2 Weeks Shoulder Workout To Define Your Muscles

One of the most often neglected muscle groups is part of the upper body (the one you’d think everyone tries to improve, right?), and that’s the shoulders. So let’s have a look at this shoulder workout that can help you define your muscles and gain some strength.

There are 2 workouts because it’s recommended that you vary them; so do one of them in the first week, and the other one in the second week.

First Week Shoulder Workout

Here are our top exercises for your arms that you must do in the first week of the shoulder workout:

1. Seated Dumbbell Press

Do 4 sets of 10-15 reps (you can use this as a warm-up, and start with smaller weights, to make sure you don’t injure yourself. Injured shoulders will stop you from doing many exercises).

Seated Dumbbell Press

2. Seated Bent-Over Rear Delt Raise

For this shoulder workout, you need to do 3 sets of 10 reps.

Seated Bent-Over Rear Delt Raise

3. Alternating Deltoid Raise

This is the lateral raise, but one hand at a time. Do 3 sets of 12-15 reps.

4. Dumbbell Straight-Arm Front Delt Raise

Do 3 sets of 15.

Dumbbell Straight-Arm Front Delt Raise

5. Arnold Dumbbell Press

Do one long set of 20.

Arnold Dumbbell Press

6. Side Lateral Raise

Do one set of 20.

Side Lateral Raise

7. Seated Bent-Over Rear Delt Raise (yes, again)

Do one set of 20.

8. Rainbow Shoulder Press

Do one set of 20

In case you don’t know this one, it’s where you use a medicine ball or a kettlebell or even a dumbbell and move it, using both hands, from right above your left shoulder to right above your right shoulder, and back.

All this is done by taking the medicine ball/kettlebell/dumbbell over your head, so make sure you don’t drop it. The movement looks like a rainbow, hence the name.

Second Week Shoulder Workout

Here are our top exercises for your arms that you must do in the second week of the shoulder workout:

1. Smith Incline Shoulder Press

Do one drop set of 10 repetitions and at the lowest set, do 20 reps).

Smith Incline Shoulder Press

2. Bent Over Low-Pulley Side Lateral Raise

Do 3 sets of 15 reps.

Bent Over Low-Pulley Side Lateral Raise

3. Lying T-Bar Row

Do 3 sets of 20 reps.

Lying T-Bar Row

4. Reverse Machine Flies

Do 1 drop set of 10 reps (at lightest weight, do 20 reps), Weight: 60 lbs down to 5 lbs, the last set is 20 reps.

Reverse Machine Flies

5. Standing Front Barbell Raise Over Head

Do 3 sets of 20 reps.

Standing Front Barbell Raise Over Head

6. Front Plate Raise

Do 3 sets of 15 reps.

Front Plate Raise

7. Side Lateral Raise

Do one set of 20 repetitions.

The main thing to take into consideration when you do this shoulder workout is warming up properly. Even if you’re doing shoulders on the same day that you’re doing biceps, for instance, you still need to warm up.

The fact that some biceps exercises also use the shoulders should not be confused with the warmup in itself. Do one or two of these exercises with low weights and a high repetitions number.

Let us know in the comments section below what your favorite shoulder exercises are, and what your shoulder workout looks like when you hit the gym.