• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The BarBend Logo in white.

BarBend

The Online Home for Strength Sports

  • News
    • CrossFit
    • Strongman
    • Bodybuilding
    • Powerlifting
    • Weightlifting
    • HYROX
  • Reviews
    • Recovery
      • Best Cold Plunges
      • Best Saunas
      • Best Mini-Massage Guns
    • Supplements
      • Best Protein
        • Best Vegan Protein Powders
        • Best Whey Isolate Protein Powders
        • Best Mass Gainer
        • Best Protein Bars
      • Best Pre-Workouts
        • Best Pre-Workout for Women
        • Best Pre-Workouts for Men
        • Best Non-Stim Pre-Workouts
        • Strongest Pre-Workouts
      • Best Creatine
      • Best Electrolyte Supplements
      • Best Greens Powder
      • Best Meal Replacements
      • Best Nitric Oxide Supplements
      • Best Fat Burners
      • Individual Supplement Reviews
    • Cardio Equipment
      • Best Treadmills
      • Best Rowing Machines
      • Best Exercise Bikes
      • Best Ellipticals
      • Best Recumbent Bikes
      • Individual Cardio Equipment Reviews
    • Strength Equipment
      • Best Adjustable Dumbbells
      • Best Dumbbells
      • Best Kettlebells
      • Best Barbells
      • Best Squat Racks
      • Best Weight Benches
      • Best Resistance Bands
      • Best Leg Extension Machines
      • Individual Strength Equipment Reviews
    • Apparel
      • Best Weightlifting Shoes
      • Best Cross Training Shoes
      • Best Running Shoes
      • Best Gym Shorts
    • Fitness Tech
      • Best Running Apps
      • Best Fitness Trackers
      • Best Workout Apps
      • Best Smart Scales
    • Support Gear
      • Best Lifting Straps
      • Best Gym Bags
      • Best Lifting Gloves
      • Best Wrist Wraps
  • Nutrition
    • Diets
      • Carb Cycling
      • Vertical Diet
      • Reverse Dieting
      • Carnivore Diet
      • Ketogenic Diet
      • Intermittent Fasting
      • IIFYM Diet
    • Muscle Gain
      • How to Dirty Bulk
      • Go From Cutting to Bulking
      • Eat These Carbs
      • How to Eat for Muscle
    • Fat Loss
      • Macros for Fat Loss
      • Calorie Deficits
      • Natural Fat Burners
      • Cut 2 Pounds Weekly
    • Supplement Guides
      • Pre-Workout
      • Whey Protein
      • Mass Gainers
      • Greens Powders
      • Creatine
      • BCAAs
    • Daily Protein Needs
    • Pre- and Post-Workout Nutrition
    • Foods With Creatine
    • Bulking Tips
  • Training
    • Exercise Guides
      • Deadlift
      • Bench Press
      • Back Squat
      • Overhead Press
      • Lat Pulldown
      • Shoulder Exercises
      • Chest Exercises
      • Ab Exercises
      • Quad Exercises
      • Biceps Exercises
    • Training Guides
      • Beginner’s Guide to the Gym
      • How to Build Muscle
      • Guide to Muscle Hypertrophy
      • How to Train on a Cut
    • Workouts
      • Back Workouts
      • At-Home Workouts
      • Chest & Back Workouts
      • Full-Body Workout
      • HIIT Workouts
      • Bodybuilding Workouts
      • Farmer’s Carry Workouts
    • Programs
      • 5×5 Program
      • Bodybuilding Programs
      • Push-Up Program
      • Pull-Up Program
      • 5/3/1 Program
      • Powerbuilding Program
      • German Volume Training
      • Build Your Own Program
  • Calculators
    • Protein Intake Calculator
    • Macros Calculator
    • BMR Calculator
    • Squat Calculator
    • Calorie Calculator
  • Community Forum
Home » Bodybuilding News » Hadi Choopan's Shoulder Training Post 2023 Olympia

Hadi Choopan’s Shoulder Training Post 2023 Olympia

Choopan favors high-volume workouts in the off-season to build 3D shoulders.

Phil Blechman
Written by Phil Blechman
Last updated on April 29th, 2025

After a year-long reign as the Mr. Olympia champion, Iranian bodybuilder Hadi Choopan relinquished the title to a much-improved Derek Lunsford at the 2023 Olympia. Choopan is already back in the gym training to improve his physique and reclaim the title at the 2024 Olympia, scheduled for Oct. 10-13 in Las Vegas, NV. Choopan is already qualified for the 2024 Olympia as a former champion and for finishing in the top three in 2022.

On Dec. 12, 2023, Choopan published a video on his YouTube channel wherein he shared his off-season shoulder training tips to build three-dimensional delts. Check it out below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6raL-t5F1M&ab_channel=HadiChoopan

“Shoulder workouts put your whole body, including the front, back, lumbar spine, and knees, under pressure…and must be done carefully,” said Choopan. He warmed up via shoulder rotations and stretches. 

