Wide, rounded shoulders do more than fill out a T-shirt—they create the illusion of a smaller waist, improve your posture, and make you look more athletic from every angle. Whether you're aiming for that "capped delt" look or simply want stronger, healthier shoulders, this beginner's guide has everything you need. Let's build some boulder shoulders.
Understanding Your Shoulder Muscles
The shoulder (deltoid) is actually three separate muscles that work together:
Anterior Deltoid (Front)
Located on the front of your shoulder, this head is involved in all pressing movements. If you bench press, you're already hitting it. Most people actually overtrain the front delt without realizing it.
Lateral Deltoid (Side)
The side of your shoulder—and the key to looking wider. This is the head that creates that round, capped appearance. It's primarily trained through lateral raising movements.
Posterior Deltoid (Rear)
Located on the back of your shoulder, the rear delt is crucial for posture and shoulder health. It's the most commonly undertrained head, leading to imbalances and rounded shoulders.
The Rotator Cuff
Not technically deltoids, but four small muscles that stabilize your shoulder joint. They need to be healthy for safe pressing and raising movements. We'll cover how to warm them up.
Why Balanced Shoulder Training Matters
Most beginners make the same mistake: they bench press (working front delts), maybe do some overhead pressing (more front delts), and call it a day. Meanwhile, the side and rear delts get neglected.
This creates problems:
- Rounded posture: Overdeveloped front delts pull shoulders forward
- Injury risk: Imbalanced muscles stress the shoulder joint
- Incomplete appearance: Shoulders don't look wide or capped
A good shoulder workout trains all three heads, with extra emphasis on the neglected lateral and rear delts.
The Complete Beginner Shoulder Workout
This routine hits all three deltoid heads in about 30-35 minutes. Perform it once or twice per week.
Warm-Up (5 minutes)
Never skip this. Shoulder injuries are common and can sideline you for months.
- Arm circles: 30 seconds forward, 30 seconds backward
- Band pull-aparts: 2 sets of 15 reps
- External rotations: 2 sets of 10 each arm (with light dumbbell or band)
Exercise 1: Dumbbell Overhead Press
Sets: 3 | Reps: 8-10 | Rest: 90 seconds
Target: Front and side delts
How to do it:
- Sit on a bench with back support, or stand with feet shoulder-width apart
- Hold dumbbells at shoulder height, palms facing forward
- Press the weights straight up until your arms are extended (don't lock elbows)
- Lower with control back to shoulder height
Beginner tip: Seated is more stable and lets you focus on form. Start there, progress to standing later.
Exercise 2: Dumbbell Lateral Raises
Sets: 3 | Reps: 12-15 | Rest: 60 seconds
Target: Side delts (width builders)
How to do it:
- Stand with dumbbells at your sides, palms facing your body
- With a slight bend in your elbows, raise the weights out to the sides
- Stop when your arms are parallel to the floor (or slightly above)
- Lower slowly—don't just drop them
Beginner tip: Use lighter weight than you think. If you're swinging or shrugging, it's too heavy. The side delt is a small muscle—10-15 lb dumbbells are plenty to start.
Exercise 3: Face Pulls
Sets: 3 | Reps: 15-20 | Rest: 60 seconds
Target: Rear delts, upper back, rotator cuff
How to do it:
- Set a cable pulley to face height with a rope attachment
- Grip the rope with both hands, thumbs toward you
- Pull the rope toward your face, separating the ends as you pull
- Your hands should end up beside your ears, elbows high and back
- Squeeze your rear delts at the end, then return with control
Beginner tip: This is a corrective exercise as much as a builder. Don't ego lift—focus on the squeeze and external rotation.
Exercise 4: Reverse Dumbbell Flyes (Bent-Over)
Sets: 3 | Reps: 12-15 | Rest: 60 seconds
Target: Rear delts
How to do it:
- Hinge at your hips until your torso is nearly parallel to the floor
- Let the dumbbells hang below you, palms facing each other
- With a slight bend in your elbows, raise the weights out to the sides
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top
- Lower with control
Beginner tip: Keep your back flat and core engaged. If you're rounding, the weight is too heavy or you're fatigued.
