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Exercises

Machine shoulder exercises: presses, lateral raises and rear delt work

Published October 29, 2026

The best machine shoulder exercises are the machine shoulder press and Smith machine shoulder press for your front delts and overall pressing strength; the machine lateral raise, cable lateral raise, leaning cable lateral raise and cable upright row for the side delts that make your shoulders look wider; and the reverse pec deck, rear delt cable fly and face pull for your rear delts. A shoulder day needs one press, one lateral raise and one rear delt exercise, 3 to 4 sets each. Press at 1 to 2 reps in reserve; raises and flies can go to 0 to 1.

  1. Machine Shoulder Press Shoulders
  2. Machine Lateral Raise Shoulders
  3. Cable Lateral Raise Shoulders
  4. Reverse Pec Deck Shoulders
  5. Face Pull Shoulders, Upper Back
  6. Smith Machine Shoulder Press Shoulders
  7. Cable Upright Row Shoulders, Traps

Shoulder press machines

Pressing overhead trains your front delts and triceps with the heaviest loads your shoulders can handle. The plate or selectorized press machine guides each arm on its own path with your back supported, and the Smith machine press lets you use a barbell overhead without having to balance it or rack it alone.

Front delts and triceps, machine press

Machine Shoulder Press

Shoulders

The seat and back pad hold you in place and each handle moves on its own arc, so you can press heavy without balancing a bar or dumbbells overhead. It is the best first press for a machine shoulder day and easy to load in small steps.

How to do it

  1. Set the seat so the handles start at about shoulder height.
  2. Sit with your back flat against the pad, feet planted, and grip the handles.
  3. Press up until your arms are nearly straight overhead.
  4. Lower the handles back to shoulder height under control and press again.

Cues

  • Back stays on the pad
  • Press up, not forward
  • Control the way down

Common mistakes

  • Arching hard off the backrest to finish a rep: lighten the stack and keep your ribs down.
  • Cutting the rep short at the top: finish each press with your arms almost fully straight.
  • Letting the stack rest between reps: stop the handles just above it so your shoulders stay loaded.

Swap for: Smith Machine Shoulder Press, Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Landmine Press

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Front delts and triceps, guided barbell press

Smith Machine Shoulder Press

Shoulders

The Smith bar runs on a fixed track and racks with a turn of the wrists, so you can push the last reps of a heavy set without a spotter. Use it when you want a barbell press but train alone.

How to do it

  1. Set an upright bench under the Smith bar so the bar comes down just in front of your face.
  2. Sit with your back on the pad and grip the bar a little wider than your shoulders.
  3. Twist the bar off the hooks and lower it to about chin level.
  4. Press it up until your arms are straight, then lower it back to chin level.
  5. Twist the bar back onto the hooks after your last rep.

Cues

  • Bar clears your nose
  • Chin-level bottom
  • Back stays on the pad

Common mistakes

  • Placing the bench so the bar hits your face or head: slide it until the bar clears your nose.
  • Starting without setting the safety stops: put them just below your lowest point before the first rep.

Swap for: Machine Shoulder Press, Seated Barbell Overhead Press, Dumbbell Shoulder Press

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Lateral raise machines and cables for wider shoulders

Your side delts give your shoulders their width, and presses barely train them. The lateral raise machine is the most stable way to load them, the cable keeps tension at the bottom where a dumbbell raise goes light, and leaning away from the cable stretches the side delt further before each rep.

Side delts, machine raise

Machine Lateral Raise

Shoulders

The pads sit against your arms and the pivot lines up with your shoulders, so the side delts lift the weight with no swinging. It is the lateral raise you can take closest to failure, which is how side delts grow.

How to do it

  1. Set the seat so the machine's pivot lines up with your shoulder joints.
  2. Sit tall with your back on the pad, the arm pads resting just above your elbows, and hold the handles lightly.
  3. Raise your elbows out to the sides until your upper arms are level with the floor.
  4. Pause for a beat at the top.
  5. Lower slowly until the pads nearly touch your sides, then raise again.

Cues

  • Lead with your elbows
  • Shoulders down, away from your ears
  • Slow on the way down

Common mistakes

  • Shrugging the weight up when the set gets hard: drop the pin one plate and stop each rep with your arms level.
  • Swinging the pads up and letting them fall: take two seconds on the way down.
  • Seat set too low or high: line the pivot up with your shoulder, or the pads slide along your arms.

