9 Resistance Band Shoulder Exercises for Bigger Delts

Have you always dreamt of getting those boulder shoulders you see on bodybuilders, but something was holding you back?

Is the gym always too busy?

Do you struggle to fit it into your schedule and have to prioritize bigger muscle groups?

Well, if that sounds like you, then I might have just what you’re looking for.

Today I’ll be taking you through 9 resistance band shoulder exercises, designed to give you the bigger delts you’re longing for, that you can do in the comfort of your own home.

All you need is a little drive, a set of resistance bands, and a little know-how.

#1. Military Press

Where else to start on an article like this than with the granddaddy of shoulder exercise? Designed to build both your front and side delts, this will hit your shoulders harder than anything else around.

1. Stand with your feet together on the middle of the band.
2. Grip the handles and raise them to shoulder height.
3. Your elbows should be tucked into your sides and your hands just outside shoulder width.
4. Your palms should be facing the ceiling, with thumbs pointed at you.
5. Have the handles rest on the heels of your hands without wrapping your thumb around them (this is known as a suicide grip).
6. Keep your core tense and push the handles upward with your shoulders and triceps.
7. Slowly lower them back to shoulder height in a controlled manner.

#2. Seated Shoulder Press

This exercise is similar to the first, in both appearance and the muscles it affects.

The difference is that when performed from a seated position, you can focus purely on the delts, without worrying about balance.

1. Sit with your back upright.
2. Place the band under your feet or, ideally, under your seat if the equipment you are using allows.
3. Grip the handles and raise them to shoulder height.
4. Your hands should be just outside shoulder width.
5. Your palms must be facing the ceiling, with thumbs pointed at you.
6. Tightly grip the handles, with your fingers and thumbs wrapped around them this time.
7. Push the handles upward with your shoulders and triceps, bringing them to meet above your head.
8. At the top, tilt your thumbs down towards your head slightly to really squeeze the delts (this is called supination).
9. Slowly lower them back to shoulder height in a controlled manner.

#3. Arnold Press

Named after their innovator, the greatest of all time: Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The Arnold press became incredibly popular among bodybuilders for their ability to train the front head of the delts through a much greater range of movement. This provides a fuller workout for them, while still hitting the lateral delts almost as hard as a traditional press.

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, on roughly the middle of the band.
2. Grip the handles tightly, with thumbs and fingers wrapped around them, and raise them to shoulder height.
3. Your starting position should look like the top of a bicep curl.
4. Your elbows should be tucked into your sides, with your hands in front of your shoulders and your palms facing you.
5. From here, flare your arms outwards into the starting position of the shoulder press.
6. In one fluid motion, continue pushing the handles upward with your shoulders and triceps.
7. Bring them together above your head, making sure to supinate at the top.
8. Slowly lower them all the way back to the start, in the bicep curl position.

#4. Front Raises

We’ll move away from the compound exercises for a while and focus on some isolation movements. This first one puts the emphasis solely on the front head of the delts.

1. Stand with your feet together on the middle of the band.
2. Grip the handles (or loop if using a loop band) and hold them just beside your legs, with arms at full extension.
3. Keep your arms totally straight throughout.
4. Raise your arms up, with your palm facing down, until your arm is at shoulder height and parallel with the floor.
5. Make sure to keep control and not swing.

#5. Lateral Raises

The side head of the delts tends to be the most prominent and is responsible for that wide look that’s so common among bodybuilders. For that reason, this next exercise is incredibly popular, as that’s where it places all the emphasis.

1. Stand with your feet together on the middle of the band.
2. Grip the handles and hold them just beside your legs, with arms at full extension and palms facing your body.
3. Keep your arms totally straight throughout.
4. Simultaneously raise both handles up and out, away from your body.
5. Once they reach shoulder height, with your arms parallel to the floor, supinate by tilting your thumbs towards the ground.
6. Lower them back to the starting point at the same time.
7. Make sure to keep control and not swing.

#6. Bent-Over Raises

The rear head of the delts is often neglected, due to being the least visible.

That being said, it is just as important for full looking shoulders, as well as helping to improve your posture. That’s why bent-over raises should be part of any shoulder session, as they single them out and hit them hard.

1. Stand with your feet together on the middle of the band.
2. Bend over at the waist until you are almost at 90 degrees.
3. Keep a slight bend in your knees.
4. Grip the handles and hold them with arms at full extension, pointed straight down at the floor, with palms facing each other.
5. Keep your arms totally straight throughout.
6. Simultaneously raise both handles up and out, away from each other.
7. Once they reach shoulder height, with your arms parallel to the floor, supinate by tilting your thumbs towards the ground.
8. Lower them back to the starting point at the same time.
9. Make sure to keep control and not swing.

#7. Overhead Lateral Raises

This is a less common exercise, but one that was very common among European bodybuilders. It hits your side delts as a traditional lateral raise would, but this variation also targets your traps as well.

1. You want to begin by performing a lateral raise, exactly how I have already described it.
2. As you are nearing the top of the movement, begin twisting your wrists until your palms face up.
3. Without pausing, continue the movement until your hands meet above your head, with your palms together.
4. Slowly lower your hands all the way back to the start of the lateral raise.

#8. Upright Rows

Moving back to another compound exercise, upright rows work your entire shoulder girdle, including your delts and traps.

This is also a very adaptable exercise, as how wide you have your hands determines its emphasis. The closer they are, the more delts are involved, while a wider grip will be predominantly trap-based.

1. Stand with feet slightly apart on the middle of the band.
2. Grip the handles with arms at full extension, pointing towards the floor.
3. Determine how wide to hold them based on the emphasis you want, as described above.
4. Pull the weight upwards by flaring your elbows out and up.
5. Your hands should move vertically in a straight line.
6. At the top of the movement, your elbows should be higher than your shoulders.
7. Slowly lower them back to the starting position.

#9. Face Pulls

Our final exercise of the day is another less common one in face pulls. This one not only targets your traps and rear delts but is also incredibly good for the muscles involved in posture.

1. Sit on the floor with your back straight and your legs out in front of you.
2. Wrap the band around your feet and grip the handles with arms at full extension.
3. Keep your hands together with palms facing down.
4. Squeeze your traps together and pull the handles towards you by flaring your elbows out.
5. Keep your hands together until it is physically impossible to go any further without parting them.
6. Continue until your hands are either side of your face.
7. Slowly return to the starting position.

Conclusion

Well, there you have it: A well-rounded routine to hit your entire deltoids, as well as some traps and arms for good measure.

Considering this can all be done with almost no equipment, without even leaving your home, what’s not to love? Now there’s no reason for you to ever miss out on your shoulder training again, making those dream shoulders very much a reality.

Ready to use those resistance bands to see serious mass across your whole body? Learn about deadlifts with bands to take your lower body gains into your own hands.

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