Bodybuilder Nick Walker is known for his huge muscle mass and his shoulders have always been one of the most prominent parts on stage. He recently shared his workout secrets on his Instagram and ranked 9 popular shoulder exercises from best to worst. If you’re looking for inspiration for your workout plan and want round “3D shoulders”, you definitely shouldn’t miss this ranking.
“Mutant”, as Walker is nicknamed, has had a turbulent time. After a sixth place finish at Mr. Olympia 2025, he parted ways with his trainer Kyle Wilkes and went on his own. Despite the doubts, he put on the performance of a lifetime at the 2026 Arnold Classic Ohio and was able to defeat Hadi Choopan for the first time in his career. So it’s clear he knows what he’s doing and it makes sense to listen to his advice.
Nick Walker’s 9 shoulder exercises
In his video, Nick rated these well-known exercises on a scale of 1 to 10. But for his absolute favorite, he broke down the charts and gave it an even higher rating:
- Upright Row – 2/10 This exercise came in last place. It often causes discomfort and problems with the rotator cuff, so it’s simply not worth the risk according to Walker.
- Behind-the-Neck Barbell Press – 3/10 Another exercise with a very low rating. For many exercisers, it poses too much risk of injury and puts the shoulder joint in an unnatural position.
- Dumbbell Side Raises – 6/10 An absolute classic. While the exercise works, it has its limits – mainly because you lose tension in the muscle during the bottom phase of the movement.
- Bent-Over Rear Dumbbell Raises – 8/10 A very solid exercise for building the rear delts that earns a great rating.
- Bench-Supported Rear Dumbbell – 8.5/10 A slight improvement on the previous exercise. Supporting the chest against the bench prevents “cheating” (body sway) and allows for much better isolation of the muscle.
- Cable Side Raises – 9/10 Unlike the one-arm pulley, the pulley provides constant tension in the muscle throughout the entire movement path. A near perfect exercise for the middle delts.
- Smith Machine Shoulder Press – 10/10 Full points! The Multipress provides maximum stability, allowing you to safely lift heavier weights and focus purely on pushing the load without having to balance the barbell.
- Cable Rear Delt – 10/10 Another absolute top performer. For building back shoulders with perfect and constant tension you’d be hard pressed to find anything better.
- Machine Side Laterals – 12/10 (Nick’s absolute number one!) Machine Laterals are clearly the winner for Nick and he takes home an out of this world score. It provides maximum isolation, stability and an incredible muscle pump.
Why do you have to use a machine?
A number of other personalities from the fitness world agree with Nick’s view, including well-known expert and trainer Jeff Nippard. He particularly highlights the incredible fluidity of the movement and the consistent tension the machine provides to the lateral delts. Plus, it’s very easy to safely add weight or reps on the machine and track progress over the long term without risk of injury.
What’s next for Mutant?
While speculation about his next competition continues unabated (for example, veteran Fouad Abiad believes Walker will show up at the 2026 Texas Pro), Nick is currently focused on training hard and eating clean. And one thing is clear – if he had to choose just one exercise for his huge shoulders from his entire arsenal, the weightlifting machine would be his obvious choice.
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