Shoulder training 2026 – How to train your shoulders according to the research

Shoulder training is most effective when you train all three parts of the shoulder: the front, the side and the rear delt. For most people a suitable amount is 5–20 working sets per week, and the best exercises are the overhead press, lateral raises with either dumbbells or a cable, and, for the rear delt, something like the reverse pec deck or face pull.

In this guide we go through, based on the research:

• The best shoulder exercises

• How many sets and reps to do

• Whether to choose dumbbells or a cable

• The most common mistakes in shoulder training

• a sample program for muscle growth

Whether you're a beginner or an experienced lifter, this guide helps you build effective shoulder training.

Contents

• Which muscles are you actually training?

• Is the overhead press enough?

• The best shoulder exercises

• Dumbbell or cable?

• How many sets and reps?

• The most common mistakes

• Sample program

• Frequently asked questions

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Which shoulder muscles are the most important to train?

Short answer: For most people, the side and rear delts need the most attention and the biggest growth stimulus.

The shoulder isn't a single muscle; it's made up of three different parts: the front, the side and the rear delt. Each part has its own job, which is why a single exercise isn't enough to develop the whole shoulder. That's why effective shoulder training includes more than one exercise. A balanced set of shoulder muscles also reduces the risk of injury.

Part	Main role at the shoulder joint	Loaded especially by	Does it need isolation work?
Front (anterior)	Flexion of the shoulder joint and horizontal adduction	Overhead press, bench press, dips, front raises	Rarely
Side (lateral)	Abduction of the shoulder joint, with force output greatest at roughly 30–90° of abduction	Lateral raise (dumbbell, cable, machine), upright row with elbows high	Yes
Rear (posterior)	Extension of the shoulder joint and horizontal abduction	Reverse pec deck, rear delt row, face pull, rowing movements	Yes

The practical takeaway is straightforward: the problem with shoulder training is often that the side and rear delts don't get enough load. If your program has, say, a lot of pushing movements, the front delt gets plenty of load, but the side and especially the rear delt often fall behind.

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Is the overhead press enough as shoulder training?

Short answer: Not on its own.

The overhead press is an excellent exercise for the front delt and also loads the side delt moderately. The rear delt, on the other hand, gets little load from it, so the overhead press alone isn't enough to develop the whole shoulder.

This shows up in research too. Campos et al. (2020) compared muscle activity (sEMG) across four different exercises in resistance-trained men. The results were reported as a percentage of maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC).

Exercise	Front delt	Side delt	Rear delt
Overhead press (barbell, seated)	33.3%	27.9%	11.4%
Lateral raise (dumbbell, seated)	21.2%	30.3%	24.0%
Bench press	21.4%	5.0%	3.5%
Dumbbell flye	18.8%	3.4%	2.5%

What can we conclude from the results?

• Front delt: the overhead press was the best of the exercises tested. If your program already has overhead pressing and bench pressing, the front delt almost certainly gets enough stimulus without you doing, say, front raises.

• Side delt: the overhead press and the lateral raise didn't differ statistically significantly from each other. Both were, however, clearly higher than the bench press and the flye.

• Rear delt: the lateral raise produced the highest value, but you shouldn't conclude from this that the lateral raise is a good rear delt exercise. The study didn't test a single exercise based on horizontal abduction.

The limitations of EMG: why you shouldn't read this data at face value

EMG measures a muscle's electrical activity, not muscle growth or the load on the muscle. So it doesn't account for the mechanical tension the exercise places on the target muscle, which is the muscle's most important growth mechanism. EMG is at best an indirect measure. That's why EMG studies are worth using to support exercise selection, but the conclusions should be drawn based on the whole body of research.

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What are actually the best shoulder exercises?

Short answer: The best shoulder exercises depend on which part of the shoulder you want to develop. The overhead press is excellent for the front delt, lateral raises for the side delt, and the reverse pec deck or face pull for the rear delt.

A good shoulder exercise meets four criteria: it's stable, its range of motion is long and suitable for the muscle, its limiting factor is the target muscle (not balance or grip strength), and it can be loaded progressively. The most important measure of an exercise's quality is how it loads the target muscle through the range of motion.

