle forward and up to around head height.
4. Lower your arms and repeat.

Tips:

• You can also do this exercise with a rope handle and a neutral grip.
• Lean forward slightly to make this exercise more comfortable and effective.
• Pause at the top of each rep and lower the weight slower than you lift it to maximize muscle engagement.

24. Cable Rear Delt Fly

Muscles Worked: Posterior deltoids, trapezius, rhomboids.

Dumbbell rear flys are an effective exercise, but on the downside, the tension is greatest when your arms are raised, and very low when your arms are by your legs. Cable rear delt flys keep your muscles under tension through the entire range of motion, which may make them a more efficient, effective exercise for some people.

Steps:

1. Stand in the middle of a cable crossover machine. Hold the left cable in your right hand and the right cable in your left hand so the wires cross in front of your face. Pull your shoulders back and down and brace your core.
2. Keeping your elbows slightly bent but rigid, open your arms and pull the cables back at shoulder level.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat.

Tips:

• Grip the cables or use D-shaped handles as preferred.
• You can also do this exercise half-kneeling to reduce lower body engagement and prevent cheating.
• This exercise works best with low to moderate weights and medium to high reps.

25. Cable External Rotation

Muscles Worked: Posterior deltoids, rotator cuff.

Cable external rotations are a joint-friendly rotator cuff exercise that appears in many prehab and rehab programs. It’s the perfect antidote to all those upper-body exercises that promote medial or inward rotation. Use this exercise to keep your shoulders strong and healthy.

Steps:

1. Attach a D-shaped handle to an adjustable cable machine set to about waist height. Stand side-on to the weight stack and grab the handle with your furthest hand so your forearm crosses in front of your abdomen, elbow bent to 90 degrees.
2. Pull your shoulder back and down and brace your core.
3. Rotate your forearm (and therefore your shoulder) outward as far as is comfortable.
4. Smoothly return to the starting position and repeat.

Tips:

• Go light – the target muscles are relatively weak.
• No cable machine? You can do this exercise with a resistance band instead.
• Remember to do the same number of reps on both sides.

26. Band Pull-Apart

Muscles Worked: Posterior deltoids, trapezius, rhomboids.

If you only do one rear deltoid exercise from our library of 30+ movements, this is the one you should do. Requiring nothing but a resistance band, you can do this exercise anywhere and anytime, making it the perfect, excuse-free posture and shoulder health solution. Do a few sets of this exercise every day to keep your shoulders healthy, stable, and strong.

Steps:

1. Hold a resistance band with an overhand, shoulder-width grip. Raise your arms in front of you, hands level with your shoulders. Pull your shoulders back and down and brace your core.
2. Without bending your elbows, open your arms and stretch the band out across your chest.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat.

Tips:

• Shorten the band to make this exercise more challenging.
• Do 50-100 reps of band pull-aparts to warm up your shoulders before heavy bench or shoulder presses.
• Keep a band in your desk drawer and do a few reps every hour or so to reverse some of the harmful effects of prolonged sitting.

27. Handstand Push-Up

Muscles Worked: Anterior deltoids, medial deltoids, posterior deltoids, trapezius, triceps.

A lot of exercisers mistakenly believe that the only way to build muscle size and strength is with weights. This simply isn’t true. The reality is that your body cannot differentiate between doing exercises with a barbell or using a state-of-the-art machine or bodyweight movements. This means that handstand push-ups are every bit as effective for building bigger, stronger shoulders as any other pressing exercise (4).

Steps:

1. Stand facing a smooth wall. Squat down and place your hands about 12 inches from the bottom of the wall. Kick up and into a handstand with your hands flat on the floor and about shoulder-width.
2. Bend your arms and carefully lower your head down to the floor.
3. Extend your arms and push yourself back up.

Tips:

• Place a folded mat or cushion under your head for comfort and safety.
• Place your hands on push-up bars, blocks, or parallettes to increase your range of motion and, therefore, the difficulty of this exercise.
• You can also do handstand push-ups with your abdomen against the wall, which some people find more manageable.

28. Pike Push-Up

Muscles Worked: Anterior deltoids, medial deltoids, posterior deltoids, trapezius, triceps.

Not quite strong enough to do handstand push-ups but still want to train your shoulders using your body weight for resistance? Look no further than pike push-ups. This push-up variation is more shoulder than chest-dominant but far easier than the fully inverted handstand version.

