• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Generation Iron

Generation Iron Fitness & Strength Sports Network

  • Movies
  • Original Content
  • Reviews
    • Supplements
      • Pre-Workout
      • Fat Burners
      • Testosterone Boosters
      • Creatine
      • Protein
      • BCAAs
      • Multivitamins
      • Omega-3
      • Joint Supplements
      • Super Greens
      • Meal Replacement
    • Recovery
      • Best Cold Plunges
      • Best Saunas
      • Best Foam Rollers
      • Best Massage Guns
    • Programs
      • Best Online Workout Programs
      • Best Workout Streaming Services
      • Best Home Workout Programs
  • Equipment
    • Cardio
      • Treadmills
      • Best Exercise Bikes
      • Best Stair Climbers
    • Fitness Accessories
      • Best Apparel
      • Best Gym Bags
      • Weightlifting Shoes
    • Strength
      • Best Dumbbells
      • Best Barbells
      • Best Kettlebells
      • Best Squat Racks
      • Best Weightlifting Belts
      • Best Home Gym Equipment
      • Complete Home Gyms
    • Training
      • Best Knee Sleeves
      • Best Wrist Wraps
      • Best Weightlifting Wraps
      • Best Weightlifting Gloves
  • More
    • About Us
      • Our Team
      • Our Experts
    • Advertise
    • Franchise With Us
    • Exercise Guides
    • Athlete Profiles
    • Podcasts
    • Power 30
    • Bodybuilding Awards
    • Supplement Awards
  • Shop
Workouts

Top 3 Exercise To Blast Your Delts For Bulletproof Shoulders

by Austin Letorney Published on Dec 5, 2023

6 Ways To Build Shoulder Strength, Size and Conditioning
This post may contain affiliate links (disclosure policy).

Three ways to blow up your shoulders.

Broad shoulders rule the day and truly complete the physique, make no mistake about that. Many times, we seek the v-taper that makes it look as though our waist is thin and the legs are bigger, and without broad shoulders, you will not have that look. Not only that, but building strong shoulders through shoulder exercises can help with other movements, such as the bench press, and even help with every day functionality.

If you’re looking to have an impressive upper body then that means you have to make improvements on every area of the torso. The back, the pecs, the abs, the arms, all of these muscle groups and body parts need to be given some quality time and attention in order to develop solid muscle mass bring together the overall package. The shoulders are a big part in making the upper body appear more powerful and that means paying special attention to the deltoids, as they are not the easiest muscle to grow.

Looking to take your boulder shoulders and turn them into mountains? Then follow some of these helpful exercises to improve the size and definition in your delts.

Anatomy of the Shoulders

shoulder exercises

The shoulders are made up of three different parts. To put it simple, the three parts of the shoulders are:

  • Front Delts
  • Lateral Head
  • Rear Delts

To get an effective shoulder workout in, you need to hit all three of these heads. Now, some people may also include the trapezius into their shoulder day routine, and that is more than okay. However, this article is focusing on our three favorite exercises for the three heads of the shoulders.

The Top 3 Shoulder Exercises

We have hand-picked some of our favorite shoulder exercises that have truly helped us improve our overall physiques, in terms of both physical appearance and functionality.

Check it out.

Exercise Sets Reps
Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3  6-8
Dumbbell Lateral Raise 3 8-12
Bent Over Barbell Row 3 6-8

Dumbbell Shoulder Press

dumbbell shoulder press

3 sets, 6-8 reps

As stated above, the delts aren’t simply made up of one section of muscle. In order to see overall growth in the shoulders – you have to attack different the portions of the deltoids. The anterior head is the front of the deltoids can be worked in a variety of different ways including different variations of the bench press, push ups, and dips.

For this portion of the shoulder we recommend performing the dumbbell shoulder press as it offer better range of motion a less chance of injury. The dumbbell shoulder press also is a nice way to isolate the front deltoid, making this exercise great to really overload that portion of the shoulder.

Dumbbell Side Laterals

lateral raise

3 sets, 8-12 reps

The middle head of the deltoids are, quite obviously, located in the middle region of the shoulder. They are the part of the shoulder that is responsible for making it look like you have a broader physique, the lateral head sticks out and makes it seem like you are wider. Just like with any of the other muscle groups there are a variety of different exercises that can be used to build up this muscle group, but we’re recommending the always reliable dumbbell side lateral raises. You can take these sets to failure, really burning out the muscle and breaking it down.

