When blasting your shoulders, try
starting with standing side dumbbell raises. Alternate
arms with very slow and deliberate movements. For correct form, be sure to raise
dumbbells to nose-level and keep your elbows straight.
Use 2-3 working sets and for an extra pump hold the
weight in the top position for 3 seconds or so on
the final few reps of each set.
You can also vary standing side
dumbbell raises by bringing the arms slightly forward
at an angle. Shoot for a grove about halfway between
side raises and front raises. Use light weight initially
to really feel the movement.
Deltoids respond well to light and
moderate poundage providing proper form is maintained.
On the standing raises, you'll also benefit
from experimenting with the hand and wrist position—try
it thumbs down, palms down, palms up, etc.
This will change the angle of attack
on your delts slightly and help add variation into
your program. With this in mind, you should also try
the various lateral raises while seated on a flat
bench—this often helps you to maintain proper
form and really isolate the delts.
"Feeling" Your Shoulder
Muscles
Try this next time your
at the gym warming up delts to get a sense and feeling
of the different heads being worked:
Take a 10 lb. dumbbell in one arm
and raise it in front of you up to shoulder level.
While keeping the height of the dumbbell steady, move
your arm first across your body towards your opposite
shoulder . . . you should feel the very front of your
delt flex slightly. Now keeping your elbow straight,
move your arm outward towards your side, and you'll
feel the tension in your shoulder shifting.
While you're doing this, you
can also rotate your palm and wrist from thumb-up
to thumb-down and take note of the different deltoid
heads tensing with the varied hand position.
Place your opposite hand on your
flexed shoulder to feel how the delts respond to the
various positions of the arm and hand.
Exercises For Developing Round,
Big Shoulders
Heroes, beefcakes, studmuffins,
all of the above - they don't quite earn their
status without a sturdy pair of shoulders resting
at the centerpiece of their physiques "A poll
conducted last year revealed that, yes, a strong pair
of shoulders was number one for the ladies as far
as desirable male features go.
But before you go melting any hearts,
guys, try these burning exercises designed to beef
up your blades and turn those shoulders into boulders:
Behind The Neck Presses
- Shoulder Press
Set the barbell at a comfortable
weight, place it behind your neck, an inch behind
your shoulders. Your hands should be placed at shoulder
width. Keeping your elbows straight with your torso,
slowly push the barbell upward. Stop just before your
elbows become locked, squeezing your shoulder muscles,
and then slowly allow the weight to bring your elbows
back to the starting position. Stop an inch before
the barbell touches your shoulders and immediately
begin the next repetition. Do this 8-12 times for
4 sets.
Seated Bent Over Dumbell
Laterals
Sitting on the end of the bench,
make sure that you're bent at the waist with
your knees pressed together. You want your arms holding
the weights down by the floor so that your palms are
facing each other. Slowly lift your weights out to
the side and turn your hands outward so that your
thumbs are facing the floor. Bring your arms upward
and stop at when they're at head level. Squeeze
during the contraction for a second, then slowly drop
your arms back down to the starting position. Repeat
the movement for 10-12 reps. Try doing three sets.
One Armed Cable Laterals
Set up the D-handle to the lower
hookup of the cable machine. With the hand that's
farthest away from the cable machine, take the handle,
placing your free hand on your hip. Slowly raise the
weight across the width of your torso so it arcs across
your chest. The motion should stop when your arm is
extended completely to your side at head level. Squeeze
your deltoid muscle for a moment or two before slowly
releasing your hand down to the opposite hip. Try
12-15 reps on each side for 3 sets.
It is imperative to stretch thoroughly
before partaking in any of these exercises. Nothing
can be deadlier to a bodybuilder's training
program than a nagging shoulder injury.
And remember, heavy weights are not necessary
for the lateral exercises. Try to use manageable poundage
on these exercises. You must first achieve proper form and
ultimately provide the range of motion needed for sculpt
those deltoids.
Copyright MuscleMaster. Reprinted
with permission.
