How to Build Broad Shoulders

Broad shoulders are a cornerstone of a complete physique.

You have to have the right stuff in the right spots if you want to look good.

Having a lot of shoulder mass and trim waist is one way to look better.

Broad shoulders are synonymous with power and grit. Broad shoulders can bear a heavy load literally and figuratively.

It’s no wonder why men interested in standing out want broad shoulders. And it’s no wonder why women interested in men seek out men with broad shoulders.

Lucky, anyone willing to put in the work can earn their very own pair of broad shoulders.

Contrary to popular belief, having broad shoulders is more than just genetics.

Having broad shoulders is a matter of lifting heavy weights, and I’ll prove it.

Broad Shoulders are Built

I recently got a DEXA Scan to determine my body fat percentage.

The picture below is from my DEXA scan results. You can see my skeleton in the image.

Notice the width of my shoulder bones compared to my shoulder muscles.

My DEXA Scan showing shoulder bones and muscle

You can also see that my muscles have made my shoulders over 40% broader.

Meaning my upper body, shoulder to shoulder, is 42% wider due to muscle.

I wasn’t born with that muscle. It was built with heavy lifting.

Broad Shoulders are a Genetic Myth

The notion that having broad shoulders is purely genetic is completely overblown.

People believe that you either have it at birth or you don’t; that you’re either born with it or you’re not.

You are endowed at birth with genetic potential.

And you want to know what?

Almost no one on Earth reaches their genetic potential.

You achieve genetic potential by working towards it. How do you know how broad your shoulders can be?

You don’t – It’s up to you to find out.

What I know for sure is that your shoulders can be broader than they are right now.

Even the skinniest guys can build broad shoulders.

We all have similar bones. If you and I are the same height, we have essentially the same size skeleton. (The volume of bone matter will be about the same, but the bone density may be higher or lower depending on the individual. Bone density does contribute to muscular potential, because you need strong bones to have bigger and stronger muscles.)

I Built Broad Shoulders as an Ectomorph

I used to be a skinny twerp with narrow shoulders.

You can see in the photo below that I am quite thin.

I am an ectomorph by nature. If I didn’t lift weights I would be skin and bones, or I’d be skinny-fat.

In fact, most athletic guys with broad shoulders and a slim waist are ectomorphs.

They just trained their ass off to build their bodies.

So if you’re a skinny guy trying to build broad shoulders, you’re in good company.

To get broad shoulders just follow the plan laid out for you below.

Broad Shoulders Require Total Body Training

Building broad shoulders means training more than just shoulders – you need wide lats, low traps, a strong chest, and good posture to make your shoulders pop.

You can’t slap strong deltoids on a tiny torso. A strong foundation is required.

You must perform a total body workout routine if you want broad shoulders.

No exceptions.

How often do you see a man with broad shoulders that doesn’t have a well-developed physique?

Never.

They are always strong or stout.

You must train your entire body to develop a complete physique. Then build the shoulders as a cherry on top. Otherwise, it won’t work.

If you don’t build a strong foundation first, the rest of your body won’t be strong enough to hold your shoulders. Then your shoulders will collapse under their own weight, defeating the purpose of having broad shoulders in the first place.

To avoid this, do your squats, deadlifts, pull ups, rows, military press, and bench press without fail.

Perform a total body routine religiously. It really is the only way to train and build a complete physique with broad shoulders.

(When I say total body routine, I mean total body split. Just hit each major muscle group equally and at least once a week each. You don’t have to train your entire body each workout.)

Check out the old school push-pull-legs workout for an example of a great total body workout routine.

Below, I’ll show you how to incorporate shoulder specific training into your routine.

Now it’s time to incorporate the shoulder building exercises into your routine.

The best exercises to build broad shoulders are the following:

Dumbbell shoulder press
Military press
Lateral raises
Bent over laterals
Incline bench press
Face pulls
Front delt raises
Rear delt flies
Poliquin Raises

These exercises primarily work the shoulders. You need a basic understanding of shoulder anatomy and function to make the most of shoulder workouts.

If you want to get started right away, get yourself a pair of dumbbells and start doing presses and lateral raises every day.

Shoulder Training 101

Shoulders are a complex joint with a huge range of motion. You must train shoulders in a way they were designed to work by nature for best results.

Deltoid muscles are designed to raise your upper arm at a variety of angles.

That is why overhead presses and lateral raises work best for developing shoulder muscles.

For simplicity, the shoulder muscle is divided into three parts: Front, Middle and Rear.

Each part must be trained evenly to create full, round shoulders.

That being said, work these following shoulder workouts into your routine:

Shoulder Workout A

Incline Bench Press 4×10,8,6,4
Military Press 4×10,8,6,4
Lateral Raises 4×16,12,10,8
Rear Delt Dumbbell Raises 4×16,12,10,8

Shoulder Workout B

Dumbbell Shoulder Press 4×10,8,6,4
Lateral Raises 4×10,8,8,6
Rear Delt Flies (fly machine or chest on bench) 4×10,8,8,6
Upright Rows 4×10,8,8,6
Face pulls 4×16,12,10,8

Increase the weight as the reps decrease.

Use the heaviest weight you can while maintaining good form.

Keep rest short! less than 30 seconds between sets.

Superset exercises for more dramatic results. (Pick two exercises and perform them back-to-back with no rest between them.)

Create the Illusion of Wide Shoulders

You need some shoulder muscle mass to have broad shoulders.

But you can enhance the visual appearance to make your shoulders look broader without them actually being bigger.

You can create the appearance of broad shoulders a few ways.

Low, Loose Traps

Tall traps make your shoulders look narrower.

So don’t overdo it on the Shrugs. (Don’t give up shrugs completely. You still need to train traps. Otherwise you risk injury. I’ve strained my upper trap several time doing pull ups and military press because my upper trap wasn’t strong enough and was vulnerable.)

You should train traps but put an emphasis on stretching the traps to keep them loose.

Do this by holding a heavy weight, standing tall, and reaching your arms to the floor. your traps and neck muscles should get a good stretch.

It’s very easy for traps to get tight. This pulls up your shoulders and makes them narrow. Keep your traps low by keeping them loose.

Train Your Back

You must train your back if you want broad shoulders. This should be part of your total body routine, but it’s very important so I’m going to explicitly state it.

Train your back if you want broad shoulders!

Plus, a well developed back creates a V-shaped torso, which lends itself nicely to broad shoulders.