We have a full shoulder workout that is the perfect combination of compound low-rep strength exercises and some higher-rep pump movements.

The way this workout is structured… your shoulders will be ON FIRE!

Just remember: if you are looking to build your dream physique, you have pay some attention to ALL muscle groups! You can dial in your entire training week with Vince’s other Ultimate workouts:

Monday: Ultimate Chest & Triceps
Tuesday: Ultimate Back & Biceps
Wednesday: Rest and/or steady-state cardio
Thursday: Ultimate Leg Day
Friday: Ultimate Shoulders
Saturday: Ultimate Arms
Sunday: Rest, play, and meal prep

This is actually Vince’s current shoulder workout, so instead of just filming an instructional video, he let the cameras roll during his last lift and gives some technique pointers between sets!

This video would be great to check out before you attempt the workout on your own to make sure you are doing each movement with proper form and to learn a little more about why Vince includes these specific exercises for strength and hypertrophy! It’s always a good idea to know WHY you are doing what you are doing, and Vince breaks it all down for you! 

ULTIMATE BOULDER SHOULDER WORKOUT

A: Seated barbell dead-stop shoulder press 5 sets, 5 reps (2 minutes rest between sets.)
B: Standing dumbbell single-arm shoulder press 4 sets,10 reps (1 minute sets, no rest between sets.)
Superset
C1: Dumbbell front raise, 4 sets 12 reps (no rest)
C2: Barbell bent-over rear delt row 4 sets, 12 reps (1 minute rest)
D: Dumbbell lateral raise 1 set, 6-8 reps, then run the rack

Let’s get to building some BOULDER SHOULDERS!!! 

Before any lift, but especially one like this where you will be pushing some heavy weight, you need to do a proper warm-up. It doesn’t have to take long! Just 5-10 minutes of movement, walking, and some shoulder circles or other joint mobility work can be enough to gets blood flowing to the shoulder and get your heart rate up just a little bit.

Do it while you’re waiting for your pre-workout to kick in, then hit a couple of lightweight sets of your first movement in the workout, and you’re good to go!

Here are some crucial cues to keep in mind for each movement…

Seated barbell dead-stop shoulder press

We are starting off with a compound movement. The goal for this first exercise is not a lot of volume but a lot of weight.

The “deadstop” shoulder press is a little different than your standard shoulder press. If you have never done these, they are great for explosive pushing.Typically with HEAVY pressing, you need a spotter, but you don’t need a spot with this style of press because you will be set up on a  smith machine! 

If done with PROPER form, this movement will hit all heads of the delt. It also requires the support of other, smaller muscles in your shoulders and even your core (so keep that stomach tight.) 

You will do 5 sets of 5 reps, with 2 minutes of rest between sets.Go as heavy as you can while maintaining proper form. Once you get to rep 3, it should be really tough, that 4th rep should be a struggle, and rep 5 should be failure. 

The biggest thing with this first exercise is to make sure you get in ALL 25 REPS. 

This may mean that you need to lower the weight for the last set. That’s fine! Don’t decrease the number of reps; just decrease the weight.

Standing single-arm dumbbell shoulder press

For exercise two, we are doing another compound movement but with less weight and more reps. This one is going to give you an insane pump. Consider yourself warned!

You will perform 4 sets of 10 reps with no rest between sides or arms. This means you will NOT be able to go heavy. So leave your ego at the door and focus on form. We are focusing on a slow and controlled tempo, so these sets are long!

If you think the first 10 reps are easy, just wait until set 2 or 3. No rest makes this exercise VERY DIFFICULT! You will most likely have to drop the weight toward the final sets. Don’t be shocked if you are struggling with 5-10 pounds by that last set! 

That’s OK! Remember, this exercise is purely for volume and keeping tension on the muscle at all times. 

Superset: Dumbbell front raise with barbell bent-over rear delt row

The previous exercise was one “constant” set. This one is a super-set, which is just two exercises back to back with no rest in-between the exercises.  

You’ll do 4 sets of 12 reps for each exercise, resting 1 minute between super sets.

First up will be the dumbbell front raise. With these, you will be focusing on reaching out in front. Don’t shrug your shoulders up or raise the weight past shoulder height. The goal is to keep tension on that front head of the delt!

Without rest, you will jump straight into barbell bent-over rear delt rows. Focus on pulling up and at an angle for these. 

Dumbbell lateral raises, “run the rack”

We are finishing up this delt destroyer with a lateral raise that will destroy the outer or “lateral” head of your delts. This is the area of your shoulder that gives you that much-desired wider shoulder appearance.

You’re only going to do one set, but it is a long, grueling set that will keep you going until you’re at total muscle failure and can’t get your arms up an inch! 

Start with a weight where you can go as heavy as possible for about  6 to 8 reps. Then just keep dropping weight by about 5 pounds, aiming for at least 5 reps with each lower weight. Do this all the way “down the rack” of dumbbells until you don’t have one single rep left in the tank! 

Again, we are not focusing on a set number of reps. It may be 30, it may be 100. It’s however many reps it takes for YOU to go to complete failure. 

When it comes to form on these, make sure you are lifting OUT and not just UP.

You will have a slight bend in your elbow, so a cue to help you out with that would be to think of leading with your elbows out. Only go to about shoulder height. No need to go higher, or you will just lose tension on the muscle. Also, try not to bounce. You aren’t working your shoulders when you do this.

Toward the very end, you may have a slight bounce as you are trying to force those final few reps to failure. But if you start struggling too much, that’s when you know you need to stop. 

The Perfect Workout for a Pre-Workout

Diehard bodybuilders and lifters know that shoulders love the pump to grow. If you are looking for a new way to challenge your shoulder workout and want to focus on building muscle size, expect to work through the burn! 

Want to really max out the pump? Then pound a serving of a quality pre-workout about 30 minutes before you hit the weights. 

Sculpt Nation PRE is an excellent choice. Our formula goes beyond a “jolt” from caffeine! It will no doubt give you long-lasting energy, but also has ingredients that will help you focus, pump out more reps using more weight, help promote muscular endurance, rev up your metabolism and allow for better recovery between sets. 

Adding a pre-workout to your supplement stack is just a bonus. Of course, you also have to eAT and supplement for your goals! You can find out how to eat for your bulking goals using the macro calculator in the V Shred app for iOS or Android.

Or if you want an even more personalized bulking plan, let one of our expert trainers build you a personalized custom meal plan to help you grow bigger, faster!  

Chasing muscle gains? One workout won’t get you there, but a full growth plan like Vince’s Clean Bulk will! This legendary 90-day program isn’t easy, but follow it to the letter, and you will see the scale go up–and need a new wardrobe!

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