My shoulder workout

Any bodybuilder, especially when starting out, wants to know the best shoulder exercises to widen and thicken . No one wants to stay as narrow and as thick as a sheet of paper.

This is in the sense that training the deltoid is especially important because it allows us when we do the right exercises and that we move higher to get the assembly we want.

Although morpho-anatomy comes into play, in particular the length of our collarbones, over time it is possible to add a few inches of muscle to our shoulders. Now there is no question of doing single exercise to get the desired physique. Let me explain what you need to do in order to finally complete your T-shirts.

My shoulder workout

This is a session in which I train the shoulders after the pectoral muscles, which I regularly practice and which has been quite successful for me. This is a specific application of what you will read later in this article.

Explanations of the best shoulder width exercise

Priority, when we work with our shoulders in bodybuilding and want to focus on developing our width, we should emphasize the work of the outer bundle of the deltoids.

But for this you have to query it for the axis of its fibers. At first glance, this seems simple, until we realize, if we are very interested in morpho-anatomy, that this is not a muscle with one bundle, but a very specific muscle that has dozens of them. It is said to be multiple . Therefore, it is an angular muscle. However, the basic exercise to design them is to increase the lateral elevations.

If we – newbies to bodybuilding, side curls with dumbbells will be number 1 choice.

I think that until we have done at least 3 sets of 50 reps with 8 kg (using my famous rest break technique without letting go of the dumbbells), it is not worth spending money on another development option.

If you are intermediate or confirmed and that our shoulders are underdeveloped for our liking, then the pulley option would be option # 1 because it is more efficient but also requires more strength and feeling. ” Muscular to benefit from it.

This option allows, when the pulley is adjusted correctly, to benefit from the stretching of the external beam, which is not available in the dumbbell version, which makes the exercise more effective, but requires more effort, since the pulleys are sparse that allow you to train easily at the beginning.

A minimum of force is required, therefore, the minimum that I set above, based on my experience. Finally, be careful, because the shoulder joint is fragile , so as not to make short and heavy bursts. Medium long series (my preference) are much better suited for their development and maintenance, in particular, to reduce the traumatic effect on the supraspinatus, the rotator cuff muscle, especially used for lateral eminences, some or the used version.

Best Shoulder Exercise for Thickness

Being wide is good, but if you put yourself in profile you can go for a poster without removing it, there is a little problem. In this sense, the development of the back flask is very important deltoid muscle. Indeed, developing this will thicken our shoulder and our profile, contributing to the development of our pectoral muscles and upper back so that we become thicker.

In some cases, especially depending on morpho-anatomy, stretching exercises such as rowing may be sufficient to develop it, but in most cases only local work can respond to our exercises.

If you are a beginner, the dumbbell shoulder exercise will be the basic exercise.

Personally, I prefer doing it is on a flat bench or on an incline bench to limit the possibilities of cheating and be as strict as possible, knowing that it is difficult to correctly determine the work of the posterior deltoids, other larger muscles like the spines and traps can easily do most of the work.

This is why, as with the outer beam, I prefer to work in relatively long series of up to 50 reps, using my rest pause. In addition, many factors, such as the number of repetitions, affect the performance of the various muscles involved in your exercises, as I explain in this EMG bodybuilding article.

If we are at an intermediate level or confirmed and our development still does not suit us, then the bird with a high or low pulley would be option number 1, as it requires more muscle strength for lateral elevations and More sense than the dumbbell version. The use of a pulley stretches the dorsal deltoid beam, which is not available in the dumbbell version, making it more efficient.

Naturally, that is, no doping, I know that it is almost impossible to have too much back of the shoulder, which is another reason not to skimp on his work.

Bodybuilding shoulder exercise – almost essential

The shoulder joint is often prone to many pains, in particular from training that does not fit its own morpho-anatomy.

This is why I dedicated an article on shoulder pain. You need to know that every time we work with the upper body, our shoulder joints are stressed. However, heating and strengthening the so-called rotator cuff (which act as active ligaments to hold the shoulder joint in place) is carelessly neglected, especially out of ignorance of its existence prior to injury or trauma at that site.

Since prevention is always preferable to cure, a good exercise program should prioritize, on the one hand, heating of the rotator cuff muscles, and also increase it, especially if you are currently using a program that does not take into account your morpho-anatomy, which you train with chance.

In this case, the exercise number 1 to practice is what is called the L-Fly pulley, an exercise that works specifically in the area of ​​the infraspinatus, the largest muscle of the rotator cuff, which is the external rotator shoulder.

External pivots muscles of the shoulder that are much smaller than the internal rotator muscles of the shoulder, in particular the pectoral and dorsal muscles, it is advisable not to forget about them.

Many experts believe that you can never have too many external rotators and that your upper back is too muscular (that’s where they are).

As a minimum, the L-Fly should be done while warming up the upper body in long streaks and under control, in addition to strengthening the mid and lower traps in your program using the famous rule which I apply to many of my students: twice as many prints as designed!

Bodybuilding Shoulder Exercise – Optional

If we haven’t talked about bench press exercises, then this is for a very simple reason: they are optional.

In fact, when we do the bench press, we mainly use the front bundle of the deltoids. However, this bundle is actively processed by all exercises designed for the pectoral muscles, especially if there is no mobility. , technical or that you are a “gorilla” from a morpho-anatomical point of view (you can do your analysis here) .

In addition, this bundle competes directly with the development of the upper part of our pectoral muscles, and we also know that the more the muscle develops, the more it will work even more.

That is why, by not working directly with the front beam with shoulder exercises, we put chances on its lateral side to develop a large upper chest, but at the same time we warn about the risks of imbalance, the development of the deltoid muscle always lags behind the natural compared to the front.

This is why the practice of shoulder press should be done in full knowledge of the facts, and not necessarily . Naturally, we rarely miss the anterior deltoid process in this regard.

Strictly speaking, we can consider a bench press with a dumbbell in a sitting position on a bench tilted at an angle of 80 degrees (to relieve the back), or a neck press (used, rather, to provide mobility), which will deserve, given the trajectory elbow, insist more on the outer bundle of the deltoid muscle, helping to increase its width, moving along it.

Also, as you get older, you should attention more overhead exercises. This is the same problem as the over-back side elevations. Raising your arms can lead to squeezing and premature wear. Therefore development is more than optional.

PS: I absolutely don’t recommend frontal elevations . To avoid, really.

Bodybuilding Shoulder Exercise – Sample Program

This is a example of a shoulder strength training program. Of course, adapt , whether it’s exercise choices, sets, reps, or recovery times. If you want to know how to personalize your work, know that I have written a book on this topic. I explain absolutely everything in order to learn how to create your own program step by step. You can get it here.

Strength training program for beginners (beginner)
Side height with dumbbells	4 sets 15 to 50 reps
Bird with dumbbells	4 sets 15 to 50 reps
L-Fly sits on the pulley	4 sets of 15-30 reps

Conclusion

Unlike the commonly recommended exotic exercises, your shoulder development should focus on the most effective and proven exercises and progress over time. There is no need to go out and look for secrets that don’t exist.