The Best Shoulder Exercises &
Workout Tips for Powerful Deltoids

Shoulder exercises are vital to building bulging deltoids that'll make everyone and their grandma jealous! Get ready to learn all the best exercises, the complete shoulder anatomy and many great training tips.

This page is a complete guide to shoulder training. It includes the exact information that you need to accelerate your shoulder training progress and amplify your gains...

...In other words, get ready to build bigger, stronger and healthier shoulder muscles, in a shorter amount of time.

Read this exercise guide intently and apply the information to your particular situation. Feel free to use the table of contents (TOC) for faster navigation between sections.

Shoulder Exercise Benefits

Shoulder Training Benefits. It is important to include shoulder exercises in your weight lifting regimen. However, as I'll explain in the rest of this guide, you have to use the right amount of the correct shoulder exercises. Listed below are the benefits of proper shoulder training.

• Boulders for Shoulders! What guy doesn't want shoulder muscles that are large and in charge? Well, maybe there's a few that don't, but I'd guess they aren't reading this site. Muscular and powerful shoulders are soon to be yours after reading this guide. A well-structured and balanced routine that is structured around high quality compound shoulder exercises, will put you on the (rocky) road to boulder shoulders.
• Increase Your Bench Press. Want a stronger bench press? Do shoulder exercises. The barbell bench press is obviously a chest-focused exercise, but it requires a significant amount of effort from the deltoids. Any shoulder pressing motion will assist with your bench pressing abilities.
• Healthy Shoulders Are Happy Shoulders. It's all fun and games until somebody pops their shoulder out. The shoulders are one of those body parts that tend to attract injuries (and re-injuries) due to their complexity. So what is a shoulder-health-conscious individual to do -- Stop shoulder exercises altogether? Hell no! The way to shoulder salvation is to learn great exercise technique, work all parts of the shoulder evenly, fortify the rotator cuff muscles and always warm up.
• Bigger Triceps. Those boulder shoulders mentioned in the first bullet point are essentially useless... Unless you have a matching set of horseshoe-shaped triceps! All shoulder pressing movements require a significant amount of effort from your triceps muscles. The downside, though, is that it's only a matter of time before you need custom shirt made to fit your gargantuan guns -- Well, maybe you won't need custom shirts, but your arms will grow noticeably faster.

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Shoulder Anatomy 101

The shoulder muscle anatomy includes two distinct sets of muscles: The deltoid muscles and the rotator cuff muscles.

The deltoids (aka "delts") are what most people imagine when thinking of the shoulders. This makes sense, seeing as they make up the visual bulk of the shoulder region. There are actually three different deltoids: The anterior (front) deltoid, which controls raising the arms overhead or to the front; the lateral (side) deltoid, which is responsible for lifting the arms up at the sides; and the posterior (rear) deltoid, which controls pulling the arms to the back. Although each deltoid has a it's own independent function, they can also work together to carry out compound movements.

The four rotator cuff muscles are essentially invisible compared to the delts. Yet their role is vital to our ability to make complex and precise movements with our arms. Specifically, the rotator cuff enables us to -- you guessed it -- rotate and maneuver our arms, in any number of way: Flexed upward to the front (160-180°), extended back toward your rear (40-60° ROM), abducted up and away from your sides (160-180°), rotated internally (90°), and rotated externally (90°). Unsurprisingly, this complex shoulder structure is quite delicate a very popularinjury location, especially amongst the not-so-cautious "meathead" gym-goer population...

...To really understand how the rotator cuff and the deltoids function and react to certain exercises, you have to "up" your knowledge on the shoulder anatomy. I recommend spending a little bit of time reviewing the anatomy mini-tutorials in links below. No, you don't have to become an expert PhD on the shoulder anatomy. But gaining even a small amount of knowledge can create a night-and-day difference in your training results.

