Bodybuilder Nick Walker’s shoulders have always been a standout body part, and now he’s sharing the exercises behind the progress. In an Instagram post from May 26, 2026, he ranked nine shoulder exercises from best to worst.
Nick Walker remains one of the sport’s top Men’s Open contenders. However, fans began to doubt his potential after dropping to sixth place at the 2025 Mr. Olympia. Those concerns were amplified after he parted ways with his coach, Kyle Wilkes.
For the first time in years, Walker navigated his career alone, and the tough decision paid off. Despite being counted out, “The Mutant” presented an all-time best look at the 2026 Arnold Classic Ohio. Though he didn’t get past champion Chinedu Andrew ‘Jacked’ Obiekea, Walker still hit a career milestone by finally beating Hadi Choopan.
Questions about Walker’s next contest continue to circulate. Bodybuilding veterans urged him to jump into the Arnold UK or Detroit Pro, but he decided against both. He also shut down rumors about competing at the Pittsburgh Pro. While it’s unclear if he’ll make his way to the 2026 Mr. Olympia, Walker is still training to be the best in the world.
Nick Walker Rates 9 Shoulder Exercises, Reveals His #1 Pick
In the video, Walker rated these nine exercises below:
- Dumbbell Side Raises: 6/10
- Cable Side Raises: 9/10
- Behind-the-Neck Barbell: 3/10
- Smith Machine Shoulder Press: 10/10
- Bent-Over Rear Dumbbell: 8/10
- Bench-Supported Rear Dumbbell: 8.5/10
- Cable Rear: 10/10
- Upright Row: 2/10
- Machine Side Laterals: 12/10 – Walker’s Top Pick
Nick Walker hasn’t been the only top name in fitness to rank his best and worst shoulder exercises. Fitness coach Jeff Nippard also assembled his own list. He believes the standing machine lateral raise to be among the stronger choices for lifters.
“It feels so smooth and you get this even consistent tension on the side delts throughout the range of motion. It’s easy to add a little weight or a rep from week to week.”
“The only minor snag is since you can’t move your arms across the body, you won’t get quite as good of a stretch as you would with cables or the Arnold lying raise.”
We could see Walker onstage soon. According to bodybuilding veteran Fouad Abiad, he believes Walker will compete at the 2026 Texas Pro. If he wins, he’d have less than a month before having to step back on the Mr. Olympia stage.
For now, Walker’s focus appears to be on training and clean dieting. When it comes to shoulder training, if he had to choose, the lateral raise machine would be his go-to option.
