Can You Get Wider Shoulders If You Have Rounded Shoulders

Why Pressing More Is Making Your Shoulders Narrower

Yes, you can get wider shoulders if you have rounded shoulders, but it requires focusing 80% of your effort on your back and side delts, not pressing more weight. If you've been hammering overhead presses and front raises only to see your posture worsen and your shoulder width stay the same, you're not weak-you're just solving the wrong problem. Your rounded shoulders are a structural issue, and until you fix the foundation, any new muscle you build will just sit on a collapsed frame, making the rounding more obvious.

Rounded shoulders are caused by an imbalance: your chest and front delts are too tight and strong relative to the muscles in your upper back (rhomboids, rear delts, and mid-traps), which are weak and overstretched. Every time you do a bench press, push-up, or even a poorly executed overhead press, you reinforce this imbalance. You're essentially strengthening the muscles that pull your shoulders forward and inward. Trying to build wider shoulders in this state is like trying to build a taller building on a crumbling foundation. It won't work, and it's a fast track to shoulder pain and impingement.

The visual effect of “width” doesn’t come from the front of your shoulder; it comes from the medial (side) deltoid. This is the muscle that creates the “cap” on the shoulder, making you look broader in a t-shirt. But if your shoulders are rolled forward, this muscle is poorly positioned to grow and is visually hidden. The first step isn't to build more muscle-it's to pull your shoulders back into the correct position so the muscle you *do* build is actually visible.

The 2:1 Ratio That Unlocks Shoulder Width

Your body is a system of levers and pulleys. Rounded shoulders mean the pulleys in the front (your chest and front delts) are winning the tug-of-war against the pulleys in the back. To fix this, you must strengthen the muscles that pull your shoulders back and open up your chest. This is where the 2:1 Pull-to-Push Ratio comes in. For every single set of a pushing exercise you do (like a bench press or overhead press), you must perform two sets of a pulling exercise (like a row or face pull). This is non-negotiable for the first 12 weeks.

Think about your current routine. Most people naturally do the opposite. A typical chest day might have 12 sets of pressing and maybe 3-4 sets of a token row at the end. That's a 1:4 pull-to-push ratio, which actively creates rounded shoulders. Reversing this is the single most powerful change you can make.

Here’s the simple math:

• Your Old, Incorrect Routine: 12 sets of Bench Press + 4 sets of Dumbbell Rows = 3x more pushing than pulling. This is why your posture is getting worse.
• Your New, Correct Routine: 6 sets of Bench Press + 12 sets of various Rows/Face Pulls = 2x more pulling than pushing. This is what corrects the imbalance.

This isn't just about posture. A strong upper back creates a stable shelf from which you can press more weight safely. By prioritizing your back, you not only fix your rounded shoulders but also build the foundation to become much stronger on your presses later on. Neglecting this is the #1 reason people get stuck with narrow, painful shoulders for years.

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The 12-Week Protocol to Fix Posture and Build Width

This isn't a quick fix; it's a structural rebuild. You have to earn wider shoulders by first fixing the postural debt you've accumulated. Follow this plan for 12 weeks without deviation. The goal is to first pull the shoulder girdle back into place, then build the medial delt for width.

Step 1: The Postural Reset (Weeks 1-4)

Your only goal for the first month is to bombard your upper back with volume. During this phase, you will cut your total pressing volume (all chest and shoulder presses) by 50%. If you normally do 12 sets for chest, you now do 6. This feels wrong, but it's essential to allow your back muscles to catch up.

• The Prescription: At the end of *every* workout (3-4 times per week), perform a giant set of the following:

1. Band Pull-Aparts: 1 set of 25 reps. Focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together.
2. Face Pulls: 1 set of 20 reps. Use a rope on a cable machine. Pull the rope towards your face, aiming your hands high, near your ears. Imagine trying to show off your biceps at the end of the rep.
3. Seated Cable Rows (Wide Grip): 1 set of 15 reps. Pull the bar to your sternum, not your stomach. Keep your chest up.

• Rest 90 seconds and repeat this giant set for a total of 3 rounds.

Step 2: The Width Builder (Weeks 5-8)

Now that your posture is improving, we can focus on directly building the medial deltoid. This is where you'll start to see a change in width. The key here is perfect form and light weight. Your medial delts are small muscles; they don't need a 45-pound plate to grow.

