Big Shoulders Day
Single-session shoulder specialization. OHP, seated DB press, lateral raise, reverse flye, cable rear delt fly, BB shrugs. ~17 shoulder + 3 trap sets, ~75 min.
Estimated session
- Movements 6
- Loads Coach-filled
- Progresses Every session
Every movement, in order
Each lift with its working sets and target, in the order you run them. The coach sets the loads from your training and moves them up as the work gets easier.
| Order | Exercise | Sets | Target | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Standing Military Press Brace core, vertical line. 2 warm-up sets first 4 × 6 · rest 3 min | 4 | 6 | 3 min |
| 02 | Seated Dumbbell Press Press straight up. 3 × 10 · rest 2 min | 3 | 10 | 2 min |
| 03 | Side Lateral Raise Lead with elbows, high volume. 4 × 15 · rest 1 min | 4 | 15 | 1 min |
| 04 | Reverse Flyes Soft elbows, rear delt squeeze. 3 × 12 · rest 1 min | 3 | 12 | 1 min |
| 05 | Cable Rear Delt Fly Different angle than DB reverse. 2 × 15 · rest 1 min | 2 | 15 | 1 min |
| 06 | Barbell Shrug Straight up, no rolling. 3 × 12 · rest 1:15 | 3 | 12 | 1:15 |
The coach sets the loads and moves them up — these are the schemes
When to reach for this template
Press heavy while fresh, then chase the lateral and rear-delt work hard — that volume is the point, so pick raise and flye loads light enough to lead with the elbows through a clean arc, not swing. Set OHP and DB press loads to hit the reps at the listed RPE without leg drive. On rear-delt moves keep elbows soft and squeeze the back of the shoulder, not the traps. Matched-effort swaps (machine press for OHP, cable laterals for DB) are fine; keep all three delt heads trained.
Every workout
The coach reads your log, tunes the loads and volume to where you are today, and tells you when to add weight.
Common questions
The facts most people check before they drop this session into a week.
01When should I use the Big Shoulders Day template?
Press heavy while fresh, then chase the lateral and rear-delt work hard — that volume is the point, so pick raise and flye loads light enough to lead with the elbows through a clean arc, not swing. Add it to your week in Squatly and the coach schedules it, sets the loads from your training, and tells you when to move up.
02How many working sets is Big Shoulders Day, and how long does it take?
Big Shoulders Day runs 6 movements and about 19 working sets, roughly 75 minutes once warm-ups are in. The full per-exercise scheme — sets, reps or RPE, and rest — is in the session table above.
Built on the Squatly method
Every set count, rep target, and rest period here comes from how the coach weighs volume, intensity, and fatigue. See where the numbers come from.
Read the methodVolume, intensity, and fatigue — read per lift, every session.
Last updated: June 2026
Keep moving forward.
Add this template to your week. The coach reads your training, sets the loads, and tells you when to push.
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Aleks · Coach
Proposal — add weight