Steps:

1. Adopt the push-up position with your hands flat on the floor, roughly shoulder-width apart. Brace your core and set your shoulders back and down.
2. Lift your hips up into the air so your body resembles an inverted V.
3. Bend your arms and lower the top of your head to the floor.
4. Extend your arms and repeat.

Tips:

• Raise your feet to put more weight on your arms and make this exercise harder.
• Use push-up bars or parallettes to increase your range of motion.
• The higher your hips and the more they are over your hands, the harder this exercise becomes.

29. Wall Walks

Muscles Worked: Anterior deltoids, medial deltoids, posterior deltoids, trapezius, triceps, core.

CrossFit is responsible for introducing a whole new set of exercises to the fitness industry. That’s not to say they invented these moves, but they certainly popularized them. This includes kettlebell swings, rope climbs, L-sits, kipping pull-ups, and box jumps. Wall walks are another CrossFit staple that’s an especially potent shoulder builder.

Steps:

1. Adopt the push-up position with your feet against a wall.
2. Walk your hands back and your feet up until you are in a handstand position, your stomach flat against the wall.
3. Walk your hands forward and your feet down to return to your starting position.
4. That’s one rep – can you do another?

Tips:

• Keep your core braced throughout – do not let your hips sag.
• Keep your hands less than shoulder-width apart to enhance stability.
• Make sure the wall is solid and smooth to make this exercise as safe and effective as possible.

30. Inverted Row

Muscles Worked: Posterior deltoids, trapezius, rhomboids, biceps.

Inverted rows are another of those exercises that work your back as much as your shoulders. However, that doesn’t change the fact that they’re an effective and practical way to hit your often-underused posterior deltoids. Do this exercise whenever you want to work your entire posterior chain, from your glutes and hamstrings to your rear deltoids and everything in between.

Steps:

1. Set up a waist-high bar in a power rack or Smith machine. Sit on the floor below the bar and hold it with an overhand, wider-than-shoulder-width grip.
2. Lean back so your arms are straight. Pull your shoulders down and back and brace your core.
3. Lift your hips so your body is straight.
4. Bend your arms and pull your chest up to the bar.
5. Extend your arms and repeat.

Tips:

• The wider your grip, the more rear delt-centric this exercise becomes.
• Keep your elbows up and out to hit your rear deltoids more than your lats.
• Raise your feet to make this exercise more challenging.

31. Waiter’s Walk

Muscles Worked: Anterior deltoid, posterior deltoid, medial deltoid, trapezius, triceps, core.

The waiter’s walk is a variation of the farmer’s walk, where the load is carried overhead. This increases core activation but also provides a uniquely challenging workout for your shoulders. You’ll need to use all your shoulder muscles to stabilize the load. This exercise is excellent for improving overhead mobility and stability.

Steps:

1. Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in one hand. Raise the weight above your head. Brace your core and pull your shoulder back and down.
2. Keeping your arm vertical, go for a walk around your training area. Keep your shoulder engaged and stable.
3. Continue for the prescribed time and then switch sides.

Tips:

• You can also do this exercise with two weights instead of one. However, while good for your shoulders, this reduces core muscle engagement.
• Use a barbell instead of dumbbells or kettlebells if preferred.
• Wear wrist wraps to support your joints if necessary.

Shoulder Training Guidelines and Workout Tips

You now have access to a huge library of shoulder exercises, each a proven mass and strength builder. However, how you use those exercises is every bit as important as the movements themselves. Even the best exercises won’t produce the results you want if you fail to follow some essential shoulder-building guidelines.

Use the following information to ensure your shoulder workouts are as safe and effective as possible.

1. Start Every Workout with a Warm-Up

The shoulder is a very mobile joint that’s capable of a wide range of movements. Unfortunately, that mobility comes at a cost – stability. As such, the shoulder joint is also very injury-prone, a fact to which many lifters can attest.

Because of this, it is crucial that you warm up your shoulders before training them. Failure to do so can lead to acute and chronic injuries and also make your workout less effective.

A good warm-up should include:

• Pulse raiser – 5 to 10 minutes of light cardio to get your blood pumping and raise your core temperature.
• Joint mobility – exercises designed to increase synovial fluid production to lubricate and nourish your joints.
• Dynamic flexibility – exercises designed to enhance the flexibility of the muscles you’re about to train.
• Ramped sets – a couple of progressively heavier sets of your first few exercises to acclimate your muscles to the workload to come.

