Shoulders Exercises

127 shoulders exercises with photo demos and step-by-step instructions.

Shoulders have three heads — front, side, and rear — and most lifters massively under-train the side and rear. A balanced program includes one heavy compound (overhead press), 2-3 side-delt isolations (lateral raises in different angles), and 2 rear-delt movements (face pulls, reverse flyes). Aim for 16-24 weekly sets.

How often should you train shoulders?

Shoulders tolerate high frequency. Train them 2-3 times per week, 16-24 weekly sets. Distribute roughly 30% front delts (overhead press), 40% side delts (lateral raises in 2-3 angles), 30% rear delts (face pulls, reverse flyes).

Common shoulders training mistakes

• Pressing with elbows fully flared — this stresses the shoulder joint. Keep elbows ~30° forward of the frontal plane.
• Only doing overhead press — the front delts get hit by every pressing movement (bench, incline), so they're usually over-trained. Prioritize side and rear delts instead.
• Skipping rear delts — they're crucial for posture, shoulder health, and the V-taper. Add 4-6 sets per week of face pulls or reverse flyes.

Frequently asked questions about shoulders training

All Shoulders Exercises

• Alternating Cable Shoulder Press
• Alternating Deltoid Raise
• Alternating Kettlebell Press
• Anti-Gravity Press
• Arm Circles
• Arnold Dumbbell Press
• Back Flyes - With Bands
• Backward Medicine Ball Throw
• Band Pull Apart
• Barbell Incline Shoulder Raise
• Barbell Rear Delt Row
• Barbell Shoulder Press
• Battling Ropes
• Bent Over Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise With Head On Bench
• Bent Over Low-Pulley Side Lateral
• Bradford/Rocky Presses
• Cable Internal Rotation
• Cable Rear Delt Fly
• Cable Rope Rear-Delt Rows
• Cable Seated Lateral Raise
• Cable Shoulder Press
• Car Drivers
• Chair Upper Body Stretch
• Circus Bell
• Clean and Jerk
• Clean and Press
• Crucifix
• Cuban Press
• Double Kettlebell Jerk
• Double Kettlebell Push Press
• Double Kettlebell Snatch
• Dumbbell Incline Shoulder Raise
• Dumbbell Lying One-Arm Rear Lateral Raise
• Dumbbell Lying Rear Lateral Raise
• Dumbbell One-Arm Shoulder Press
• Dumbbell One-Arm Upright Row
• Dumbbell Raise
• Dumbbell Scaption
• Dumbbell Shoulder Press
• Elbow Circles
• External Rotation
• External Rotation with Band
• External Rotation with Cable
• Face Pull
• Front Cable Raise
• Front Dumbbell Raise
• Front Incline Dumbbell Raise
• Front Plate Raise
• Front Two-Dumbbell Raise
• Handstand Push-Ups
• Internal Rotation with Band
• Iron Cross
• Jerk Balance
• Kettlebell Arnold Press
• Kettlebell Pirate Ships
• Kettlebell Seated Press
• Kettlebell Seesaw Press
• Kettlebell Thruster
• Kettlebell Turkish Get-Up (Lunge style)
• Kettlebell Turkish Get-Up (Squat style)
• Kneeling Arm Drill
• Landmine Linear Jammer
• Lateral Raise - With Bands
• Leverage Shoulder Press
• Log Lift
• Low Pulley Row To Neck
• Lying One-Arm Lateral Raise
• Lying Rear Delt Raise
• Machine Shoulder (Military) Press
• Medicine Ball Scoop Throw
• One-Arm Incline Lateral Raise
• One-Arm Kettlebell Clean and Jerk
• One-Arm Kettlebell Jerk
• One-Arm Kettlebell Military Press To The Side
• One-Arm Kettlebell Para Press
• One-Arm Kettlebell Push Press
• One-Arm Kettlebell Snatch
• One-Arm Kettlebell Split Jerk
• One-Arm Kettlebell Split Snatch
• One-Arm Side Laterals
• Power Partials
• Push Press
• Push Press - Behind the Neck
• Rack Delivery
• Return Push from Stance
• Reverse Flyes
• Reverse Flyes With External Rotation
• Reverse Machine Flyes
• Round The World Shoulder Stretch
• Seated Barbell Military Press
• Seated Bent-Over Rear Delt Raise
• Seated Cable Shoulder Press
• Seated Dumbbell Press
• Seated Front Deltoid
• Seated Side Lateral Raise
• See-Saw Press (Alternating Side Press)
• Shoulder Circles
• Shoulder Press - With Bands
• Shoulder Raise
• Shoulder Stretch
• Side Lateral Raise
• Side Laterals to Front Raise
• Side Wrist Pull
• Single Dumbbell Raise
• Single-Arm Linear Jammer
• Sled Overhead Backward Walk
• Sled Reverse Flye
• Smith Incline Shoulder Raise
• Smith Machine One-Arm Upright Row
• Smith Machine Overhead Shoulder Press
• Standing Alternating Dumbbell Press
• Standing Barbell Press Behind Neck
• Standing Bradford Press
• Standing Dumbbell Press
• Standing Dumbbell Straight-Arm Front Delt Raise Above Head
• Standing Front Barbell Raise Over Head
• Standing Low-Pulley Deltoid Raise
• Standing Military Press
• Standing Palm-In One-Arm Dumbbell Press
• Standing Palms-In Dumbbell Press
• Standing Two-Arm Overhead Throw
• Straight Raises on Incline Bench
• Two-Arm Kettlebell Clean
• Two-Arm Kettlebell Jerk
• Two-Arm Kettlebell Military Press
• Upright Barbell Row
• Upward Stretch

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