Bodybuilding training programs for shoulders. Shoulder programs. How to pump up your middle deltoids

Hey, honest people, glad to see everyone in good health! Today we are waiting for an article from the “to be continued...” series, or rather, we will cover the practical side of the issue - how to pump up your shoulders? After reading, you will learn which exercises are the most effective for the shoulders and which training programs can be used to build them up.

So, sit down, my dears, let's begin.

How to pump up your shoulders? The practical side of the issue.

Well, we’ll start, as usual, with theory... just kidding, we’ve already covered the whole theory in the first part of the note, so I highly recommend brushing up on what we talked about there, you can do this by following the link. Before getting to the point - a small lyrical digression. Everything that will be given below applies to representatives of both sexes, so ladies, after studying this information, will be able to build sexy shoulders. I don’t know what your young man thinks, but in the summer in dresses/sundresses with straps it looks very, very desirable and pleases the eye of our brother, therefore, ladies, you can also take into account all the information presented.

Well, actually, enough of pouring water, let’s get down to the substantive part.

Note:

For better assimilation of the material, all further narration will be divided into subchapters.

Shoulder exercises. The most complete list.
Without further ado, to begin with I will give a list of all possible and most effective exercises on shoulders. Being in front of your eyes, it will help diversify your delt training and influence them in a new way every time.

So, the list of exercises is as follows:

• barbell overhead press;
• barbell chest press - military press;
• seated/standing dumbbell press;
• alternate dumbbell press up;
• standing dumbbell raises;
• abduction of the arm at the lower block of the crossover;
• lifting one dumbbell with both hands in front of you;
• alternately lifting dumbbells in front of you;
• barbell pull to the chest/chin - pulling the barbell;
• rear delt raises in the butterfly simulator;
• raising your arms in front of you from the lower block of the crossover D-handle.

In the picture version, the assembled atlas of shoulder exercises looks like this.

Top best exercises on the shoulders: research results.

Who wants to do regular exercises in the gym? No one :). A person always wants the best and looks for it in any field. Scientists, knowing about this human characteristic, have identified the very best shoulder exercises, and now we will get to know them.

The detection experiment was conducted at the University of Wisconsin Physiology and included 10 male volunteers aged from 18 before 30 years that performed 10 the most common shoulder exercises. Electrodes were placed on each delta bundle, which recorded the EMG activity of the muscles.

Research results for all 10 exercises were tabulated.

Thus, it was concluded that the best exercises for delta beams are (image clickable):

1. front beam – standing dumbbell press, 74% MVC;
2. middle beam - angled 45 degrees facing the bench, 84% MVC;
3. rear delta – seated lateral raise with dumbbells, 73% MVC.

Identified maximum voluntary contractions (MVC) during execution various exercises allow you to build your shoulder training in the most optimal way, helping the athlete to fully develop deltoids.

Another interesting study in a similar direction was conducted by independent athlete-researcher Bret Contreras (USA).

In fact, if you ask different people in the gym what they think are the best exercises for toning shoulders, you'll likely get different answers. Therefore, it would be incorrect to talk about the best exercises of Petya Vasechkin or Lena Kosolapova. The most correct and suitable for the majority as the best of the best exercises is the method of determining such exercises using electromyography - measuring electrical muscle activity when performing movements. Increased activity EMG indicates the nervous system is trying to produce more muscle strength. The parameter measured is MVC, the magnitude of maximum voluntary contraction, a measure of how difficult a muscle can contract isometrically.

During the experiment we took 10 various shoulder exercises, EMG values ​​were measured and the best of the best were identified. Here's the data (image clickable) were received (two values ​​indicate average and peak EMG activation during exercise).

In terms of average and peak activity for each muscle part (heads of the humerus), research has identified the three best exercises.

1. Front deltoid:
   • average EMG value: seated barbell overhead press, seated barbell military press, upward angled bench press;
   • peak EMG value: seated barbell overhead press, standing dumbbell military press, upward angled bench press.
2. Middle delta:
   • average EMG value: cable row at the block to the face, dumbbell raises to the sides while standing, bench press behind the head while sitting;
   • peak EMG value: cable row at the block to the face, raising dumbbells to the sides while standing, abducting the arms to the side on the block.
3. Rear deltoid:
   • average EMG value: cable row at the block to the face, sitting dumbbell raises, dumbbell raises to the sides with a pronated grip;
   • peak EMG value: cable row at the block to the face, dumbbell raises while sitting in an inclined position, pulling the arms to the bar while lying at an angle in the Smith machine.

Conclusions: the best exercises for the front delts are variations of the military press, for the middle/rear delts - cable rows and variations of lateral raises. It is somewhat interesting to see that not the classic press from the chest, but behind the head, better loads the front deltoids, in addition, deadlift rope handle to face turned out to be a very effective exercise for both the middle and rear deltoids.

Based on the results of the experiments, a comprehensive development program for deltoids and trapezoids was compiled, which looks like this:

• barbell overhead press;
• rope traction at the block to the face;
• moving your arms to the side on a block;
• shrugs with a barbell.

Let's actually get to the point training process and now let's look at...

Top 3 Shoulder Training Programs

There are tons of training programs for shoulders :), we won’t go through them all...exhale, we’ll go through 3 programs of different directions, or rather for different categories of workers, in particular.

Shoulder training program #1. "Safety".

Designed for those representatives who have certain shoulder problems (poor joint mobility, pain when performing standard exercises, past injuries, etc.). This is not a mass-gaining, but a toning and supporting deltoid training program.

Technical specifications:

• training once a week;
• Warm up before each exercise 1 set on 8 reps with 50% weights;
• exercises are performed in a superset - one after another without rest;
• rest with exercise is 60 seconds;
• the rate of work with the projectile in seconds is indicated in brackets/in a separate column (For example, 4-1-2 means 4 It takes seconds to lower the projectile, 1 a second of pause and 2 seconds rise).