While not warming up will save you a few minutes of training time, it could also cost you months of lost progress if you suffer an otherwise avoidable injury. Long story short, never skip your warm-up.

Learn more about warming up for strength training here.

2. Train All Three Deltoid Heads Equally

As you know from the anatomy section of this article, the deltoids comprise three heads – anterior (front), medial (middle), and posterior (rear). For aesthetics, function, and joint health, all three should be trained pretty evenly.

Most lifters tend to emphasize the anterior head and pay too little attention to the medial and rear heads. Needless to say, this oversight can hurt your long-term progress.

So, whichever shoulder training plan you follow, make sure it works all three heads equally. Remember, too, that the anterior head is also trained every time you work your chest, so you may not need to hit it again in your shoulder workouts. Instead, focus more on your medial and posterior deltoids, as they are most likely to be underdeveloped.

One way to do this is with the 3-2-1 method. Here’s a sample shoulder program that uses this training system:

This workout emphasizes the posterior deltoids and pays plenty of attention to the medial deltoids but is designed to maintain the anterior deltoids, as they’re probably already sufficiently well-developed.

3. Go Easy on the Behind-The-Neck Exercises

Behind-the-neck exercises are a controversial bodybuilding topic. On the one hand, they’ve been used for decades by lifters who have never had any shoulder issues. However, some exercisers experience pain just by looking at movements like behind-the-neck presses, and we’re often told to avoid them.

The truth is that some people can do behind-the-neck training with no ill effects. In contrast, others find it uncomfortable and injurious. Which camp you fall into depends on your joint structure, mobility, flexibility, and posture.

If behind-the-neck exercises bother your shoulders, don’t do them. Consider your long-term shoulder health, and understand that the front-of-the-neck versions are often as effective and more joint-friendly.

4. Heavy Compounds, Lighter Isolations

It would be a mistake to use the same rep range and loading parameters for all the exercises in your shoulder workouts, e.g., sets of 8-12. This would entail hitting the same motor units and muscle fibers again and again, which is not usually the most effective way to reach your training goals.

Instead, adopt the heavy compound/light isolation system for variety and effectiveness. This also takes into account how most isolation exercises are hard on your joints when done with overly heavy loads.

For example:

It’s also worth noting that while lower reps with heavier loads are best for building absolute strength, studies indicate that you can build muscle with lighter weights and higher reps (5).

5. Use The Right Rep Range for Your Goals

You’ll get better results from your workouts if you spend most of your training time using the most appropriate rep range. The accepted rep ranges by goal are:

• Endurance – 13-20 reps, resting 30-60 seconds between sets
• Hypertrophy – 6-12 reps, resting 60-90 seconds between sets
• Strength – 1-5 reps, resting 3-5 minutes between sets
• Power – 1-5 reps, resting 3-5 minutes between sets

The weight used should cause you to reach muscular failure somewhere within your chosen rep range.

6. Care for Your Shoulders – You’ll Miss Them When They’re Gone!

Shoulder aches and pains are common in bodybuilding, powerlifting, and weightlifting. This makes a lot of sense, given how much abuse these joints must endure. After all, the shoulders are involved in almost every exercise you perform, even those for your legs.

Lifters often train through shoulder pain, hoping what is a dull ache doesn’t turn into something more serious. Unfortunately, those minor niggles often become far worse and much harder to deal with.

So, to make a long story short, take care of your shoulders so they don’t let you down when you need them most. Shoulder pain can be very debilitating, making even the most basic everyday activities like sleeping or brushing your teeth uncomfortable.

Don’t ignore shoulder pain. Instead, get it checked out medically and follow the advice of your doctor or physical therapist.

7. Avoid Training Chest and Shoulders on Consecutive Days

All chest exercises involve your shoulders. Because of this, you should not train chest one day, and your shoulders the next. Chest and shoulder exercises also tend to involve your triceps, creating a second overlap. Instead, separate your chest and shoulder workouts by several days, e.g., Monday for chest and Thursday for shoulders, to allow adequate recovery between workouts.

8. Use a Variety of Training Tools

Maximize your progress by using a range of training tools and methods. For example, you can do front, side, and rear delt raises using dumbbells, cables, suspension trainers (TRX), and resistance bands. Each one affects your muscles slightly differently, and that variety is very good for muscle growth. Some trainers believe that one exercise method is better than the others, and that’s not true. Use them all to make your workouts as productive as possible.

