Shoulder Workout: Complete Gym Workout Guide
Your shoulders have three heads: front, side and rear. Pressing trains the front well, but broader-looking shoulders mostly come from side and rear delt work. This workout covers all three in around 45–55 minutes.
Shoulders are involved in almost every upper-body lift, so smart weight selection and good form keep them healthy.
Who this workout is for
- Beginners who want stronger overhead pressing
- Lifters aiming for wider-looking shoulders
- Anyone who sits a lot and wants to balance pressing with rear-shoulder work
The example workout
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overhead press | 3–4 | 5–8 | 2–3 min |
| Seated dumbbell shoulder press | 3 | 8–12 | 2 min |
| Lateral raise | 3–4 | 12–20 | 60 sec |
| Reverse pec deck | 3 | 12–20 | 60 sec |
| Face pull | 2 | 12–15 | 60 sec |
Warm up with 5 minutes of light cardio and 2–3 lighter sets of the first exercise.
How to do each exercise
01Overhead press
Stand with the bar on your front shoulders, squeeze your glutes and brace. Press straight up, moving your head back slightly to clear the bar, then push your head through once it passes your forehead.
Beginner alternative: Seated dumbbell or machine shoulder press.
02Seated dumbbell shoulder press
Sit on a bench set almost upright. Start with dumbbells at ear height and press up without arching your lower back.
Beginner alternative: Machine shoulder press.
03Lateral raise
With a slight bend in your elbows, raise the dumbbells out to the sides to about shoulder height, leading with your elbows. Lower slowly.
Beginner alternative: Cable or machine lateral raise.
04Reverse pec deck
Face the machine and sweep your arms back in a wide arc, keeping your chest on the pad and your shoulders down.
Beginner alternative: Bent-over dumbbell reverse fly or band pull-aparts.
05Face pull
Set a rope at face height. Pull towards your forehead while spreading the rope apart and rotating your hands back.
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How to progress over time
- Presses: add 1–2.5kg once you hit the top of the rep range on all sets.
- Raises: add reps and slow the lowering phase before adding weight — dumbbell jumps are big relative to the load.
- Side and rear delts recover quickly; 2–3 sessions a week of raises works well.
- Stop any exercise that causes sharp shoulder pain and swap to a pain-free variation.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Swinging heavy dumbbells on lateral raises so your traps take over.
- Excessive lower-back arching during overhead presses.
- Only pressing and neglecting side and rear delts.
- Raising your arms far above shoulder height with heavy weight on lateral raises.
- Ignoring a pinchy shoulder instead of changing the exercise or grip.
Learn more
Frequently asked questions
How do I get wider shoulders?
Prioritise side delt work like lateral raises, done for plenty of controlled sets across the week, alongside a bodyweight and body-fat level that shows them off.
Do I need to train front delts separately?
Usually not. Chest and shoulder presses already work the front delts heavily, so extra front raises are rarely necessary.
Standing or seated overhead press?
Both work. Standing asks more of your core and balance; seated makes it easier to focus on the shoulders and handle stable loads.
Can I train shoulders with chest?
Yes — that is a classic push day. Put your heaviest press first and do raises at the end.
Want a workout built around you?
KINETIC creates workouts based on your goals, experience level and training schedule — exercises, sets, reps and effort targets laid out for every session.
Create My WorkoutFree 60-second assessment · First month FREE, then £7.99/month. Cancel anytime.
More workout guides
Chest workout
Five presses and flyes with sets, reps, rest and form cues.
Arm workout
Biceps and triceps supersets for bigger, stronger arms.
Back workout
Pulldowns, rows and a hinge for a wider, thicker back.