Some of the best shoulder exercises:

Exercise	Main target	Why is the exercise good?	Typical sets × reps
Overhead press (barbell/dumbbells)	Front, side	Highest front-delt activity, side delt in the same range. Resistance curve for the side delt isn't optimal.	2–4 × 7–10
Dumbbell lateral raise	Side	Direct abduction; shown to grow the side delt, anatomically good.	2–4 × 8–20
Cable lateral raise	Side	Good resistance curve to the side, even tension through the whole range of motion	2–4 × 8–20
Machine lateral raise	Side	Same range of motion as other lateral raises, a stable movement on the machine.	2–4 × 10–20
Reverse pec deck	Rear	Highest rear-delt activity of the exercises measured	2–4 × 10–20
Cable face pull	Rear, side	Horizontal abduction over a long range of motion	3-4 × 12–20

To sum up, there's no single best shoulder exercise. Effective shoulder training includes, for example, the overhead press for the front delt, lateral raises for the side delt, and an isolation exercise for the rear delt.

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Dumbbell or cable for lateral raises?

Short answer: For muscle growth, dumbbell and cable lateral raises are equally effective based on the research. You can do either one.

A recent study (Larsen et al. 2025) compared the dumbbell and cable lateral raise in 24 experienced trainees.

The study in brief

• 24 trained men and women

• An 8-week training period

• 2 sessions per week

• 10 working sets per week per arm

• Rep range 12–16, sets taken to failure

• Side delt growth measured by ultrasound

Results

Side delt muscle thickness grew by 3.3–4.6%, and no practically meaningful difference was seen between the dumbbell and cable lateral raise.

Conclusion: Both exercises grew the side delt equally effectively.

Why is the result interesting?

Based on the study, the dumbbell and cable lateral raise grew the side delt equally effectively. This is an interesting result, since the cable lateral raise has often been thought to be the better option because of its more even resistance curve and greater loading at long muscle lengths.

There are, however, a few important points to note about the study:

• The study lasted only 8 weeks, so any long-term differences couldn't be detected.

• Muscle growth was measured by ultrasound, whose measurement error was relatively large compared with the changes observed.

• The cable lateral raise may have produced slightly greater growth at one measurement point, but the difference couldn't be confirmed statistically.

Based on these limitations, we can't say that either exercise is better than the other for muscle growth.

Practical recommendation

If you prefer one exercise, you can do it without a second thought.

If you want to maximise the variety in your training, you can include both dumbbell and cable lateral raises in your program, for example on different training days or in different training blocks.

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How many sets and reps should you do for shoulders?

Short answer

• Working sets: for most people, 5–15 sets per week.

• Frequency: train shoulders 2–3 times per week.

• Reps: in most exercises, 7–15 reps. On lateral raises, 10–15 reps works excellently for most people.

Based on research, there's a dose–response relationship between muscle growth and training volume. As set count increases, muscle growth increases up to a certain point, after which the added benefit diminishes (Pelland 2025). For this reason, the optimal volume isn't a single exact number but an individual range.

Recommendation for set counts: a suitable number of working sets is 5–20 per muscle group per week (Schoenfeld 2017). For most people, a suitable amount lands at 5–15 sets.

Frequency: a muscle group develops best when it's trained 2–3 times per week (Schoenfeld 2016, Baz-Valle 2022).

Rep ranges (the same as for other muscle groups):

• 1–6: strength-focused

• 6–20: muscle growth

• 8–20: muscle growth in many isolation exercises (10–15 also works well)

On lateral raises, 10–15 reps is the most workable range for most people. It's joint-friendly and keeps your technique well together.

Experience level	Working sets/week (e.g. side delt)	Frequency	Note
Beginner	5–10	2×	Even a small volume is often enough
Intermediate	10–15	2–3×	Worth splitting the volume across several sessions
Advanced / priority muscle	15–20	2–3×	More careful attention to recovery

Note that the sets from the overhead press are worth counting toward the side delt as roughly half sets, because the movement doesn't direct the load solely to it. This same logic was used in Larsen et al.'s study when calculating volume.

