V-Shape 101: How to Build Massive 3D Shoulders

Shoulder training has always been my favorite workout day. I guess it simply gave me more motivation to work on my V-shape than on my legs.

A well-developed shoulder girdle is probably the most important part for an awesome looking upper body.

If you lack those well-developed deltoids, it will be impossible to get the look most people who frequent the gym are striving for. Well-developed shoulders make a significant difference in how wide your upper body appears. And the best, clothes will not change that. Training the shoulders is awesome.

Let’s start with some basics about shoulder anatomy before we dive into exercise – and training advice. 

Muscles of The Shoulder

The main shoulder muscles are the three deltoid heads, but I also want to mention the trapezius. The upper part of the trapezius is involved in a lot of shoulder movements and it makes perfect sense to train this muscle during your shoulder workout as well.

• Deltoids: The 3 Deltoid heads (Front Deltoid, Middle Deltoid, and Rear Deltoid) are the primary shoulder muscles. The shoulder muscle is an important part of a herculean physique. After building a solid foundation in general shoulder strength, it makes sense to focus on developing each head instead of choosing only one shoulder exercises. Particularly, the rear deltoid (posterior head) tends to be neglected.
• Trapezius: The Trapezius is special in the sense that it could be seen as a shoulder or a back muscle. While the upper part of the trapezius is involved in many shoulder exercises, the lower part is better trained during your back workout. Arnold Schwarzenegger placed it within the shoulder section, but many other sources think of it as a back muscle. I have changed my mind about it because the upright row shoulder exercise is one of the best trapezius builders out there.

The shoulder muscle (all three deltoid heads) and the trapezius contribute heavily to the V-shape. The only other factors of similar importance are a wide back (latissimus dorsi) and a small midsection (visible abdominals). So, it would be wise to take your shoulder workout seriously. The primary focus of this article is on the three deltoid heads.

Let’s have a look at the exercises.

10 Awesome Shoulder Exercises

No matter your level of conditioning (shoulder development) or experience, I recommend training your shoulders with heavy lifts. Using mainly the different kinds of overhead presses and heavy upright rows has several advantages.

You will significantly benefit from those movements, as shoulder strength is required in many compound exercises including, but not limited to the deadlift, the bent-over row, and the bench press.

• Barbell Overhead Press / Military Press / Push Press: Trains the front and middle deltoid. The overhead press is a highly effective compound exercise. It is my personal favorite and belongs similar to the squat and deadlift to the category of full-body exercises. If I could only choose a single exercise, I would choose the Overhead press and clean it up every time I use it.
• Dumbbell Press: Trains the front and middle deltoids and is similar to the barbell version. An advantage is that every body-part will be trained equally during this movement in case one side is a little weaker. It makes sense to use dumbbells from time to time to test whether your strength development is equal. The overall range of motion is also significantly increased compared to the barbell press.
• Machine-Overhead Press: Trains the front and middle deltoids. Use machine exercises only to finish your muscle groups once already fatigued with free weights. It is basically impossible to get injured. Similar to the dumbbell overhead press, you have a great range of motion, which includes a stretch effect into your workout.
• Upright Row (also Trapezius): The upright row is an awesome exercise and builds the complete shoulder girdle for an impressive physique. It is mentioned in “Strength Training Anatomy” that this exercise will seriously help you to build a herculean physique. It is not a pure core movement though. This would be the bend-over row in the back section, which targets the whole back, including Latissimus Doris, Trapezius, and even the rear Deltoids. I love the Upright Row and would recommend you to include it in your workout.
• Lateral Raise: Perfect exercise to target the outside/middle head of the deltoid. Will also slightly affect the anterior and posterior heads. Avoid doing a power movement by swinging the dumbbells up. This is cheating. Done correctly, this is a highly effective shoulder exercise, which does not require heavy weights at all.
• One-Arm Cross Cable Laterals: Works all three deltoid heads with a major focus on the outside head. This exercise does not require a lot of weight but creates a lot of tension in the trained muscle groups. It is a nice finisher after a heavy shoulder workout to stimulate the last muscle fibers.
• Bend-Over Laterals (Standing and Seated): Rear deltoids. This is the best exercise to isolate the posterior deltoid heads. Since they are usually underdeveloped, it makes sense to include this exercise in your program regularly.
• Front Dumbbell Raise: Mainly Front Deltoids, but also the Trapezius during the top of the movement. Since the front deltoids are involved in almost any shoulder and chest exercise I am not using this one. But you see many physique Pros out there doing it, so if you lack shoulder development, this exercise is a nice addition to your workout.
• Arnold Press: Front deltoids and middle deltoids: According to Arnold Schwarzenegger, it is the best deltoid exercise out there. For obvious reasons, I guess. Due to the rotation during the up and down movement, the range of motion of this exercise is significant. It also trains the shoulder from different angels while doing only a single exercise.
• Clean and Press: Trapezius, front deltoids, and middle deltoids. I was surprised by my self that I decided to include it here. Yes, it is not a pure shoulder exercise. But if you want to learn something new, which requires a little training, have a look at the clean and press. This is a perfect full-body compound movement. First, you have to clean up the barbell. Afterward, you can do the standard barbell press. Rinse and repeat. It is an awesome exercise and targets many important muscle groups in addition to the shoulders.

