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Exercises

Shoulder exercises for strength: presses, raises and rotator cuff work

Published October 29, 2026

The best shoulder exercises for strength are the barbell overhead press, dumbbell shoulder press and dumbbell push press, with the landmine press and machine press as easier-on-the-joint options. Back them up with lateral raises for the side delts, face pulls and rear delt flyes for the back of the shoulder, and external rotations and overhead carries for the rotator cuff. Press heavy for 3 to 8 reps first, then do raises and cuff work for 10 to 15, twice a week, stopping 1 to 3 reps short of failure.

  1. Barbell Overhead Press Shoulders
  2. Dumbbell Shoulder Press Shoulders
  3. Dumbbell Push Press Shoulders
  4. Landmine Press Shoulders
  5. Dumbbell Lateral Raise Shoulders
  6. Face Pull Shoulders, Upper Back
  7. Dumbbell External Rotation Shoulders

Overhead presses

Pressing straight overhead is the main strength lift for the shoulders, mostly the front delts with the triceps and upper back helping. Put one press first in every shoulder session and keep it heavy.

Front delts, standing press

Barbell Overhead Press

Shoulders

Pressing a barbell overhead while standing is the heaviest strict shoulder lift there is, and the whole body has to stay rigid to do it. It is the lift to measure your shoulder strength by, trained for sets of 3 to 6.

How to do it

  1. Set the bar in a rack at collarbone height and grip it just outside your shoulders, wrists stacked over your elbows.
  2. Unrack it onto your upper chest, take one step back and set your feet about hip width apart.
  3. Squeeze your glutes, brace your abs so your ribs stay down, and take a big breath.
  4. Press straight up, pulling your chin back so the bar clears your face.
  5. Once the bar passes your forehead, push your head through until the bar sits over the middle of your foot with your arms locked.
  6. Lower it along the same line to your upper chest and re-brace before the next rep.

Cues

  • Glutes tight, ribs down
  • Chin back, bar straight up
  • Head through at the top

Common mistakes

  • Leaning back to finish reps, which turns the lift into an incline press: lower the weight until your torso stays vertical for the whole set.
  • Pressing the bar forward around your face: pull your chin back and keep the bar close enough to brush your nose.
  • Stopping short of lockout: finish every rep with the bar over your mid-foot and your arms straight, or the rep doesn't count in your log.

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

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Front and side delts, seated dumbbell press

Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Shoulders

Seated with your back supported, you can push heavy dumbbells without your legs or lower back helping. Each arm works on its own, which keeps a weaker side from getting carried.

How to do it

  1. Set a bench upright or one notch back from vertical, sit with your feet flat, and rest a dumbbell on each thigh.
  2. Kick one knee up at a time to bring the dumbbells to shoulder height, then set your back against the pad.
  3. Turn your elbows slightly forward so they sit a little in front of your torso, palms facing forward or angled in.
  4. Drive both weights overhead on a slight inward arc until your elbows are straight, keeping your ribs down and your back on the pad.
  5. Lower slowly until the dumbbells are around ear height or a bit below, then press again.

Cues

  • Ribs down, back on the pad
  • Elbows a little forward
  • Press up and slightly in

Common mistakes

  • Arching your lower back off the pad to finish reps: that turns it into an incline press, so lighten the weight and keep your ribs stacked over your hips.
  • Flaring the elbows straight out at shoulder height: bring them a little forward so the shoulder joint stays comfortable at the bottom.
  • Stopping each rep well above your ears: lower to around ear height so the delts work through a full range.

Swap for: Neutral-Grip Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Arnold Press, Machine Shoulder Press

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Shoulders and triceps, push press

Dumbbell Push Press

Shoulders

A short dip and drive with the legs lets you handle more weight than a strict press, and the slow lowering trains the shoulders under that heavier load. Use it for heavy triples and fives on a second shoulder day.

How to do it

  1. Stand with the dumbbells resting at your shoulders and feet about hip-width apart.
  2. Dip by bending your knees a few inches, keeping your torso upright.
  3. Straighten your legs explosively and use that drive to push the dumbbells overhead.
  4. Lower them under control back to your shoulders.