Choopan cautioned against lifting heavier weights to build bigger delts and upper traps, as it significantly increases injury risk. 

Hadi Choopan’s Shoulder Workout

below is a summary of Choopan’s high-volume shoulder workout:

  • Cable Front Raise
  • Dumbbell Shoulder Press
  • Cable Front Raise
  • Seated Dumbbell Front Raise
  • Barbell Front Raise
  • Power Smith Machine Shoulder Press
  • Barbell Shrug

[Related: Francielle Mattos — Biography, Wellness Olympia Career, and Workouts]

Cable Front Raise

Choopan opened with cable front raises with a rope attachment to bias the front delts. He faced the cable pulley and grabbed the rope attachment with a shoulder-wide neutral grip. Choopan maintained a consistent rep cadence and externally rotated his wrists on concentrics to load the anterior deltoids.

Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Choopan performed dumbbell shoulder presses through his full range of motion. The dumbbells were at his shoulder height at the bottom of each rep. He stopped just shy of full elbow extension at the top to maintain tension on the delts.

Choopan kept his wrists, elbows, and shoulder joints aligned throughout the movement to bias the anterior deltoids. Over-rotating the shoulders can alter the line of pull and elevate the risk of injury to the rotator cuff and acromioclavicular (AC) joint. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/C0tAWsFtEjd/

“For exercises like shoulder and chest presses, try to do them in the scaption plane,” said Choopan. Scaption involves lifting the arms from the sides at a slightly forward angle.

According to a Sensors study, scaption is the most efficient movement plane, decreasing the risk of injury by placing the greater tubercle’s apex under the coracoacromial arch’s high point. [1]

Cable Front Raise

For the third shoulder exercise, Choopan performed cable front raises with a D-handle attachment to bias his anterior delt heads. Choopan grabbed the D-handle with a supinated grip, facing away from the cable pulley. 

Choopan maintained slight elbow flexion throughout the exercise to eliminate biceps engagement.

Seated Dumbbell Front Raise & Barbell Front Raise

Choopan grabbed the dumbbells with a neutral grip and kept his back flat against the back pad of the utility bench throughout the exercise to eliminate momentum. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/C0ylv4-tP2b/

Choopan performed EZ bar front raises using a narrow supinated grip to stimulate his front delts. He advocated for adequate rest between sets to allow for sufficient recovery time to replenish adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels.

Power Smith Machine Shoulder Press & Barbell Shrug

Choopan performed shoulder presses on the Panatta Power Smith Machine Dual System Upper. This machine’s unique converging line of pull biases the anterior deltoids and overloads the muscles at peak contraction.

Choopan concluded the workout with barbell shrugs to stimulate the traps. “Most people trying to build bigger upper traps and neck muscles are hurting their lumbar spine and cervical disks by lifting too heavy,” said Choopan. 

“Perform three exercises with cables, three with dumbbells, and one to two with barbells, then finish your workouts with shrugs,” said Choopan of his ideal shoulder workout.

Choopan has not yet disclosed his competitive plans for the 2024 season beyond presumably competing at the 2024 Olympia.

References

  1. Roldán-Jiménez C, Cuesta-Vargas AI, Martín-Martín J. Three-Dimensional Kinematics during Shoulder Scaption in Asymptomatic and Symptomatic Subjects by Inertial Sensors: A Cross-Sectional Study. Sensors (Basel). 2022;22(8):3081. Published 2022 Apr 17. doi:10.3390/s22083081

Featured image: @hadi_choopan on Instagram

Phil Blechman

About Phil Blechman

Phil is a native New Yorker passionate about storytelling, bodybuilding, and game design. He holds a BFA from Syracuse University.

View All Articles

Primary Sidebar

Latest Reviews

Featured image for the Ironmaster Super Bench Pro V2 Review

Ironmaster Super Bench Pro V2 Review (2025): Our Expert’s New Favorite FID Bench

Titan T3 Power Rack Review

Titan T3 Power Rack Review (2025): An Expert-Approved Rig Beckoning to Budget-Minded Athletes

Our tester works out at the beach in preparation for the Rogue Resistance Bands Review

Rogue Resistance Bands Review (2025): Tested by a Certified Personal Trainer

Barbend tester Jake Herod works out on a Force USA Trainer

Force USA G3 Review (2025): Our Experts Tested This Compact All-In-One Rack for Small Home Gyms

BarBend

BarBend is an independent website. The views expressed on this site may come from individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the view of BarBend or any other organization. BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting.

  • About Us
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest

Sections

  • CrossFit
  • Strongman
  • Bodybuilding
  • Powerlifting
  • Weightlifting
  • Reviews
  • Nutrition
  • Training

More

  • BarBend Newsletter
  • BarBend Podcast
  • The Ripped Report
  • 1RM Calculator
  • BMR Calculator
  • Macros Calculator
  • Protein Calculator
  • Squat Calculator

Policies

  • Accessibility
  • Advice Disclaimer
  • Cookies Policy
  • Disclaimers
  • Disclosures
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Copyright © 2025 · BarBend Inc · Sitemap