That’s it. There is no need to use all 10 different exercises.

I think the most significant reason for using new exercises is the borenes factor anyway. Since your mindset is the most important part of achieving results, being bored and not excited to do a certain routine tends to result in less effort.

It makes sense to change the routine to stimulate your motivation through a little variety. Simply choose the exercises that come most natural to you, give you the most motivation, and seem to target your shoulders the best.

Developing Massive Shoulders – Not That Difficult

I have achieved my shoulder development mainly with overhead presses. Also, the NSCA Book, “Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning,” mentions only three exercises when it comes to shoulder training. And this is one of the best books about strength and conditioning I have ever read. Probably the best, but a little too scientific, so be warned.

When it comes to training shoulders, there are only three exercises that are relevant. To build a strong foundation, focus on heavy exercises like heavy overhead presses and the upright row in the beginning. Also, use the lateral raise to build the midsection of the deltoid right from the beginning. It has the most impact on overall shoulder width. Once you have progressed toward a more advanced stage, you can focus on training all the three deltoid heads separately.

That’s seriously it.

Well, I have to admit that I carry naturally broad shoulders, which helped me a lot with the development of a broad appearance. But nevertheless, the standard overhead press and the upright row proved to be, at least for me, the only two exercises to build a strong shoulder foundation.

Related: How to Build Muscle: 5 Tips for Serious Mass

I really like bend-over rows for back training, which helps to develop the rear deltoids as well. This proves another point. Compound exercises are important and should always build the foundation of your workout routine.

I started to integrate lateral raises into my shoulder program quite late, which I admit are perfect to isolate the middle deltoids to focus on a pure increase in shoulder width. The tension I feel during and after the exercise is not comparable to the compound movements.

Let’s now have a look at how to train shoulders for mass so you can enjoy serious boulder-like 3D shoulders that turn heads.

General Shoulder Training Advice

There are some basic facts that are very helpful for building a strong and massive shoulder girdle.

Use Heavy Power Exercises

Irrespective of your level of proficiency, it is a good idea to use several heavy power movements. Especially beginners will profit from this approach. Not only will this help you to increase shoulder strength and mass faster but it will also help you to speed up your overall progress. Your shoulders are involved in almost any big movement, such as bench press, bent-over row, and deadlifts.

The best heavy power exercises to develop a massive shoulder girdle:

• Clean and Press
• Push Press
• Heavy Upright Row

Use the clean and press only if you are comfortable executing it. You are more likely to hurt yourself, than building stronger shoulders if you don’t know what you are doing.

Arnold Schwarzenegger mentions several times in his Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding that most bodybuilders known for fantastic deltoid development were able to press seriously heavy weights. Shoulders respond quite good to heavy training (well, this is probably true for all muscle groups), so make sure to build a strong foundation with heavy barbells or dumbbell presses.

