Muscles / Shoulders

Shoulders

The deltoid has three heads that raise and rotate the arm. Rotator cuff muscles stabilize the glenohumeral joint and are noted here, not as a separate route.

Anatomy on this page

Deltoid (anterior)

Front raise and overhead press contribution.

Deltoid (lateral)

Abduction; targeted by lateral raises.

Deltoid (posterior)

Horizontal abduction; targeted by rear-delt work.

Rotator cuff (note)

Stabilizers (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, subscapularis). Train carefully, not as vanity volume.

Primary exercises

Name	Equipment	Pattern	Difficulty
Band Pull-Apart	Band	Isolation	Beginner
Dumbbell Lateral Raise	Dumbbell	Isolation	Beginner
Face Pull	Cable	Isolation	Beginner
Incline Dumbbell Press	Dumbbell	Horizontal Push	Intermediate
Overhead Press	Barbell	Vertical Push	Intermediate
Rear Delt Fly	Dumbbell	Isolation	Beginner

Also involves this group (secondary)

Name	Equipment	Pattern	Difficulty
Barbell Bench Press	Barbell	Horizontal Push	Beginner
Barbell Row	Barbell	Horizontal Pull	Intermediate
Cable Crossover	Cable	Isolation	Intermediate
Cable Woodchop	Cable	Core	Intermediate
Chest Dip	Bodyweight	Vertical Push	Intermediate
Dumbbell Chest Fly	Dumbbell	Isolation	Beginner
Farmer Carry	Dumbbell	Carry	Beginner
Lat Pulldown	Cable	Vertical Pull	Beginner
One-Arm Dumbbell Row	Dumbbell	Horizontal Pull	Beginner
Plank	Bodyweight	Core	Beginner
Push-Up	Bodyweight	Horizontal Push	Beginner
Seated Cable Row	Cable	Horizontal Pull	Beginner