Shoulder Workout for Bigger Shoulders (HIT ALL 3 HEADS!)

If you are looking for a shoulder workout for bigger shoulders, then you’ve come to the right place. In this video, I am going to show you a workout to get bigger shoulders by hitting all three heads - the front delt, middle delt, and rear delt. I am not only going to show you what exercises to do, but I am going to give you the sets and reps too so you have a game plan for big delts.

In order to get big delts, you need to target all three heads to create a rounded, full looking shoulder. That means effectively targeting each one through exercise selection and performance. That means getting a full contraction as well as achieving stretch on the individual muscles too.

To begin this workout for big shoulders, we need to start pressing and start pressing heavy. Grab a pair of dumbbells and perform the seesaw press; pressing one dumbbell up overhead and lowering the other at the same time. You want to imagine yourself not just letting the weight lower on its own, but to actively pull it down. If you want to, you can substitute the seesaw press with a heavy barbell overhead press or even a landmine press. Any of these options are a great choice and are perfectly fine to overload the delts in a pressing motion.

Grab a weight that will allow you to fail in the 8-10 rep range for your first set. On your second set, you will be using a weight that causes failure in the 6-8 rep range. On sets 3 and 4, you will use the same weight, utilizing rest-pause to achieve your target reps if need be. Immediately finishing sets 3 and 4, you will drop a single dumbbell and perform over & backs to failure. If you chose the OHP, you will be performing a push press. Decided to do the landmine press? Great, just perform a landmine thruster as your burnout.

Next up, we have to target the middle delt in our boulder shoulder workout and the exercise we are going to utilize here is the cable lateral row. The alternative option to perform here is the side lying lateral raise, done with simply a bench and a dumbbell. These exercises are great options in any shoulder workout because the nature of the movements places the middle and rear delts on stretch. We know that in order to achieve maximum muscle activation, taking a muscle through full stretch into full contraction is key.

For this exercise you will be performing 3 sets of 8-10 reps on each side

The third spot of this workout for big shoulders is reserved for targeting the middle and rear delts together with a heavier weight option. This exercise selection is the hip hugger. It is important to note that you want to bring your elbows back behind and away from your body. Too often, when I see this exercise performed, people end up doing a regular shrug. Shrugging the weight up isn’t going to hit the delts effectively, in fact, you’d be targeting your traps instead. If you do the hip huggers correctly, you are going to light up those rear and middle delts.

You will be doing this exercise for 3 sets of 6-8 reps.

Now, to create a full, rounded, boulder looking shoulder, you NEED to hit the rear delts. Too often we focus on the fullness of the front and middle delts whilst forgetting about the smaller muscle head on the backside. If we are going to hit this muscle, then what better way to do it than with my favorite exercise; the facepull?! The key here is to make sure that you are getting those elbows and hands as far back as we can to not only achieve the maximum amount of external rotation, but to take the muscle through to its fully contracted state.

The facepull is done for 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps.

Last but not least in our workout for bigger shoulders, you are going to perform either the incline stretch front raise or the cable stretch front raise. Either option here is great for putting the front delt on stretch prior to achieving its contracted position. With the dumbbells, you are allowing gravity and the weight of the dumbbells to pull your arms into extension behind your body. In the case of the cables, they too are pulling your arms back behind your body into extension.

Either option you choose, you are doing them for 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps.

If you are looking for a step-by-step training program that shows you how to perform workouts without any of the guesswork, then check out our ATHLEAN-X training programs by heading to the link below.

If you are looking for more videos on how to get bigger shoulders, be sure to subscribe to this channel via the link below and make sure to turn on your notifications so you never a miss a video when it’s published.

[ChiTownProdigy]

I swear it's like he reads my mind and posts *exactly what I need*

[hypnotard]

I just started Getting serious about shoulder work 7 months ago, Jeff your videos have been invaluable brother. Thanks for helping reach my potential finally at 50!

[ronmanley]

Great straight to the point video! Keep ‘‘em coming Jeff!

[jacobheimer]

Thanks again for being the entire reason I could build muscle while gaining strength and better mobility after a shoulder injury

[Aj-ynpj]

Thanks Jeff, I did 2 sets of this workout for 10 mins now my delts are bigger than Derek’s from MPMD.

