When it comes to building a powerful and aesthetic physique, broad, well-developed shoulders are an absolute game-changer. A lot of guys in the gym grind away at dumbbell presses and lateral raises, hoping to carve out those 3D delts.
As someone who’s been obsessed with fitness and has spent countless hours training, I can say that shoulder day still gets me fired up every single time. But I’ve also hit frustrating plateaus, where no matter what I did, my shoulders just wouldn’t grow.
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A photo taken after a shoulder workout. |
I’ve tried everything—from heavy military presses to doing endless sets of high-rep lateral raises. Some of it worked, but a lot of it just felt inefficient. Either the injury risk was too high, or the volume was just too much to sustain long-term.
But after years of experimenting, I’ve found three shoulder exercises that made a massive difference for me. They’re safe, effective, and easy to execute while delivering serious results. Let me break them down and explain why they work so well.
1. Behind-the-Neck Press on a Shoulder Press Machine
I know—behind-the-neck presses get a bad rep for being rough on the shoulders. But hear me out.
Instead of using a barbell, I do this exercise on a shoulder press machine, which eliminates the awkward positioning and reduces joint stress. The movement allows me to hit my side delts more effectively, which is key because the side delts are what give your shoulders that wide, capped look.
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Remember that your center of gravity passes along the side of your body, not the front of your torso. |
Most pressing exercises—like the standard overhead press—tend to hit the front delts more than the sides. And the front delts already get a ton of indirect work from bench presses, incline presses, and push-ups. If you want your shoulders to really stand out, you need to prioritize your side delts.
By using a machine and focusing on keeping the press motion slightly behind my head, I can maximize tension on the side delts while keeping my joints safe. A small tweak that makes a huge difference.
How to Do It:
- Sit on the shoulder press machine facing backward (if possible) to create a more natural pressing angle.
- Press the handles in line with your head.
- Focus on feeling the tension in your side delts, not just pressing the weight up.
2. Lateral Raises on a Machine
Lateral raises are a must for building big shoulders, but the way you do them matters. While dumbbell lateral raises are great, I’ve found that using a lateral raise machine takes things to another level.
The biggest advantage? Constant tension. With dumbbells, there’s a point in the movement where the resistance drops off due to gravity. But with a machine, your side delts are under tension the entire time, making the movement much more effective.
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In my personal opinion, this machine, where the center of gravity is placed on the elbows, is the best. |
Another reason I prefer the machine is that it eliminates the load being taken away by my wrists and hands. When doing dumbbell lateral raises, sometimes my forearms and hands take on the weight before my shoulders do. But with a machine, the resistance is placed directly on my elbows, allowing me to focus purely on my delts.
How to Do It:
- Adjust the machine so the pads rest comfortably on your arms near the elbows.
- Lift the weight out to the sides in a controlled motion, keeping your form strict.
- Focus on squeezing your side delts at the top of each rep.
3. Cable One-Arm Lateral Raises
Dumbbell lateral raises are solid, but cables allow for better muscle engagement due to continuous tension. I especially love doing them one arm at a time because it helps me focus on the mind-muscle connection and apply maximum effort to each side.
One little trick that’s made a big difference for me is setting the cable handle at about the height between the hips and knees. rather than at the bottom. This small adjustment ensures that both the lengthened and shortened positions of the movement maintain a strong resistance curve, leading to better muscle growth.
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By setting the height of the cable this way, you can feel a continuous and strong tension in the side of your shoulder. |
How to Do It:
- Set the cable handle at waist height and grab it with one hand.
- Step slightly away to create constant tension.
- Raise your arm out to the side in a slow and controlled manner.
- Focus on keeping your wrist relaxed and leading with your elbow.
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A photo from my first and (so far) last Men's Physique competition. |
These are my go-to shoulder exercises that made a noticeable difference in my training. If you’ve been struggling to grow your shoulders, I highly recommend giving these a shot.
Of course, don’t neglect your front and rear delts, but if your shoulders aren’t growing the way you want, adding these three movements to your routine might just be the missing piece. Give them a try and let me know how they work for you!
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