Joseph
Evidence Based
The shoulders are the calves of the upper body.
They’re small, stubborn muscles that, when underdeveloped, screw up the “aesthetics” of everything you’ve got going on above the waist.
Now for the good news: if you follow the shoulder workout routine in this article, your shoulders will get bigger, stronger, and more defined over time.
It probably won’t happen as fast as you’d like but, as they say, good things come to those who wait. 🙂
In this article, I’m going to give you the absolute best shoulder workout routine for building shoulder mass. It’s evidence-based, effective, and time efficient, and has helped thousands of people build an impressive pair of shoulders.
The Best Shoulder Workout Routine
Building strong, wide shoulders isn’t complicated.
It mostly comes down to getting stronger at overhead pressing and then using isolation exercises like side and rear lateral raises to round out your shoulder development.
To do this workout, you’ll need a barbell, a squat rack or power cage, and a selection of dumbbells. Thus, it’s best to do this workout in a gym (or a well-equipped home gym).
Barbell Overhead Press: 3 sets of 4 to 6 reps
Set a barbell in a rack at the same height as your upper chest. Grip the bar with a shoulder-width grip and your palms facing away from you. Unrack the barbell and take a small step backwards with each foot, keeping your wrists stacked over your elbows, and your elbows tucked close to your sides.
Plant your feet just outside of shoulder-width, arch your upper back enough so the bar is directly over your midfoot and your head is slightly behind the bar. Take a deep breath into your stomach and tighten your core muscles, squeeze your glutes as hard as you can, and push the bar off your chest toward the ceiling. Once your arms are straight and your elbows are locked out, reverse the movement to return to the starting position.
Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press: 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
While sitting on an upright bench, hold a dumbbell in each hand and rest them on your thighs. Hoist the dumbbells up so you’re holding them just above your shoulders with your palms facing away from you, giving them a little nudge with your thighs.
Press the dumbbells straight up over your head until your arms are straight and your elbows are locked. Then lower the dumbbells to the starting position.
Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise: 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand. Keeping your back straight and your core tight, lift the dumbbells out to the side until your upper arm is parallel to the floor. You don’t have to keep your arms perfectly straight—having a small bend in your elbows is normally more comfortable.
Reverse the movement to return to the starting position.
Dumbbell Rear Lateral Raise: 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
Whether standing or seated, bend at the hips so that your upper body is as close to parallel to the ground as possible. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, and while keeping your back flat, lift the dumbbells out to the side until your upper arm is parallel to the ground. You don’t have to keep your arms perfectly straight—having a small bend in your elbows is normally more comfortable.
Reverse the movement to return to the starting position.
FAQ #1: How do you avoid injuring your shoulders?
Many people would have you believe the shoulders are weak, fragile joints that need to be babied, and that the slightest deviation from perfect form in the gym is likely to end in injury.
This isn’t true.
Shoulders are very tough and respond well to heavy weightlifting, but using incorrect form over time can irritate them (which is also true of any other joint).
Thus, always make sure you use proper form and gradually increase the weights over time as you get stronger. And if a particular exercise still irritates your shoulders even when using proper form, swap it out for another one.
Recommended Reading: The 7 Best Ways to Fix and Prevent Shoulder Pain
FAQ #2: What is shoulder impingement?
Shoulder impingement syndrome is a condition where tendons and other connective tissues get pinched between the bones of the arm and shoulder joint.
While shoulder impingement syndrome can occur during any sport that involves lots of arm movement, weightlifting isn’t a common culprit.
What does cause shoulder impingement? It varies from person to person, but the main factors are:
- Sports that force you to use an awkward shoulder position, like swimming, tennis, and baseball.
- Repetitive use—repeating the same arm movement over and over again, especially with the arms overhead (think painting a house all day).
- Poor mobility, which makes it harder to retract the shoulder blades and fully extend the upper arms.
FAQ #3: How often should I train my shoulders?
Twice per week tends to work best for most people, but you may want to do more than this.
If you want to develop a particular muscle group, a good rule of thumb is to train it twice per week with about 10 to 20 total sets per week (for instance, five sets split between two workouts).
People who’ve been following a proper strength training program for less than two years should aim for 10 to 15 sets per week, and those who’ve been training properly for more than two years should aim for 15 to 20 sets per week.
You can try to fit all of these sets into one workout, but you’ll probably find that the quality of your sets begins to suffer as you get deeper into a long training session.
