3 overrated shoulder exercises, according to a fitness expert (and what to do instead)

It’s easy to fall into the trap of opting for the exercises you see everyone else doing on the gym floor (or worse, social media). But does that mean they’re the best, or right for you? Absolutely not, and there are definitely some shoulder exercises that are given a little too much glory.

Our delts are made up of three heads – the front (anterior), medial (middle) and rear (posterior) – and if the goal is to sculpt 3D shoulders then you need to train your shoulders from multiple angles to hit all three. However, it’s common that a lot of people’s training ends up favouring the front deltoids, particularly if it already involves a lot of pressing movements, like the bench press.

“There are no ‘bad’ exercises when it comes to building your shoulders, but there are certain exercises that are more effective for hitting the various deltoid heads, which maximise muscle engagement and minimise the risk of injury,” says Aroosha Nekonam, Senior Personal Trainer at Ultimate Performance. "With that in mind, here are three deltoid exercises you may wish to swap for the ultimate shoulder mass-building routine."

Military press

Like we said, we’re not saying the military press is a bad exercise, on the contrary, it’s a brilliant compound exercise that’s highly effective for targeting the front and sides of your shoulders. Not to mention your core, triceps, traps, and chest muscles.

However, Aroosha points out there are a few drawbacks: “You need full-body engagement to stabilise throughout the movement, which means less isolation on the delts and, when using heavy loads, it can load the lower back considerably, especially if your bracing or mobility isn’t optimal.” Form can often break down quickly too – most often by bending backwards like a banana – again, straining the lower back.

Aroosha says a smart choice is the seated overhead dumbbell press. “It keeps your form strict, increases time under tension for the delts, and significantly reduces compensation from other muscle groups. Plus, the seated position drastically lowers compressive load on the lower back.”

Front raises

Front raises are a very accessible shoulder exercise that are fairly easy to perform and progressively overload, so why does Aroosha think they’re overrated? “They primarily target the anterior deltoids [the front of the shoulder], which are often already engaged during pressing movements, which can potentially lead to muscle imbalances. What’s usually missing is lateral delt work — and there’s no better tool than a strict seated lateral raise.”

The seated lateral raise primarily targets the side of the shoulders, which Aroosha says is key to giving them that “capped look”. While they can be performed standing, like front raises, what tends to happen is people can start using momentum from the rest of their body to ‘swing’ the dumbbells upwards, which is why Aroosha suggests opting for the seated version on a weight bench.

They can be a more joint-friendly option too, as she says: “It places minimal load on vulnerable shoulder structures like the rotator cuff or biceps tendon. They're safer, smarter, and give you the results you actually want — wider, rounder, more aesthetic delts.”

Arnold press

We know what you’re thinking – how can the Arnold press be overrated when it was named after Mr Schwarzenegger himself? Who had a massive pair of boulder shoulders. This exercise hits the back and side of the shoulders, but it’s not the best shoulder exercise if you’re a beginner. “The rotational aspect of the Arnold Press can place undue stress on the shoulder joints, increasing the risk of injury, especially if performed with improper form,” Aroosha points out.

Instead, she says the Scotts Press, named after Larry Scott, the first Mr. Olympia, is a better alternative, and is also much more gentle on the joints. “It’s performed with dumbbells, with your arms starting slightly in front of the body, and your elbows bent at 90 degrees, palms facing forward. The press is done at a slight outward angle – not straight up. It’s more of an arcing press rather than a vertical one, which keeps stress on the muscle without putting the shoulder joint in a compromised position.”

Again, it’s a good one for attacking the side of the shoulders, which may not get as much love as the front and back. “It’s especially great if your goal is to build that 3D shoulder look — it’s safer, requires less mobility, and can be loaded progressively without risking long-term shoulder wear and tear.”