A well-developed shoulder goes beyond great looks and physique. It’s key to a more powerful upper body, which is great for basic everyday activities. Furthermore, it’s key to better performance in exercises for other regions such as the back, arms and even the legs. This makes a sound shoulder workout key to a complete upper/full body program for strength conditioning and physique enhancement.

This article sets out to help you with developing the best shoulder workout program for your needs. We’ll first set the foundation by looking at the basic anatomy, before plunging into the general principles and a comprehensive review on the best exercises for the key shoulder muscle groups.

Basic Structure and movements of the shoulder

Any great shoulder workout starts with knowing how the shoulder works. It’s hard to come up with an effective and safe training program without a basic knowledge on the key muscles of the joint and how they influence its movement. This isn’t some Harvard anatomy class so we’ll keep things simple, and to the point.

The Shoulder is a ball and socket joint made up of two main bones; the ball of the upper arm bone (Humerus), and socket of the Shoulder Blade (Scapula). The Collar bone, known as Clavicle in medical circles, also forms an important part of the Shoulder girdle by being the only bony connection between the Shoulder and the Chest. It also serves as an important attachment for a number of key movers of the shoulder and the neck.

The shoulder is one of the most mobile joints in the body, which is a key factor in the unparalleled versatility of the arm in general. Different muscles pull the Humerus and Scapula through different movements and directions. These include:

• Flexion: Forward movement of the arm.
• Extension: Backward movement.
• Abduction: Sideways motion.
• Adduction: Inward movement.
• Internal Rotation: Inward rotation/turning of the arm.
• External rotation: Outward rotation of the arm.

There are a lot of muscles involved in the movement of the Shoulder joint. These involve huge, multi-joint muscles like the Trapezius, and local muscles such as the Deltoid, and stabilizers like the Rotator Cuff. When it comes to shoulder training, there is one muscle that receives particular attention due to its functional and aesthetic significance: The Deltoid Muscle.

Due to its broad structure and close proximity to the shoulder joint, a well-built Deltoid muscle gives the much sought-after broad look to the shoulder, in addition to above-average power and strength.

As a result, most shoulder exercises target the front, mid and back portions of this muscle. However, these exercises’ benefits extend to other muscles which are directly related to the shoulder such as the Trapezius and Lattisimus Dorsi. So let’s take a look at the basics of the Deltoid muscle before we get into related workouts.

Deltoids

The Deltoid Muscle

The Deltoid is a triangle-shaped muscle connecting the Humerus to the Shoulder Blade and Collar Bone. The muscle originates from the tip of the Shoulder Blade and the Collar Bone before inserting into the upper part of the Humerus. The image above should give us a better picture.

The muscle is divided into three portions; front, middle and back. The portions are also known as the Anterior, medial and posterior divisions in medical terms.

The muscle can pull the arm forward, sideways and backwards depending on the most active portion. When the Humerus (upper arm) is placed in a variety of positions, the muscle can assist with Internal and External Rotation. Most of the exercises targeting the Shoulder involve activation of the portions to varying degrees.

So what are the best workouts for the shoulder?

Shoulder workouts are broadly categorized into Presses and Rows based on the action against the involved weight or load. As the name suggests, Presses involve a pushing action away from the body while Rows involve pulling. The best overall Shoulder workout should sufficiently recruit all portions of the Deltoid muscle as well as key stabilizers and other multi-joint prime movers such as the Latts and Pectoralis Major.

Standing Military Press

The Standing Military Press is one of the most popular shoulder exercises for a good reason: 

It’s a highly effective workout for all the three portions of the Deltoid, and sufficiently recruits key related muscle groups such as the Upper Trapezius and Triceps. It is considered a multi-joint exercise as it involves extension of the elbow joint in the final phase.

How to do the Standing Military Press

You can use a pair of Dumbbells or Barbells to execute this exercise.

Starting Position

• Performed in standing with knees slightly bent to minimize stresses through your knee joints.
• Hold the Barbell level with your upper chest.

The Press

Lift the weight overhead until the elbows are extended. However, don’t get all the way to a fully extended position to avoid a lockout. Just a few degrees short will do.

Precautions

Keep the hips in neutral position. Bending forward or rocking your pelvis backwards can cause low back injuries.

Dumbbells or Barbells?

Scientific investigations have tried to compare the two types of equipment in terms of efficiency. Analysis of muscle activity shows that Dumbbells cause activation of the Deltoids to a larger extent. The main reason behind is that Dumbbells need a greater level of stability for a successful press compared to Barbells, given a particular weight.

