The 21 Best Shoulder Exercises For Big, Powerful Delts

Your deltoids are the muscles that cap your shoulder joints. Like muscular shoulder pads, they give your upper body its width. Cannonball delts add an extra dimension to your physique, even when you are fully dressed.

And yet, despite their obvious importance, a lot of exercisers are lacking in the shoulder development department. This may be because they spend too much time working on their pecs, and not enough time on their delts.

If you are serious about building the best possible upper body, it’s time to start prioritizing your shoulder development. Build your workouts around the best shoulder exercises to create deltoids you can be proud of.

Shoulder Anatomy

The shoulder joint is very complex. Made up of your humerus and scapula, it’s a ball and socket joint with a very extensive range of motion. It’s controlled by lots of different muscles, including the pecs, lats, and deltoids.

The deltoids which are the focus of this article is a group of three muscles that cap your shoulder joint. There are three deltoids, and while they always work together, they also have some individual functions. The three different parts of the deltoids are traditionally referred to as heads.

The three deltoid heads are:

Anterior deltoid – this is your front deltoid. It commonly works alongside your pectoralis major or chest muscles. Its primary functions are:

• Shoulder flexion
• Shoulder horizontal flexion
• Shoulder internal (or medial) rotation

Medial deltoid – located on the side of your shoulder, this deltoid is the muscle that gives your shoulders their width. Its primary function is:

• Shoulder abduction

Posterior deltoid – this is your rear deltoid. It’s involved in most back exercises but is still often underdeveloped. Weak, small posterior deltoids can have an adverse effect on your posture, as well as your shoulder health. The functions of the posterior deltoid are:

• Shoulder extension
• Shoulder horizontal extension
• Shoulder external (or lateral) rotation

Beneath your deltoids is a small group of muscles that are collectively called the rotator cuff. While these muscles don’t contribute much to shoulder size, they are crucial for shoulder joint health. They are involved in all shoulder exercises, usually in a synergistic (helping) role, or by acting as stabilizers.

The muscles that make up the rotator cuff are:

• Supraspinatus
• Infraspinatus
• Teres Minor
• Subscapularis

The 21 best shoulder exercises

Build your best deltoids ever with these tried and tested shoulder exercises!

1 – Barbell shoulder press

Like most overhead pressing exercises, barbell shoulder presses work all three deltoid heads, with an emphasis on the anterior or front. This exercise can be performed seated or standing. You can also use a Smith machine instead of a regular barbell.

How to do it:

1. Hold the barbell with a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip. Use a false grip or a full grip as preferred.
2. Hold the bar in front of your upper chest, so your elbows are directly below your hands. Pull your shoulders down and back and brace your abs.
3. Push the weight up and overhead to arms’ length.
4. Lower the weight back down and repeat.

Benefits:

1. Simple but effective
2. A proven strength and mass builder
3. A good test of strength

2 – Barbell push-press

This exercise provides a great way to overload the eccentric or lowering part of the exercise. Because of this, it’s a very useful move for building strength, especially when done for low reps with heavy weights.

How to do it:

1. Grasp the barbell with a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip. Use a false grip or a full grip as preferred.
2. Hold the bar in front of your upper chest, so your elbows are directly below your hands. Pull your shoulders down and back and brace your abs.
3. Bend your legs and descend into a quarter-depth squat. Explosively extend your legs and use this momentum to help you drive the weight up and overhead.
4. Lower the weight back down to your shoulders slowly and smoothly before dipping and driving it up again.

Benefits:

1. Allows you to use heavier than normal weights
2. Also involves your legs and core
3. A good exercise for athletes

3 – Barbell high pull

Most compound shoulder exercises are pushing movements. That means, as well as your deltoids, they also work your triceps too. This one is different; it’s a pulling exercise that also works your biceps.

How to do it:

1. Hold a barbell in front of your thighs with an overhand, slightly wider than shoulder-width grip. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent.
2. Push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower the bar down to just above or just below knee-height.
3. Stand up explosively and use this momentum to help you pull the bar up the front of your body to about mid-chest height. Your elbows should be above your hands.
4. Lower the bar and then repeat.

Benefits:

1. Useful for developing upper and lower body power
2. An effective deltoid and upper trap exercise
3. A good exercise for athletes

4 – Barbell front raise

You can do front raises with almost any suitable weight, but it’s especially effective when done with a barbell. Front raises target your anterior or front deltoids. Experiment with different grip widths to determine which one works best for you.

How to do it:

1. Hold a barbell in front of your thighs with an overhand, shoulder-width grip. Stand with your feet about hip-width apart. Bend your knees slightly and brace your abs.
2. Without jerking or using your legs or back, raise the bar forward and up to just above shoulder-height. Your arms should remain slightly bent but rigid throughout.
3. Lower the weight back to your thighs and repeat.

