Of all the muscle groups in your body, shoulders are the ones that can help you make a strong first physical impression in just about every setting.

After all, nothing speaks to a powerful physique quite like barn-door wide shoulders capped with full, round deltoids. Whether you’re on the beach or in a suit, you need big shoulders to look your best.

Here are five high intensity training tips to help you build wider shoulders and best shoulders possible.

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Try Pre-Exhaust

In order to get really wide, you need to hit your side delts hard. Many guys have trouble isolating those side heads, though, because their triceps and front delts take over during pressing movements.

To get more side-delt action from your presses, you can try pre-exhausting them.

Begin your delt training with a set of lateral raises, either with dumbbells or a side delt machine. Using this single-joint movement, you should be able to really feel your side delts and take them to exhaustion.

Then, without rest, grab a barbell and perform a set of shoulder presses, either sitting or standing. You will need to reduce your normal training weight, but your side delts should be screaming by the time you hit failure on this second exercise.

Use Constant Tension

We use our delts all day long to some extent as we swing our arms while walking and when we pick up and move common items. Delts are used to working and thrive when they’re under stress.

Because of this, you should avoid locking out your reps when training delts, keeping them under constant tension throughout your sets. Not only will this help you feel and pump your delts, it’s also safer for your shoulder joints.

Don’t Cheat

Especially when performing isolation exercises like dumbbell laterals, the temptation to swing and heave the weight is tremendous. Remember that your goal is to stress your side delts, though, and not just move big dumbbells.

Begin each rep deliberately, move slowly through the positive stroke, hold at the top for a second or two, and then resist the weight as you lower slowly to the starting point.

Be Progressive

As with any muscle group, your delts should be getting stronger from workout to workout. Increase your reps or weight used each workout, or as often as possible, to keep your shoulders progressing in size and strength.

Train hard and progressively, use impeccable form, and get plenty of rest. If you have all of these factors in place, you can build wider shoulders.