Shoulders: Strategies for renewed growth
Part 3:Shoulders:
Strategies for renewed growth
As with the
previous article, I first want to review some of the more popular exercises
for shoulders and briefly touch on those. Bear in mind that machines vary as
well as names for specific exercises. What I may refer to as "Side Laterals"
someone else might call "Side Raises."
They both mean the
same thing, namely raising a weight out to your side until your arms are
parallel to the ground. Keep this in mind when reviewing these exercises. I
will try and keep the names as generic as I can. As before, this is not an
exhaustive list.
There are basically
3-4 different movements for shoulders depending on whether or not you wish to
include rear delts into your workout or whether you include those with your
back routine. Either way, they are not as
important as the side and front deltoids, and should not be the primary focus
of your shoulder training routine. Also, rear deltoids are worked when we
perform various rowing movements for back, like pull-ups, seated rows, etc.,
so they are not going to be emphasized here. So if we remove the rear
deltoids, then there are 3 movements for shoulders: Overhead presses, which
can also be referred to as Military Presses, Side Laterals or side raises, and
finally Front raises. Overhead pressing movements work the front and side
heads of the shoulder, while the side laterals and front raises isolate the
side and front deltoids respectively. Below is a breakdown of the exercises
for each. I left rear deltoids for last, but included a couple of movements
for them as well. Also, a quick note, I did not include upright rows in any of
the exercises below. This was done because I feel that they are to dangerous
for the shoulder capsule, and are not as effective as other movements. If you
decide to do them start with a light weight, and stop if you feel any
discomfort in the shoulder region.
Overhead Presses
(AKA: Military Presses)
Dumbbell Presses
Barbell Presses
Free Bar
Smith Machine
Machine Presses
(Hammer Strength, Lifecircuit, etc.)
Side Laterals
(AKA: Side Raises)
Dumbbell
Cable
Machines (Hammer
Strength, Lifecircuit, etc.)
Front Raises
Dumbbell
Barbell
Cable (Rope or
straight bar, on the low pulley)
Machines (Hammer
Strength, Lifecircuit, etc.)
Rear Delts
Bent-Over Raises
with Dumbbells
Machine
Bent-Over Raises
Reverse Pec-Deck
Forgotten
Shoulder Exercises
Now I wanted to go
over 3 shoulder exercises that you may have forgotten about, or maybe have yet
to really incorporate into your routine on a regular basis.
Smith Machine
Military Presses: Want to add some serious size and strength to your
shoulders? This is one of the best ways to do it. Unlike dumbbell presses,
which by the way are great too, when you perform overhead presses on the Smith
Machine, you don't have to concentrate on form as much, although it is still
important, and can experiment with going heavy on shoulders and trying to
break through strength plateaus. This exercise is my favorite. There are two
ways to do these: 1) In front of your face, where you bring the bar down to
just below your chin, and 2) behind the neck until your wrists are level with
your ears and you make a "u" shape with your arms at the bottom of the
movement. Now, I prefer going behind the neck, but be careful with this, it
can be dangerous for someone with weak shoulders, or a history of injuries. As
with the Upright rows that I mentioned above, discontinue this if you feel any
discomfort or pain. Once you get the motion down, you can begin with a weight
that you can comfortably do for at least 15 reps as a warm-up. Steadily
increase your weight and challenge yourself and see how much you can do up to
about 3-6 reps. You shouldn't try a 1 rep max on this exercise because of the
danger that can be involved with your shoulder, and you always want to have a
spotter on this one if you plan on going heavy. Either way, heavy of not, this
is one of the most effective and simple of all shoulder exercises. And because
you can go heavy on this without worrying about form as much, unlike
dumbbells, gains will be made faster.
Front Raises with a
Bar: We've probably all done front raises at one time or another, but have you
ever tried them with a bar? This is a GREAT way to make your shoulders burn,
and if done properly, should not take a lot of weight to get you there. If you
can normally do a dumbbell raise with 30 lbs. for instance, then grab a bar
that weighs about 30-40lbs total, (the equivalent to 2, 30lb. dumbbells). You
need to start about 30-50% below what you normally use for one arm if
multiplied by two because of the difficulty of this exercise and because you
do not want to compromise form. Grab the bar about shoulder width apart with
your palms facing down. Next, stand with your feet shoulder width apart, knees
slightly bent, keep your back straight and begin raising the weight until your
arms are parallel to the ground. Bring the bar slowly down until it touches
your thighs and repeat. REMEMBER, no swinging or cheating. Try doing anywhere
from 8-12 reps on this.
Cable Side
Laterals: Like dumbbells, cable side laterals are a great way to isolate your
side deltoids. Try these out for a great alternative to your regular shoulder
work. First, find a low-pulley machine, attach a regular single grip
attachment to it. Then stand with your feet shoulder width apart, knees
slightly bent. Grab the pulley with your palm facing toward your body, and
begin raising the apparatus across your body from left to right for your right
side, and from left to right for your left side. When you are at the top of
the movement, your arm should be parallel to the floor. Lower the weight until
your arm passes your leg that is closest to the pulley and repeat. If the
machine that you are using only has one side, then you are going to have to
turn around to hit each side of your shoulders. If you are lucky enough to
have a high-low pulley apparatus that has two sides facing eachother, then you
can hook up each side, and simply switch sides for each delt and face the same
direction. A mirror is a great help for this one to make sure that your form
is good. Again, no swinging, or back bending. Reps should be from 8-15 as
before. Concentrate on feeling the burn and use only your side deltoid, not
your traps, or momentum.