If you haven't chosen a training program yet, first read our guide on how many times a week you should go to the gym. After that you can look at, for example, a 3-day training program or start training with our app, individualised directly for you.

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Technique: how do you do lateral raises correctly?

The lateral raise is one of the best side delt exercises, and a simple movement in which small details make a big difference.

1. The direction the arm moves. The side delt works effectively when the arm moves slightly in front of the body and the palm is rotated slightly inward. It helps a lot here to lean forward a little rather than standing perfectly upright.

2. Lead with the elbow. Think about taking your elbows far from your body, rather than lifting the weights up. This one mental cue fixes most technical problems at once.

3. Lifting height. Up to where the arm is straight out to the side. Going higher than this shifts the load more onto the upper trapezius.

4. The tempo of the movement. Always do the lifting phase and the lowering phase in a controlled way. A small swing near failure isn't a problem. A big swing, on the other hand, reduces the actual load on the target muscle. A practical rule: the first reps strict, a small bit of help allowed right at the end, the lowering phase always controlled (2–3 s).

5. If your traps burn. The most common causes are lifting too high, shrugging, too heavy a weight, or raising the shoulders toward the ears. Lighten the weight and limit the lifting height to roughly shoulder level.

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Why does the rear delt often stay underdeveloped?

Short answer: The rear delt is often a so-called neglected muscle group, because the usual pushing and rowing movements don't load it enough. That's why it almost always benefits from its own isolation exercises, such as the reverse pec deck and the face pull.

The rear delt's main job is horizontal abduction, i.e. taking the arm back and outward. This movement comes up surprisingly little in gym training. In pushing movements the rear delt barely works, and even in rowing movements its load depends a lot on elbow position and the technique used.

In practice this means it's worth setting aside dedicated sets for the rear delt, typically 4–10 working sets per week, split across 2 sessions. The face pull and reverse pec deck are both effective. Done on a cable, the range of motion is often longer and the tension more even than in the dumbbell version, which is useful precisely for the small parts of the shoulder, where it's hard to load them at long muscle lengths with free weights.

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The four most common mistakes in shoulder training

Mistake 1: Shoulder volume isn't planned individually. Different people need different amounts of load.

Mistake 2: The rear delt doesn't get enough attention. The single most common programming mistake with shoulders. Without horizontal abduction, the rear delt doesn't get a proper stimulus.

Mistake 3: The side delt doesn't get enough attention.

Mistake 4: The front delt gets too much attention. The most common mistake, since in typical training programs the front delt gets a disproportionate amount of load, and the side delt doesn't get enough attention.

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Example: shoulder training as part of a weekly program

Below is a template in which the side delt gets about 10.5 working sets per week and the rear delt 6 sets, split across two training days. The front delt also gets worked in the lateral raises. The set counts are an example, and the right amount depends on your total volume and recovery.

Session	Exercise	Sets × reps	Target
Session A	Dumbbell overhead press	3 × 8–10	Front, side
	Cable lateral raises (one arm at a time)	3 × 12–16	Side
	Reverse pec deck	3 × 12–16	Rear
Session B	Dumbbell lateral raises	3 × 8–12	Side
	Machine lateral raise	3 × 10–12	Side
	Cable face pull	3 × 12–16	Rear

Note:

The 3 sets of overhead press are counted toward the side delt as roughly half sets, so the side delt's weekly volume lands at about 10.5 sets.

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How does AITOFIT program shoulder training for you?

Everything covered above is straightforward in principle. In practice, the challenge is that the right set count, frequency and exercise selection don't stay put. They change along with your progress, your recovery, your training volume and your life situation. If shoulders are a priority, the volume needs to be optimised.

AITOFIT calculates this automatically:

• Individual weekly volume for each muscle group, including the different parts of the shoulder.

• Splitting the sets across sessions so that no single session piles up too much load on one muscle group.

• Exercise swaps at sensible intervals, for example between the dumbbell and cable lateral raise — exactly the approach the research supports for variation.

