Shoulder workout routine
This shoulder routine has two sessions, A and B, to do once or twice a week; if you go once, alternate A and B. Each one covers the three parts of the shoulder: an overhead press for the front, lateral raises for the side and face pulls for the back.
Session A starts with the barbell overhead press, the heaviest; session B uses the dumbbell Arnold press. Every exercise links to its own page, with the technique and the most common mistakes.
Session A
- Overhead press
Sets 3 · Reps 6 to 8 · Rest 2 to 3 min
Alternatives: Dumbbell shoulder press
- Lateral raises
Sets 4 · Reps 12 to 15 · Rest 1 min
- Face pull
Sets 3 · Reps 12 to 15 · Rest 1 min
Session B
- Arnold press
Sets 3 · Reps 8 to 10 · Rest 2 min
Alternatives: Dumbbell shoulder press
- Lateral raises
Sets 3 · Reps 15 to 20 · Rest 1 min
- Face pull
Sets 3 · Reps 12 to 15 · Rest 1 min
The three parts of the shoulder
The overhead press mostly loads the front of the deltoid. The side, which is what gives the shoulder its width, is trained directly with lateral raises, and the back with face pulls. Chest presses already add work to the front; that's why this routine has a single press per session and puts the rest of the volume on the side and the back.
How it fits your week
If you want to prioritize your shoulders, do A and B on days at least 48 hours apart. If you follow push pull legs, push day already has a press and lateral raises: this routine works as an extra shoulder day or to replace that part.
How to progress
On the press, add reps up to the top of the range before moving to the next weight. On lateral raises and face pulls, the weight moves up slowly: add reps before moving to the next pair of dumbbells or the next step on the stack, and don't let momentum do the work.
If your shoulder bothers you
Swap the barbell press for the dumbbell version, which lets your wrist rotate and is usually more comfortable, and lower only as far as it doesn't hurt. On lateral raises, don't go above shoulder height. If the pain persists, see a doctor or physiotherapist.
Frequently asked questions
How many times a week should you train shoulders?
Once or twice. If you already do chest presses during the week, the front gets plenty of work; what's usually missing is lateral raises and face pulls.
Overhead press with a barbell or dumbbells?
The barbell lets you move more weight; dumbbells let your wrist rotate a little and are usually easier on the shoulder. This routine uses both.
Why isn't the upright row here?
Because the lateral raise works the same part of the shoulder without the close-grip position that can cause discomfort. If you do it, use a wide grip and raise the bar only to chest height.
Gojan builds the routine and changes it when you tell it your week falls apart. Download Gojan