Benefits:

1. Simple and effective
2. A good exercise for the anterior deltoids
3. Useful for getting a great shoulder pump

5 – Barbell Bradford press

A lot of strength coaches are against behind the neck presses. They believe that they are too risky for most lifters. And yet, for many decades, the behind the neck press has been a shoulder-building staple. The Bradford press combines a front press and a behind the neck press but, to avoid injury, you should only attempt it if you have healthy shoulder joints and good mobility.

How to do it:

1. Hold the barbell with a slightly wider than shoulder-width grip. Use a false grip or a full grip as preferred.
2. Hold the bar in front of your upper chest, so your elbows are directly below your hands. Pull your shoulders down and back and brace your abs.
3. Press the bar up so that it’s just level with the top of your head. Lower the bar back down behind your neck.
4. Next, press the bar up and off your neck, returning to the starting position. The bar should just skim the top of your head, and you should not lock out your arms.
5. This exercise works best with light to moderate weights.

Benefits:

1. An excellent exercise for getting a delt pump
2. A good finishing exercise
3. Keeps a constant tension on your deltoids

6 – Dumbbell shoulder press

For some exercisers, dumbbells are better than barbells. Why? Because they allow you to identify and then fix left to right strength imbalances, and also allow your limbs to move independently and more naturally. If barbell shoulder pressing exercises hurt your joints, try dumbbells.

How to do it:

1. Grab a dumbbell in each hand and raise them to shoulder level. Your thumbs should be pointing inward, so your palms face forward.
2. With your abs braced and your shoulders down and back, press the weights up and overhead so that they come together at the top of each rep.
3. Lower the weights back down to your shoulders and repeat.
4. This exercise can be performed seated or standing, and also using a palms-in, neutral grip. You can also do it using just one dumbbell at a time.

Benefits:

1. May be more joint-friendly than the barbell version
2. Can be used to develop size and strength
3. A good exercise for increasing shoulder stability

7 – Alternating dumbbell shoulder press

This variation of the regular dumbbell shoulder press increases time under tension, which is important for muscle growth. In addition, it makes light weights feel much heavier, which is good for home exercisers who only have access to limited equipment. 

How to do it:

1. Grab a dumbbell in each hand and raise them to shoulder level. Your thumbs should be pointing inward, so your palms face forward.
2. Press one weight up and overhead while keeping the other weight stationary. Lower the first weight back to your shoulder.
3. Next, press the opposite weight up and lower it again.
4. Continue alternating sides for the prescribed number of repetitions.
5. This exercise can be done seated or standing.

Benefits:

1. A good exercise for getting a shoulder pump
2. Ideal for home exercisers
3. Can be effective even if you only use light to moderate weights

8 – Dumbbell seated clean and press

This exercise is easy to learn but very challenging. It works all three heads of your deltoids, as well as your upper traps. If you don’t have time for a long shoulder workout, this is the exercise you should do.

How to do it:

1. Sit on a flat exercise bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Plant your feet firmly on the floor. Hold the dumbbells down by your sides.
2. Lean forward slightly without rounding your lower back, and then sit up explosively. Use this momentum to help you raise the weights up to shoulder-height, flipping the weights as you do so, so that your elbows are directly below your hands.
3. Push the weights up and overhead.
4. Lower the dumbbells back down to your shoulders and then to arms’ length before repeating.
5. Press the weights only halfway up to maintain constant tension on your deltoids.

Benefits:

1. Works the entire shoulder complex in one movement
2. Useful for developing strength, power, and muscle size
3. Easier to learn than regular barbell cleans

9 – Arnold press

Named after the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger, this is the exercise that built the Terminator’s delts! Hitting all three deltoid heads, this is a very time-efficient shoulder exercise.

How to do it:

1. With a dumbbell in each hand, lift the weights and hold them at shoulder level, arms bent, and palms facing forward.
2. Bring your arms in and together in front of your chest.
3. Next, open your arms and then press the weights up and overhead.
4. Lower the weights, move your arms in and out again, and then repeat.

Benefits:

1. A classic mass-building exercise
2. Work your entire shoulder complex in one move
3. Tried and tested by the Austrian Oak himself!

Related: Arnold Press Guide.

10 – Dumbbell Lateral raises

Dumbbell lateral raises, also known as side raises, isolate your medial or side deltoid. This is the deltoid head that gives your shoulders their width. Subsequently, almost every shoulder workout should involve a variation of this width-building exercise.

