‘The Godfather of Bodybuilding,’ Charles Glass, is back with another training breakdown. On April 19, 2026, he shared his shoulder workout focused on form, full activation, and mistakes to avoid.
Charles Glass has years of experience shaping high-profile bodybuilders. He guided icons like Chris Cormier, Dexter Jackson, and the late Shawn Rhoden throughout the 1990s and 2000s. Even today, his impact on the sport is notable, and he’s not just helping Open talent. He has also provided training cues and advice for competitors in the Bikini division.
In every bodybuilding category, shoulder training comes with challenges. Hitting the front, middle, and rear delt effectively takes a tailored routine, prompting Glass to reveal how he gets the job done with just five exercises.
Charles Glass Shares Shoulder Workout Focused on Form
Find his exercise selections from the video below:
- Front Raise
- Dumbbell Side Lateral
- Upright Rows
- Seated Press
- Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly
Front Raise
In the video, Glass recommended turning the elbows during front raises.
“Bring it to the front. When you go to the front, you slightly turn your hands. My elbow turns my wrist. Don’t just turn the wrist, turn the elbow.”
Dumbbell Side Lateral
During side laterals, he explained how contracting through the scapula allows for effective reps.
“We’re doing shoulders, but what we’re doing, we went from dumbbell side laterals contracting through the scapula, pushing straight out, getting more of the medial delt.”
Upright Rows
While performing upright rows, he said to imagine pulling away from the body, as this helps maintain pressure on the medial delt.
“What we’re doing is we’re pulling away from the body. We’re lifting the elbows up so we keep more pressure on the medial delt.”
Seated Press
He advocated for the seated shoulder press versus the standing variation. He shared that standing during presses can cause the back to arch excessively.
“Seated press, you can only do it so far. Without it, you’re going to arch your back too much,” he said. “You engage everything else because you can only go so far, and then it becomes a chest press.”
Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly
Lastly, he shared that he turns his wrists during the dumbbell rear fly to keep the rear delt activated throughout the set.
“When I do it, I normally go out, and I turn my hands. Most people just do it straight. I start turning a little bit more so it keeps it on the rear delt the whole time.”
“You don’t want to round this way. My back is flat. My chest up, not round.”
Glass has also showcased a proven shoulder workout for achieving size, muscle roundness, and strength. Again, he noted how subtle shifts in body position can affect results. Additionally, he warned against swinging the weights.
Glass believes form is king when it comes to shoulder progress. With these five movements, he is confident that, in time, they will grow all three shoulder heads.