Cues

  • Short dip, straight down
  • Legs start it, arms finish it
  • Biceps by the ears at the top

Common mistakes

  • Dipping so deep it turns into a squat, which wastes the drive.
  • Leaning back to finish the press instead of pushing your head through.

Swap for: Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Alternating Dumbbell Shoulder Press, One-Arm Dumbbell Snatch

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Landmine and machine presses

Not every shoulder likes pressing straight up. The landmine moves at an angle and the machine fixes the path, so both let you press hard when overhead barbell work feels wrong.

Shoulders and upper chest, angled press

Landmine Press

Shoulders

Pressing the end of a barbell up and forward with both hands is easier on shoulders that dislike straight-overhead work, and it still builds real pressing strength.

How to do it

  1. Wedge one end of an empty barbell into a landmine or a corner, and load the free end with plates.
  2. Stand facing the loaded end, feet about shoulder width, and lift the end of the bar to your upper chest.
  3. Wrap both hands around the sleeve end, elbows under the bar and close to your ribs.
  4. Squeeze your glutes and keep your ribs down, then press the bar up and forward along its arc until your arms are straight.
  5. Let your shoulder blades reach forward at the top, then lower under control until the bar is back at your chest.

Cues

  • Both hands on the sleeve
  • Press where the bar wants to go
  • Ribs down, glutes tight

Common mistakes

  • Leaning back to finish the rep: if your chest tips back as the set goes on, take a plate off and keep your ribs stacked over your hips.
  • Pushing straight up against the arc: the bar is fixed at the floor, so aim up and forward and let it travel its own path.
  • Elbows flaring out wide: keep them under the bar so the press stays in line with your shoulders.

Swap for: Single-Arm Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Machine Shoulder Press, Landmine Rotational Press

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Shoulders, machine press

Machine Shoulder Press

Shoulders

The machine takes balance out of the lift so you can push the last reps of a set without a spotter. It is the main press for anyone whose shoulders do better on a fixed path, and good extra volume after free weights.

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

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Lateral raises for the side delts

Presses barely train the side of the shoulder, which is what makes shoulders look wider. Raises work it directly, with light weight and 10 to 20 reps.

Side delts, raise

Dumbbell Lateral Raise

Shoulders

The side delts give the shoulders their width, and the lateral raise is the simplest way to load them directly. Light dumbbells, strict reps and high rep counts work better than heavy swinging.

How to do it

  1. Pick light dumbbells you can raise for 12 clean reps, and stand with your feet hip width apart, the weights hanging by your thighs.
  2. Lean your chest forward a few degrees, pull your shoulders down away from your ears and soften your elbows.
  3. Sweep the weights out and slightly forward, leading with your elbows, until your upper arms are level with your shoulders.
  4. Hold that top position for a beat, then take two to three seconds to lower until the dumbbells are a hand's width from your thighs.
  5. Start the next rep from there without resting at the bottom or bouncing out of it.

Cues

  • Elbows lead, hands follow
  • Shoulders down, neck long
  • Push the weights out, not up

Common mistakes

  • Shrugging the weight up: if your shoulders rise toward your ears, drop to lighter dumbbells and stop each rep where your upper arm is level.
  • Swinging the torso to start each rep: brace, stand still and keep the first inch of the lift as slow as the rest.
  • Bending the elbows more and more as the set goes on: set the bend on rep one and keep it, or the lever shortens and the set gets easier without you noticing.

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

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Side delts, cable raise

Cable Lateral Raise

Shoulders

The cable keeps tension on the side delt at the bottom of the raise, where dumbbells feel weightless. It is a strong second raise in the week or the main one if you train in a gym.

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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Rear delts, rotator cuff and overhead stability

Heavy pressing needs a strong back of the shoulder and rotator cuff to keep the joint centered. These are low-load, higher-rep exercises that go at the end of a session.

