Shoulder Exercises
The complete shoulder exercise index — overhead presses, lateral raises, rear delt flyes, face pulls, and Arnold presses. Shoulders are trained across three heads (front, side, rear) and this collection covers all of them with barbell, dumbbell, cable, and machine options. Each entry includes primary and secondary muscle targeting so you can build balanced delts.
Training Guide
The shoulder is three muscles in one cap: the anterior delt (front, works in every press), the lateral delt (the side cap that creates visual width), and the posterior delt (rear, the most neglected and the most responsible for healthy shoulder mechanics). Presses build the front and overall strength; direct raises are what actually develop the side and rear heads.
The library's 125-exercise shoulder family spans presses (Barbell Shoulder Press, Arnold Dumbbell Press), lateral raises (Cable Seated Lateral Raise and dumbbell variants), rear-delt work (Cable Rear Delt Fly, Face Pull), and advanced bodyweight (Handstand Push-Ups) — plus 22 kettlebell options for those who train with them.
Programming guide: - 1–2 overhead presses per week for strength, 2–3 direct raise movements for shape - 12–20 hard sets weekly across all three heads; rear delts get at least a quarter of them - 8–12 reps on presses, 12–20 on raises — light raise work needs high reps to grow - Count pressing days: chest day's presses already tax the front delts
All Shoulders Exercises
125 exercises- Alternating Cable Shoulder PressCableBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- Alternating Deltoid RaiseDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- Alternating Kettlebell PressKettlebellIntermediatePrimary: Shoulders
- Anti-Gravity PressBarbellBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- Arm CirclesBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- Arnold Dumbbell PressDumbbellIntermediatePrimary: Shoulders
- Back Flyes - With BandsResistance BandBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- Backward Medicine Ball ThrowBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- Band Pull ApartResistance BandBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- Barbell Incline Shoulder RaiseBarbellBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- Barbell Rear Delt RowBarbellBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- Barbell Shoulder PressBarbellIntermediatePrimary: Shoulders
- Battling RopesBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- Bent Over Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise With Head On BenchDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- Bent Over Low-Pulley Side LateralCableBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- Bradford/Rocky PressesBarbellBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- Cable Internal RotationCableBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- Cable Rear Delt FlyCableBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- Cable Rope Rear-Delt RowsCableBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- Cable Seated Lateral RaiseCableBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- Cable Shoulder PressCableBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- Car DriversBarbellBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- Chair Upper Body StretchBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- Circus BellBodyweightAdvancedPrimary: Shoulders
- Clean and JerkBarbellAdvancedPrimary: Shoulders
- Clean and PressBarbellIntermediatePrimary: Shoulders
- CrucifixBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- Cuban PressDumbbellIntermediatePrimary: Shoulders
- Double Kettlebell JerkKettlebellIntermediatePrimary: Shoulders
- Double Kettlebell Push PressKettlebellIntermediatePrimary: Shoulders
- Double Kettlebell SnatchKettlebellAdvancedPrimary: Shoulders
- Dumbbell Incline Shoulder RaiseDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- Dumbbell Lying One-Arm Rear Lateral RaiseDumbbellIntermediatePrimary: Shoulders
- Dumbbell Lying Rear Lateral RaiseDumbbellIntermediatePrimary: Shoulders
- Dumbbell One-Arm Shoulder PressDumbbellIntermediatePrimary: Shoulders
- Dumbbell One-Arm Upright RowDumbbellIntermediatePrimary: Shoulders
- Dumbbell RaiseDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- Dumbbell ScaptionDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- Dumbbell Shoulder PressDumbbellIntermediatePrimary: Shoulders
- Elbow CirclesBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- External RotationDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- External Rotation with BandResistance BandBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- External Rotation with CableCableBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- Face PullCableIntermediatePrimary: Shoulders
- Front Cable RaiseCableBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- Front Dumbbell RaiseDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- Front Incline Dumbbell RaiseDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- Front Plate RaiseBodyweightIntermediatePrimary: Shoulders
- Front Two-Dumbbell RaiseDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- Handstand Push-UpsBodyweightAdvancedPrimary: Shoulders
- Internal Rotation with BandResistance BandBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- Jerk BalanceBarbellIntermediatePrimary: Shoulders
- Kettlebell Arnold PressKettlebellIntermediatePrimary: Shoulders
- Kettlebell Pirate ShipsKettlebellBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
- Kettlebell Seated PressKettlebellIntermediatePrimary: Shoulders
- Kettlebell Seesaw PressKettlebellIntermediatePrimary: Shoulders
- Kettlebell ThrusterKettlebellIntermediatePrimary: Shoulders
- Kettlebell Turkish Get-Up (Lunge style)KettlebellIntermediatePrimary: Shoulders
- Kettlebell Turkish Get-Up (Squat style)KettlebellIntermediatePrimary: Shoulders
- Kneeling Arm DrillBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Shoulders
Shoulders Exercises by Equipment
Other Muscle Groups
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best shoulder exercises?
One press, one lateral raise, one rear-delt move covers all three heads: Barbell Shoulder Press or Arnold Dumbbell Press for strength and the front delt, Cable Seated Lateral Raise for the side cap, and Face Pull or Cable Rear Delt Fly for the rear. That trio, progressed over months, builds balanced shoulders better than any single "best" exercise. Add shrugs if your traps lag behind the rest of the cap.
How do I build wider shoulders?
Width lives in the lateral delts, so train them directly and frequently: 12–20 weekly sets of overhead pressing plus dedicated lateral raises, most in the 12–20 rep range taken close to failure. Progress by adding reps, then load. Keep posture tall — rounded shoulders visually shrink even developed delts. And be patient: the lateral delt is a small muscle, so visible width changes typically show after 8–12 weeks of consistent work.
Why do my shoulders hurt when I press overhead?
Commonly it is a volume and balance problem, not a damaged joint: months of pressing with zero rear-delt and rotator work lets the front of the shoulder overpower everything behind it. Cut pressing volume by a third for two weeks, add Face Pulls and rear-delt flyes twice a week, warm up with controlled circular motions before pressing, and stop every set 2–3 reps short of failure. Pain that persists beyond that warrants a professional assessment.
How many sets should I do for shoulders each week?
Aim for 12–20 hard weekly sets across all three delt heads, split over 2 sessions. Remember that chest and triceps days already load the front delts through pressing — so direct shoulder work can lean toward raises and rear-delt moves rather than more pressing. A practical split: presses plus lateral raises on day one, rear-delt and lighter raise work on day two, both within 1–3 reps of failure.
Dumbbell or barbell for shoulder pressing?
Both work; they differ in feel and limit. The barbell lets you load the heaviest and progress in small increments — best for pure strength. Dumbbells offer a longer range of motion, force each arm to pull its own weight (fixing left-right gaps), and are easier on cranky shoulders because you can angle the path. A simple rule: barbell press as your main strength lift, dumbbell press as your second movement of the week.
Are behind-the-neck presses necessary?
No — and for most people they are not worth the risk. Pressing behind the neck puts the shoulder in extreme external rotation under load, which demands exceptional mobility to do safely. Everything the front press offers — strength, front and side delt development, triceps work — is available with a safer bar path in front of the head. If your overhead mechanics are healthy and coached, it is optional history, not a requirement.
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