Men's Fitness Online

Looking to build broad, powerful shoulders? Here are the ten best exercises to grow your delts and traps:

• Overhead Shoulder Press
• Seated Behind-the-Neck Press
• Seated Unilateral Dumbbell Press
• Barbell Upright Row
• Barbell Front Raise
• Incline Lateral Raise
• Face Pull
• Bentover Lateral Shoulder Raise
• Incline I,Y,T’s
• Standing Side Raise + Front Raise Superset

If there’s one body part that instantly adds dominance and masculinity to your physique, it’s the shoulders. A well-developed set of delts caps off a fit waist, enhances the elusive abdominal V, and creates the illusion of a broader, more powerful frame.

Still not convinced? When we asked 25 women their favourite male body part, shoulders won by a landslide. One woman summed it up perfectly: “A large upper body—toned back, shoulders, and arms. I like a man who has the power to lift me up…”

Even if impressing women isn’t your priority, strong broad shoulders make everyday movements—like playing sports and lifting heavy objects—a whole lot easier. They also help prevent injuries during back and chest exercises.

To help you sculpt strong, defined shoulders, we spoke with Noah Bryant, co-author of The Size and Strength Blueprint, who shared his top exercises. “To build massive shoulders, you need to train all three deltoid heads: anterior (front), lateral (side), and posterior (rear),” Bryant explains. “Start with big compound movements, then target each head with isolation exercises.”

On shoulder day, choose 2-3 compound lifts and 3-4 isolation exercises to develop powerful delts, traps and broad shoulders.

10 Exercises To Get Broad Shoulders

1. Overhead Shoulder Press

Compound exercise

“One of the best overall delt-builders,” says Bryant. If executed with proper form, this exercise guarantees upper-body mass gains.

How to do it:

• Grasp the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width.
• Keep elbows vertical and feet slightly wider than shoulder-width.
• Press the bar overhead, moving your head slightly to clear the path.
• Fully extend your elbows and shrug your shoulders at the top.
• Avoid using your legs (no push pressing).

Sets/Reps: 3-5 sets of 5-8 reps

2A. Seated Behind-the-Neck Press

Isolation exercise

A risky but effective move—perfect form is key.

How to do it:

• Sit on a bench with back support.
• Grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width.
• Press the bar overhead without locking elbows.
• Lower it behind your head, stopping before discomfort.

Sets/Reps: 3-5 sets of 6-10 reps

2B. Seated Unilateral Dumbbell Press

Compound exercise

Working one arm at a time enhances control and prevents imbalances.

How to do it:

• Start with both dumbbells locked out overhead.
• Lower one dumbbell while keeping the other stationary.
• Press back up and repeat with the other arm.

Sets/Reps: 4 sets of 6-8 reps per arm

3. Barbell Upright Row

Compound exercise

Targets the front and side delts while engaging the traps.

How to do it:

• Grip the bar just inside shoulder-width.
• Pull the bar straight up to your chin.
• Stop at chin level to avoid shoulder strain.

Sets/Reps: 4 sets of 8-15 reps

4. Barbell Front Raise

Isolation exercise

Targets the front delts while also engaging the side delts.

How to do it:

• Grip the bar at shoulder-width, palms facing down.
• Raise the bar in an arc motion to shoulder height.
• Keep the movement controlled to prevent momentum.

Sets/Reps: 4-5 sets of 12-20 reps

5. Incline Lateral Raise

Isolation exercise

Emphasises the stretch at the bottom for full-side delt activation.

How to do it:

• Sit on an incline bench with dumbbells at your sides.
• Raise the dumbbells to shoulder height.
• Control the descent for maximum tension.

Sets/Reps: 3-5 sets of 12-15 reps

6. Face Pull

Compound exercise

Targets the rear delts and improves shoulder stability.

How to do it:

• Attach a rope to the highest pulley.
• Pull the rope toward your eyebrows, keeping both elbows high.

Sets/Reps: 3-5 sets of 15-20 reps

9-10. Standing Side Raise + Front Raise Superset

Isolation exercises

Combines two movements for full shoulder activation.

How to do it:

• Do a set of side raises.
• Immediately follow with a set of front raises.

Sets/Reps: 4-5 sets of 10-12 reps each