Deltoids Anatomy

• Anterior Deltoid
• Lateral Deltoid
• Posterior Deltoid

The 4 Rotator Cuff Muscles

• Infraspinatus
• Subscapularis
• Supraspinatus
• Teres Minor

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The Best Shoulder Exercises

Top 5 Shoulder Exercises. Here's my top 5 pick for the most effective shoulder exercises:

1. Overhead Press
2. Hang Clean & Press
3. Push Press
4. Dumbbell Shoulder Press
5. Dumbbell 1-Arm Press

1. Overhead Press

How to Perform the Overhead Press. Start by putting the barbell on a squat rack or power rack. Place the bar on the rack pins, so that it's at about chest-height. Reach forward and grab the bar with slightly wider-than-shoulder width grip (using a normal, overhand grip). Get close to the bar so that it's barely touching your upper chest. Raise it off the pins and step back so that you have sufficient clearance.

Press up, lean your torso backward as the weight passes your head. Then sway your torso forward once the bar has passed your head. Keep extending your arms directly up, until your elbows are locked. Lower the weight in a controlled fashion to your upper chest. Repeat. For more tips, see barbell shoulder press.

Benefits of the Overhead Press. The overhead press is the boss of all shoulder exercises. It is the best movement for overloading the shoulder muscles with the heaviest amount of weight possible. My favorite thing about this shoulder exercise is it's sheer simplicity: How much more basic can you get than lifting a heavy bar over your head? The fact is that this compound exercise will make you strong and muscular very quickly. I recommend it for all lifters.

2. Hang Clean & Press

How to Perform the Hang Clean & Press. This exercise is like a combination of the overhead press and power cleans. Start with the loaded barbell on the ground. Using a normal, overhand grip, pick the bar up off the ground, as you would during deadlifts. Once you have deadlifted the weight up to your thighs, you have reached the starting position. From this point, bend at your hips, knees, and ankles to allow the bar to slide down your thighs; just above your knees. Now you will propel the bar to your shoulders by executing the "hang clean" part of the exercise. (This is meant to be done explosively, and your heels should come off the ground)...

To initiate the hang clean, extend your hips, knees and ankles while simultaneously pulling the bar up in a straight line by flexing your trapezius muscles. Keep your arms straight until your hips, knees, ankles, and traps are maximally extended or flexed. Then, bend your elbows and use your shoulder muscles to raise the bar up the rest of the way. Allow your elbows to get under the bar so you can "catch" it as your heels return to the ground. After catching the bar, proceed to press it overhead until you fully extend and lock your arms. Lower the weight to your upper chest and pause for a split second. Then complete the rep by returning the weight to your thighs. Repeat.

Benefits of the Hang Clean & Press. The hang clean and press is a behemoth among shoulder exercises. The hang clean and press is really a full body exercise that emphasizes the shoulders. In fact, it works the shoulder muscles at two different points in the lift. Obviously you hit them when you press the weight overhead. But you also hit them during the hang clean, when you pull the bar up to your shoulders.

Having evolved from the Olympic lift known as the "clean and jerk," this movement is meant to be executed explosively. And so, you can expect to become stronger and faster as you master this technique.

I'll be honest -- I had trouble deciding whether or not to rank the hang clean and press as the best shoulder exercise, instead of the overhead press. But ultimately, I decided that the overhead press deserves the top spot because you can overload the shoulder and upper arm muscles more so than with the hang clean and press (even though you can lift a heavier load with the hang clean and press by using the natural momentum of the "hang clean" portion of the exercise). Also, it does have a higher learning curve since it's a relatively technical movement.

3. Push Press

How to Perform the Push Press. This exercise is very similar to the overhead press (exercise #1). Start in a squat or power rack, with the barbell on the pins at chest level. Grasp the bar in front of you with a normal overhand grip, using a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip. Bring your body close to the bar, hoist it off the pins and step backward so you have enough room to lift.