6 Principles for Perfect Shoulder Development

Here are the most important shoulder training principles to consider during your workout:

• Start with the Overhead Press: Get used to starting with multi-joint exercises. They engage the greatest degree of muscle mass and target all 3 Deltoid heads as well as the triceps. This makes them the single most important exercise category for shoulders and a natural place to start. Try to go heavy and aim for 6-8 repetitions.
• Do Presses Seated And Standing: Presses done seated are the more strict exercises. It is impossible to generate momentum through your lower body, similar to a push press while you are standing. This better isolates the shoulders.
• Favor Free-Weight Presses Over Machine Presses: Start out with free weights. Controlling Free-weight overhead presses—those with dumbbells or a barbell—are more difficult compared to their machine-based versions. Your muscles not only have to push the weight over your head but also need to stabilize them. A barbell overhead press is one of the most difficult exercises for beginners due to the involvement of almost every muscle group in the body. Afterward, you can finish off with machines if you want, but this is not really necessary. You can simply start with free-weight overhead presses and then move toward isolation movements using free weights as well. Machines can be used at any point during the training, but it makes the most sense to use them in the end. No balancing is required and they are safe to use even if you are already fatigued.
• Upright Rows: I guess you have already realized that I like this exercise. I just think that shoulder and trapezius are the two most important muscle groups for a nice upper body look, and these exercises train both at the same time. Also, it is the only multi-joint exercise for the shoulders after the presses. It is also the only exercise that is not a press and not a raise, and still a shoulder exercise.
• Do Isolation Exercises After Your Heavy Presses: Once you are done with your compounds, you can do isolation exercise for the different heads. But this depends on your training level. If you are a beginner, simply stick to the compounds and build foundational strength first.
• Make Sure Your Deltoid Heads Get Worked Equally: As long as you have a solid back routine with overhead presses, your posterior deltoid head should be fine. But there is a general tendency, mainly due to the beloved bench press, for an overdeveloped front deltoid head. If you spot any imbalances in your deltoid development, try to add isolation exercises specifically for the lacking muscle group. Do front raises for the anterior head, lateral raises for the middle head, and bend-over raises for the posterior head.

Related: Progressive Overload: The Key to Muscle Growth

Nevertheless: Embrace Variety

Overall, you should not worry too much about specific exercises.

Almost every physique competitor has a different routine and all of them seem to work. It comes basically down to personal preferences. Also, since we are all born with different physiques and genetics, there is no need for everyone to adopt the same training routine.

You should mainly focus on analyzing your personal weak spots so you can program your workout routine in a way that eliminates those weaknesses over time. Done correctly this will result in a well-proportioned and balanced physique.

When to train the Trapezius?

The main distinction is how you schedule your training routine or how you split the different muscle groups. If you are currently following a push/pull split, it makes sense to train the trapezius on your pull day and shoulders on your push day. This split is quite easy to follow and many people tend to train with it. If you have a pure shoulder day, it would make sense to include the trapezius on that day in your workout routine as well as if you train your shoulders and arms at the same time.

Progression in Shoulder Training

If you think about it, there are only two basic kinds of exercises for the deltoids (if we forget about the upward row for a second) —the different kinds of overhead presses (Barbell Press, Dumbbell Press, Arnold Press, etc.) and straight arm raises (Front raise, Lateral raise, Bend-Over Laterals, etc.)

The workout should always start with heavy pressing movements. Once you are done with the heavy stuff you can finish of the different deltoid heads with the isolation movements.

The overall logic would be to start with the foundation movements – mainly presses, but also the upright row. Once you have progressed, you can focus on isolating the different deltoid heads. And the best way to do this is with the different straight arm raises.

Summary

Shoulders, in combination with the back, are the most important muscle group for an aesthetic upper male body, aka the V-Shape.

There are only two basic movements to train the shoulders; overhead presses and straight-arm raise, which can be executed in several ways. Make sure to use heavy compound movements such as barbell overhead presses and upright rows in the beginning to build a strong foundation.

They are proven mass builders and will help you to not only develop your deltoids but also several other muscle groups. In addition, you get used to all the other heavy compound exercises. Many of them involve the shoulders, which will help you in your overall progress toward a strong and well-balanced physique.

Once you have progressed to a more advanced level, you can start to include additional exercises to separately target the three deltoids head in isolation. This will give you massive shoulders over time, which contributes to an awesome V-shape.

Recommended further reading: V-Shape: Ultimate Guide to the Perfect Upper Body

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