If you’re training for strength, then you’re going to need powerful shoulders to help reach your goals.  

But your shoulders are a complicated, multi-dimensional joint, moving in a whole range of ways that, if done wrong, could cause disastrous damage and postpone your strength gains for months to come.  

Loading up the barbell and performing a few reps of military press each week might feel great, but you’re neglecting many shoulder muscles by only performing this simple, 2D vertical movement.  

We’re going to break down which muscles you need to focus on, help you with a full shoulder workout to aid in stronger, developed deltoids, and assist you in avoiding workout-ending injuries that are sure to set your progress back.  

What Are Your Shoulder Muscles?

As always, before we get into this full shoulder workout routine, we’ll need to break down the muscle group, so you understand exactly what you’re training.  

While your shoulder is made up of around eight muscles in total, including support from your pectoralis major (large head of the chest) and lats, there are four main muscles that you’ll want to focus on for more powerful and stable lifts.  

Your Trapezius (or traps) help with the shrugging of heavier weights and steady the shoulders when under pressure. They also help with the turning of your head, and even the twisting of your arms.  

Then there are the deltoids. Made up of three heads - the anterior (front), the medial (middle), and the posterior (rear) - this triangular collection of muscles is the key to not just getting stronger, but to protect your shoulders from injuries during heavier lifts. 

How To Avoid Injuring Your Shoulders

While you could injure yourself during just about any workout, that risk increases when it comes to the shoulders. To ensure your shoulders are strong, resilient, and ready for lifting, you’ll have to warm up a number of joints, including the always-important rotator cuff muscles, as well as the other major muscle groups in your shoulder and upper back. 

Before you begin your full shoulder workout, spend a few minutes mobilising your shoulder joints. This could be any form of dynamic stretching, like performing controlled, small to large circles with your arms out at shoulder height. Or, try bringing your arms across your body and back again, aiming to touch one forearm to the opposite shoulder.  

You could also perform a few of the exercises within the workout plan, but with little or no weights, and attempt around 15-20 reps on each shoulder. The overhead band press is another goto warm-up exercise when it comes to preparing your shoulders for a workout session.  

Full Shoulder Workout for Bigger Delts

1 - Military Press / Overhead Press 

Sets - 4 

Reps - 10/8/6/6 (Reps lower with each set) 

• Adjust a barbell to be around the same height as your upper chest. Stand close to the Bar and grip it with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart with your palms facing upwards. Gently raise the bar off the rack using your legs to press upwards, and take a step back, ensuring you have plenty of room to push. 

• Bring your feet closer together - imagine a soldier stood in salute - squeeze your glutes and core and keep your back upright throughout the exercise. If at any point you feel your back arching, or pressure on your spine, set the weight back down.  

• Now, with the bar level with your chin, take a breath and begin to drive the bar upwards. Try to keep your elbows facing forwards, and avoid flaring them out for better activation of the front and side delts. Once you reach the top, bring your head down, and line your biceps with your ears. Squeeze for a second, and lower back to your starting position.  

Rep effort - Don’t go overboard on the weight. This shoulder exercise will be your heaviest lift in this workout, but that shouldn’t make it too hard. Aim for around 80% effort, and then stick with it across the declining rep ranges.  

2 - Delt Raises 

Sets - 3 

Rep - 7 (Per delt head) 

• Attach a handle to the lowest pulley of a cable machine. Then, grip the handle the with your right arm, and turn so that your left side is facing the machine and your palm is facing inwards in-front of you. Or alternatively, you can grab a pair of Urethane Dumbbells.  

• Middle delt - With your elbow slightly bent, raise your arm outwards until your elbow and hand are at shoulder height. Lower in a controlled motion, and repeat for six more reps. That’s side raises complete — front and rear to go.  

• Front delt - Without taking your hand off the handle, turn your body so that you’re facing away from the cable machine, with the pulley coming up the same side as your hand. Now, raise your arms forwards until your elbow is at shoulder level in front of you. Lower, and repeat for six more reps. 

•Rear delt - Again, without putting the handle down, return to your original side raise position. This time, keeping your back straight, bend your knees slightly and lean forwards till your torso is perpendicular to the floor. Then raise your elbows out to the side, but this time, squeezing through your rear delts. Hold for a second, lower, and repeat for six more reps. 

• Once you’ve complete seven reps for each of the three deltoid heads, swap arms, and repeat the workout for your other shoulder.  

Add a challenge - When you’re ready to really develop shoulder muscles, you can enhance your strength gains from this exercise by increasing the range of motion on the side and front raises. Try holding onto the machine uprights and leaning away from it, increasing the time under tension for each rep. And, when doing side raises, try having your hand come from behind your back, rather than in front. 

3 - Cable upright rows 

Sets - 4 

Reps - 12  

• Position a pulley at the lowest notch possible and attach a rope. Grab the rope with one hand on each side, with your index knuckles pointing towards each other, and slightly toward the ground.  

• Stand up straight, take a sharp breath, and pull your elbows directly upwards, allowing them to come out towards the side of your body. As your elbows become parallel with the ground, pinch for a second, and slowly lower the rope back to your standing position.  

Tip - Done incorrectly, this exercise can cause shoulder impingement. It’s essential to think about pulling outwards with your elbows towards the top of the exercise and avoid raising your elbows above your upper chest. 

4 - Cable or Band Face Pulls 

Sets - 4 

Reps - 15  

• Adjust a Cable Attachment to just above forehead height with a rope attachment. Grip it with one hand on each side with your index knuckles pointing back towards you, and take a couple of steps back, so you’re able to extend your arms in front of your body.  

• Squeezing with your rear delts, bring your elbows back and out, keeping your hands in-line with your forehead. At the peak of the position, your elbows should be at around 90°, with your hands directly above them.  

• Pinch your rear delts for one second, then slowly return to your starting position. Face pulls work better with lower weights and high rep ranges, so aim for at least 15 reps. 

Form check - While performing the exercise, focus on pulling through your elbow and not your hands. Try to keep the rest of your body as stationary as possible. If you find yourself using momentum to move the weight, lower it. This exercise is all about quality reps.  

Lift safe 

While this workout is a great all-round shoulder strengthening routine, some exercises might not work or feel right for everyone. If at any time you feel uncomfortable or are unsure if you’re using the correct form, stop the exercise and consult a professional trainer. The shoulders are powerful but delicate — listen to your body, lift safely and you're bound to see some shoulder workout progress.

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Tags: Equipment > Bars & Weight Plates ; Equipment > Dumbbells ; Equipment > Power Racks & Cages ; Exercise Type > Strength ; Misc > Workout ; Target Area > Shoulders