Best Shoulders Exercises
This shortlist highlights 143 exercises that target the shoulders. It is a curated editorial roundup built from movement type, equipment, and difficulty data — not a lab ranking or coaching substitute.
How we chose these exercises
- •We group exercises by the attribute a reader is most likely filtering on first, such as target muscle, equipment, or difficulty.
- •We favor exercises with clear movement intent and dependable metadata for muscle group, equipment, and difficulty.
- •Beginner-friendly movements and low-equipment options are surfaced earlier when the shortlist serves broad training intent.
- •This page is a curated editorial ranking rather than a personalized training plan or medical recommendation.
Featured exercises
143 curated exercises for this shortlist.
B
Behind the Back Cable Lateral Raise
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Traps
B
BUS DRIVERS
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
C
Cable External Rotation
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
C
Cable Front Raise with a small bar
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
C
Cable Lateral Raises (Single Arm)
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
C
Cable Press Around
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Chest, Triceps, Biceps
C
Cable Rear Delt Fly
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Traps, Triceps
C
Cross-Body Cable Y-Raise
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Lats, Traps
D
Delt Stretch
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
F
Floor Glider Hamstring Curls
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
F
Front Plate Raise
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
F
Front Raise (Cable)
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
H
Handstand
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
H
Handstand Push Up
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Triceps, Chest
H
High Pull
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Glutes
H
High-Cable Lateral Raise
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Lats, Serratus Anterior
H
High-Incline Smith Machine Press
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Chest, Triceps
H
Hindu Pushups
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Chest, Triceps
L
Lateral Rows on Cable, One Armed
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
M
Machine Side Lateral Raises
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
P
PALLOF PRESS
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Glutes, Obliques, Abs
P
Parallel Bar Hold
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Chest, Triceps, Lats
P
Pec deck rear delt fly
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
P
Plank-to-Elbow Extension
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Abs, Triceps, Obliques
P
Plate Pinch Hold
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
R
Reverse Cable Flye
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Traps
S
Shoulder dislocates
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
S
Shoulder External Rotation (Cable)
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
S
Shoulder Internal Rotation (Cable)
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
S
Shoulder Press, on Multi Press
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
S
Shoulder Stretch
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
S
Shoulder Y-pull cable
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
S
Side lateral raise - Back (Cable)
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
S
Side lateral raise - Front (Cable)
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
S
Side to Side Push Ups
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Obliques, Chest, Triceps
S
Side-lying External Rotation
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
S
Standing biceps stretch right
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Biceps, Chest
u
unilateral cross body cable pull down
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
U
Upper Back
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Traps, Biceps, Lats
U
Upright Row, on Multi Press
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Traps, Biceps
A
Arm Raises (T/Y/I)
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Lats, Serratus Anterior, Traps
A
Australian pull-ups
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Biceps, Lats, Traps
B
Bag training
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Chest, Traps, Biceps
B
Bear Walk 2
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Calves, Chest, Abs
B
Blaze
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Glutes, Chest, Quadriceps
C
Cable Lateral Raise
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
C
Chair dips
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
C
Claps over the head
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
c
commando pull-ups
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Biceps, Lats, Traps
D
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Triceps
E
Estiramiento de brazos y cuello
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Traps, Triceps, Lats
F
Face Pull
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Back
F
Frog stand
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Biceps, Brachialis, Abs
F
Front lever tuck
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Biceps, Lats, Triceps
F
Front Raise
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
H
Head turns
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
k
knee push-ups
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Chest, Serratus Anterior, Triceps
L
Lateral Raise
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
L
Left neck stretch
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
P
Pseudo Planche Push-up
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Chest
p
punches
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Triceps
Q
Quadriped Arm and Leg Raise
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Glutes, Serratus Anterior, Traps
R
Reverse Fly
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Back
R
Right neck stretch
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
R
Rowing Machine
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Biceps, Hamstrings, Brachialis
S
Shrug
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Traps
S
Sleeper Stretch
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Traps
S
Standing biceps stretch left
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Biceps, Chest
T
TRX Rows
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Biceps, Lats
W
Wall Handstand
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
W
Wall Pushup
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Chest, Triceps, Glutes
4
45° lateral raises
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
A
Arnold Press
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Triceps