Lower your body slightly by bending at the knees, hips and ankles -- as if you're doing a squat with only partial range of motion. Retract your head to avoid hitting yourself with the bar. Powerfully extend your legs and use this momentum to begin the press; your heels may come off the ground. After the bar has cleared your head, "get under the bar" by leaning your torso slightly forward. Extend your arms straight up, until you lockout. Begin to lower the weight. Do not bend your knees again, until the barbell is lowered to the upper chest and is in secure control. Repeat. For more tips, see push press tips.

Benefits of the Push Press Exercise. The push press is great for developing raw power. By using leg drive to help with the initial liftoff, you are able to use more weight than you would be able to use in a standard overhead press. Plus, your legs get a decent workout. Even though your legs do some of the work on the way up, your deltoids do all of the work during the negative repetition (on the way down). In this way, the push press conditions you to training with heavier weight; thus, you will get stronger a lot faster on other pressing exercises. This exercise is often implemented by trainees seeking to bust through plateaus -- Although it is more than suitable as a standalone movement.

4. Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press

How to Perform the Dumbbell Shoulder Press. Grab a pair of dumbbells (using a normal, overhand grip) and sit down on a seated utility bench (i.e. a bench with a vertical backrest). Stand the dumbbells on your thighs, and slide your rear all the way to the backrest. Create a slight arch in your back, making sure that both your lower and upper back maintain contact with the backrest. Kick your knees up one at a time, to launch the dumbbells off your thighs and up to your shoulders. Support the end of the dumbbell against your front deltoid as you prepare for lift off. Next, rotate your arms so that your palms are facing in front of you.

With your elbows in line with your hips, begin the press. Bring the dumbbells closer together as you approach the top of the rep. Complete the rep by locking your elbows, and proceed lower the weight in a controlled fashion. Stop lowering the weight once your elbow joints form 90°, angles. Repeat. For more tips, see seated dumbbell press.

Benefits of the Dumbbell Shoulder Press Exercise. I like this particular shoulder exercise technique for a few reasons. First, you must lift and control each dumbbell independently; thereby improving your control by stimulating more stabilizer muscles. Dumbbells also make it more difficult to cheat because you can't compensate for your weak side with your strong side. You can target the lateral deltoid head much more directly than you can with other shoulder press exercises.

And while it's impossible to lift as much total weight as you can with the barbell presses, you can still press some pretty heavy-ass weights. In other words, this is still an effective for strength and muscle building exercise even though barbell movements let you lift somewhat heavier loads.

5. Dumbbell 1-Arm Shoulder Press

How to Perform the Dumbbell 1-Arm Shoulder Press. Pick up one dumbbell and hoist it to shoulder-level, using a normal, overhand grip. Your wrist should be higher than your elbow, and your elbow should be pointing at about a 45° angle away from the center-line of your body. In an approximately shouler-width stance, bend your knees slightly.

Extend your legs and press the dumbbell up, rotating your arm so that your palm is facing forward when your arm is fully extended and locked out. In order to maintain balance while pressing, it is okay to lean your torso toward the opposite side. Once the lifting portion of the repetition is complete, start lowering the dumbbell in the same path that you lifted it. Repeat. Then repeat on the opposite side.

Benefits of the Dumbbell 1-Arm Shoulder Press. This shoulder exercise is one that you don't see everyday at the gym, but that doesn't mean it's ineffective. This is a unilateral exercise, which means that you train each side separately. By training one arm at a time, you can quickly even out strength and size differences between the shoulder and upper arm muscles on your right-hand and left-hand sides. The other major benefit of the dumbbell one-arm shoulder press is that it improves your balance. As a matter of fact, it forces you to improve your balance, since you would simply topple over if you didn't utilize your core and lower body muscles to stabilize yourself.

Here's a surefire way to test if this movement is worthwhile for your routine: Try it out, and if it's a lot more difficult to perform with one arm than with the other arm, then it's right for you! If you do indeed have trouble with one side, this demonstrates that you have significant room for improvement.

