Shoulders · Bodyweight
Weighted Full Can Exercise
How to do the weighted full can exercise, the muscles it works, and the mistakes to avoid. Pulled straight from the Kovo app's exercise library.
- Equipment
- Bodyweight
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Logged as
- Weighted reps
- Movement
- VerticalPush
- Mechanic
- Isolation
How to do it
Stand tall holding a light weight in each hand with thumbs pointing up. Raise your arms out and slightly forward at about a 30 degree angle from your body, keeping the thumbs up like pouring with a full can, until your hands reach shoulder height. Lower slowly back to your sides under control.
- 1The top of the shoulder and rotator cuff lifting the weight
- 2Thumbs staying up throughout the raise
- 3A slow, controlled lower back to your sides
Common mistakes
- Don't lift above shoulder height or shrug your traps
- Avoid swinging the weights up with momentum
- Don't let your thumbs rotate down toward the floor
Muscles worked
The weighted full can exercise works the front delts, side delts, external rotators, and upper traps.
- Front DeltsSupport
- Side DeltsSupport
- External RotatorsSupport
- Upper TrapsSupport
- ForearmsMinor
- Mid TrapsMinor
- Lower TrapsMinor
Kovo programs the weighted full can exercise for you and tracks it every session.
We build your whole program, drop the right lifts into each workout, and adjust your weights as you get stronger. Free on iOS and Android.
More shoulders exercises
- How to do the battle rope alternating waves
- How to do the arm circles
- How to do the arnold press
- How to do the resistance band front raise
- How to do the resistance band lateral raise
- How to do the resistance band overhead press
Last reviewed June 2026.