Exercise 5 (Optional): Front Raises
Sets: 2 | Reps: 10-12 | Rest: 60 seconds
Target: Front delts
How to do it:
- Stand with dumbbells in front of your thighs, palms facing your body
- Raise one arm straight in front of you to shoulder height
- Lower with control and repeat with the other arm
- Alternate or do both arms together
Beginner tip: This is optional because your front delts get hit by pressing movements. Include it if you feel your anterior delts need extra work.
Workout Summary
- Warm-Up: 5 minutes (arm circles, band pull-aparts, external rotations)
- Dumbbell Overhead Press: 3 x 8-10
- Dumbbell Lateral Raises: 3 x 12-15
- Face Pulls: 3 x 15-20
- Reverse Dumbbell Flyes: 3 x 12-15
- (Optional) Front Raises: 2 x 10-12
Total time: 30-35 minutes
Keys to Shoulder Success
Prioritize Form Over Weight
The shoulder joint is complex and vulnerable. Ego lifting with heavy lateral raises or sloppy presses is a recipe for injury. Use weights you can control through the full range of motion.
Feel the Muscle Working
Especially on lateral raises, focus on initiating the movement with your side delt, not by swinging or shrugging. If you feel it in your traps, you're shrugging. Lower the weight and concentrate.
Train Rear Delts Seriously
Most beginners treat face pulls and reverse flyes as afterthoughts. Give them the same focus as your pressing movements. Your posture, shoulder health, and appearance will thank you.
Progress Gradually
Shoulders respond well to consistent training with slow, steady weight increases. Add 2.5-5 lbs to your press when you can hit the top of your rep range. For isolation exercises, add reps before adding weight.
How Often Should You Train Shoulders?
For dedicated shoulder workouts, once or twice per week is ideal. But remember: if you're also doing chest work (bench press, push-ups), your front delts are getting trained there too.
A typical setup:
- Option 1: One dedicated shoulder day + shoulders worked during push day
- Option 2: Shoulders included in push day (PPL split), twice per week
- Option 3: Two dedicated shoulder sessions per week (shoulders only)
Listen to your body. Shoulders recover relatively quickly but can become overtrained if you're pressing heavy multiple times per week plus doing direct shoulder work.
Common Shoulder Training Mistakes
Swinging Lateral Raises
Using momentum defeats the purpose. Your side delt is a small muscle that responds to tension, not weight. Slow, controlled reps with 10 lbs beats swinging 25 lbs.
Neglecting the Warm-Up
Shoulder injuries can take months to heal. Five minutes of warm-up is cheap insurance. Don't skip it.
Only Pressing, Never Isolating
Overhead presses are great but don't fully develop the side and rear delts. You need isolation work (raises and pulls) for complete development.
Ignoring Rear Delts
We've said it multiple times because it's that important. Train your rear delts as seriously as your pressing movements.
Shrugging Instead of Raising
On lateral raises, many people elevate their shoulders (shrug) to get the weight up. This shifts work to the traps. Keep your shoulders down and initiate with your delts.
What Results to Expect
Week 1-2: Learning the movements, feeling some soreness. Weights may feel awkward.
Week 3-4: Form improves, mind-muscle connection develops. You start to feel your delts working.
Week 6-8: Strength increases noticeably. Overhead press feels more natural. Early visual changes may appear.
Week 12+: Significant strength gains. Shoulders begin looking rounder and more capped. Others may comment.
Shoulders are stubborn but respond well to consistent training. Be patient and trust the process.
Build Your Shoulder Foundation
Strong, well-developed shoulders transform your entire physique. They make you look wider, more athletic, and more balanced. This workout gives you everything you need to start building—compound pressing for strength, isolation work for shape, and rear delt training for health and posture.
Focus on form, train all three heads, and be consistent. The results will come.
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