How to Get Broader Shoulders: Strength Training & Diet Guide

Wide shoulders are a desirable physical trait for many people, especially men trying to appear broader and bigger. But how do you grow your shoulder muscles quickly? In this article, we’ll show you the 8 best exercises you can do to add muscle mass to your deltoids (shoulder muscles) to bulk up fast and get that coveted V-shaped torso with pointers from certified personal trainers Errol Ismail and Julian Arana, M.S.eD., NCSF-CPT. We’ve also got tips on how to dress and carry yourself to look bigger while you build muscle mass. Read on to learn more!

Exercises That Build Shoulder Muscles

Lateral raises
Front and rear delt raises
Upright rows with a wide grip
Overhead or military press
Wide-grip pull-ups
Pike-style push-ups

Section 1 of 4:

Best Exercises to Get Wider Shoulders

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Lateral raises One good exercise for building up your shoulder muscles and targeting your side delts is the side lateral raise. Start out with light weights (maybe 10 or 15 pounds (4.5 or 6.8 kg) to focus on good form) and move up to heavier ones as you gain strength.^{[1]
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- To perform this exercise, hold some dumbbells in each of your hands and place your arms against the sides of your body.
- Then, raise the dumbbells up out to your sides so they are parallel with your shoulders.
- Recommended volume: 3 sets of 6–10 reps
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Upright rows with wide grip According to Arana, upright rows are also great for building wider shoulders.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Julian Arana, M.S.eD., NCSF-CPT
Certified Personal Trainer

Expert Interview. 19 May 2020.} By performing upright rows with a wide grip, you can work the muscles on the outer edges of your shoulders with heavier weights than lateral raises, building strength and widening your shoulders.^{[3]
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- To perform upright rows, grasp a low cable bar with an overhand grip. Pull the bar straight up and back, leading with the shoulder, pulling the bar back.
- Arana offers rows with dumbbells as another option.^{[4]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Julian Arana, M.S.eD., NCSF-CPT
  Certified Personal Trainer
  
  Expert Interview. 19 May 2020.} Stand next to a bench and place one knee on it. Then, place the hand on the same side of your body on the bench and grasp the dumbbell with your other hand. Pull the weight upwards lifting your elbow into the air behind you as you do so.
- Recommended volume: 3 sets of 6–10 reps (or to failure)
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Rear delt raises You can also work your rear deltoids to increase the width of your shoulders. As Arana explains, “There are 3 delt muscles: middle, front, and back.”^{[5]
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Expert Source

Julian Arana, M.S.eD., NCSF-CPT
Certified Personal Trainer

Expert Interview. 19 May 2020.} These are similar to side deltoid raises, but you perform them while bent over.^{[6]
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- To do rear deltoid raises, bend over so that your back is parallel with the ground (keep it straight!).
- Get a dumbbell in each hand that is light to moderate (10 to 15 pounds (4.5 to 6.8 kg)). The weight should not be so heavy you can’t lift it more than a few times.
- Then, begin raising the dumbbells out and away from your body until they are almost parallel with your back with slow and controlled motions. Initiate the movement from your delt without bringing your traps into it.
- Recommended volume: 3 sets of 8–10 reps on each side
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Front delt raises You also have deltoid muscles in the front of your shoulders, which you can work by performing front deltoid raises. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand in front of you.^{[7]
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- Starting with your hand close to your body, begin lifting the dumbbell upwards and in front of your body.
- When the dumbbell is about at shoulder height, begin to lower it slowly back to its starting position. Keep the delt activated while you lower it by moving slowly (not just letting your arm drop).
- Recommended volume: 3 of 8–10 reps on each side
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Overhead press (military press) Pressing weights overhead will also help you to add bulk to your shoulders and make them look wider. To do an overhead or military press, start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and holding a dumbbell in each of your hands.^{[8]
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- To do the exercise, bend your elbows so the dumbbells are about shoulder height. Press the dumbbells straight upwards above your head and then bring them back down slowly.
- Alternatively, use a barbell with an overhand grip. As you push above your head, bring your hands back slightly so the bar is over your head (think about pushing “through” your head).
- Recommended volume: 3 sets of 8–10 reps
EXPERT TIP

Errol Ismail
Certified Personal Trainer
Errol Ismail is a Personal Trainer and the CEO and Co-Founder of Maestro Training. With nearly 10 years of experience, Errol specializes in helping individuals incorporate exercise into their daily lives by making it convenient and creating a community of support and encouragement. Before starting his own company, he honed his craft at at Equinox, one of the most prestigious gyms in the USA.

