This workout is designed to help you get large, defined shoulders. Many people don’t realize that the key to having big looking arms is to actually workout your shoulders and triceps, not necessarily focusing on your biceps. This workout is designed to give you big shoulders with a nice, cut like, seperation between your shoulders, biceps, and triceps.

Shoulders, like our legs and core, are some of the strongest, most used muscles in our body. Almost every movement or exercise you do from simply lifting your arm up or getting out of bed in the morning and brushing your teeth requires the use of your shoulders. Almost all of your exercises including chest, triceps, back, biceps, etc all use your shoulders.

Because of the constant use coupled with the fragile ball joint that is connected to your shoulders it’s important that you’re doing the correct exercises and not over fatiguing your shoulder muscles. If you’re starting out opt for lower weight, higher rep workouts rather than higher weight lower rep workouts. As your get comfortable with the movements feel free to increase your weight.

This workout will maximize your pump and allow you to hit multiple angles on your shoulders to give you the best definition. Higher weights will give you this larger pump, but as we mentioned before start out with lower weights and gradually work your way up as you feel more comfortable.

Exercise no. 1

Dumbbell Cross Body Raises

4 sets of 8-12 reps on each arm

  1. Choose two dumbbells and stand up straight with you legs shoulder width apart and the dumbbells at your side.
  2. With your right hand, raise the dumbbell upwards across your body so your arm is straight and in front of your left shoulder. Your elbow should be slightly bent. Your palm should be facing the floor with your knuckles facing forward.
  3. Lower this arm back to its starting position.
  4. Now with your left hand, raise the dumbbell upwards across your body so your is straight in front of your right shoulder. Your palm should be facing the floor with your knuckles facing forward.
  5. Repeat for the desired amount of reps.
Exercise no. 2

Front Plate Raise

4 sets of 10 reps

  1. Find a plate circular weighted plate that you can complete the desired number of reps with. Stand with you feet shoulder width apart and knees slightly bent.
  2. Grip the plate on each side at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock with your palms facing each other. Your arms should be extended with your elbows slightly bent and the bottom of the plate against your legs.
  3. Lift plate upwards until it’s right above your shoulder. Be sure to keep your arms extended and exhale while you lift up.
  4. Bring the plate back down to your starting position while inhaling.
  5. Repeat for the desired number of reps.
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Exercise no. 3

Rear Delt Flyes

4 sets of 10 reps

  1. Stand with your legs about hip-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand. Pick a weight that enables you to execute the reps that are suggested.
  2. This is the starting position. Bend your torso forward and bend your legs slightly so that your arms extend below your body with your hand facing each other as you hold the dumbbells.
  3. Exhale and lift your arms out to your sides with your hands facing down, squeezing your shoulder blades together during this movement. Don’t round your spine or move your head.
  4. Inhale and gently lower your arms to the starting position. This completes one repetition.
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Exercise no. 4

Face Pulls

4 sets of 10 reps

Use a rope attachment on a high pulley. Sit a few steps away from the pulley holding each end of the rope attachment in each of your hands. Bend your knees as if you’re in the row position, and place the end of your feet flat on the floor in front of the pulley or on the pulley column.

  1. Keep your back and torso straight. Exhaling through, pull the cable towards your face naturally bending your elbows out. Your arms should be in an almost “T” shape with your body.
  2. Hold this pose for a second then slowly ease the cable back to your starting position inhaling during the process.
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Exercise no. 5

Arnold Press

4 sets of 10 reps

  1. Sit on an exercise bench and hold two dumbbells in-front of you at chest level with your palms facing your body with elbows bent. Hint: Your arms must be as close to your torso as possible. The starting position should look like the contracted portion of a dumbbell curl.
  2. To execute the movement, raise the dumbbells as you rotate the palms of your hands until they are facing forward.
  3. Continue lifting the dumbbells until your arms are fully extended above you in straight arm position. Remember to breathe out as you perform this portion of the movement.
  4. Following a short pause at the top, begin to lower the dumbbells to the starting position by rotating the palms of your hands towards you. Tip: The left arm will be rotated in a counterclockwise manner while the right one will be rotated clockwise. Breathe in as you perform this portion of the movement.
  5. Repeat for the desired amount of repetitions.

Jael Lopez

I'm a 1x overall champion, and sponsored by WNC, having performed at multiple shows and trained multiple clients. My goal is to inspire people all over the world achieve their fitness goals.
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Kiyan Sheikh

My goal is to inspire others to reach their fitness goals and become a confident, better version of themselves. Being fit doesn’t just mean going from fatty to lean, people that are lean also need help increasing things like their cardio or endurance.
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