Shoulder workout: 7 exercises, a sample session and safe progression

• Frequency: two sessions a week is enough. Bench presses and back exercises also work the shoulders, so count them.
• Core set: an overhead press (dumbbell or barbell), lateral raises, face pulls or rear delt raises, plus band rotator cuff work.
• Load: 6-12 reps on presses, 12-20 on raises (they are hard even with light weights), 1-2 minutes rest.
• Safety: press in front of the head rather than behind the neck, and if a shoulder starts to hurt, do not push through it.

Which muscles does a shoulder workout train?

The shoulder is built from three heads of the deltoid: the front head lifts the arm forward (and works in pressing), the side head lifts it out to the side and gives shoulders their width, and the rear head pulls back. Underneath, four smaller muscles, the rotator cuff, stabilise the joint.

Bench presses train the front delt and rows the rear, so in a shoulder session it makes sense to train the side head and the rotator cuff separately. Strong, balanced shoulders are steadier in pushing and pulling exercises alike.

Shoulder exercises: 7 moves, step by step

Three or four exercises per session is enough: a press, a lateral raise and a rear delt move. Rotator cuff work makes a good warm-up or finisher.

1. Seated dumbbell shoulder press

Suggested: 3 × 6-10 reps, 2 minutes rest

• Sit on a bench with a back pad, dumbbells at the shoulders, elbows slightly in front of the torso (not fully out to the sides).
• Press the dumbbells overhead until the arms are almost straight; do not let the ribs flare.
• Lower slowly back to shoulder height.
• Easier: lighter dumbbells, or a band.
• Harder: heavier dumbbells, or standing with a barbell.

2. Standing barbell overhead press

Suggested: 3 × 5-8 reps

• Bar on the collarbones, hands shoulder-width, glutes and abs tight.
• Press the bar straight up, head tilting slightly back and then forward under the bar.
• At the top the bar is in line with the ears, ribs down.
• Easier: seated with dumbbells, or a lighter weight.
• Harder: more weight, but only once technique is clean.

3. Dumbbell lateral raise

Suggested: 3 × 12-20 reps

• Light dumbbells, slightly bent elbows, a small forward lean.
• Raise the arms out to shoulder height, leading with the elbows, not the wrists.
• Lower slowly, no swinging.
• Easier: a lighter weight, or a band.
• Harder: a slower lowering, a pause at the top, or a cable.

4. Bent-over rear delt raise

Suggested: 3 × 12-20 reps

• Trunk almost parallel to the floor, back flat, light dumbbells.
• Raise the arms out to the sides without squeezing the shoulder blades together too hard.
• Lower slowly.
• Easier: chest supported on an incline bench, or a band.
• Harder: heavier dumbbells, or a cable.

5. Face pull

Suggested: 3 × 12-15 reps

• Cable or band at face height with a rope handle.
• Pull the hands to your face with the elbows high.
• Hold for a moment and return slowly.
• Easier: a lighter band.
• Harder: more weight, a slow return and a pause.

6. Band external rotation

Suggested: 2 × 12-15 reps per side

• Elbow tucked against your side (a folded towel helps), bent to 90 degrees.
• Rotate the forearm outward while the elbow stays put.
• Return slowly with the band tight throughout.
• Easier: a lighter band.
• Harder: a stronger band, or side-lying with a light dumbbell.

7. Pike push-up

Suggested: 3 × 6-12 reps

• Hips high, body in an inverted V, hands shoulder-width.
• Bend the elbows and lower the head between the hands.
• Push back up with the trunk staying in place.
• Easier: feet closer to the hands with hips lower, or hands on a bench.
• Harder: feet on a bench (elevated pike), lowering deeper each time.

Sample shoulder session (40-50 minutes)

Warm up with five minutes of light cardio, arm circles, a few banded external rotations and face pulls, then one light set of the press.