Errol Ismail
Certified Personal Trainer

Safety first when it comes to shoulder presses. Use a cage to lift in and to set the safety rails at the proper height. A Smith machine provides the same safety, although it restricts your movement which makes the exercise less dynamic. Or, try working with a friend or asking someone in the gym to spot you.
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Wide-grip pull-ups If you want to work with your own body weight, then doing pull-ups is a great option. Pull-ups will work your shoulder muscles along with your arm and back muscles at the same time. Using a wide grip will enhance the shoulder work as well.^{[9]
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- Grasp a pull-up bar with your hands a little wider than shoulder-width apart. Then, pull your body weight upwards until your chin reaches the bar. Do as many pull-ups as you can.
- If you can’t do regular pull-ups yet, then you can try doing assisted pull-ups with a machine or resistance band. Most gyms have one of these machines. They use weights to counter your body weight and make the pull-up a little easier.
- Recommended volume: 5 sets of as many reps as possible
- Reader Poll: We asked 340 wikiHow readers and 59% of them agreed that pull-ups are the most challenging exercise to perform. [Take Poll] So you should take your time and work your way up to the full exercise!
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Pike-style push-ups Push-ups also use your body weight to work your upper body and core muscles. However, you can target your shoulder muscles more intensely if you do pike-style push-ups.^{[10]
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- To do pike-style push-ups, you will need a weight-lifting bench or a sturdy chair. Get into the push-up position in front of the bench or chair, then put your feet up on the chair.
- Use your hands to walk your upper body back towards the chair until you are in the pike position, which is similar to a headstand, but with your feet on the bench or chair. Your body should be bent at the waist.
- To do the exercise, lower your face down towards the ground by bending your arms. Then, when you are close to the ground, raise yourself back up by pushing through your shoulder muscles.
- Recommended volume: 3 sets of 8–10 reps
- Warning: Keep in mind that this type of exercise should be done with caution because losing your grip or positioning could result in serious harm to the neck and spine. When you feel close to failure, slowly lower yourself back down to the ground.
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Lat pulldown Using the lat pulldown machine primarily works your lats (the largest muscles in your back), but it also activates your rear deltoids (plus, having a broad back gives you that V-shaped torso which makes your shoulders appear wider).^{[11]
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- Arana agrees: “Having a wider upper back will give you that illusion of having more broad shoulders. So working the lats would be the number one muscle to focus on. You can do that easily by doing lat pulldowns.”^{[12]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Julian Arana, M.S.eD., NCSF-CPT
  Certified Personal Trainer
  
  Expert Interview. 19 May 2020.}
- To do the exercise, sit on the bench and adjust the knee pads so you can sit up comfortably with your knees bent at about 90 degrees.
- Grab the bar above you with a shoulder-width (or slightly wider) overhand grip.
- Engage your core and pull the bar down to about your clavicle, leaning back slightly as you pull.
- Recommended volume: 3–4 sets of 6–12 reps

Section 2 of 4:

Diet & Training Tips for Wider Shoulders

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Try to lose weight around your middle if you have a few extra pounds. Carrying extra weight around your waist and stomach can make your shoulders look smaller in comparison. Along with sculpting your shoulder muscles, try to lose a few pounds to create a more V-shaped torso and make your shoulders look wider.^{[13]
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- To lose weight at a healthy rate, you will need to reduce your overall caloric intake so that you are eating 500–750 fewer calories per day than you burn.^{[14]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  
  Mayo Clinic
  Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
  
  Go to source} Try keeping a log of everything you eat to determine how many calories you consume and cut down as needed.
- Only aim to lose 1–2 pounds (0.45–0.91 kg) of fat per week. More dramatic weight loss can impact your muscle growth and make it more difficult to grow your shoulders.
- Fill up on non-starchy vegetables, such as green beans, cauliflower, peppers, and zucchini to help reduce your overall caloric intake. You can also replace fatty proteins with lean proteins, such as skinless chicken, turkey burgers, tofu, and eggs.
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Eat a calorie surplus if you’re lean and want to grow muscle mass. Building muscle takes calories! If you’re already lean and working out regularly, aim to consume about 350–500 more calories a day than you burn. This is about the maximum calorie surplus you can have without adding more fat to your body composition.^{[15]
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- Daily protein: Aim for 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (about 0.7–0.8 grams per 1 pound (0.45 kg)) each day.
- Daily carbs: You’ll need about 4–7 grams of carbs per kilogram of body weight (around 1.8–3.2 grams per1 pound (0.45 kg))) per day.
- Daily fat: Aim to have about 20–30% of your overall calories come from fat (1 gram of fat contains 9 calories).
As you learn new exercises or start training your shoulders intensely for the first time, start with lighter weights (something you can do 12–15 reps before getting fatigued). Pay close attention to your form to avoid injury—many shoulder exercises are compound movements that use multiple joints, and using proper form with a controllable amount of weight will protect them (while also building muscle more efficiently).^{[16]
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Trustworthy Source

Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals

Go to source}
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Increase your training volume gradually week to week. Muscle growth will plateau if you don’t increase either the weight or intensity of your lifting sessions. Aim for a 10% increase in any of these categories week to week to see progress.^{[17]
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Research source} For example, if you have mastered the overhead press at 50 pounds (23 kg), then try 55 pounds (25 kg) the following week.
- For bodyweight exercises where the weight is unchangeable, increase your intensity by adding extra reps. If you can reliably do 10 pike-style push-ups, aim for 11 to 12 next week. In general, you want the end of each set to be within 3 reps of failure.
- Errol adds “Increase weight slowly, making sure you can control it on the way down…Shoulders are notoriously problematic and easily injured.”^{[18]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Errol Ismail
  Certified Personal Trainer
  
  Expert Interview. 18 February 2021.}

Section 3 of 4:

Broadening Your Posture

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Stand up straight with your shoulders back. Using good posture can make you seem slimmer and enhance your shoulders at the same time.^{[19]
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Research source} Stand up straight with your chest out and shoulders back and straight to make them look wider. Avoid letting your shoulders slope or roll forward and inward, which also rounds your upper back and diminishes your stature.
- Throughout the day remind yourself to correct your posture, such as by placing a note on your desk or by setting an alarm on your phone.
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Use good posture to build your confidence. Studies show that sitting or standing with good posture can “trick” you into feeling more confident in yourself.^{[20]
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Research source} Exuding confidence can make people see you as more grounded, charming, and comfortable with yourself—all attractive qualities! With some strength training, good posture, and confidence, you’ll give the illusion of broader shoulders (even if you’re not quite there yet). If your confidence is low, then work on building it up so that you can look and feel your best.
- Try writing yourself a letter from the perspective of someone who cares about you and wants to boost your confidence. What would that person say? Which of your strengths might they point out? After you write this letter, try reading over it once a day to help boost your confidence.

Section 4 of 4:

Dressing to Create Wider Shoulders

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Wear shoulder pads. Shoulder pads are a classic solution to narrow or small shoulders. Some clothes come with built in shoulder pads, such as blazers and coats.^{[21]
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Research source} You might also be able to get away with putting insertable shoulder pads on under a thick sweater.
- Be careful not to overstuff with shoulder pads or they will look too obvious (and make your shoulders look smaller as a result).
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Choose clothing that fits well and isn’t too loose. Baggy clothing can actually make your shoulders look narrower, so it is best to avoid it. Instead, choose clothing that fits you well, such as fitted jeans and shirts.^{[22]
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- It is especially important to choose clothing that is fitted around your waist because this can help to create the V-shape that makes your shoulders look wider.
Wearing horizontal stripes across your chest and shoulders can also make your shoulders look wider. Try wearing a sweater that has a stripe or two going across the chest or shoulder area.^{[23]
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White can make you seem like you have wider shoulders as well by making the top half of your body appear larger.^{[24]
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Research source} Try wearing white dress shirts and t-shirts to see if this enhances the size of your shoulders.
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Dress in layers. You can take advantage of the effects of layering your clothes in the winter to give the look of wider shoulders. Try wearing a sweater over a long-sleeved shirt, or layer a t-shirt over a waffle shirt.^{[25]
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- You can also try wearing two or three t-shirts in warmer weather to create this effect. However, make sure that the collars or sleeves of the other shirts don’t peak out or it may look odd. Wear a larger shirt over the others to hide the edges.

Exercise Plan to Get Wider Shoulders

Sample Exercise Plan to Get Wider Shoulders

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What exercises widen shoulders?

Julian Arana, M.S.eD., NCSF-CPT
Certified Personal Trainer
Julian Arana is a Personal Trainer and the Founder of B-Fit Training Studios, a personal training and wellness set of studios based in Miami, Florida. Julian has over 12 years of personal training and coaching experience. He is a certified personal trainer (CPT) by the National Council on Strength and Fitness (NCSF). He has a BS in Exercise Physiology from Florida International University and an MS in Exercise Physiology specializing in strength and conditioning from the University of Miami.

Julian Arana, M.S.eD., NCSF-CPT

Certified Personal Trainer

Expert Answer

Work on your lats and rear shoulder muscles to make your shoulder's appear wider. You can try dumbbell rows, barbell rows, pullup rows, reverse flys, and face pulls.

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How can I increase my shoulder width?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

Try weight lifting, including the exercises listed here as well as pushups and chin-ups. Aim for resistance training three times per week to build a strong and strong- looking upper body. You need to feel the burn in your muscles to achieve results, but work up gradually. The shoulder is easy to injure.

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Do push-ups widen your shoulders?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer
Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

Push ups cannot change your bone structure. However, since push-ups work the front of the shoulder as well as the chest muscles, yes, building these muscles through doing push-ups will make the shoulders bigger.

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Try wearing a belt. It can make your waist look slimmer which makes your shoulders look wider.

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Rest after your workouts and eat enough protein so your muscles are able to rebuilt themselves. You build muscle while resting–not while doing the workouts.

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