Shoulder Anatomy Basics

While you don’t need an in-depth knowledge of how your shoulders work to train them effectively, understanding a little about their anatomy and physiology should make choosing the right exercises for your goals somewhat easier. With that in mind, here is some basic information about the basic structure and function of your shoulder muscles.

Deltoids

Your deltoids, or delts for short, are your primary shoulder muscles. However, rather than being one single muscle, the deltoids are made up of three sets of fibers, typically referred to as heads. While these three heads function together to control your shoulder joints, you can also emphasize and develop each one in turn (1).

Because of this, it’s critical to know which one you are using so you can train all three equally. Unbalanced shoulder development can affect your appearance, posture, and joint function.

Anterior Deltoid – located on the front of your shoulder, the anterior deltoid is usually the largest and most well-developed of the three deltoid heads. That’s because, as well as being involved in many shoulder exercises, it’s also worked when you train your chest.

The functions of the anterior deltoid are flexion, horizontal flexion, and medial rotation of the shoulder joint. As such, it’s strongly involved in overhead presses and front raises.

Medial Deltoid – the medial or middle deltoid is located on the sides of your shoulders. This is the deltoid head that gives your shoulders their width. The medial deltoids are responsible for the abduction of your shoulder joint, meaning they raise your arm up and away from the midline of your body, e.g., during dumbbell lateral/side raises.

Posterior Deltoid – located on the back of your shoulders, the posterior or rear deltoid is usually the most neglected and underdeveloped of the three deltoid heads. As such, it should be a training priority for most lifters. Not only will building your rear deltoids improve your physique, but it will also lead to more stable, healthier joints and better posture.

The functions of the posterior deltoids are extension, horizontal extension, and external rotation of the shoulder joints. They’re primarily trained during wide grip horizontal rows, such as face pulls, band pull-aparts, and rear delt flys.

Rotator Cuff

While you can’t see your rotator cuff, this group of four small muscles works alongside your deltoids and all your other upper body muscles. The rotator cuff aids in controlling the movements of your shoulder joint and often acts as a stabilizer. The four rotator cuff muscles are the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis (2).

While these muscles are considerably smaller than the deltoids, they are no less important. A lot of shoulder injuries result from a weak or damaged rotator cuff.

The rotator cuff is involved in all shoulder and upper body exercises, and some movements target it more directly, several of which are described below.

FAQ’s

Do you have a question about our library of 31 shoulder exercises or shoulder training in general? No problem, because we’ve got the answers!

1. What are the most important exercises for shoulder development?

Variations of overhead press, lateral raises, and face pulls should be the foundation of your shoulder training program. These exercises target multiple heads of the deltoids, offering the most bang for your buck, and delivering a balanced workout. Prioritize these movements for maximal muscle growth.

2. How often should I train my shoulders?

Shoulder training frequency depends on your experience and goals. Beginners may find training shoulders once a week is enough, while more advanced lifters may benefit from two sessions per week. If you do decide to hit your delts twice weekly, one approach might be to include one strength workout and another one hypertrophy in your plan.

3. Can I combine shoulder and chest workouts?

Absolutely! Training shoulders and chest in the same session can be effective, especially if you train your chest first and then move onto your shoulders after. The chest exercises will serve as a warm-up for your shoulder training. With all the anterior deltoid work in chest training, you’ll only need to train your medial and posterior deltoids.

However, the energy required for such a workout can be high, so some people prefer to train these muscle groups separately.

4. What’s the best rep range for shoulder training?

Low rep ranges (1-5) with heavy weights are generally best for building strength. However, you can build muscle with a wide range of rep counts as long as you train close to failure (5). Subsequently, a rep range of 6-15 is often considered best for hypertrophy, although you can go as high as 20-30 reps if you wish.

5. Can you build bigger shoulders with bodyweight exercises?

You certainly can! Exercises like handstand push-ups, pike push-ups, and wall walks are very effective for building shoulder strength and size. The key is to focus on progressive overload, which means gradually increasing your rep count or the difficulty of these exercises as you get stronger.

6. How crucial is nutrition in shoulder training?

Nutrition is critical for muscle growth and recovery. A diet rich in protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats is essential for optimal shoulder development. If you’re not seeing the results you hoped for from your training, your diet could be what’s holding you back.

7. Can I train my shoulders if I have shoulder pain?

While some exercises may worsen shoulder pain, there are alternatives like machine shoulder presses and cable lateral raises that are generally more joint-friendly. However, if you have persistent or severe pain, it’s advisable to consult a healthcare provider before continuing your training regimen, as your workout could be making things worse, delaying your recovery.