[camilo]

I love your routines Jeff, watching your videos I learned how to build my own routines (and never forget corrective exercises). For years, long before I started training, I have had problems with my back, it would be great if you made a video on how to train and build a proper routine when you suffer from lower back pain. I know that your experience training with shoulder and knee problems will give us a great video. Greetings from Mexico.

[tomtorrez]

"Time Stamped" Boulder Shoulder Workout (HIT ALL 3 HEADS!)

BEGINNING 0:01
Begin with a pair of heavy dumbbells 0:00
Dumbbell Seesaw press 0:07 OR Barbell Overhead Press 0:37 OR Landmine Press 0:43
4 sets and the prescribed reps 0:50
**SET 1 - 0:53 Choose a weight that you will fail in the 8-10 rep range
**SET 2 - 0:58 Choose a heavier weight that you will fail in the 6-8 rep range
**SETS 3 & 4 - 1:03 Keep the weight the same, and work your way to getting those 6-8 reps again,
even if you have to REST/PASE your way to it; but you're not done.

**Here's where the fun starts 1:12, because you drop one dumbbell and do an "over and back",
where you just try to burn out your deltoids one more time by heaving the dumbbell and
using a little momentum from your legs, if necessary.
**If you're using the Barbell Overhead Press 1:24, you're simply going to turn it into a Push Press once your reach fatigue.
**And if you used that Landmine Press 1:29, you're going to use your legs again hear to grind out those last few reps.

MIDDLE DELTOID 1:38
Cable Side Lateral Row 1:43 OR Side-Lying Lateral Raise 2:12
** 3 Sets of 8-10 reps on each arm. 2:27 No need to rest in between sets. 2:29 As you're resing one arm, you're resting the other.

REAR DELTOID 2:43
Hip Hugger 2:47 - Focus on what the elbows are doing.
Your elbows need to move out to the side and back behind you AT THE SAME TIME. DO NOT turn this exercise into a shrug.
**3 Sets or 6-8 reps. 3:07 Increase the weight here.

Face Pulls 3:14
Get your elbows back behind your body. Keep your arms at 90 degrees and keep your hands pushing backwards.
**2-3 Sets. 12-15 reps 3:38

FRONT DELTOID 3:46
Stretch Front Raise 3:55
Cable Stretch Front Raise 4:14
**3 Sets of 8-10 Reps. 4:30

[carykozberg]

Once again this 71-year old is thankful for Jeff's videos. Left Beachbody's programs for AthleanX because of the science that Jeff shares. Have gotten the best results since beginning to exercise 36 years ago.

[Jetcherr]

Jeff told me to skip shoulders to wait for this program, but little did he know this was already my shoulder program because of everything I’ve learned from him. Thanks for the videos, keep up the good work!

[Mrjoboo]

Wow nice straight to the point love the short videos!!

[hectorrivera]

priceless information, at 42 yrs old in 3 years following Jeff i have seen more results than ever...

[annasayaz]

Coach Jeff! You are the reason I started training. Because I found your channel in 2020 and I was amazed by your physique and I want to look like you. BTW I'm 16 right now and I'm so thankful that I found you so that I want end up injuring myself.

[Bennnnism]

Dude the timing of this is unbelievable. I literally just put shoulders on their own day to get more development since an injury. You’re the man!

[kelvinwillingham]

I’ve earned 3 degrees and Jeff is still the best professor I’ve ever had. ✊🏽💯🔥🔥 thanks Jeff! You rock.

[PietchTheory]

Definitely going to try this one. I have been using Jeff's videos for years and I love my shoulders!!!! Jeff is the GOAT.

[ashtag]

Today I was thinking of increasing shoulder gains and bam Jeff gives me a video. He is reading our mind fr.

[toesonmypillow]

dude why can't every workout video be this to-the-point and efficient

[vrmusic]

Been watching this channel for 7 years now 🔥✊🔥 thanks for the gems Jeff, shoutouts from Canada 🇨🇦

[navers]

Oh, man. I am surprised Jeff did not include his favourite 1.5 rep side lateral raises as part of the middle delts exercise! I absolutely love doing them now. Quality content as always, Jeff.

[thetrollerstroller]

I love that you show exercises that are good for people with shoulder issues!