Shoulders Training for the Slim Woman: 135 to 160 lbs, Recomp Phase

For a woman at 135 to 160 pounds in a recomp, I train shoulders with lateral raises, seated dumbbell presses, face pulls and Arnold presses. Do it on upper body days of a four-day upper/lower split, add weight when every set reaches the top of the rep range, and expect visible change in about 8 to 12 weeks.

Slim is my name for women between 135 and 160 pounds, usually a pear, hourglass or inverted triangle shape, in a recomp phase: losing fat and building muscle at the same time on 1,700 to 2,000 calories and 120 to 145 grams of protein a day.

If you’re a woman at 135 to 160 pounds who wants a narrower-looking waist without losing a pound, shoulder development is the fastest route available to you. The physics of visual proportion are simple: wider shoulders create a narrower-appearing waist by contrast.

You do not need to lose weight for your waist to look smaller. You need to make your shoulders wider.

What muscles are you training in your shoulders?

The deltoid has three distinct heads. The anterior deltoid at the front raises your arm forward. It receives heavy secondary stimulus from all pressing movements. The lateral deltoid at the side raises your arm out to the side, shoulder abduction. It is isolated only by lateral raise movements. No compound exercise provides significant lateral deltoid stimulus. This is the width-creating head and the most important head for your proportioning goal. The posterior deltoid at the back pulls your arm backward and externally rotates your shoulder. It corrects posture and creates the three-dimensional side-view shoulder appearance.

How does body shape change shoulders training?

Pear Shape

Shoulder development is your highest-priority upper body goal. The lateral deltoid specifically physically widens your upper body to create structural balance with your wider lower body. High volume lateral delt work, 4 sets of lateral raises twice per week. Timeline: 6 to 8 weeks before visible shoulder width change.

Hourglass Shape

Shoulders and hips are approximately equal in your natural structure. Shoulder development deepens that balance with three-dimensional muscle. All three heads equally. Timeline: 6 weeks for visible shoulder roundness.

Inverted Triangle Shape

Your shoulders are already your widest point. Lateral delt volume should be minimal, 1 to 2 sets for maintenance, not development. Prioritize rear and front delt development for depth and three-dimensionality without adding width.

What is the exact shoulders workout for Slim?

Exercise 1: Dumbbell Lateral Raise

Stand with a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing your thighs. Raise both dumbbells simultaneously out to the sides until your arms reach shoulder height. Lead with your elbows, not your wrists, your elbow should be the highest point. At the top, tilt the front of the dumbbell very slightly downward, as if pouring water from a pitcher. Lower under control over 2 seconds. Do not shrug. Do not use momentum.

Sets: 4. Reps: 15. Rest: 60 seconds. Starting weight: 8 to 10 pounds per hand. Progressive overload: add 2 pounds per hand when all 4 sets of 15 are completed cleanly. Common mistake: using body momentum, if you must swing to lift the dumbbells, reduce the weight immediately.

Exercise 2: Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press

Sit upright on a bench with back support. Hold dumbbells at shoulder height, elbows at 45 degrees from your torso. Press both dumbbells directly overhead until arms are fully extended. Lower under control. The overhead press trains all three deltoid heads with emphasis on anterior and lateral.

Sets: 3. Reps: 10. Rest: 90 seconds. Starting weight: 15 to 20 pounds per hand. Progressive overload: add 2.5 to 5 pounds when all 3 sets of 10 are completed. Common mistake: elbows flaring to 90 degrees, keep them at 45 degrees to protect your shoulder joint.

Exercise 3: Face Pull (Rear Delt Emphasis)

See the full description in the Rear Delts protocol. Include here as the posterior shoulder component of your shoulder session.

Sets: 3. Reps: 15. Rest: 60 seconds. Starting weight: 20 pounds cable.

Exercise 4: Arnold Press

Sit with dumbbells at shoulder height, palms facing you, biceps facing forward, elbows in front of your body. As you press upward, rotate your palms outward so that at the top your palms face forward. Lower by reversing the rotation. This movement trains all three heads through the rotational component.

Sets: 2. Reps: 12. Rest: 75 seconds. Starting weight: 12 to 15 pounds. Common mistake: rotating too quickly, the rotation should occur continuously throughout the press.

What should you expect at week 1, week 4 and week 12?

Week 4: Shoulder width visually noticeable in mirror and photos. Waist-to-shoulder ratio improving even without weight loss.

Week 12: Fully three-dimensional shoulder appearance.

What should you read next?

Pair this with Slim side delts training and Slim rear delts training, and see the high protein diet for Slim. To work with me, start with the XPL quiz, which is my intake form for every client and confirms whether Slim is your category, then see coaching options and pricing.

Written by Zavier King, personal trainer in Houston and online coach at XPL. ISSA Certified Personal Trainer and NASM Nutrition Coach.