Start training your shoulders with intensity and volume to make your upper body appear twice as big. The shoulders can also help your appearance by providing the top of a V-taper look and creating the illusion of a narrower waist.
To sculpt your delts, start with a shoulder superset workouts to effectively cover your shoulder area.
What Is a Superset Workout?
A superset is when you perform two different exercises back-to-back with little rest in between.
Shoulder superset workouts involve performing two different shoulder workouts with short rest periods in between to achieve more gains in less time. The goal of a shoulder superset is to strengthen and stabilize the muscles in your shoulder that are rarely used.
We’ve put together the ultimate shoulder superset workouts to help you give your shoulders the love and look they deserve! Continue reading for a structured superset workout you must try.
3 Shoulder Superset Workouts to Improving Muscle Strength
Superset 1
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
In this workout, dumbbells allow for equal output from your left and right sides without relying on your dominant side, as a barbell does. The seated dumbbell shoulder press is a push exercise that develops all areas of your shoulders while allowing you to focus on specific areas by adjusting the angles and/or grip used in an execution.
How To Do a Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press:
- Sit on a bench that is angled slightly more than 90 degrees. Your upper back and hips should be in contact with the backrest.
- It is recommended that you can maintain a natural arch in your lower back. In each hand, hold a dumbbell.
- Begin with your elbows bent and dumbbells parallel to your ears. Push up and hold for a second before returning to the starting position.
Alternating Dumbbell Front Raises
It defines and strengthens your front shoulders, which are difficult to target with shoulder isolation exercises. You can create the need for equal output from your left and right sides by using dumbbells. Alternate front raises from left to right to increase the equal effort and mind-muscle connection on each shoulder.
How To Do Alternating Dumbbell Front Raises:
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Begin by hanging the dumbbells in front of your body in a neutral position with your arms extended.
- Raise your left arm through the shoulder joint until it’s parallel to the ground.
- Hold for a second, then return to the starting position before repeating with the right side.
Superset 2
Standing Military Press
Standing military press works all three sections of your deltoids (anterior, medial, and posterior), and is excellent for correcting push exercise imbalances. The standing military press is not only a great upper-body strength exercise, but it is also a great lower-body move. So, the standing military press is one of the best shoulder superset workouts.
How To Do a Standing Military Press:
- In a power rack, place a barbell at chest height. Pronate your grip on the bar, shoulder-width apart.
- Hold the bar near your chest, just above your collarbone. Push the barbell up overhead while keeping your core engaged and hips tucked in.
- Slowly return to your starting position.
Barbell Upright Row
Barbell upright rows are excellent for shaping and enlarging your shoulders, particularly the back and top of your deltoids. Although upright rows are a fantastic exercise, they are not biomechanically fit for everyone.
To ensure that the upright row is safe for you, make sure you can lift your hands up while keeping them close to your body without causing pain in your shoulders. It is recommended that you do this before performing a loaded upright row.
How To Do Barbell Upright Rows:
- Hold an Olympic bar with your arms extended in front of you. Your grip is unique, but your hands should be no wider than shoulder-width apart.
- Pull the bar upwards towards your collarbone, spreading your elbows and lifting your shoulders.
- Finish with your elbows roughly parallel to your ears, and the barbell close to your body.
- Lower back down to full arm extension before beginning your next repetition.
Superset 3
Kettlebell Push Press
This is a great power exercise for developing stabilizers and carrying extra weight without putting too much direct pressure on the shoulder joints. The kettlebell push press combines speed and power into a workout that will leave your shoulders burning and your heart racing. The advantage of the kettlebell push press over the barbell push press is that you can do both sides simultaneously, requiring equal output.
How To Do a Kettlebell Push Press:
- Stand with your feet below your hips, the kettlebells racked on each shoulder, and elbows just in front of your body. This is your starting position.
- Dip while sitting upright, bending the knees, and keeping the heels flat.
- Drive straight back up, and only after the hips have extended, punch the kettlebells overhead, keeping your torso tight and arms close to your ears.
- The rep is finished when your arms are locked overhead, and your knees and hips are fully extended.
- Return to a stable standing position by lowering the kettlebells to your shoulders with control before beginning the next rep.
Half-Kneeling Landmine Press
It’s an excellent unilateral shoulder strength exercise. The half-kneeling landmine press is a high-intensity upper-body strength exercise with asymmetrical loading. It is excellent for building balanced strength and mass on both your left and right sides. Unlike any other push exercise, this one improves the dynamic stability of your scapular.
How To Do Half-Kneeling Landmine Press:
- Get into a half-kneeling position before a barbell with a landmine attachment. Kneel on your left knee if you’re starting with your left arm.
- Hold the barbell in your hand and bend your elbow by your side.
- Push the barbell away from you while twisting your core until your arm is fully extended.
- Return to the starting position while keeping the load on your shoulder and avoiding internal rotation through the shoulder joint.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I superset shoulders and back?
Yes, you can! Because your back and shoulder exercises do not interfere with one another, combining them into a superset workout is an excellent way to shorten your training session.
Can you superset 2 muscle groups?
You can superset two exercises that target completely different muscle groups, such as the triceps and the back, the biceps and the chest, or the quadriceps and the calves.
How long should I rest between supersets?
A good rule of thumb is to rest 30-60 seconds between superset exercises, and then rest 2-3 minutes before beginning the next superset.
Shoulder Superset Workouts — What You Should Know
To build your shoulder muscles, you’ll need to include a lot of volumes in your workouts. This shoulder superset workouts should help you overload your shoulders, encouraging them to grow as they’ve never grown before.
Try these workouts the next time you hit the gym for shoulders, or incorporate some of these supersets into your routine. Your goal is to have a strong and complete set of shoulders, and these supersets can help you get there.