Note:

According to general recommendations on strength training and muscle building, multi-joint exercises should precede focused exercises targeting a single muscle or portion of that muscle. This makes the Standing Military Press a great exercise to begin with in your workout. If you are just in for a general shoulder workout, it proves a good option as a standalone exercise for the Deltoids and related muscles.

• Remember to go through a proper warm-up and stretching session.
• You can start with a challenging weight as long as you don’t sacrifice form.
• The Barbell can be a good starting point, however, there is a catch: A Barbell requires higher Tricep involvement, making it harder for beginners to efficiently complete the last phase of the press. If you notice a lag, try some Dumbbells as they don’t need as much Triceps involvement.
• Another way of dealing with deficits in terms of stability is to use the Seated version of the Military Press known as the Seated Overhead Press. The main advantage is that you have a stronger and wider base of support which eliminates the need for heavy recruitment of the key stabilizers.

The Single Arm Dumbbell Row

This is a great exercise for the mid and back portions of the Deltoid Muscle. Contrary to common opinion, research has so far conformed its place as a great exercise for the Deltoid Muscle. The Row is also a great recruiter of the back muscles. In fact, it has been traditionally used as key exercise for the back muscles.

Just how good is it at working on the Deltoid?

The efficacy of the Single Arm Dumbbell Row was demonstrated by the University of Wisconsin through a study that compared the effects of different shoulder exercises on the three portions of the Deltoid muscle. The study used EMG readings to determine the effect. Results established it as a great exercise for the mid and back portions. According to the study’s Electromyogram (EMG) readings, the exercise is as effective as most specific exercises for the mid and back Deltoids.

In fact, the study showed that the Dumbbell Incline Row is as good as the Lateral Raise, which is a classical isolative exercise for the mid-Deltoids.

Note

• The Dumbbell Incline Row is a great exercise after the Military Press as it provides a great transition from the more generalized press to more specific ones.
• Due to remarkable involvement of the back muscles, it can also be a great exercise to use as a transition from your shoulder workout to the back.

The Lateral Raise

The lateral Raise is a great exercise for the middle Deltoids. As pointed out earlier, the exercise is a classic way of isolating the middle Deltoids after a more generalized workout like the Standing Military Press.

How to do the Lateral Raise

In terms of technique, it’s best done in standing position. Make sure you are upright, and raising the weight sideways until about 30 degrees above shoulder level. Make sure you start with a lower load to get the technique right. The Lateral Raise looks simple but it’s a hard exercise for the Deltoids.

In terms of progression, you can stick with your Repetition Maximum, but you can also use a down-the-rack approach, where you start with higher loads before engaging lower loads in the subsequent sets.

Note

• It’s best to use the Lateral Raise with other single joint exercises after the multi-joint Presses.

Front Raises

These focus on the front portion of the Deltoids and other muscles which raise the arm forward. The front Deltoids tend to be much more pronounced in individuals who do a lot of chest and arm work.

In terms of execution, they are similar to Lateral Raises except for the direction of motion. Front Raises can be done with Dumbbells, Barbells or Cables. Whatever you have available should work provided that there is sound form.

Note

• Like the Lateral Raise, Front raises are best done after multi-joint exercises like the Standing Military Press.

Arnold Press

The Arnold Press is a modification of the traditional Dumbbell Military Press. It adds a rotational component to the Military Press.

The Arnold Press is designed to add more tension to the contracting Deltoid fibers as well as improving involvement of the stabilizers.

How to do the Arnold Press

The starting position is the same as the Military Press, only that the Dumbbells are held in such a way that the palms and wrists face backwards. As you lift the weight, simultaneously rotate the palms forward to the end of the press. The process is reversed as the weights are being lowered.

Note

This is a great exercise to place between the Military Press and the more specific workouts.

Push Press

This is can also be considered another variation of the military Press. The major difference is that it involves more muscles by involving major muscle groups of the lower body and the whole Shoulder Girdle.

How to do the Push Press

• Before the thrust, the Barbell is placed just in front of the upper chest.
• Make sure your knees are slightly bent. Thrust the weight overhead while extending the knees and moving your body weight to the balls of your feet.

Note

Considering the nature of the press, it’s best used as a power training exercise. If you are up for power lifting, it can be used as a replacement for the Standing Military Press, which is comparably less dynamic.