• Weights and reps automatically for every set, plus progression after every session.

• Load adjusted according to recovery, including after breaks and illness.

The app was built by exercise scientists at the University of Jyväskylä, and it uses its own research-based AI models instead of generic algorithms. Take a closer look at how the AI builds a gym program.

Try the AITOFIT app free for 9 days and see what kind of shoulder volume the system calculates for you.

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Frequently asked questions about shoulder training

How often should you train shoulders?

For most people, 2–3 times per week. That way the training volume is spread across several sessions, which keeps the quality of individual sets higher.

Is the overhead press enough as shoulder training?

No. The overhead press develops the front delt effectively and also loads the side delt moderately. It barely loads the rear delts at all.

Which is better, the dumbbell or cable lateral raise?

You can do either one. If you like both, alternating them is a well-founded option.

How many sets for shoulders per week?

For most people a suitable amount is 5–20 working sets per muscle group per week (Schoenfeld 2017), and for the majority 5–15 sets is plenty.

How high should you lift on the lateral raise?

To shoulder level. Lifting higher shifts the load increasingly onto the upper trapezius and doesn't add load to the side delt.

Why do my traps burn on lateral raises?

The most common causes are lifting too high, shrugging, too heavy a weight, or raising the shoulders toward the ears. Lighten the weight and think about taking your elbows far from your body instead of lifting the weights up.

Can you train shoulders at home without a cable?

Yes. The dumbbell lateral raise and dumbbell press cover the front and side, and for the rear a bent-over rear delt raise or a resistance-band raise works, for example. The most important thing isn't the equipment, but that you take your sets close enough to failure and increase the load over time.

How long does it take to see results in shoulder growth?

In experienced trainees, 8 weeks of training with 10 weekly sets produced a 3.3–4.6% increase in muscle thickness in the side delt (Larsen et al. 2025). In a beginner the change is faster. A visible difference in the mirror usually takes several months of consistent, progressive training.

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Summary

Good shoulder training is based on a few simple principles:

• Train all three parts of the shoulder. The overhead press develops the front delt in particular, lateral raises the side delt, and the reverse pec deck or face pull the rear delt.

• Do enough quality working sets. For most people a suitable amount is 5–15 working sets per week per muscle group, split across 2–3 sessions.

• Train progressively. Add reps or weight over time, so the muscle keeps getting a new stimulus.

Once these three things are in order, smaller details — such as whether you do lateral raises with dumbbells or a cable — matter considerably less.

Your training program should, however, change along with your progress. Exercises, training volume and load don't stay optimal forever; it's good to update them regularly according to your goals and your progress.

Do you want a ready-made shoulder workout?

AITOFIT automatically builds you a training program suited to your goals, selects research-based exercises, tracks your progression, and adjusts training volume according to your progress.

Try AITOFIT free for 9 days and start a shoulder workout suited to your goals today.

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This article is based on peer-reviewed research.

Sources: Campos et al. (2020). Different Shoulder Exercises Affect the Activation of Deltoid Portions in Resistance-Trained Individuals. Journal of Human Kinetics 75. Larsen et al. (2025). Dumbbell versus cable lateral raises for lateral deltoid hypertrophy: an experimental study. Frontiers in Physiology 16:1611468. Botton et al. (2013). Electromyographical analysis of the deltoid between different strength training exercises. Medicina Sportiva 17(2). Franke et al. (2015). Analysis of anterior, middle and posterior deltoid activation during single and multijoint exercises. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 55(7–8). Wolf et al. (2024). Lengthened partial repetitions elicit similar muscular adaptations as a full range of motion during resistance training in trained individuals. PeerJ 13:e18904. Schoenfeld et al. (2016); Baz-Valle et al. (2022) – training frequency and muscle growth. Schoenfeld, Ogborn & Krieger (2017); Pelland et al. (2025) – the dose–response relationship of training volume.

Author: Julius Granlund, M.Sc Exercise Science (Exercise Physiology), University of Jyväskylä | Reviewed by: Tapio Tulenheimo, M.Sc Exercise Science (Exercise Physiology), University of Jyväskylä