How to do it:

1. Grab a dumbbell in each hand and hold them next to your thighs, palms turned inward. Bend your elbows slightly, but then keep them rigid.
2. Raise your arms up and out until your upper arms are roughly parallel to the floor. Your palms should be facing downward.
3. Lower the weights back down to your legs and repeat.
4. This exercise can be done seated or standing, and you can also perform it using a cable machine.

Benefits:

1. One of the few exercises that isolate the medial deltoid
2. Good for developing shoulder width
3. Can be used as part of a pre or post-exhaust superset

11 – Dumbbell Incline front raises

This front raise variation works your anterior and posterior deltoids as well as your mid and lower traps. This is not an exercise for heavy weights but, for shoulder health, it’s very useful.

How to do it:

1. Set an exercise bench to around 45-degrees. With a light dumbbell in each hand, lie face down on the bench and let your arms hang straight down.
2. Raise the weights forward and up until your arms form a straight line with your body.
3. Lower your arms and repeat.
4. This exercise can also be done with a barbell.

Benefits:

1. A good postural exercise
2. Makes light weights feel much heavier
3. Using a bench means it’s very hard to cheat during this exercise

12 – Dumbbell Front raises

This isolation exercise mainly works your anterior or front deltoids. Using dumbbells means you can work one arm at a time, and also follow a more flexible, individual movement arc. Some lifters find this exercise easier on their joints than the barbell version.

How to do it:

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand in front of your thighs. Your palms should be facing your legs. Bend your arms slightly, and then keep them rigid. Brace your core for stability.
2. Without using your legs or back, raise the weights forward and up to eye-level.
3. Lower the weights and repeat.
4. This exercise can also be done using an alternating arm action.

Benefits:

1. Simple but effective
2. Good for building anterior deltoid size
3. Can be used as part of a pre or post-exhaust superset

13 – Dumbbell reverse flye

There are lots of anterior deltoid exercises, but far fewer that work the posterior delts. This, combined with the fact that all chest exercises involve the anterior deltoids, means that the rearmost head of the shoulder is often very underdeveloped. This exercise is all about those rear delts and should be part of every lifter’s shoulder regimen.

How to do it:

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Lean forward from your hips until your upper body is inclined to between 45 to 90 degrees. Do not round your lower back.
2. Let your arms hang down from your shoulders, hands turned inward.
3. Without using your legs or back, open your arms and lift the weights up and out to the sides to form a T shape.
4. Lower your arms and repeat.
5. This exercise can also be performed sitting on a bench and leaning forward with your chest resting on your legs.

Benefits:

1. A good postural exercise
2. One of a few posterior deltoid exercises
3. Challenging even with light weights

14 – Bus drivers

This exercise hits your anterior or front deltoids. It involves very small movements, which means it’s best done for time instead of reps. 30 seconds using a suitable weight plate will soon have your shoulders screaming for mercy!

How to do it:

1. Hold a weight plate with both hands and raise it to shoulder-level. Brace your abs and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart for stability.
2. Without lowering your arms, rotate your hands as though you were turning a steering wheel.
3. Do not lower your arms until your set is complete.

Benefits:

1. A good exercise for getting a pump in your deltoids
2. Useful for building muscle size and endurance
3. An excellent way to finish your deltoid workout

15 – Cable face pulls

Cable face pulls work your posterior deltoids and middle trapezius – two crucial postural muscles. If you spend a lot of time working at a computer or driving, this exercise will help prevent the slouch that could otherwise develop.

How to do it:

1. Set a cable machine to about shoulder-height. Fit it with a rope handle. Take one end of the handle in each hand and, with your arms straight, step back and into a staggered stance.
2. Bend your arms and pull the handles in toward your face. Imagine you are trying to stick your thumbs in your ears. Pull your shoulders down and back.
3. Extend your arms and repeat.

Benefits:

1. An effective postural exercise
2. The antidote to lots of chest training
3. Good for improving shoulder stability and health

16 – Band pull-aparts

Band pull-aparts are a simple, yet effective posterior deltoid and postural exercise. Because you only need a band to do them, they are an excellent move for home exercisers. Band pull-aparts are also a useful shoulder rehab and prehab exercise.

How to do it:

1. Hold a resistance band with an overhand, shoulder-width grip. Raise your arms forward and up to shoulder-height. Bend your elbows slightly and then keep them rigid.
2. Open your arms and stretch the band out across your chest. Pull your shoulders down and back.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat.

Benefits:

1. Ideal for home exercisers
2. A useful postural exercise
3. Can be performed as a superset between sets of chest exercises

17 – Pike push-ups

No weights? No problem! You can work your deltoids using nothing more than your bodyweight. This exercise not only works your shoulders, but it also increases the load on your triceps, so it’s good for increasing upper arm size too.