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Training Tips for All Shoulder Exercises

Shoulder Exercise Tips. Now that you have an idea of what constitutes the best shoulder exercises, it's time to build upon that knowledge with some training advice. Below, I'll provide you with some shoulder workout tips that you can apply in your workouts.

• Watch Out for Interference with Related Muscles. The shoulders are closely related to the chest and triceps. Therefore, you should allow enough rest time between sets, or workouts that train related muscles. Otherwise, it's possible for the exercises to interfere each other. Note however, that the amount of rest needed depends on the workout; and sometimes interference will be unavoidable or necessary.
• Don't Forget about the Posterior (Rear) Deltoids. The rear deltoids are often underdeveloped since most major shoulder exercises focus on front deltoids. How do you fix this problem? Just be sure to do ample pulling exercises. Some good examples include pull ups and various bent over row exercises. You can also directly target the posterior delts by using isolation exercises such as bent over lateral raises.
• Use Mobility Exercises. If you can't move your arms and shoulders efficiently, then you're falling short of your potential on shoulder exercises. Try shoulder dislocations, which involve gripping a stick (e.g. a broom stick) with a wide grip and bringing it from your front to your back; this is done by swinging it over your head, while keeping your arms extended and back straight. This can be done on your own time, and as part of your warm up routine.
• Train the Rotator Cuff Muscles. I've already mentioned the functional role of the rotator cuffs. And I've practically beat you over the head with the importance of proper exercise technique for protecting these delicate structures. Now I'll tell you how to actively strengthen these bad boys so that you're not only safer, but also stronger -- Do internal and external rotation exercises, which strengthen the rotator cuff muscles that control the internal and external rotary movements, respectively. A common issue is that the many trainees who emphasize pushing exercises, often have very weak external rotators. These folks can benefit by performing more of the external rotation exercise, in addition to adding more pulling exercises to their routine.
• A Time for Isolation. Compound movements should be the majority of your routine, especially if you're a beginner. But there are always times where it's necessary to add extra isolation work to the mix. For example, if you're an experienced weight lifter who wants to increase your shoulder width, then you should consider adding side lateral raises into your routine. Another example is if you are trying to fix or prevent a muscular imbalance between your front and rear delts (see the second bullet). In this case, adding bent over lateral raises to your regimen can help you reach that goal. However, isolating the front deltoid is next to useless for just about everyone because it receives significant stimulation in all press exercises.

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The Best Shoulder Workout Approach for You

I always recommend that beginners go with the full body approach. So, if you happen to be a beginner, but are worried about building up your shoulders, then stop fretting -- You will build big shoulders, and bigger muscles on the rest of your physique for that matter, by adhering to a simple 3 day full body workout routine...

...Once you "graduate" from the beginner routine, you can put effort towards shoulder specialization if you still think it's necessary.

So if you have a decent amount of experience already, then we can look at a couple different approaches that will target your shoulder muscles.

1. 4 day upper body/lower body routine with two upper body workouts that focus on shoulder exercises
2. 4-5 day body part split with one day completely dedicated to shoulders (e.g. Max OT)

With regard to exercise choice, if you're a beginner, then you should stick to the tried and true basics. Specifically, you need only perform a single compound barbell press exercise; I personally recommend the overhead press. I know that doing just one shoulder exercise might sound like a ridiculously low amount of work, but it is actually quite sufficient when done in combination the bench press (which hits the anterior deltoids) as well as rows or pull ups (which both hit the rear delts)...

...You must also remember that, when on a full body workout routine, you are training these exercises frequently (up to 2x/week). Savor these times as a novice lifter when you can make the greatest gains with the least amount of work!

If you're past the beginner stage, then you should still build your shoulder training regimen around the basic compound shoulder exercises. However, unlike beginners, you can benefit from diversifying your exercise choice to include multiple compound shoulder exercises as well as isolation movements.

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