Shoulders are one of the most challenging muscle groups to develop, especially if they’re lagging behind the rest of your physique. Trust me, I’ve been there. After earning my IFBB Pro Card, the judges gave me one key piece of feedback: I needed to bring up my shoulders to achieve a more balanced look.

Initially, I thought training shoulders once or twice a week would be enough to fix the problem. While it helped slightly, the improvements weren’t significant. Eventually, I increased my shoulder workouts to three days a week and started seeing better results. But the real game-changer came when I trained shoulders four times a week, targeting all three heads—front, lateral, and rear delts—with focused intensity.

This approach won’t work for everyone, but the key takeaway is this: experiment, track your progress, and give each method enough time to show results. Personally, I committed to each change for 12-16 weeks before reassessing. It took nearly a year of consistent effort, but the results were worth it. Let’s dive into the strategies that helped me—and can help you—build stronger, more balanced shoulders.

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INCREASE FREQUENCY AND VOLUME

If your shoulders are lagging, increasing your training frequency and overall volume is a smart first step. Research shows that higher training volumes—more sets and reps—are particularly effective for stimulating hypertrophy in lagging muscle groups. A study by Radaelli et al. (2015) found that performing 3-5 sets per exercise significantly outperformed lower-volume protocols.

For me, bumping shoulder training to four sessions per week was the breakthrough I needed. If you’re starting out, try increasing to two or three sessions per week, spreading your sets and reps evenly across the week instead of cramming everything into a single workout. Gradually adjust based on your recovery and results.

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TARGET ALL THREE HEADS OF THE DELTS

Building well-rounded shoulders requires consistent attention to all three heads of the deltoids:

1. Lateral Delts: Movements like lateral raises and upright rows (below shoulder level) emphasize this critical portion of the shoulder.
2. Rear Delts: Rear-delt flys and REverse Pec Deck and other isolation exercises help strengthen and shape the often-neglected rear delts.
3. Front Delts: Shoulder Press and DB Front Raise (Supine Grip) are ideal for the area.

A study in 205 supports combining multi-joint movements, like presses, with isolation exercises, like lateral raises, for maximum hypertrophy. Personally, adding more isolation work to my routine was the missing piece to targeting areas I hadn’t fully developed through pressing movements alone ​(Gentil et al., 2015)​.

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MAXIMIZE TIME UNDER TENSION

Time under tension (TUT) is another powerful driver of hypertrophy. For shoulders, this means slowing down the eccentric (lowering) phase of each rep and holding peak contractions for a second or two. Research by Amjad et al. (2023) highlights the benefits of eccentric training, showing that it increases muscle activation and promotes greater growth.

For example, when performing lateral raises, lower the weights over 3-4 seconds and pause briefly at the top of each rep. These small changes force your delts to work harder without requiring heavier weights, reducing the risk of injury while maximizing results.

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BE PATIENT AND CONSISTENT

Here’s the truth: building impressive shoulders takes time and dedication. It’s not about finding one magic routine; it’s about experimenting with different strategies, tracking your progress, and committing to your plan for at least 12-16 weeks before making adjustments.

For me, patience was the hardest but most important part of the process. Over nearly a year, I refined my approach and stayed consistent—and the payoff was more than worth it.

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FINAL THOUGHTS

If your shoulders are lagging, don’t get discouraged. Take a strategic approach by increasing your training frequency, targeting all three heads of the delts, and maximizing time under tension. Most importantly, stay consistent and give yourself the time needed to see meaningful progress.

It took me over a year of trial and error to bring my shoulders up to par, but the results made every second worth it. Apply these strategies, and I’m confident you’ll see the difference in your shoulders, too.

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