Swap for: Cable Lateral Raise, Dumbbell Lateral Raise, Leaning Cable Lateral Raise

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Side delts, cable raise

Cable Lateral Raise

Shoulders

The cable pulls across your body, so the side delts are loaded from the very first inch of the raise, where a dumbbell raise has almost no resistance. It is the most useful side delt exercise for gyms without a lateral raise machine.

How to do it

  1. Set both pulleys of a crossover at the bottom and stand between them, feet about shoulder width.
  2. Cross your arms low in front of your thighs: your right hand holds the left handle, your left hand the right one.
  3. Stand tall and raise both arms out to the sides, elbows slightly bent, until your hands reach shoulder height.
  4. Lower slowly until the handles cross again in front of your thighs. On a single pulley, do the same one arm at a time.

Cues

  • Lead with the elbow
  • Push the handle out, not up
  • Shoulder height and stop

Common mistakes

  • Heaving the weight up with a lean and a shrug: if your torso moves, drop the pin a step.
  • Raising past shoulder height: the traps take over above that point.

Swap for: Leaning Cable Lateral Raise, Dumbbell Lateral Raise, Cable Y Raise

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Side delts, stretched cable raise

Leaning Cable Lateral Raise

Shoulders

Leaning away from the machine while holding the frame starts each rep with your arm across your body, stretching the side delt more than any upright raise. One arm at a time also lets you match reps between sides.

How to do it

  1. Set a single handle at the bottom pulley and hold the machine's upright with your near hand.
  2. Lean your body away until your support arm is straight.
  3. With the far hand, raise the handle sideways until your arm is level with your shoulder.
  4. Return slowly across your body, finish your reps, then switch sides.

Cues

  • Lean out
  • Stretch at the bottom
  • Hold the frame lightly

Common mistakes

  • Leaning back instead of to the side: you should be tilted sideways, facing straight ahead.
  • Using the support arm to swing: it only holds the lean.

Swap for: Leaning Dumbbell Lateral Raise, Cable Lateral Raise, Machine Lateral Raise

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Side delts and traps, cable upright row

Cable Upright Row

Shoulders, Traps

Pulling a straight bar up to about chest height with your elbows leading trains the side delts and upper traps together, and allows heavier loads than a raise. Stop when your elbows reach shoulder height to keep it comfortable.

How to do it

  1. Attach a straight bar to the low pulley and hold it with an overhand grip about shoulder width.
  2. Stand close to the machine with the bar against your thighs.
  3. Pull it up along your body, elbows leading, until your elbows reach shoulder height and the bar is near your upper chest.
  4. Lower it back to your thighs.

Cues

  • Elbows lead
  • Elbows to shoulder height
  • Wide enough grip

Common mistakes

  • Hands rising higher than your elbows: lead with the elbows the whole way and stop when they reach shoulder height.
  • Gripping close together: a shoulder-width grip lets the elbows rise out to the side.

Swap for: Band Upright Row, Kettlebell Upright Row, Machine Lateral Raise

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Side delts and lower traps, Y raise

Cable Y Raise

Shoulders, Upper Back

Raising your arms up and out in a Y shape trains the side delts higher than a lateral raise and brings in the lower traps that help your shoulder blades rotate as your arms go overhead. It suits a second shoulder day with lighter weights.

How to do it

  1. Set both pulleys at the bottom and cross the cables so each hand holds the opposite handle.
  2. Step back to center with your arms crossed low ahead of your hips.
  3. Raise both arms up and out into a Y, thumbs pointing up.
  4. Bring the arms back down and across in front of your hips.

Cues

  • Thumbs up
  • Up and out
  • Light weight

Common mistakes

  • Raising straight forward: your arms should travel up and out into a Y, wider than your head.
  • Arching your lower back at the top: brace and stop when your arms are overhead.

Swap for: Cable Lateral Raise, Plank IYTW, Band Face Pull

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Rear delt machines

The rear delts round out the back of your shoulder and sit in front of the upper back muscles that hold your shoulders back. The reverse pec deck is the main rear delt machine, the cable fly lets your arms cross for a longer range, and the face pull adds the rotator cuff muscles that turn your upper arm out.

Rear delts, machine reverse fly

Reverse Pec Deck

Shoulders

Facing into the pec deck and sweeping the handles back isolates the rear delts on a fixed arc. Rows train them only a little, so this is the machine that gives them their own work.