8. What’s the best way to avoid shoulder injuries?

Proper warm-up, good technique, progressive overload, and adequate rest are all vital to avoid shoulder injuries. Incorporate mobility and flexibility exercises into your routine and listen to your body. If a particular movement causes discomfort, consider alternative exercises that target the same muscle groups but are less irritating.

9. How can I break through a shoulder training plateau?

If you find your progress stalling, it’s probably time to upgrade your training program. This could mean changing the exercises, rep ranges, or even the type of resistance used. Periodization, which involves cycling through different training phases, can also be effective in overcoming plateaus. You could also consider adding an intensity-boosting training system to your workouts, which could help blast you out of your current progress rut.

10. Are dumbbells or barbells better for shoulder training?

Barbells and dumbbells both have their benefits. Dumbbells allow for a greater range of motion and can help correct muscle imbalances. In contrast, barbells allow you to lift heavier weights, which is beneficial for building strength. A balanced shoulder training program would ideally incorporate both.

Don’t forget you can use machines, resistance bands, and bodyweight exercises, too. There is no reason to adopt and stick with a single training modality when they all offer benefits.

Closing Thoughts

Many lifters leave their shoulder training to chance, hoping that a few sets of presses and lateral raises are all they need to develop strong, stable, muscular delts. Needless to say, such an approach is seldom successful.

So, use the information in this article to create balanced, effective shoulder workouts that work each deltoid head equally. This will not only give you better-looking shoulders, but they’ll also be healthier and less prone to injury.

Remember, though, that your shoulders are a very hardworking joint, and shoulder pain can affect every exercise you do, not to mention your ability to carry out everyday tasks, so make sure you treat them with respect and avoid training through pain.

Train hard but also train smart to build shoulders you can be proud of and that last a lifetime!

Learn More on on Shoulder Exercises:

The benefits of prioritizing shoulder exercises are vast and extend well beyond this article. With a myriad of exercises specifically designed for shoulder strengthening and numerous ways to integrate them into your workout routine, your next insightful read awaits below:

• Best Rear Deltoid Exercises
• Essential Cable Shoulder Exercises
• Best Front Delt Exercises
• Best Side Delt Exercises
• Build Bigger Shoulders: Overhead Press Hypertrophy
• Overhead Barbell Press Variations
• 13 Ways to Avoid Shoulder Pain

References:

Fitness Volt is committed to providing our readers with science-based information. We use only credible and peer-reviewed sources to support the information we share in our articles.

1. Sakoma Y, Sano H, Shinozaki N, Itoigawa Y, Yamamoto N, Ozaki T, Itoi E. Anatomical and functional segments of the deltoid muscle. J Anat. 2011 Feb;218(2):185-90. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2010.01325.x. Epub 2010 Nov 30. PMID: 21118198; PMCID: PMC3042752.
2. Maruvada S, Madrazo-Ibarra A, Varacallo M. Anatomy, Rotator Cuff. 2023 Mar 27. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan–. PMID: 28722874.
3. Błażkiewicz M, Hadamus A. The Effect of the Weight and Type of Equipment on Shoulder and Back Muscle Activity in Surface Electromyography during the Overhead Press-Preliminary Report. Sensors (Basel). 2022 Dec 13;22(24):9762. doi: 10.3390/s22249762. PMID: 36560129; PMCID: PMC9781216.
4. Kotarsky CJ, Christensen BK, Miller JS, Hackney KJ. Effect of Progressive Calisthenic Push-up Training on Muscle Strength and Thickness. J Strength Cond Res. 2018 Mar;32(3):651-659. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002345. PMID: 29466268.
5. Lasevicius T, Ugrinowitsch C, Schoenfeld BJ, Roschel H, Tavares LD, De Souza EO, Laurentino G, Tricoli V. Effects of different intensities of resistance training with equated volume load on muscle strength and hypertrophy. Eur J Sport Sci. 2018 Jul;18(6):772-780. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2018.1450898. Epub 2018 Mar 22. PMID: 29564973.

This article was written by Patrick Dale, a Training Editor with 30 years of experience in Personal Training and Strength & Conditioning. Passionate about accuracy and reliability, Patrick delivers content that is both informative and engaging. Should you have any questions or require further clarification on this article, please leave a comment below. Patrick is dedicated to addressing your queries promptly.