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Build Big Shoulders

Build Deltoids Workout

Large Powerful shoulders project a powerful physique. Broad shoulders are what make a person look powerful, the shoulders are also one of the first noticed and admired bodyparts. With the exercise routines explained below, lets try to make yours as large and as powerful as humanly possible.

The overhead press, whether it be performed behind the neck or in front, it probably the most basic and also the most effective exercise for the DELTOIDS. There are 3 heads to the Deltoid muscle, the front and behind the neck presses work the front delts and the top part of the rear delts. The main advantage to these type of presses is that they add roundness to the deltoids. I will first explain the front press. This exercise is performed by pressing the weight upward until the arms are fully extended and lowering the weight down until barely resting on the collar bone. You should use a moderate weight so at least 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 10 reps can be achieved. Needless to say, form is extremely critical in this exercise. If this exercise is new to you, you may find yourself needing a spotter until the correct form is achieved. It is important to have a smooth controlled motion when peforming this exercise. These should be done with a wide grip on the bar so the entire muscle group can be worked. The same holds true for the behind the neck press which is done in the same manner but the starting is with the bar resting behind the neck and on the traps. Be careful not to overload the delts when doing the behind the neck press because the rotator cuffs can easily be damaged. The key to having massive delts is to think big and train heavy-- but also train safe. Always focus on trying to increase the weight that you're lifting. Never be satified with staying with the lighter weight.

The shoulder shrug is also an excellent exercise for building mass in the shoulders. Most people use this exercise to build mass in the trap area but the deltoids are also worked with this exercise. This exercise should be done with EXTREMELY heavy weights. It is performed by holding the weights (one in each arm) waist side and shrugging the shoulders. The shoulders should be rolled in a circular motion until total exhaustion is achieved. It is beneficial if the shoulder muscles are flexed at the top of the rep. It is also necessary to perfom these slowly and controlled and try to get the most out of each rep. When I do shrugs, I tend to put them towards the end of my routine and use them as a final burn exercise, therefore I really don't count the amount of sets that I do. I do them until total exhaustion occurs. I found these to work better for me toward the end of my routine which allows me to use the presses and lateral raises as my main mass exercises. Different routines work for different people, the best thing to do is to see whats works best for you, whatever it may be, definetly include shrugs into your routine. No shoulder routine is complete without them.

The basic Lateral exercise is mainly used to target the middle and side delts. Another variation of the Lateral is the bent over Laterals which target the deltoid more directly than the behind the neck press because it focuses more on the area where the deltoid meets the back. The basic side Lateral is performed (standing or sitting) with the dumbells at the waist side. The weights should be brought up sideways until each dumbell is parallel to the shoulders. You can bring each weight up separately or simultaneously. I prefer simutaneously with the basic laterals because my formed is less compromised. The bent-over lateral shall be performed in the same manner but the difference is that you should lean foward until the upper body is at a 45 degree bend. You must do this type simultaneously. The amount of weight that should be used should be appropriate so that at least 4 sets of 8 to 10 reps can be achieved. Adjust weight accordingly until this is achieved. When doing laterals, don't focus on just trying to swing the weight up, Take a one or two second pause in the air with the weight at the top position so you can isolate and contract the muscle. Remember to try to constantly increase the dumbell weights over periods of time to allow your body to continue to be stressed. This is the only way to promote growth.

The basic dip exercise it always overlooked by bodybuilders as being a major exercise for the shoulder development. Most builders use the dip exercise to target the chest area only. Dips work just as well for developing the delts. Dips are performed with a basic dip machine, ensure you slowly lower yourself down as much as possible and try not to swing, pause for a second, then finish the rep by raising yourself until the arms are almost locked. An enhancement to this exercise is to strap on a weight belt and add weights to the belt. This is great for people with enormous upper body strength who can do several sets of dips without feeling any type of stress. I often do several sets of dips with my body weight only so I can achieve an enormous amount of reps. With a strict technique, You can still get in a shoulder good workout even If you do less than the maximum weights. Another word of caution pertaining to the rotator cuffs, when using the weight belt, be careful not to go too heavy because the cuffs are easily damaged when doing these. Be sure you're doing each rep in a smooth and controlled motion. Any type of damage to the shoulder will hinder the training of nearly every other upper body part.

One thing to remember when training the deltoids is that you indirectly hit different heads of the delts when training other bodyparts such as chest and back. So if a particular head is getting alot of indirect work, you may not need to do as much direct work for it as the other two heads.

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