How to do it

  1. Set the handles to the rear position, sit facing the pad, and adjust the seat so the handles are at shoulder height.
  2. Hold the handles with arms straight in front of you, palms down or facing in.
  3. Sweep your arms out and back in a wide arc until they are in line with your body.
  4. Return slowly, stopping just before the weight touches the stack, and repeat.

Cues

  • Wide arc, not a row
  • Arms almost straight
  • Keep the stack off the rest

Common mistakes

  • Pulling the elbows back like a row: the arms move out to the side.
  • Too much weight with jerky reps: these grow on 12 to 20 controlled reps.

Swap for: Face Pull, Rear Delt Cable Fly, Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly

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Rear delts, crossover cable fly

Rear Delt Cable Fly

Shoulders

Crossing the cables in front of you starts each rep with the rear delts stretched, and the cables keep them loaded through the whole sweep. It is the rear delt exercise to use when the pec deck is taken or you want more range.

How to do it

  1. Set both pulleys at chest height and stand in the middle of the crossover.
  2. Cross your hands in front of you, each one holding the handle from the opposite side.
  3. With straight arms, pull the handles out and back until your arms are in line with your body.
  4. Return slowly until your hands cross again.

Cues

  • Reach for the walls
  • Arms long, shoulders down
  • Stop when your arms line up with your shoulders

Common mistakes

  • Squeezing your shoulder blades hard together: that shifts the work to the upper back. Let the arms move and the blades stay quiet.
  • Too much weight: the rear delt is small; if your elbows bend to finish, go lighter.

Swap for: Face Pull, Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly, Reverse Pec Deck

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Rear delts and rotator cuff, cable pull

Face Pull

Shoulders, Upper Back

Pulling a rope toward your face and turning your hands back trains the rear delts together with the small rotator cuff muscles that turn your upper arm out. It is a good balance for heavy pressing and fits at the end of any upper-body day.

How to do it

  1. Set the pulley at or just above head height and attach a rope. Grab it with your thumbs pointing back toward you.
  2. Step back until your arms are straight and the stack lifts, then stagger your feet or sit on a bench so you can lean back slightly without swaying.
  3. Pull the middle of the rope toward your forehead by driving your elbows out and back, keeping them at shoulder height or higher.
  4. As the rope reaches your face, pull the ends apart and rotate your hands back until your fists sit beside your ears, like a double-biceps pose.
  5. Hold that position for a beat, then let your arms straighten under control until your shoulder blades slide forward again.

Cues

  • Elbows high, hands finish behind them
  • Pull the rope apart, not just back
  • Reach forward at the start of every rep

Common mistakes

  • Loading it like a row and leaning back to move the stack: drop the weight until you can hold the end position for a second without your torso rocking.
  • Letting the elbows drop below your shoulders: the pull turns into a row and your lats and biceps take the work. Raise the pulley or lighten the load.
  • Stopping when the rope touches your face: the outward rotation at the end is what the face pull adds, so finish with your fists beside your ears.

Swap for: Band Face Pull, TRX Face Pull, Rear Delt Cable Fly

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Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in.

Session 1

First months in the gym, shoulders twice a week

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets18 a week
  • Per workout~20 min
  • EquipmentShoulder Press, Lateral Raise Machine, Fly Machine, Adjustable Cable

You are new to lifting, the shoulder machines are what you feel comfortable on, and you train upper body twice a week.

Three exercises per session, 9 sets, covers front, side and rear delts every time. That is 18 shoulder sets a week counting the press, a solid amount for a beginner when it sits at 2 reps in reserve so you learn each machine with clean reps.

Day A
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Machine Shoulder Press 3 × 8–12 2 2 min
Machine Lateral Raise 3 × 12–15 2 1 min
Reverse Pec Deck 3 × 12–15 2 1 min

Open Day A in the session builder

Day B
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Machine Shoulder Press 3 × 10–12 2 2 min
Cable Lateral Raise 3 × 12–15 2 1 min
Face Pull 3 × 12–15 2 1 min

Open Day B in the session builder

How to run it
Add Day A to your first upper-body session of the week and Day B to the second, at least two days apart. If chest is in the same session, press for shoulders after your chest work.
How to progress
Once all three sets of an exercise hit the top of the range at 2 reps in reserve, go one plate heavier on the stack next session. On lateral raises, a single plate is a big jump, so add 2 to 3 more reps per set first.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Side delts are the priority, two shoulder days

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets31 a week
  • Per workout~35 min
  • EquipmentSmith Machine, Lateral Raise Machine, Adjustable Cable, Cable Crossover +2

You have trained for a year or more and want wider shoulders. Your presses are fine, but your side delts lag.