How to do it:

1. Adopt the push-up position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Lift your butt up into the air, so your body resembles an inverted V.
2. Bend your arms and lower your head down to the floor.
3. Push yourself back up and repeat.
4. Raise your feet on a bench to make this exercise harder.

Benefits:

1. Useful for when you have no training equipment
2. Builds relative strength
3. A useful push-up variation

18 – Handstand push-ups

If you’ve mastered pike push-ups and are ready for a more challenging exercise, this is the move for you. With handstand push-ups, you’ll have to lift your entire body weight using just your arms. Only attempt this exercise if you can barbell press very close to your bodyweight.

How to do it:

1. Stand in front of a smooth wall. Squat down and place your hands flat on the floor, a little wider than shoulder-width apart. Kick up and into a handstand with your feet touching the wall for balance.
2. Bend your arms and lower the top of your head to the floor.
3. Push back up and repeat.

Benefits:

1. A very demanding bodyweight exercise
2. Increases shoulder and triceps size and strength
3. Good for balance and coordination

19 – Wall laterals

This is an isometric exercise for your medial deltoids. Because it requires no equipment, you can do it anywhere and anytime you find yourself next to a wall. Perform for time instead of reps.  

How to do it:

1. Stand sideways on to a wall. Bend your arm, so your elbow is at 90-degrees. Lean your shoulder, upper arm, and forearm against the wall. Push yourself against the wall using your legs.
2. Contact your medial deltoid and try to lift your upper arm away from your body. Maintain this contraction for the desired duration, usually 20-40 seconds. Do not hold your breath.
3. Swap sides and repeat.

Benefits:

1. No equipment required
2. A very joint-friendly exercise
3. A useful muscle-building exercise

20 – Manual resistance lateral raises

This exercise uses variable resistance to take your deltoids to absolute muscular failure. If you want to get a deep pump in your medial delts, this is the exercise you should use. All you need is a strong and willing training partner.

How to do it:

1. Stand facing your partner with your arms by your sides. Ask your partner to place their hands just above or just below your elbows.
2. Lift your arms against the resistance provided by your partner. They should push just hard enough to overload your muscles.
3. As you start to tire, they should decrease the pressure to match your strength.
4. Continue until you are unable to raise your arms, even when your partner stops pushing your arms down.

Benefits:

1. A great way to finish a shoulder workout
2. Produces a deep pump
3. Good for anyone who trains with a partner

21 – Shoulder press machine

A lot of trainers throw shade at machine-based exercises. That’s a shame because, for hypertrophy, machine exercises are actually very valuable. For starters, they allow you to train to failure without worrying about dropping the weight. If you don’t have a spotter and want to do overhead presses safely, a shoulder press machine could be your best option.

How to do it:

1. Adjust the seat to that, when you sit on it, your shoulders are level with the handles. Grab the handles and pull your shoulders down and back.
2. Press the handles up to arms’ length.
3. Bend your arms and lower the weights, but don’t let the plates touch down.
4. Press your arms back up and repeat.
5. Shoulder press machines can vary in design, so make sure you use the one in your gym according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Benefits:

1. A safe way to work out when you don’t have a spotter
2. Good for drop sets
3. Can be used to build size and strength

Training tips for bigger shoulders, stronger, healthier shoulders

Get the most from these exercises and your shoulder workouts in general with these useful training tips.

1. 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.

2. Go easy on the anterior deltoid exercises

The anterior or front deltoid is heavily involved in all chest exercises, so, for a lot of lifters, it’s already very well developed. Because of this, you should probably emphasize your medial and posterior deltoids rather than hammer your anterior deltoids with even more exercises and sets.

Big anterior deltoids and underdeveloped medial and posterior deltoids will not only make your shoulders look unbalanced, but it could also lead to joint problems and injuries.

3. 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.

4. Be careful of shoulder pain

Your shoulders are a very mobile joint, and that mobility is accompanied by instability. Instability means your shoulders are especially prone to injury. Painful shoulders can affect almost every exercise you do in the gym, even leg training. If any shoulder exercise causes joint pain, seek a pain-free alternative. Do not try and train through any discomfort. Respect your shoulders – don’t allow minor aches to turn into serious pain that could stop you from training for good.

5. 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.

Wrapping Up

If you are serious about building the best shoulders, you need to utilize the best shoulder exercises! You may also benefit from dedicating an entire training session to your delts, and not just working them after your chest.

A well-developed pair of shoulders really does add an extra dimension to your physique, whether you are wearing a training vest, a T-shirt, or a suit. Shoulders are a very prominent muscle group.

Don’t leave your shoulder development to chance; target your delts with the best exercises to build the body of your dreams!