A
Arnold Shoulder Press
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
B
Band pull-apart with external rotation
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
B
Banded Scapular Retraction
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Traps
B
Barbell Clean and press
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Chest
B
Bent-over Lateral Raises
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
C
Chest-Supported Rear Delt Raise
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Traps
D
Diagonal Shoulder Press
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
D
Dumbbel Bradford press
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
D
Dumbbell Shoulder Rotations
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
D
Dumbbell Shrug
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
E
Elevación lateral polea
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
E
External Rotation Stretch
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Traps
F
Front Raises
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
I
Incline Bench Reverse Fly - Hello
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Traps
I
Incline DB Y-Raise
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Traps
I
Incline OHP DB
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Triceps
I
Incline Shoulder Press Up
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Chest
L
Landmine Press
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Chest, Core
L
Lateral Raises
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
L
Lateral-to-Front Raises
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Traps
L
Lying Rotator Cuff Exercise
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
M
Machine lateral wise
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
M
Military Press mit SZ-Bar
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
O
Overhead Barbell Press
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
O
Overhead Press
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Triceps, Core
P
Perpendicular Unilateral Landmine Row
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Traps
P
Pin OHP
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Triceps
R
Rear Delt Raises
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
R
Reverse Fly Standing
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Traps
S
Schoulder Raise (Dumbbell)
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
S
Seated Dumbbell Side Lateral
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
S
Shoulder Press (Dumbbell)
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
S
Shoulder Press, Barbell
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
S
Shoulder Press, Dumbbells
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
S
Shoulder Raise Side and Front DB
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
S
Shrugs, Barbells
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
S
Shrugs, Dumbbells
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
S
Smith Press
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
S
Snach
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
S
Standing Dowel Shoulder press
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
S
Straight Bar Cable Front Raise
- Category
- Isolation
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- None
T
Thruster
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Traps
U
Upright Row
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Traps
Y
YTWL Exercise
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Traps
B
Banded Shoulder Drills
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Chest, Traps
B
Barbell Wrist Curl
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Hamstrings, Biceps, Obliques
B
Bear crawl pull through
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Glutes, Quadriceps, Abs
C
Clean and Jerk OL
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Hamstrings, Glutes, Quadriceps
C
Clean and Press
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Legs, Back, Arms
D
Devil’s Press
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Glutes, Chest, Hamstrings
D
Double Kettlebell Clean and Press
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Biceps, Brachialis, Quadriceps
D
Dumbbell Bent Over Face Pull
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Lats, Traps
D
Dumbbell Bent Over Row
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Biceps, Lats, Serratus Anterior
D
Dumbbell rear delt row
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Brachialis, Traps
D
Dumbbell Snatch
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Legs, Back, Core
D
Dumbbell upright-row
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Biceps, Serratus Anterior
J
Jerk OL
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Glutes, Quadriceps, Triceps
K
Kreis Press DB
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Biceps, Chest, Abs
L
Landmine Squat to Press
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Glutes, Quadriceps, Hamstrings
P
Plank Shoulter Taps
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Glutes, Abs, Lats
P
Push OHP
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Glutes, Quadriceps, Triceps
R
Rear Delt Raise
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Traps, Lats
S
Shoulder Dumbbell Pendular Exercise
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Lats, Chest, Traps
S
Shoulder External Rotation with Dumbbell
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Brachialis, Traps
S
Single Arm Plank to Row
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Biceps, Brachialis, Lats
S
Snatch OL
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Hamstrings, Glutes, Quadriceps
U
Upright Row w/ Dumbbells
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Traps, Biceps
U
Upright Row, SZ-bar
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Traps, Biceps
W
Wall balls
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Glutes, Quadriceps, Biceps
Y
Yoga exercise: Cow-cat
- Category
- Compound
- Primary Muscle
- Shoulders
- Secondary Muscle
- Lats, Traps, Obliques
Training references
- wger exercise database API — Source dataset used for exercise names, muscle targets, equipment, and difficulty tags.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best shoulders exercises?
Best Shoulders Exercises highlights options such as Behind the Back Cable Lateral Raise, BUS DRIVERS, Cable External Rotation. The right pick depends on your training goal, available equipment, and experience level.
How did you choose these shoulders exercises?
We curated this shortlist using muscle-targeting data, equipment tags, movement type, and difficulty so the page reflects practical training intent.
Should beginners start with every exercise in this shoulders list?
No. Start with the exercises that match your current technique, mobility, and equipment access, then progress as your form and strength improve.