Exercise Scientist Swears by These 4 Delt Exercises to Supersize the Shoulders

Capped delts are one of those features on a physique that just stand out. Even under a baggy t-shirt, a pair of strong shoulders makes anyone look powerful and athletic. Like every muscle, building the deltoids comes down to choosing the right exercises and training them with enough weight and intensity. Most of your delt training should target the side delts, since front delts already get plenty of work from pressing movements and rear delts are engaged during back exercises.

“Your side delts can be trained hard every other day, sometimes every day,” says exercise Mike Israetel of Renaissance Periodization. “So the frequency for a serious attempt at bigger shoulders should probably be three or four sessions per week.”

You could split this up with just one or two exercises per session, totaling out to 5 to 10 sets per workout. Split over four different sessions, which adds up to around 40 sets in a week, which is ideal for hypertrophy. Israetel recommends performing delt exercises in the higher 10 to 25 rep range, emphasizing controlled eccentrics and working close to failure.

Try out his delt workout below next time your shoulders need to be brutalized.

Delt Workout for Stronger Shoulders

How to Do Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raises

When it comes to lateral raises, Israetel cues taking the weights well above shoulder height and returning the weights as slow as possible. Breathe through the pain!

1. Sit with back support and hold dumbbells at your sides, elbows slightly bent.
2. Raise arms out to the sides, over shoulder height.
3. Lower as slow as you can, keeping control throughout.

How to Do Cable Y-Raises

Y-raises are an underrated staple that hit the rear delts and traps while improving shoulder stability.

1. Stand facing low cable pulleys. Grab one handle with opposite hand so arms crisscross.
2. Lift arms diagonally upward into a “Y” shape.
3. Lower slowly under control, keeping tension in the cables.

How to Do BTB Cable Laterals

Allow your working arm to come behind your back, using shoulder power to bring the weight up.

1. Stand with cable behind you, hold handle with arm closest to machine.
2. Raise arm straight out to the side until shoulder height.
3. Lower slowly, resisting the cable’s pull.

How to Do the Lateral Raise Machine

Are you tired of lateral raises yet? Similarly to the dumbbell variation, take the weight as high as you can handle above the shoulders.

1. Set up with arms under pads and grasp handles if available.
2. Push arms outward to shoulder height or higher, keeping elbows slightly bent.
3. Slowly return to start.

Related: 50 Best Shoulder Exercises of All Time to Build Cannonball Delts