Bent over Barbell Row

barbell rows

3 sets, 6-8 reps

Finally, the last portion to build up in the shoulders is the posterior head, or the rear delt. For this we recommend the bent over barbell row for a number of reasons. It might seem somewhat out of place on this list of shoulder exercises, as many bodybuilders and powerlifters use the barbell row for hitting the back muscles. However, the bent over barbell row will also work the rear delts quite effectively, as well as be effective at working the upper back, which means you’re getting more bang for your buck.

Being the barbell row is a compound movement, you can overload it a bit more, which can be good for the delts. However, you do not want to go overly heavy on the movement, as it can compromise form and risk injury.

When doing the bent over barbell row with the intent of hitting the rear delts, you want to be at more of an upright position, where you are pulling the barbell into your lower rib cage, rather than to the hips.

FAQs

Why is hitting shoulders important?

Hitting shoulder exercises is not only about looking good. Strong shoulders help to enhance your posture and strengthen the muscles surrounding the shoulder joint, creating more stability as well as an overall sturdier body structure. The shoulder joint is one of the most delicate joints, meaning it can be injured easily. The shoulder joint is also one that you use every day, meaning you do not want to have injured shoulders.

How heavy should I go on shoulder movements?

Now, when you are using these shoulder exercises, you do not want to go overly heavy. However, this does not mean to go light either, as you want to get in a solid workout that will break down the muscles and really give you a good pump. Being in the rep range of maybe 6-8 on compound movements (like the dumbbell shoulder press) and 8-12 on isolation movements (like the dumbbell lateral raises) could be the way to go.

When it comes to how much weight you are doing specifically, you need to keep in mind that you want to get a good mind-muscle connection, not just go through the motions. That being said, find a weight that allows you to obtain a good range of motion and contraction.

Shoulder Exercises Wrap Up

shoulder exercise

Overall, training shoulders is something that you need to be doing, no matter if you are a bodybuilder, powerlifter, or regular gym goer. Strong, well developed shoulders complete a physique. There are three parts to the shoulders, which can be nice because you only need to hit three solid shoulder exercises for an effective shoulder workout, and these were our top three. Do you agree with our list?

What other shoulder exercises do you perform in the gym? Let us know in the comments and be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.

About Austin Letorney

Austin Letorney is a writer, actor, and fitness enthusiast. As a former rower, he has shifted his focus to sharing his knowledge of the fitness world and strength sports with others.

View All Articles

Primary Sidebar

Get the Latest

Stay informed with the latest news, product reviews, & expert advice.

Popular Reviews

  • best protein powders

    The Best Protein Powder Supplements of 2025 (Tried and Tested)

  • Best Creatine Supplements For Bulking & Muscle Growth of 2025 (Personally Tested)

  • top x pre workout

    The 14 Best Pre-Workout Supplements of 2025 (MD Reviewed)

  • Performance Lab SPORT BCAA

    The Best BCAA For Bodybuilding Health & Performance Goals

Trending Articles

  • female fitness models

    18 Best Butts On The Internet (Updated 2024)

  • ronnie coleman the king workout

    Ronnie “The King” Coleman’s Complete Bodybuilding Workout

  • Chris bumstead's 2024 workout and diet plan

    Chris Bumstead’s 2025 Complete Bodybuilding Workout & Diet Plan

  • The Ultimate Mike Mentzer Workout and Diet

Popular Now

  • best protein powders

    The Best Protein Powder Supplements of 2025 (Tried and Tested)

  • Best Creatine Supplements For Bulking & Muscle Growth of 2025 (Personally Tested)

  • female fitness models

    18 Best Butts On The Internet (Updated 2024)

  • top x pre workout

    The 14 Best Pre-Workout Supplements of 2025 (MD Reviewed)

  • best citrulline supplements

    The Best Citrulline Malate Supplements for Performance and Pump

  • ronnie coleman the king workout

    Ronnie “The King” Coleman’s Complete Bodybuilding Workout

Generation Iron

Generation Iron is the first and only digital network delivering health, fitness, bodybuilding, and strength sports content. We deliver premium content with the biggest names in fitness and provide expert coverage, reviews on top brands, workout tips and trends in the worlds of fitness, health and strength sports.

Strongman Corporation
Vladar

Sections

  • Trending News
  • Original Movies
  • Original Content
  • Supplement Reviews
  • Equipment Reviews
  • Exercise Guides
  • Nutrition Guides
  • Athlete Profiles

More

  • About Us
  • Our Team
  • Our Experts
  • Advertise
  • Franchise With Us
  • Podcasts
  • Power 30
  • Shop

CONTACT

Generation Iron Brands LLC
134 West 29th Street Suite 902
New York, NY 10001
Email: [email protected]

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • X / Twitter
  • YouTube

© 2025 · Generation Iron · Disclaimers · Privacy Policy · Accessibility