Isolation · Shoulders
These 7 exercises are the isolation (single-joint) exercises for the shoulders in the GymStreak library, beginner to intermediate level, using dumbbell, reverse fly machine and cable machine. Good places to start: Front Dumbbell Raises and Lateral Dumbbell Raises. By level: 6 beginner and 1 intermediate.
Written by the GymStreak coaching teamUpdated
01
Isolation shoulders exercises move a single joint, so the shoulders do most of the work. Use them after your compound lifts, with moderate to high reps and controlled form, to add focused volume. The loads are lighter, so they're a good place to practise a slow lowering phase and a full range of motion, and they add little fatigue to the rest of your workout.
02
Overhead presses train the front and side heads and are easy to progress. The front delts also work hard in chest pressing, so many lifters get plenty of front-delt work already. Lateral raises isolate the side head: use a light weight, lead with the elbows and avoid swinging. Rear-delt flyes and reverse machine flyes train the back of the shoulder, which is often neglected. Press through a comfortable range and stop if you feel a pinch at the top of the shoulder.
03
A simple shoulder routine is one press (dumbbell, barbell or machine), one lateral raise and one rear-delt movement. Seated presses and machines give more support than standing barbell presses, which also challenge your core and balance.
BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced
Beginner isolation dumbbell exercise for the shoulders, also working the traps.
Beginner isolation dumbbell exercise for the shoulders, also working the traps.
Beginner isolation dumbbell exercise for the shoulders, also working the middle back and traps.
Beginner isolation reverse fly machine exercise for the shoulders, also working the middle back and traps.
Beginner isolation dumbbell exercise for the shoulders, also working the traps.
Beginner isolation dumbbell exercise for the shoulders, also working the middle back and traps.
Intermediate isolation cable machine exercise for the shoulders, also working the traps and middle back.
Free GymStreak calculators that go with shoulders training.
Guides from the GymStreak blog on this topic.
GymStreak's AI personal trainer builds a workout plan from your goal, schedule and equipment, shows every exercise with an animated demo and logs your sets.