That’s why it’s better to divide your sets over two or even three workouts.
If you’re doing around 10 sets per week, doing one dedicated shoulder workout like the one in this article and one workout that trains the shoulders as well as another muscle group (such as your chest, for instance) is ideal.
If you’re doing closer to 20 sets per week, you’ll probably want to do one dedicated shoulder workout and include several shoulder exercises in two other workouts throughout the week to meet your set goal.
If you enjoyed this article, get weekly updates. It’s free.
Sending…
Great! You’re subscribed.
100% Privacy. We don’t rent or share our email lists.
You May Also Like
Our Most Popular Evidence-Based Articles
Our 100% “It’s-On-Us” Money-Back Guarantee
No matter what you decide to buy, you’re always protected by our ironclad, 100% money-back guarantee that works like this:
If you don’t absolutely love our stuff for whatever reason, you get a prompt and courteous refund. No forms to fill out or hoops to jump through.
That means you can say “yes” now and decide later. You really have nothing to lose.
Free Worldwide Shipping & Returns
Many companies use shipping and handling fees to increase their profit margins, but here at Legion, we hate profits so our shipping is 100% free!
Okay, we do dig on profits, but we also go in for happy customers, and free shipping works like gangbusters.
So, if you live in the United States, your order ships free regardless of order size, and if you live anywhere else, your order ships free when it’s over $199.
Why the restriction on international orders? Unfortunately, shipping abroad is very expensive, and if we didn’t require a minimum order size, we’d lose a lot of money.
That said, as most international customers spend about $200 with us each time they shop, this setup is a win-win.
And no matter what you decide to buy, you’re always protected by our ironclad, 100% money-back guarantee that works like this:
If you don’t absolutely love our stuff for whatever reason, you get a prompt and courteous refund. No forms to fill out or hoops to jump through.
That means you can say “yes” now and decide later. You really have nothing to lose.
Clinically Effective Doses
Great ingredients aren’t enough to make a great product—you also need correct doses.
That’s why we use the exact doses of every ingredient that have safely produced the desired benefits in peer-reviewed studies.
Made in USA
Where your supplements are made matters, because rules and regulations regarding quality and purity differ from country to country.
And if you want to ensure the supplements you’re swallowing every day are safe and effective, you want products produced in the USA.
That’s why all of our supplements are made in America in NSF-certified and FDA-inspected facilities that operate in accordance with the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) regulations.
We pay a premium to work with the best manufacturers in the country, but it’s the only way we can also produce the best all-natural sports supplements.
Lab Tested
Did you know that studies have shown that many supplements contain dangerously high levels of toxins like lead, arsenic, and cadmium?
Not ours.
Every ingredient of every supplement we produce is tested for heavy metals, microbes, allergens, and other contaminants to ensure they meet the strict purity standards set by the FDA.
Naturally Sweetened & Flavored
While artificial sweeteners may not be as dangerous as some people claim, studies suggest that regular consumption of these chemicals may indeed be harmful to our health and that more research is needed.
That’s why all of our supplements are naturally sweetened and flavored and contain no artificial food dyes, fillers, or other unnecessary junk.
Science-Backed Ingredients & Doses
Unlike some supplement companies, we don’t sell dubious white labeled or off-the-shelf formulations.
Instead, our custom and unique formulations are the result of extensive reviews of the scientific literature to discover the most effective ingredients for each.
Split your entire online purchase into 4 interest-free payments, over 6 weeks with no impact to your credit.
25%
today
25%
2 weeks
25%
4 weeks
25%
6 weeks
Shop and add items to your cart as normal!
Choose Sezzle at Checkout! You’ll be redirected to Sezzle to Sign Up or Log In
to complete your order.
Your order will be shipped out right away* and your payments will be split up
over 6 weeks.
*shipping times subject to merchant shipping policy
Shop directory. Reschedule payments. Plus more!
Meal Plan Waiver
In consideration of being allowed to participate in the activities and programs offered by
Legion Athletics, Inc. and to use its nutrition programs and supplement and training advice, in addition to the payment of any fee or charge, I do hereby waive, release and forever discharge and hold harmless Legion Athletics, Inc. and its consultants, officers, agents, and employees from any and all responsibility, liability, cost and expenses, including injuries or damages, resulting from my participation in any activities, or my use of any programs designed by Legion Athletics, Inc. I do also hereby release Legion Athletics, Inc. its consultants, officers, agents and employees from any responsibility or liability for any injury, damage or disorder (physical, metabolic, or otherwise) to myself, or in any way arising out of or connected with my participation in any activities with Legion Athletics, Inc.