Rear delts and upper back, cable pull

Face Pull

Shoulders, Upper Back

Pulling a rope toward your face trains the rear delts and the muscles that rotate the upper arm outward, both of which balance a lot of pressing. Use it at the end of every shoulder session.

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, Dumbbell Face Pull, Reverse Pec Deck

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Rear delts, seated fly

Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly

Shoulders

Seated and leaning over your knees, you can raise the dumbbells out to the sides without your lower back joining in. It isolates the rear delts better than rows do.

How to do it

  1. Sit on the end of a bench, feet together and planted, with a light dumbbell in each hand.
  2. Fold forward from the hips until your chest nearly touches your knees, and let the weights hang below your legs, palms turned in.
  3. Bend your elbows a little and lock that angle in for the whole set.
  4. Open your arms out and up in a wide arc, elbows leading, and stop when your upper arms line up with your back.
  5. Pause for a beat at the top, then take two to three seconds to bring them back down until your arms hang straight again.

Cues

  • Arms wide, like spreading wings
  • Reach for the walls, not the ceiling
  • Chest stays on your knees

Common mistakes

  • Sitting up as the weights rise: if your chest leaves your knees to finish the rep, drop to lighter dumbbells and stop where your upper arms reach your back.
  • Turning the fly into a row: if your elbows bend more and drift toward your ribs, your lats take over; keep the same small elbow bend from the first rep to the last.
  • Shrugging your shoulders toward your ears at the top: keep your neck long and think about reaching your hands toward the walls rather than the ceiling.

Swap for: Reverse Pec Deck, Rear Delt Cable Fly, Incline Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise

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Rotator cuff, external rotation

Dumbbell External Rotation

Shoulders

This trains the small muscles that turn the upper arm outward, which are often the weak link when the overhead press stalls. A light dumbbell for 12 to 15 slow reps per arm is plenty.

How to do it

  1. Hold a light dumbbell with your elbow bent to 90 degrees and tucked at your side.
  2. Turn the forearm out, with the elbow pinned to your ribs.
  3. Return slowly until the forearm is across your stomach.

Cues

  • Elbow glued to your side
  • Light and slow

Common mistakes

  • Letting the elbow drift away from the body: hold a rolled towel under the arm.

Swap for: Dumbbell Lying External Rotation, Band Pull-Apart, Face Pull

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Shoulder stability, single-arm carry

Dumbbell Single-Arm Overhead Carry

Shoulders, Abs

Walking with one dumbbell locked out overhead makes the shoulder and trunk hold position for the whole set. It builds the stability you feel at the top of a heavy press.

How to do it

  1. Press one dumbbell overhead and lock your elbow with the biceps near your ear.
  2. Walk forward slowly, keeping the weight stacked over your shoulder.
  3. Lower it to your shoulder, switch hands and walk back.

Cues

  • Arm locked
  • Ribs down
  • Weight over the shoulder

Common mistakes

  • Leaning back to hold the weight up.
  • Letting the dumbbell drift in front of your head.

Swap for: Plate Overhead Carry, Dumbbell Suitcase Carry

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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

Gym, two shoulder days to raise your press

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets22 a week
  • Per workout~35 min
  • EquipmentBarbells, Dumbbells, Adjustable Cable

You have a barbell and dumbbells and want a heavier overhead press.

Twice a week puts a heavy press first both days: a strict barbell press on Day 1 and a push press on Day 2, which lets you handle more weight. Each day has 11 shoulder sets, 22 for the week, about half of them heavy presses.

Day 1: Strict press
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Barbell Overhead Press3 warm-up sets first 5 × 3–5 2 3 min
Dumbbell Lateral Raise 3 × 10–15 1 1 min
Face Pull 3 × 12–15 1 1 min

Open Day 1: Strict press in the session builder

Day 2: Push press
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Dumbbell Push Press2 warm-up sets first 4 × 4–6 2 2:30 min
Dumbbell Shoulder Press 3 × 6–10 2 2 min
Cable Lateral Raise 2 × 12–15 1 1 min
Dumbbell Single-Arm Overhead CarrySeconds per arm. 2 × 20–40 2 1 min

Open Day 2: Push press in the session builder

How to run it
Run these on your upper-body days, with two or three days between them. Do the press before any bench work so your shoulders are fresh.
How to progress
Add 5 pounds to the overhead press and push press when every set reaches the top of the range at 2 reps in reserve. Smaller jumps of 2.5 pounds work better on the strict press once you are past a year of lifting. On raises, add reps first, then the next dumbbell.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Home with adjustable dumbbells

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets24 a week
  • Per workout~30 min
  • EquipmentDumbbells

You train at home with adjustable dumbbells and a bench that sits upright.

