Shoulder Exercises
The deltoid is the cap of muscle over your shoulder joint, and it has three parts. The front delt lifts your arm forward, the side delt lifts it out to the side, and the rear delt pulls it back. Under the deltoid, the small rotator cuff muscles keep the ball of the upper arm centered in its socket. Overhead presses train the front and side delts, with help from the triceps. Lateral raises isolate the side delts. Rear delt flyes, face pulls, band pull-aparts and rows train the rear delts. Chest presses also load the front delts, so many programs give the side and rear delts extra direct work.
8 exercises with male and female illustrations.
Start here
Beginner picks: easy to learn and easy to load.
Vertical push
Horizontal push
Shoulder isolation
Questions
Do I need to train the front delts on their own?
Most people do not. Bench presses, push-ups and overhead presses already load the front delts hard. Extra direct work tends to help the side and rear delts more, because presses train them less.
Is the shoulder press better seated or standing?
Both work. In an EMG study, the standing dumbbell press showed the highest deltoid activity, but it was also the press in which the lifters could move the least weight. Sit when you want a stable base to push more load, and stand when you also want your trunk to work.
How do I train my rear delts?
Use movements that pull your arms back and out with the elbows high, such as the rear delt fly, the face pull and the band pull-apart. Use a light load and move slowly, because heavy weights let the traps and the lower back take over.