Best Shoulders Exercises
127 exercises target the shoulders as a primary muscle. Browse by equipment type below — each includes form guides and images from RepStack's 873-exercise database.
Barbell Shoulders Exercises
Anti-Gravity Press
Barbell Incline Shoulder Raise
Barbell Rear Delt Row
Barbell Shoulder Press
Bradford/Rocky Presses
Car Drivers
Clean and Jerk
Clean and Press
Jerk Balance
Dumbbell Shoulders Exercises
Alternating Deltoid Raise
Arnold Dumbbell Press
Bent Over Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise With Head On Bench
Cuban Press
Dumbbell Incline Shoulder Raise
Dumbbell Lying One-Arm Rear Lateral Raise
Dumbbell Lying Rear Lateral Raise
Dumbbell One-Arm Shoulder Press
Dumbbell One-Arm Upright Row
Cable & Machine Shoulders Exercises
Alternating Cable Shoulder Press
Bent Over Low-Pulley Side Lateral
Cable Internal Rotation
Cable Rear Delt Fly
Cable Rope Rear-Delt Rows
Cable Seated Lateral Raise
Cable Shoulder Press
External Rotation with Cable
Face Pull
Bodyweight Shoulders Exercises
Other Equipment Shoulders Exercises
Alternating Kettlebell Press
Back Flyes - With Bands
Band Pull Apart
Battling Ropes
Chair Upper Body Stretch
Circus Bell
Crucifix
Double Kettlebell Jerk
Double Kettlebell Push Press
Sample Shoulders Workout
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Alternating Cable Shoulder Press | 4 | 6-8 |
| Alternating Kettlebell Press | 4 | 6-8 |
| Alternating Deltoid Raise | 3 | 10-12 |
| Arm Circles | 3 | 10-12 |
| Band Pull Apart | 3 | 10-12 |
Rest 2-3 minutes between compound sets and 60-90 seconds between isolation sets. Adjust volume based on your training experience and recovery capacity.
How to Train Shoulders
Research suggests 10-20 sets per muscle group per week for hypertrophy (Schoenfeld 2017). Spread volume across 2-3 sessions per week rather than cramming it into one.
Progressive overload drives growth — add reps within your target range, then increase weight. RepStack's rule engine handles this progression automatically, bumping weight only when all sets hit the top of the rep range.
Mix compound and isolation work. Start with heavy compounds when fresh, then use isolation exercises to accumulate volume on the shoulders without systemic fatigue.
Often Trained With
Pair shoulders training with complementary muscle groups for efficiency. See our exercise database to find movements that hit multiple groups at once.
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