• The Prescription: Add this to your upper body or shoulder days, twice per week.
• Leaning Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 4 sets of 12-15 reps. Grab a 10-20 pound dumbbell. Hold onto a stable rack with one hand and lean your body away. This puts more tension on the medial delt throughout the entire range of motion. Raise the dumbbell with a slight bend in your elbow, leading with your elbow, not your hand. Stop when your arm is parallel to the floor. Control the negative for a 3-second count on the way down. This is where the growth happens.
• The #1 Mistake: People use their traps to shrug the weight up. If you feel it in your neck, the weight is too heavy. Drop it by 5 pounds.

Step 3: The Integration Phase (Weeks 9-12)

With a stronger back and activated medial delts, you can now re-introduce pressing volume, but in a smarter way. Continue to maintain the 2:1 pull-to-push ratio.

• The Prescription: You can now increase your pressing volume back to about 75% of your old volume. Prioritize dumbbell presses over barbell presses. A neutral grip (palms facing each other) on a dumbbell overhead press is much friendlier to the shoulder joint than a pronated barbell press.
• Sample Workout Structure:
• A. Dumbbell Overhead Press: 3 sets of 8-10 reps
• B1. Seated Cable Rows: 4 sets of 12 reps
• B2. Leaning Dumbbell Lateral Raise: 4 sets of 15 reps
• C1. Push-ups: 3 sets to failure
• C2. Face Pulls: 3 sets of 20 reps

Notice how the pulling sets (8 total) still outnumber the pushing sets (6 total), maintaining a healthy ratio while allowing for strength and size gains everywhere.

What Your Shoulders Will Look and Feel Like in 30, 60, and 90 Days

Progress isn't just about what you see in the mirror. For this issue, it's about how you feel and stand. Here is a realistic timeline.

• After 30 Days (The Reset): You won't see a dramatic increase in shoulder width yet. Do not get discouraged. What you will feel is more important: your shoulders will feel 'unstuck'. You'll stand taller without forcing it. The chronic tightness in your chest will decrease, and you'll feel a new mind-muscle connection with your upper back. This is the most critical phase, even if it's the least visually rewarding.
• After 60 Days (The Build): This is where the visual changes begin. Because your posture is corrected, the work you're doing on your medial delts now shows. You'll notice the top of your shoulder starting to develop a 'cap'. Your t-shirts will start to feel tighter across the shoulders and looser around the chest. When you look in the mirror from the side, you'll see your ears are more aligned with your shoulders, a clear sign the rounding is reversing.
• After 90 Days (The Integration): The combination of improved posture and new muscle mass creates a significant illusion of width. Your V-taper will be more pronounced. The 'hunched' look is gone, replaced by a broad, confident posture. The initial investment in fixing your foundation has now paid off with visible, sustainable results. From here, you can continue to progress your lifts, knowing you're building on a stable and healthy structure.

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Frequently Asked Questions

The Role of Bench Pressing

You do not need to stop bench pressing, but you must treat it as an accessory, not a primary goal, for the first 12 weeks. Reduce your volume by 50% and ensure you are doing at least double the volume for your back on the same day.

Best Rep Range for Shoulder Width

For the medial deltoid, higher reps are superior. Aim for 12-20 reps per set on exercises like lateral raises. The medial delts are a slow-twitch dominant muscle fiber, responding better to longer time under tension and metabolic stress than to extremely heavy weight.

Fixing Lateral Raise Form

The most common mistake is using momentum and shrugging with the traps. To fix this, use a lighter weight (10-20 lbs is plenty), lean your torso forward about 15 degrees, and think about pushing the weights out to the side walls, not lifting them up.

Frequency of Shoulder and Back Training

During the 12-week correction phase, you should train your back directly 3-4 times per week. This can be a few sets of face pulls and band pull-aparts at the end of every workout. Train your medial delts directly twice per week on your upper body days.

Essential Stretches for Rounded Shoulders

Stretching your pecs is just as important as strengthening your back. The single best stretch is the doorway pec stretch. Stand in a doorway, place your forearms on the frame with elbows slightly below shoulder height, and gently step through until you feel a stretch in your chest. Hold for 30-45 seconds.