So, you're trying to develop an impressive, muscular physique. And you want well-developed shoulders. Thick, round "cannon ball delts" will make your upper body appear wide and powerful and will help immensely in creating the v-tapered look that all bodybuilders strive for. Muscular shoulders is the greatest contribution toward the overall appearance of the upper body, at least, that's what the most of the lifters in the gym will tell to you.
Your shoulder (or deltoid) is a 3-headed muscle that performs the function of lifting and rotating the arm. It is a large three-headed muscle group consisting of the anterior (front), medial (side) and posterior (rear) deltoid. Shoulder training involves two basic types of exercises: presses and raises.
Both a barbell and a dumbbell can be used to achieve your goal, but dumbbells are the best overall choice. The overhead press is the meat and potatoes of effective shoulder training. There isn't a single lift out there that can match the incredible shoulder-stimulating effect of a basic overhead pressing movement.
With dumbbell presses you get a greater range of motion for overall development and each shoulder is working individually maximizing the effort put out by both shoulders completely. Also, doing presses with barbells to the front overemphasizes the anterior delts and upper chest while presses behind the neck using a barbell put a lot of stress on the shoulder joint risking injury. Grab a pair of dumbbells and sit on a bench with a vertical back support. Press the dumbbells overhead until your elbows are just short of locking out, and then lower them back to shoulder level.
The next exercise to look into is a basic side lateral raise, which can also be performed with a pair of dumbbells. Side laterals are an isolation exercise and will shift the majority of the stress to the medial head of the shoulder. This will build greater shoulder width and will contribute to that wide upper body look. Stand with your knees slightly bent and hold a pair of dumbbells with your palms facing inward. With a slight bend in your arms, raise the dumbbells up to shoulder level and then lower them back to the starting position.
When it comes to training your shoulders for maximum size and strength, a basic overhead press and a side lateral raise is all you need. It's very important to realize that the shoulders are stimulated on virtually every single upper body exercise that you perform and therefore they do not require a lot of direct work. Most people perform far too much work on their shoulders and actually hinder their gains as a result. Because of this I typically do not recommend that you perform isolation exercises for the anterior and posterior heads. Don't forget that the key to massive shoulders is quality, not quantity.
Here is a sample shoulder routine that you can use: Seated Overhead Dumbbell Press - 2 sets of 5-7 reps. Standing Dumbbell Side Laterals - 1-2 sets of 10-12 reps. Standing Front Dumbbell Raise - 1 set of 10-12 reps. Seated Rear Lateral Dumbbell Raise - 1 set of 10-12 reps.
There you have it. All sets should be taken to complete muscular failure where no additional reps can be completed using proper form. Keep a detailed record of each workout and strive for continual improvement from week to week by either increasing the resistance or the number of reps performed.
Your shoulder (or deltoid) is a 3-headed muscle that performs the function of lifting and rotating the arm. It is a large three-headed muscle group consisting of the anterior (front), medial (side) and posterior (rear) deltoid. Shoulder training involves two basic types of exercises: presses and raises.
Both a barbell and a dumbbell can be used to achieve your goal, but dumbbells are the best overall choice. The overhead press is the meat and potatoes of effective shoulder training. There isn't a single lift out there that can match the incredible shoulder-stimulating effect of a basic overhead pressing movement.
With dumbbell presses you get a greater range of motion for overall development and each shoulder is working individually maximizing the effort put out by both shoulders completely. Also, doing presses with barbells to the front overemphasizes the anterior delts and upper chest while presses behind the neck using a barbell put a lot of stress on the shoulder joint risking injury. Grab a pair of dumbbells and sit on a bench with a vertical back support. Press the dumbbells overhead until your elbows are just short of locking out, and then lower them back to shoulder level.
The next exercise to look into is a basic side lateral raise, which can also be performed with a pair of dumbbells. Side laterals are an isolation exercise and will shift the majority of the stress to the medial head of the shoulder. This will build greater shoulder width and will contribute to that wide upper body look. Stand with your knees slightly bent and hold a pair of dumbbells with your palms facing inward. With a slight bend in your arms, raise the dumbbells up to shoulder level and then lower them back to the starting position.
When it comes to training your shoulders for maximum size and strength, a basic overhead press and a side lateral raise is all you need. It's very important to realize that the shoulders are stimulated on virtually every single upper body exercise that you perform and therefore they do not require a lot of direct work. Most people perform far too much work on their shoulders and actually hinder their gains as a result. Because of this I typically do not recommend that you perform isolation exercises for the anterior and posterior heads. Don't forget that the key to massive shoulders is quality, not quantity.
Here is a sample shoulder routine that you can use: Seated Overhead Dumbbell Press - 2 sets of 5-7 reps. Standing Dumbbell Side Laterals - 1-2 sets of 10-12 reps. Standing Front Dumbbell Raise - 1 set of 10-12 reps. Seated Rear Lateral Dumbbell Raise - 1 set of 10-12 reps.
There you have it. All sets should be taken to complete muscular failure where no additional reps can be completed using proper form. Keep a detailed record of each workout and strive for continual improvement from week to week by either increasing the resistance or the number of reps performed.
About the Author:
If you are looking to achieve huge shoulders and muscular look as easily and quickly as possible, Sean Nalewanyj's Muscle Gain Truth No-Fail Method is our #1 recommendation.