On lateral raises and rear delt work light weights are enough: progress can be an extra rep, a slower tempo or a pause at the top. On the press, add 1-2.5 kg when you hit the top of the rep range on every set.

How often should you do a shoulder workout?

Two sessions a week is a good plan. Because chest and back exercises also work the shoulders, beginners may do well with as few as 6-10 combined sets a week. In pooled research, training a muscle twice a week beat once a week, but at equal weekly volume the difference disappeared (Schoenfeld and colleagues, 2016).

For muscle growth roughly 10-20 hard sets a week is the supported range (Schoenfeld and colleagues, 2017), and pressing and pulling exercises count towards it. The ACSM 2009 position stand advises raising the load gradually, in steps of about 2-10%.

Common shoulder training mistakes

• Too heavy on lateral raises: swinging and shrugging shifts the work to the traps. Drop the weight.
• Arching the lower back in the overhead press: keep the ribs and glutes tight so the back does not lean. A seat with a back pad helps.
• Pressing behind the neck: it loads the shoulder joint for many people, so press in front.
• All pressing, little rear delt work: neglecting the rear delts and rotator cuff can lead to shoulder trouble in the long run.
• Training through pain: shoulder pain is a signal. Reduce the load, change the movement or get help.

Safe overhead pressing: how to protect your shoulder joint

Pressing overhead needs a large range of motion. A few simple rules help a lot: keep the ribs down, set the elbows slightly in front of the torso and finish with arms reaching overhead without over-forcing the lockout. If your mobility is limited (for example from desk work), start seated or switch to a landmine press (one end of a barbell anchored to the floor), which gives a more natural shoulder path.

Rotator cuff exercises matter even with light weights, especially if you press a lot. They are not flashy, but they protect shoulder stability. For the whole training week see the workout plan page, and for the pulling exercises that pair with shoulder work our back workout.

Shoulder muscle only grows with enough protein: for people who train, the ISSN suggests 1.4-2.0 g per kg of body weight a day. The protein calculator works out yours, and high-protein foods, the weekly meal plan and protein powder help you reach it.

What to eat with it

A shoulder session trains smaller muscles and burns less energy than leg day, but muscle growth still needs enough protein daily. The table works for maintenance or a small surplus (about 12%).

Daily targets for a 30-year-old training 3-5 times a week (Mifflin-St Jeor, as in The Fit Chef app)

Example	Goal	kcal	Protein (g)	Carbs (g)	Fat (g)
Man, 70 kg, 175 cm	Maintenance	2,560	126	334	80
Man, 80 kg, 180 cm	Muscle gain	3,090	160	397	96
Woman, 55 kg, 162 cm	Maintenance	1,940	99	251	60
Woman, 65 kg, 168 cm	Maintenance	2,150	117	270	67

Your own numbers come from the calorie calculator and the protein calculator. For people who train, the ISSN suggests 1.4-2.0 g of protein per kg of body weight a day; the high-protein foods chart and the weekly meal plan make it easy to actually hit it.

Recipes for before and after training

Per serving, calculated from the recipe data

Recipe	When	kcal	Protein (g)	Carbs (g)	Fat (g)	Time
Mango Chilli Chicken Wrap	before	382	37	42	8	15 min
Iced Mocha Protein Shake	before	266	32	34	3	5 min
Chicken Caesar Wrap	after	393	41	33	10	15 min
Prawn Tacos with Lime Slaw	after	345	39	35	7	15 min

Lunch · 15 minMango Chilli Chicken Wrap382 kcal37 g proteinSnack · 5 minIced Mocha Protein Shake266 kcal32 g proteinLunch · 15 minChicken Caesar Wrap393 kcal41 g proteinDinner · 15 minPrawn Tacos with Lime Slaw345 kcal39 g protein

The lighter, smaller pre-workout recipes will not sit heavy in the stomach, which helps for overhead pressing. The post-workout options give about 40 g of protein. More on timing and more recipes on the pre and post-workout meals page; creatine and protein powder have their own guides.