‘The Godfather of Bodybuilding,’ Charles Glass, has crafty tricks for adding intensity to training sessions. On Feb. 23, 2026, he broke down his shoulder destruction workout for adding size, muscle roundness, and strength.
Charles Glass built a sterling reputation in the IFBB Pro League, helping top-tier bodybuilders reach their full potential. He’s had a hand in shaping countless stars, including Dennis James, Kai Greene, Dexter Jackson, and the late Shawn Rhoden.
From a bigger back to a tighter midsection, Glass has unique insights into working out, thanks to his gymnastics and engineering roots. Training shoulders can be challenging, especially since rotator cuff tears are among the most common injuries for gym-goers. This led Glass to unpack his latest shoulder workout and how to reap all the benefits.
Charles Glass’ Shoulder Destruction Workout
Find his workout from the video below:
- Seated Lateral Raise
- Seated Front Raise
- Seated Shoulder Press
- Wide Upright Rows
- Reverse Pec Deck
Seated Lateral Raise
Glass recommended not swinging the weight and keeping the shoulders back and the chest up during lateral raises.
“Chest up, shoulders back, and you go straight out, slightly bent. Don’t swing it,” he shared. “Don’t go forward, keep them right on the side of you.”
Seated Front Raise
For maximum front delt stimulus, he noted that the dumbbells should make a triangle formation at the peak of each repetition.
“You bring it here to the center. A triangle [formation with the dumbbells]. Squeeze and move the elbow in. Stop at the bottom.”
Seated Shoulder Press
Glass explained how body positioning can affect results on the shoulder press. By keeping the body firmly stationed in the seat, lifters can tax their anterior delts. In contrast, the further back they go, the more they recruit their medial deltoid.
“Keep your body slid back into the seat,” he shared. “It’s going to work the anterior delt. When you’re here, and you’re pushing, you push this way, and you see, you’re getting this whole area here. The further you go back, the more it moves this way [towards medial deltoid].”
Wide Upright Rows
When performing upright rows, Glass emphasized that proper form means pulling from the elbows, not the hands.
“We are doing them wide. We are trying to keep our arms straight but when we lift, we only pull from the elbow. You don’t lift the hands up. You pull the elbows up. They go straight up.”
Reverse Pec Deck
Glass said to avoid swinging the weight backwards on the reverse pec deck, which can bias the triceps.
“As long as it stays like that [linear], that’s good, it’s going to lock you right in. But they lock their arms out, and now they got more triceps than anything else. Then, they try to swing it all the way back, that’s crazy.”
This hasn’t been Glass’ first tips for growing bigger, better delts. He recently offered advice for optimizing progress on the reverse pec deck. He stressed that elbow positioning is key because it allows the lifter to pull more effectively with the rear delt, trap, and mid-trap.
Glass believes proper setup and execution of each exercise is key to lasting results. With consistency, he is confident this workout offers lifters the perfect launching pad for growing bigger shoulders.
RELATED: Charles Glass Shares Gripping Technique for Muscle Growth, Reveals Mistake to Avoid
Watch the full video from the Charles Glass YouTube channel below:
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