Dumbbells cover pressing, raises and cuff work without a rack or cable station. Day 1 has 13 sets and Day 2 has 11, 24 for the week, with more rear delt and cuff work than the gym plan because face pulls are not available.

Day 1
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Dumbbell Shoulder Press2 warm-up sets first 4 × 6–10 2 2 min
Dumbbell Lateral Raise 4 × 10–15 1 1 min
Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly 3 × 12–15 1 1 min
Dumbbell External RotationPer arm. 2 × 12–15 2 1 min

Open Day 1 in the session builder

Day 2
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Dumbbell Push Press1 warm-up set first 4 × 4–6 2 2:30 min
Dumbbell Lateral Raise 3 × 12–20 1 1 min
Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly 2 × 12–15 1 1 min
Dumbbell Single-Arm Overhead CarrySeconds per arm. 2 × 20–40 2 1 min

Open Day 2 in the session builder

How to run it
Two sessions a week, at least two days apart, alongside your chest and back work.
How to progress
Use double progression. Presses go up one dumbbell size when all sets reach the top of the range at 2 reps in reserve; raises and rotations stay light and go up only when you get 15 strict reps.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Overhead barbell pressing does not feel right

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets24 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentLandmine, Adjustable Cable, Dumbbells, Shoulder Press

Pressing a bar straight overhead pinches or aches, or your shoulder mobility does not let you lock out cleanly.

This plan keeps the shoulders loaded heavy with an angled press and a machine press, and gives the rear delts and cuff more sets than the other two. Each day has 12 sets, 24 for the week.

Day A
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Landmine Press1 warm-up set first 4 × 6–10 2 2 min
Cable Lateral Raise 3 × 12–15 1 1 min
Face Pull 3 × 12–15 1 1 min
Dumbbell External RotationPer arm. 2 × 12–15 2 1 min

Open Day A in the session builder

Day B
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Machine Shoulder Press 4 × 6–10 2 2 min
Dumbbell Lateral Raise 3 × 12–15 1 1 min
Dumbbell Rear Delt Fly 3 × 12–15 1 1 min
Dumbbell External RotationPer arm. 2 × 12–15 2 1 min

Open Day B in the session builder

How to run it
Two days a week. If a movement still feels wrong, cut the range of motion to what feels solid and build from there; reach full range only as the weight moves well.
How to progress
Add reps first, then weight, on every exercise. When the landmine press reaches 10 reps on every set at 2 reps in reserve, add a 5 or 10 pound plate.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

What exercise makes your shoulders stronger?

The overhead press. Pressing a barbell or dumbbells overhead for heavy sets of 3 to 8 builds more shoulder strength than any raise. Add lateral raises and face pulls to balance it.

What are 7 good exercises for strengthening the shoulders?

The barbell overhead press, dumbbell shoulder press, push press, landmine press, lateral raise, face pull and dumbbell external rotation. Together they cover the front, side and back of the shoulder and the rotator cuff.

How do I strengthen a weak shoulder?

Start with the press that feels solid, often a landmine or machine press, at a weight you can do for 10 reps with 2 or 3 left in the tank. Add face pulls and external rotations to every session and raise the load slowly week by week.

Is 3 exercises enough for shoulder day?

Yes, if they are a heavy press, a lateral raise and a rear delt or cuff exercise. That covers every part of the shoulder in about 10 sets.

How often should I train shoulders for strength?

Twice a week works best for most people: one heavy press day and one lighter or different press day, with raises and cuff work in both.