Side delts: moves, progressions and balance

Set up. Attach a straight bar or rope to a low cable. Stand close, holding it in front of your thighs with an overhand grip.

1. Pull the handle up along your body, leading with the elbows.
2. Stop when the elbows reach about shoulder height.
3. Lower under control.

Form cues

• Keep the elbows above the hands.
• Stand tall.
• Use a grip wide enough to stay comfortable.

Common mistakes

• Leaning back to pull.
• Pulling higher than the shoulders comfortably allow.

Set up. Stand tall with a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing in and elbows slightly bent.

1. Raise the dumbbells out to the sides.
2. Stop at about shoulder height.
3. Lower them slowly back to your sides.

Form cues

• Lead with the elbows.
• Keep the shoulders down, away from the ears.
• Use a light weight and a slow lowering.

Common mistakes

• Swinging the body to lift the weight.
• Shrugging the shoulders as the arms rise.

Set up. Set a cable at its lowest point. Stand side-on to it and hold the handle in the hand farther from the machine, the cable crossing in front of your body.

1. Raise the arm out to the side with a slight elbow bend.
2. Stop at about shoulder height.
3. Lower under control.
4. Switch sides after the set.

Form cues

• Lead with the elbow.
• Keep the torso still.
• Keep the shoulder down.

Common mistakes

• Leaning away to swing the weight.
• Shrugging as the arm rises.

Set up. Adjust the seat so your shoulders line up with the machine's pivot. Sit with the pads against the outside of your upper arms.

1. Raise your arms out to the sides, pushing through the pads.
2. Stop at about shoulder height.
3. Lower under control.

Form cues

• Push with the elbows.
• Keep the shoulders down.
• Pause at the top.

Common mistakes

• Shrugging to move the pads.
• Dropping the weight on the way down.

Set up. Hold a sturdy upright with one hand and lean your body away from it, feet close to its base. Hold a dumbbell in the free hand.

1. Raise the dumbbell out to the side with a slight elbow bend.
2. Stop at about shoulder height.
3. Lower under control.
4. Switch sides after the set.

Form cues

• Keep the lean fixed.
• Lead with the elbow.
• Use a light weight.

Common mistakes

• Pulling yourself upright as the arm rises.
• Swinging the weight.

Set up. Stand holding a barbell in front of your thighs with an overhand grip about shoulder width apart or a little wider.

1. Pull the bar up along your body, leading with the elbows.
2. Stop when your elbows reach about shoulder height.
3. Lower under control.

Form cues

• Keep the bar close to your body.
• Keep the elbows above the hands.
• Use a grip wide enough to stay comfortable.

Common mistakes

• Using a very narrow grip.
• Pulling higher than the shoulders comfortably allow.

Take care. Stop at a height that feels comfortable, and widen the grip if the front of the shoulder pinches.

Set up. Stand with the bar on the front of your shoulders, hands just outside shoulder width and feet about hip width apart. Squeeze your glutes and brace your stomach.

1. Press the bar straight up, moving your head back slightly to let it pass.
2. Bring your head through once the bar passes your forehead.
3. Lock out with the bar over the middle of your feet.
4. Lower under control to the front of your shoulders.

Form cues

• Keep the ribs down and the glutes tight.
• Press in a straight line.
• Keep your wrists over your elbows.

Common mistakes

• Leaning far back to push the bar up.
• Pressing the bar out in front of the face.

Set up. Sit on a bench with an upright back support, or stand, holding a dumbbell at each shoulder with palms forward.

1. Press the dumbbells up until your arms are straight overhead.
2. Let them come slightly together at the top.
3. Lower under control to shoulder height.

Form cues

• Keep your back against the pad if seated.
• Keep the wrists stacked over the elbows.
• Brace your stomach.

Common mistakes

• Arching the lower back to finish the press.
• Lowering only partway.

Set up. Sit on a bench with back support holding two dumbbells in front of your shoulders, palms facing you.

1. Press the dumbbells up while turning your palms to face forward.
2. Finish with straight arms overhead.
3. Lower while turning the palms back toward you.

Form cues

• Make the turn smooth and continuous.
• Keep your back against the pad.
• Control the lowering.

Common mistakes

• Rushing the rotation so the dumbbells wobble.
• Arching the back.

Set up. Adjust the seat so the handles start at about shoulder height. Sit with your back against the pad and grip the handles.

1. Press the handles up until your arms are almost straight.
2. Pause briefly.
3. Lower under control to shoulder height.

Form cues

• Keep your back on the pad.
• Keep the shoulders down.
• Use a full range.

Common mistakes

• Setting the seat so low that the start is too deep.
• Arching the back to finish.

Set up. Start in a push-up position, then walk your feet in and lift your hips high so your body forms an upside-down V.

1. Bend your elbows and lower the top of your head toward the floor between your hands.
2. Stop just before it touches.
3. Push back up to straight arms.

Form cues

• Keep your hips high.
• Move your head forward of your hands slightly.
• Raise your feet on a box to make it harder.

Common mistakes

• Letting the hips drop so it becomes a push-up.
• Flaring the elbows straight out.

Set up. Place an upright bench under the Smith bar so it lowers just in front of your face. Sit, grip slightly wider than your shoulders and set the safety stops.

1. Unhook the bar and press it up to straight arms.
2. Lower under control to about chin height.
3. Press back up.
4. Rotate the bar back onto the hooks after the set.

Form cues

• Keep your back on the pad.
• Keep your wrists over your elbows.
• Brace your stomach.

Common mistakes

• Placing the bench so the bar lands on the head or too far forward.
• Arching the back.

Set up. Stand with the bar on the front of your shoulders, hands just outside shoulder width and feet hip width apart.

1. Dip a short way by bending the knees, keeping the torso upright.
2. Drive up through the legs and use that drive to press the bar overhead.
3. Lock out with the bar over the middle of your feet.
4. Lower under control to the shoulders, bending the knees slightly to absorb it.

Form cues

• Keep the dip short and straight down.
• Drive with the legs, finish with the arms.
• Keep the ribs down.

Common mistakes

• Dipping by pushing the hips back.
• Pressing the bar forward instead of up.

Set up. Sit on an upright bench in a rack with the bar at about shoulder height. Grip slightly wider than your shoulders.

1. Unrack the bar and hold it at the front of your shoulders.
2. Press it straight up to straight arms.
3. Lower under control to the shoulders.

Form cues

• Keep your back against the pad.
• Move your head back slightly to let the bar pass.
• Keep the wrists stacked.

Common mistakes

• Arching off the pad.
• Pressing the bar forward.

Set up. Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front in a rack, the bar set at about shoulder height. Grip it slightly wider than your shoulders.

1. Unrack the bar to the front of your shoulders, sitting tall.
2. Press straight up to straight arms.
3. Lower under control.

Form cues

• Sit tall and brace.
• Keep the bar over your hips.
• Use lighter weight than a standing press.

Common mistakes

• Leaning back to press.
• Rounding the lower back.

Set up. Stand with a dumbbell at one shoulder, palm facing in or forward, and your free hand on your hip or out to the side.

1. Brace your stomach and press the dumbbell straight up.
2. Finish with the arm straight overhead.
3. Lower under control.
4. Switch sides after the set.

Form cues

• Do not lean away from the weight.
• Keep your glutes tight.
• Keep the wrist straight.

Common mistakes

• Leaning sideways to finish.
• Arching the back.