A full shoulder workout chart is a single reference table that lays out every exercise needed to train the entire shoulder complex: front delt, side delt, rear delt, traps, and the small rotator cuff muscles that hold the joint together, along with the sets, reps, and coaching notes for each one. Most people searching this term already know how to lift. What they want is a printable, no-fluff sheet they can save on their phone and follow without guessing what comes next. That is exactly what is below, a complete chart plus the context to use it properly. For the full breakdown of why each movement matters and how to sequence a session, our shoulder workout guide covers that in more depth.
What Should a Full Shoulder Workout Chart Actually Cover?
The shoulder is not one muscle. It is three deltoid heads (anterior, lateral, posterior), the traps that sit around and above it, and a set of rotator cuff muscles that stabilize the joint but rarely show up on a mirror check. A lot of “shoulder charts” floating around online cover pressing and lateral raises and stop there. That builds a shoulder that looks fine from the front and falls apart under load, because the rear delts and rotator cuff never got trained.
A proper chart balances all five zones: anterior deltoid, lateral deltoid, posterior deltoid, traps, and rotator cuff. Skip any one of them for long enough and you will feel it, usually as pinching during overhead pressing or a shoulder that rounds forward at rest. If rear delts are your weak point specifically, our rear delt workout article goes deeper on that piece alone, and if traps are lagging, the trap workouts guide does the same.
The Complete Full Shoulder Workout Chart
Here is the full chart. Use it as written for a complete session, or pull rows from it to plug gaps in whatever program you are already running.
| Exercise | Target Head | Sets | Reps | Coaching Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell Overhead Press | Anterior Deltoid | 4 | 6-8 | Primary mass builder. Press to a strict lockout, keep ribs down, no lean-back. |
| Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press | Anterior Deltoid | 3 | 8-10 | Back support reduces cheating. Control the lowering phase, do not bounce out of the bottom. |
| Arnold Press | Anterior / Lateral Deltoid | 3 | 10-12 | Rotate palms outward through the press for extra lateral head recruitment. |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | Lateral Deltoid | 4 | 12-15 | Lead with the elbows, stop at shoulder height, no swinging the torso. |
| Cable Lateral Raise | Lateral Deltoid | 3 | 15-20 | Constant tension beats dumbbells on this one. Train each arm separately for even loading. |
| Upright Row (cable or barbell) | Lateral Deltoid / Traps | 3 | 10-12 | Pull to sternum height, not chin height. A wide grip protects the rotator cuff. |
| Reverse Pec Deck Fly | Posterior Deltoid | 4 | 12-15 | Squeeze the shoulder blades at the back of the movement. Light weight, strict form. |
| Face Pull | Posterior Deltoid / Rotator Cuff | 3 | 15-20 | Rope on a high pulley, pull to forehead level, finish with external rotation at the end. |
| Bent Over Dumbbell Reverse Fly | Posterior Deltoid | 3 | 12-15 | Hinge at the hips, flat back, no using body momentum to throw the weight up. |
| Barbell Shrug | Upper Traps | 4 | 10-12 | Straight up and down path, no rolling the shoulders. Hold the top for one second. |
| Dumbbell Shrug | Upper Traps | 3 | 12-15 | Good finisher. Grip usually fails before the traps do, so use straps if needed. |
| Farmer’s Carry | Traps (isometric) / Grip | 3 | 30-40m walk | Heavy carry builds trap thickness and core stability at the same time. |
| Cable External Rotation | Rotator Cuff | 3 | 12-15 | Elbow tucked to the side, slow and controlled, resist the urge to add weight fast. |
| Band Pull-Apart | Rotator Cuff / Posterior Deltoid | 3 | 15-20 | Useful as a warm-up or a finisher. Keep the arms straight throughout. |
| Y-Raise on Incline Bench | Lower Traps / Posterior Deltoid | 3 | 12-15 | Light dumbbells, thumbs pointing up, raise arms into a Y shape. |
How Do You Use This Chart in an Actual Workout?