Side delts recover fast and grow from a lot of sets close to failure, so this plan gives them 7 sets on Day 1 and 9 on Day 2, 16 a week, while pressing gets 4 heavy sets on Day 1 and 3 lighter ones on Day 2. Raises go to 0 reps in reserve because a failed rep on a machine or cable raise simply stops, with no bar to bail out of. Day 1 is 16 sets and Day 2 is 15.

Day 1: Press and raise
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Smith Machine Shoulder Press2 warm-up sets first 4 × 6–10 1 2:30 min
Machine Lateral Raise 4 × 12–20 0 1 min
Cable Upright Row 3 × 10–12 1 90 s
Rear Delt Cable Fly 3 × 12–20 0 1 min
Face Pull 2 × 12–15 1 1 min

Open Day 1: Press and raise in the session builder

Day 2: Raises
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Leaning Cable Lateral RaisePer arm. 4 × 12–15 0 1 min
Cable Lateral Raise 3 × 15–20 0 1 min
Cable Y Raise 2 × 12–15 1 1 min
Machine Shoulder Press 3 × 10–12 1 2 min
Reverse Pec Deck 3 × 15–20 0 1 min

Open Day 2: Raises in the session builder

How to run it
Run Day 1 on your first upper or push day and Day 2 three or four days later. Leave a day between Day 2 and any heavy bench pressing so your front delts are not worn out.
How to progress
For the press, add weight when all 4 sets hit 10 reps at 1 in reserve. For raises, add reps until every set hits 20, then add the smallest weight step or lean further on the cable raise to make the same weight harder.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Overhead pressing bothers your shoulders

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts1× a week
  • Working sets14 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentLateral Raise Machine, Adjustable Cable, Fly Machine, Cable Crossover

Pressing overhead pinches or aches at the front of your shoulder, so you want to train your delts without any overhead press.

Your front delts already work on every chest press, so this plan drops the overhead press and gives the session to the side and rear delts with raises and flies that stay at or below shoulder height. 14 sets at 1 to 2 reps in reserve, once or twice a week, keeps the shoulders growing without the movement that bothers them.

Delts below shoulder height
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Machine Lateral Raise 4 × 12–15 1 1 min
Leaning Cable Lateral RaisePer arm. 3 × 12–15 1 1 min
Reverse Pec Deck 3 × 12–15 1 1 min
Face Pull 2 × 15–20 2 1 min
Rear Delt Cable Fly 2 × 12–15 1 1 min
How to run it
Do the session once a week on its own, or twice if shoulders are a priority, at least two days apart. Raise your arms only to shoulder height on every lateral raise.
How to progress
Add reps first: when every set reaches the top of the range at the target reps in reserve, add the smallest weight step. If a pain-free press returns later, add 3 sets of the machine press at the start and keep the rest of the plan.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

What gym machine works your shoulders?

The shoulder press machine works your front delts and triceps, the lateral raise machine works your side delts, and the reverse pec deck works your rear delts. A cable machine can do all three jobs with lateral raises, upright rows, face pulls and rear delt flies.

What are the 3 best machine shoulder exercises?

The machine shoulder press, the machine lateral raise and the reverse pec deck. One press, one side delt raise and one rear delt fly cover all three heads of the shoulder in one session.

Is 3 exercises enough for shoulder day?

Yes, if they are a press, a lateral raise and a rear delt exercise at 3 to 4 hard sets each. That is 9 to 12 sets. Add a second lateral raise when you want wider shoulders.

Are machines or dumbbells better for shoulders?

Both build muscle. Machines and cables keep tension on the delts through the whole rep and make it easy to go near failure without swinging, which suits lateral raises and rear delt work especially. Dumbbells add more balance work and need no equipment.

How many sets per week for shoulders?

About 10 to 20 hard sets a week for the side and rear delts combined, plus the front delt work you already get from pressing. If your side delts lag, give them 12 to 18 sets of their own split over two days.