I understand that Legion Athletics, Inc. and its consultants, officers, agents, and employees are not healthcare professionals. The services I have received from Legion Athletics, Inc do not provide or offer and are not a replacement for professional medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis, or treatment (“medical advice”). While Legion Athletics, Inc. believes that the information provided through our services and the site is current and reliable, Legion Athletics, Inc. cannot and does not make any such guarantee or warranty.
I hereby agree that before using our services, you will consult your physician or other health care provider for medical advice, particularly if you are at risk for problems arising from changes in your diet or lifestyle. The services provided by Legion Athletics, Inc. are not intended to be used by minors or individuals with health conditions that makes the kind of changes to diet or lifestyle suggested by our services unsafe or inappropriate. Furthermore, I hereby understand that Legion Athletics, Inc. shall have no obligation or responsibility to monitor my health status or health condition or to contact or alert any medical or emergency professional.
I understand and am aware that strength, flexibility, and aerobic exercise, including the use of
equipment are a potentially hazardous activity. I also understand that fitness activities involve a
risk of injury and even death, and that I am voluntarily participating in these activities and using
equipment and machinery with knowledge of the dangers involved. I hereby agree to expressly
assume and accept any and all risks of injury or death related to said fitness activities. In
addition, I certify that I am 18 years of age or older.
I do hereby further declare myself to be physically sound and suffering from no condition,
impairment, disease, infirmity or other illness that would affect nutrient metabolism or prevent
my participation or use of equipment or machinery except as hereinafter stated. I do hereby
acknowledge that Legion Athletics, Inc. has recommended to me that I obtain a physician’s approval for my participation in an exercise/fitness activity or in the use of exercise equipment and machinery. I also acknowledge that Legion Athletics, Inc. has recommended that I have a yearly or more frequent physical examination and consultation with my physician as to physical activity, exercise and use of exercise and training equipment so that I might have his/her recommendations concerning these fitness activities and equipment use. I acknowledge that I have either had a physical examination and been given my physician’s permission to participate, or that I have decided to participate in activity and use of equipment, machinery, and programs designed by Legion Athletics, Inc. without the approval of my physician and do hereby assume all responsibility for my participation and activities, and utilization of equipment and machinery in my activities.
I understand that all diet and training programs, nutrition and supplementation advice, and any and all other forms of information obtained from Legion Athletics, Inc. are not meant to treat or manage any health condition. I understand the need to consult with a healthcare provider prior to adjusting current lifestyle or eating habits or beginning any new diet and/or training plan.
In addition, I hereby represent and warrant that I am currently covered by an accident and
health insurance policy. With my purchase of products or services from Legion Athletics, Inc., I understand that results of any sort are not guaranteed and agree not to hold Legion Athletics, Inc. staff liable for any outcomes or a lack thereof. With my purchase of any Legion Athletics, Inc. products or services, I understand that they are only guaranteed to work in software designed for a PC computer such as Microsoft Excel. I understand that I am purchasing having known that beforehand and understand that using any other application besides Microsoft Excel might result in the products not working with 100% functionality.
OUT OF STOCK
Security Check
Please click the checkbox below. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Fact Checked
Our scientific review board of nutritionists, dietitians, molecular biologists, doctors, and other accredited experts is responsible for reviewing every article, podcast, and video we produce to ensure they’re evidence based, accurate, trustworthy, and current.
Thanks to their connections, credentials, and academic experience, this team of MDs, PhDs, and other professionals has access to a wealth of research published in the largest and most prestigious journals in the world.
This allows them to not only review individual studies but also analyze the overall weight of the evidence on any and all topics related to diet, exercise, supplementation, and more.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, misleading, out-of-date, or anything less than factual, please let us know in the comments section of the article in question.
Evidence Based
We follow a detailed, rigorous, multi-step process to create content that meets the highest standards of clarity, practicality, and scientific integrity.
First, our research associates provide our editorial team with accurate, up-to-date, proven scientific evidence.
Then, our editorial team uses this research to draft articles and outlines for podcasts and videos.
Finally, our scientific review board reviews the content to ensure all key information and claims are backed by high-quality scientific research and explained simply and precisely.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, misleading, out-of-date, or anything less than factual, please let us know in the comments section of the article in question.