Do not do all fifteen exercises in one session. That chart covers a full week of shoulder training split across two sessions, not a single workout. A sensible split looks like this: session one leans on pressing and lateral raise work (anterior and lateral deltoid), session two leans on rear delts, traps, and rotator cuff. Order matters too. Start with the heaviest compound lift while you are fresh, usually the overhead press, then move to isolation work, and save rotator cuff exercises for the end when the joint is warm but not fatigued from heavy pressing.
We see a lot of lifters load lateral raises with weight they can only swing through, which turns a shoulder isolation move into a shrug with extra steps. Drop the weight, slow the tempo, and the side delt actually does the work it is supposed to do. That single change fixes more stalled shoulder development than any new exercise ever will.
How Often Should You Train Shoulders Using This Chart?
Twice a week, direct, is enough for most people. The shoulders also get indirect work from bench pressing, rows, and pull-ups, so they recover slower than people assume. Training them heavy four or five times a week without tracking fatigue is a fast route to impingement, not faster growth. Two focused sessions with full recovery between them, paired with the chart above split across both days, builds the shoulder evenly without wrecking the joint.
What Mistakes Ruin a Shoulder Workout Chart?
Three show up constantly:
- Skipping rear delts and rotator cuff work entirely and only training the muscles you can see in a mirror.
- Ego pressing on overhead presses with a range of motion so short it barely touches the deltoid.
- Running the same rep range every single week, which stalls progress once the body adapts.
Rotate rep ranges every four to six weeks, and treat the rotator cuff rows on this chart as non-negotiable, not optional add-ons.
Do You Need to Warm Up Before Running This Chart?
Yes, and skipping it is how people end up with the pinching shoulder pain that sends them searching for a chart in the first place. Two or three minutes of band pull-aparts and light external rotations gets blood into the rotator cuff before it takes any real load. Follow that with one light warm-up set on whatever compound press opens the session, at roughly half your working weight. That is enough. You do not need a fifteen-minute mobility routine, just enough to make the joint ready before the barbell gets heavy.
Full Shoulder Workout Chart: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a full shoulder workout chart?
A full shoulder workout chart is a reference table listing every exercise needed to train the anterior, lateral, and posterior deltoid, the traps, and the rotator cuff, along with sets, reps, and form cues for each. It is built to be printed or saved and followed directly, rather than read as a long article.
How do you follow a full shoulder workout chart?
Split the exercises across two sessions a week rather than doing all of them at once. Start each session with the heaviest compound lift, move into isolation work for lateral or rear delts, then finish with lighter rotator cuff and trap exercises. Match sets and reps to the chart and increase weight gradually once every rep is done with clean form.
What are the benefits of using a full shoulder workout chart?
A chart forces balanced training across all three deltoid heads instead of just the front and side, which most home programs neglect. It also removes guesswork mid-workout, keeps sets and reps consistent so progress is trackable, and reduces injury risk by building in rotator cuff work that people usually skip until something hurts.
How many exercises should be in a shoulder workout session?
Five to seven exercises per session is enough, mixing one heavy compound press, two or three isolation moves for the target deltoid head of the day, and one or two rotator cuff or trap movements. More than that in a single session usually means the last few sets are done with poor form from fatigue.
Can beginners use a full shoulder workout chart?
Yes, with lighter loads and closer attention to form than the notes suggest. Beginners should spend the first few weeks learning the movement pattern of each exercise on the chart before chasing heavier weight. Rotator cuff and rear delt exercises are especially safe starting points since they use light loads and teach control early.
A chart gets you organized. It does not replace a coach who can watch your overhead press break down at rep six or catch a rotator cuff that is about to get angry. If you want someone building and adjusting this kind of programming around your actual shoulders, week to week, FitStrot’s 1-on-1 personal training is built exactly for that.
