Shoulder muscles

Deltoid

Musculus deltoideus

Your deltoid wraps around the shoulder joint. Its front, side, and rear parts help press and move your upper arm in different directions.

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Front view of the human muscular system with the deltoid region highlighted
Front view · shoulder cap

At a glance

Region
Shoulder
Movement pattern
Pressing, raising, and reverse fly movements
Joint
Shoulder joint

Exercises

Exercises for the deltoid

Seated overhead shoulder press machine with supported back, planted feet and handles above the head.

Machine · Backrest · Press handles

Shoulder press machine

Press overhead with a supported torso to train the front delts alongside the side delts and triceps.

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Reverse butterfly machine with chest against the pad and arms open at shoulder height.

Machine · Chest pad · Rear-delt handles

Reverse pec deck fly

Open the arms while facing the pad to emphasize the rear delts.

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Single-arm lateral raise with a continuous band anchored under the same-side foot.

Resistance band · Foot anchor

Resistance-band lateral raise

Lift one arm sideways against a band to emphasize the side delts.

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Standing band pull-apart with nearly straight arms spread sideways and the band stretched in front of the upper chest.

Resistance band · Standing

Band pull-apart

Spread your arms against a light band to train the rear delts together with the muscles between your shoulder blades.

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Seated dumbbell shoulder press with the back supported, feet planted and both weights overhead.

Dumbbells · Seated

Seated dumbbell shoulder press

Press two dumbbells overhead while the bench supports your torso. The front and side delts work with the triceps.

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Standing dumbbell lateral raise with both arms just below shoulder height.

Dumbbells · Standing

Dumbbell lateral raise

Raise the dumbbells out to the sides to emphasize the lateral part of the deltoid.

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Rear view of an incline reverse fly with the chest supported and both arms raised out to the sides.

Dumbbells · Incline bench

Incline reverse fly

The bench supports your chest while you raise the arms outward to train the rear delts.

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Standing overhead press with a barbell above the head, feet planted and torso upright.

Barbell · Rack

Standing barbell shoulder press

Press a barbell overhead with a stable torso. The front delts work with the side delts and triceps.

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Pike push-up with hands and feet on the floor, hips raised and arms extended in an inverted V.

No equipment · Bodyweight

Pike push-up

A demanding bodyweight press with raised hips that emphasizes the front delts.

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Single-arm lateral raise beside a cable tower with a low pulley and the working arm at shoulder height.

Cable machine · Low pulley

Single-arm cable lateral raise

Raise one arm sideways against cable resistance to emphasize the side delts.

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Standing face pull with a cable at face height, separated rope ends beside the temples and elbows pointing outward.

Cable machine · Rope attachment

Cable face pull

Pull a rope toward your face to train the rear delts together with the upper back.

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Understand the muscle

Three parts around the shoulder

The deltoid has three functional parts with a shared attachment on the upper arm. Their different origins let them move the arm in different directions. The figure shows the front and side portions; the posterior part lies on the back of the shoulder.

The listed exercises involve this region alongside other parts of the muscle. A muscle head or deep portion is not necessarily trained in isolation.

Simply explained

What does the muscle do?

The deltoid moves your upper arm forward, out to the side, and backward. Different exercises emphasize each part.

Front view of a man: the gray dashed arm begins beside the body at marker 1. A curved arrow leads outward and up to the arm at shoulder height, marked 2.
Front view

Raise your arm to the side

Shoulder abduction

Lift your upper arm away from your torso. The lateral deltoid is especially active in this direction.

Side view of a man: the gray dashed arm hangs beside the body at marker 1. An arrow points forward and up to the straight arm at shoulder height, marked 2.
Side view

Raise your arm forward

Shoulder flexion

Lift your upper arm in front of your body. The anterior deltoid is especially active here.

Side view of a man: a curved arrow leads from the gray dashed arm beside the body at marker 1 to the straight arm behind the hip at marker 2.
Side view

Move your arm backward

Shoulder extension

Move your upper arm behind the torso. The posterior deltoid contributes to this movement.

Often works with
Sources & illustrations

Anatomy and technique: the references below. Region boundaries and motion overlays are schematic. Exercise and movement illustrations on this page are AI-generated.