3 Breakthrough
Shoulder Routines
Routine #1:
These routines that we are going to do incorporate some of the things that we
have already gone over. They are somewhat simplistic, but then again, some of
the best workouts you've ever had are the ones when you did basic movements
well, like bench presses, and broke your records, or felt extremely pumped or
sore the next day.
After properly
warming up and stretching, you are going to begin your routine with Dumbbell
Presses. These are best done in a special chair that has a back support that
goes to about your upper back and can be found in most gyms. Start with a
weight that you can handle for 15 reps. We are going to perform 5 sets total,
each time increasing the weight so that by the end, you are doing a weight
that you can only handle for about 6-8 reps. Be careful with this, because as
the weight increases, your need for a spotter does as well. Make sure you have
one with you to help you get those 6-8 reps at the end, even if they are
forced reps.
After this, we are
going to finish off our shoulder routine with a compound exercise that will
again hit the front and side deltoids.
To get ready for
this final exercise, grab a bar for front raises, and then two dumbbells for
side laterals. Now our goal here is to burn out the muscle, not rip it from
the socket, so make sure that you get weights for both that you can do at
least 10 reps for each. The side laterals can be performed in the same chair
that was used for the overhead presses.
First start with
the front raises. Make sure that you can perform at least 10, albeit
excruciating reps with good form. Then, with no rest, immediately, sit down,
grab the dumbbells and perform at least 10 reps of side laterals with good
form. Repeat this compound set 3-4 times. This is a quick routine, one that
will get you out of the gym fast, but leave you unable to raise your arms
above your head. Give it a try.
Routine #2:
This routine is almost the exact opposite of the one above, but will shock
your shoulders and again leave you pumped.
After properly
warming up and stretching, we are going to start with front raises with
dumbbells. This allows you to do each arm separately, and makes sure that we
ensure symmetry for our shoulder development. Start with a weight that you can
handle for about 13-15 reps for each arm. Then do 3 more sets and raise the
weight each time so that you are able to do about 8 reps on each arm for your
last set.
When finished with
these, grab the side lateral chair and repeat the same process, namely, start
with a weight that you can handle for 15 reps, and work your way up until you
are struggling to do 8 for your last set, with good form.
A quick note here:
Be cautious about using a weight that is any heavier than one that will allow
you to perform at least 8 reps. Shoulders are the rare bodypart that do not
perform well with heavy weights. The exception is overhead presses because you
are using both the side and front deltoids. When you are isolating them, it
would be wise to stick with a moderate weight, never too heavy, lest you risk
serious injury and/or improper form, and diminished results.
When done with the
side laterals, we are going to finish off our shoulders with some light
military presses for burn out. These can be performed either on a machine or
with dumbbells, but be advised, you won't be able to do nearly the same weight
you would had you started with this exercise, and caution should be observed
with form. Have a spotter handy for this, just in case. You want to be able to
do at least 3 sets of 10 reps.
Once completed, go
home, and start your recovery. By the way, this type of routine, or the one
like #1, should not be performed often, perhaps once a month, maybe less
depending on your recovery ability, injury history, etc.
Routine #3:
This routine is slightly more taxing than the first two only because it
involves one of the high intensity principles talked about in a previous
Trainer's Corner. Again, exercise caution, and better judgment.
The only difference
between this routine and the ones that we already went over is that in this
one, instead of doing a compound set as in Routine #1, we are sticking with
the same muscle group, either side delts, or the front delts, and performing a
drop set on them.
After properly
warming up and stretching, you want to start with an overhead pressing
movement. This can be your choice. Perform about 3-5 sets of this, with an
ascending weight pattern as before. Just make sure that you are properly
warmed up and ready to go when you start the drop set movement part of this
routine.
When you are ready
for the drop set, choose whether you want to work your side delts, or front
delts first. It might be wise to work your front delts first because they are
the most taxing of the two. Then perform 2 sets with a weight that you can
handle for about 10-12 reps. For your final set, grab a weight that you can
handle only about 8 reps, one that you can handle for about 10-12, one that
you can handle for 15, and one that you can handle for about 20 reps. We are
going to perform one set, with all 4 weights all in a row as described
earlier. Start with the heaviest one, perform as many as you can, drop that
weight, rest for 3 deep breaths, and start the next one again for as many as
you can. Keep going until you have finished with all of them for as many reps
as you can muster.
Repeat this for the
other head of the deltoids that you did not work the first time.
This should leave
you totally exhausted and give you a great pump, and more importantly,
soreness on your delts the next day.
The shoulders are
an integral part of our training regimen. Do not neglect them. You use your
shoulders for EVERY upper body exercise whether to stabilize, or as a
secondary or primary mover. It is important that you not only stretch your
shoulders properly, and warm them up properly, but also that you give them
ample amounts of rest, and stop any exercise that you feel is "rubbing" you
the wrong way, or hurting your shoulder capsule. Treat your shoulders right,
and the improvements in them will lead to improvements in other areas of your
training like chest, back, and arms.
Next month I will
be finishing up our upper body section by talking about biceps and triceps.
Keep up the hard
work,
This is the third
in a series of articles by Chris Fernandez written to provide insight into
each bodypart, and new ways to tackle that specific bodypart while working
out. These reports will include a review of exercises that you are familiar
with, as well as exercises that you may not be familiar with, along with ways
that you can break through a plateau for that specific bodypart.
Chris Fernandez is
the founder and president of AthleticNutrition.com. He is a competitive
bodybuilder and certified personal trainer, and has many years of experience
in the fields of bodybuilding, strength training and lifestyle and weight
management. Visit his site now
http://www.athleticnutrition.com for the best in sports supplements.
Natural
Bodybuilding at its Finest - Lift for Life.com
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