Shoulder workouts
Two shoulder workouts that train all three heads of the deltoid, and every shoulder exercise in the library to swap in.
The deltoid has three heads. Overhead presses work the front and side heads hard, but the side head grows best from raises, and the rear head needs its own work from reverse flyes, face pulls and rear-delt rows. A balanced shoulder workout covers all three.
Shoulder workout for all three heads
Press for the front delts, raises for the side, face pulls and flyes for the rear.
Overhead Press- Sets
- 4
- Reps
- 5–8
- Rest
- 2–3 min
Dumbbell Lateral Raise- Sets
- 4
- Reps
- 12–20
- Rest
- 60 s
Dumbbell Arnold Press- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 8–12
- Rest
- 90 s
Face Pull- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 15
- Rest
- 60 s
Dumbbell Rear Fly- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 15
- Rest
- 60 s
Shoulder workout, dumbbell and cable
A seated press, then cables for constant tension on the side and rear delts.
Dumbbell Seated Shoulder Press- Sets
- 4
- Reps
- 8–10
- Rest
- 2 min
Cable Lateral Raise- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 12–15 each side
- Rest
- 60 s
Cable Rear Delt Row (With Rope)- Sets
- 3
- Reps
- 12–15
- Rest
- 60 s
Dumbbell Front Raise- Sets
- 2
- Reps
- 12
- Rest
- 60 s
Can’t do one of these?
Machine taken or training somewhere else? Each of these has substitutes that work the same muscles.
Tips
- Keep lateral raises light and strict. The side delt is small, and a weight you have to swing is mostly trained by your traps and momentum.
- Press with your ribs down and glutes tight so the bar travels over your midfoot instead of your lower back arching to make room.
- Give the rear delts as many sets as the front. Most pressing already trains the front head; the rear head is the one that lags.
Run this workout in SPLYT
Every exercise here is in SPLYT’s library. Save the workout as a template, log your sets on iPhone or Apple Watch, and next time your weights are already filled in from what you lifted.
151 shoulder exercises
Every one links to step-by-step instructions and a demonstration. Swap any of them into the workouts above.
- Face PullCable
Band Y-raiseBand- Overhead PressBarbell
Band Reverse FlyBand
Cable Front RaiseCable- Dumbbell Rear FlyDumbbell
Band Shoulder PressBand- Cable Lateral RaiseCable
Kettlebell ThrusterKettlebell
Lever Lateral RaiseLeverage machine
Cable Shoulder PressCable- Dumbbell Front RaiseDumbbell
Lever Shoulder PressLeverage machine
Barbell Rear Delt RowBarbell- Dumbbell Arnold PressDumbbell
- Dumbbell Lateral RaiseDumbbell
Landmine Lateral RaiseBarbell
Kettlebell Arnold PressKettlebell
Questions
How many shoulder exercises are there?
SPLYT’s exercise library has 151 shoulder exercises, including Face Pull, Band Y-raise and Overhead Press, each with step-by-step instructions, a demonstration and the muscles it works.
How many sets should I do for shoulders?
Around eight to sixteen hard sets a week of side and rear delt work, on top of your pressing. The front delts get plenty of work from chest and shoulder presses already.
Are upright rows bad for your shoulders?
A narrow grip pulled high can pinch the shoulder for some people. A wider grip, pulled to about chest height, is easier on the joint and still trains the side delts and traps.