Q&A for How to Build Shoulder Muscles

For wide shoulders, you actually want to focus more on your back because having a wide back will give you the appearance of wide shoulders. So, mainly the lats, that's where you want to put your efforts. You can do lat pull downs, dumbbell rows, or barbell rows.

Yes, although the muscles you're mainly targeting with the rows are actually on your back. So, yes, you'll get a solid shoulder workout, but you'll see the most gains with your upper back.

One-arm pushups are great, but you're primarily targeting your chest when you do them. However, your front shoulder will get a solid workout with these, especially your triceps.

Start gradually doing exercises where you lift your arms up, out and back. Gradually add weight.

There is no perfect grouping for workouts, but since the shoulders get worked already while doing chest and back, it works well to combine shoulder workouts with legs, or arms.

The overhead press is an exercise which works mainly the shoulder muscles, as do side lateral arm raises, and front arm raises. Combine these with other functional pushing and pulling exercises for strong shoulders.

It is important to check with your doctor if you have recurring shoulder pain. A physiotherapist can recommend the right exercises for you if you have a shoulder injury. Ice packs and ibuprofen can relieve minor pain.

You need to make sure that you have a balanced work out -- whatever you do on one side you need to repeat with the other. If one side is building faster than the other you can increase the reps for the side that is lagging.

Doing lots of straight punches while holding weights is a really great exercise for building tricep muscles. Start with lighter weights and, as you improve, use heavier and heavier ones.

Go for shoulder shrugs where weight is directly impacting the shoulders at particular. Firstly begin with 5 kg with increased reps, then after increase to sessions of 4 sessions with 10 reps, 8 reps, 6 reps and 4 reps. As you progress, increase the weight.

If you really want to build muscles, you can just doing push-ups and sit-ups, or just to go for a jog around the neighborhood. These can all build up your muscles without realizing you're actually doing it.

Lift light weights. If you can lift a paperclip ten thousand times, or a small car once, you need to find a balance there. But lean more to the lighter side of things. It's different for everyone, but I like to find the weight I can do 12 reps with, then take a smaller weight and do 5 sets of 12 reps. Building more muscle will indeed reduce joint pain, but you shouldn't train until it hurts. Take a weight that doesn't hurt you, and start with that, then, as you grow stronger, increase the weights as well. Of course, if you're in constant pain, see a doctor, but I'm assuming you've already done that.

Always work on strength over mass, the strength you build will translate to mass in time. If you want bigger shoulders, then you make your shoulders strong first.

Try push ups with your arms further away from your body. Also you can use weights, just lie down with your arms spread out and bring both arms up at the same time and back down together. The slower you do these, the more it will help.