In the picture it’s like that.

The following program is designed specifically for mass entertainers :), i.e. those who want to completely increase their shoulders.

Shoulder training program No. 2. “Mass gain on the shoulders.”

The main goal of the program is the development of all three delta bundles and the construction of large, spherical deltoids.

Technical specifications:

• training 2 times a week spaced apart 3-4 day;
• 45 seconds;
• Before each exercise, a warm-up is performed, consisting of 2 -x leading approaches (with minimal, minimal +25% weight of the burden) on 8-10 repetitions.

In tabular form, the program looks like this:

In the picture it’s like that.

Well, for dessert, especially for the fair half of humanity.

Shoulder training program #3. “Sexy hangers.”

The main goal of the program is to give the shoulders muscle tone, expressiveness and some roundness.

Technical specifications:

• workout 1 once a week;
• rest with m/s approaches is 60 seconds;
• Before starting the complex, a general shoulder warm-up is performed.

In tabular form, the program looks like this.

In the picture it’s like that.

Well, that seems to be all I would like to report on, let’s wrap things up a bit.

Afterword

Today we figured out how to pump up your shoulders? Now you have a completely complete theoretical and practical guide, there is only one thing left - to act! Therefore, let's blow into the hall and put the theory into practice, go ahead!

PS. We’ll share in the comments what secrets you know about pumping up your shoulders.

P.P.S. Attention! 21.06 the ability to send questionnaires for and food became available. I will be glad to see you working together!

With respect and gratitude, Dmitry Protasov.

To build broad shoulders, you need to perform exercises with the most correct technique. This way you can avoid injury and increase the size of your deltoid muscles. The weight training program for shoulders can vary. You can make your shoulders wider with 5 deltoid routines.

The shoulders are the most widely used muscles in the upper body, in my opinion. They take part in almost every exercise that comes your way. The shoulders rotate almost 360 degrees, ignoring the fact that broad, massive shoulders look impressive on stage and even better in the eyes of a lady.

The shoulders are an important muscle, so why are so many people unable to develop broad, massive shoulders? Continue reading and we will find the answer to the question of how to build broad shoulders.

In the paragraph below, I will describe the anatomy of the shoulder, its functions, anatomical structure and location on the body, and several exercises for different bundles of deltoid muscles. Finally - what you've been waiting for - I'll add five shoulder workout programs to help turn your baseball-sized delts into huge bowling balls.

Deltoid muscles: their structure and functions

Anterior deltoid muscle

• Function: Flexion, Middle Muscle Rotation
• Location: Front of the shoulder girdle
• Exercises: Barbell bench press

Middle deltoid muscle

• Function: Muscle abduction
• Location: Center side of shoulder
• Exercise: Dumbbell lateral press

Posterior deltoid muscle

• Function: Extension, lateral rotation of muscles
• Location: Back of the shoulder
• Exercise: Dumbbell press with head resting on bench

Number of approaches for shoulder training

You can see from the shoulder anatomy above that it is actually made up of 3 different small muscle groups. Many beginners treat the shoulder as one muscle group and train it like the chest: press, press, and press more.

The only problem with this training approach is that the mass of the shoulder will accumulate to a greater extent in the anterior beam (front part) and a little mass in the middle and rear beam ( rear end) shoulder complex. This will cause terrible imbalance and can also lead to injury.

Without working the middle and posterior deltoid muscles, the shoulders look narrow from all sides. Many times injury is the result of an imbalance such as this. Overall, the shoulder is a moderately sized muscle and is made up of three small muscles. Each muscle should receive the appropriate workload and nothing more.

The shoulder girdle can rotate almost 360 degrees, exercises will be performed in many different angles using strength training equipment, machines and cables. I like to use low reps (4-6) for compound pressing exercises and moderate reps (8-12) for isolation exercises.

All exercises must be performed with correct technique, because poor technique or bad exercise habits that you start now will follow you and lead to lack of progress or worse injury in the future. Many, if not all, of the exercises below will be new to you.

Now that you understand what muscles the shoulder is made of, its function, its location, and the number of sets required to strengthen them, let's give you some workouts that will help you build up your shoulders.

Shoulder weight training programs

Workout program 1 - Deltoid exercises with barbell, dumbbells and weight plate

Seated chest press 3 times 4-6 approaches
Swing dumbbells to the sides with one hand 3 sets of 12 reps
Lifting a pancake in front of you 3 times 12 sets (hold at the top for 3 seconds)
Swing dumbbells to the sides while lying down 3 times 15 approaches

Workout Program 2 - Shoulder Exercises with Dumbbells and Bodyweight

3 times 8-12 approaches
Push ups 3 times 4-6 approaches
Swing dumbbells to the sides, lying on the bench at an angle 3 times 12 approaches
3 times 15 approaches

Example Workout 3 - Shoulder Exercises with Barbell, Dumbbells and Machines

Swing dumbbells to the sides while sitting on a bench 3 times 8-12 approaches
Army press dumbbells sitting 3 times 4-6 approaches
swings in a block to the sides while standing 3 times 8-12 approaches
Bent-over barbell row rear delts 3 times 12 approaches

Training program 4 - Exercises for training delts with dumbbells and exercise machines

3 times 6-8 approaches
Swing to the sides in a bent block 3 times 12 approaches
Dumbbell swings lying on your side to the side 3 times 10 approaches
3 times 12 approaches

Workout Program 5 - Shoulder Exercises with Dumbbells and Barbell

Swing dumbbells to the side while standing 3 times 8 sets (hold at the top for 3 seconds)
Military bench press 3 times 6-8 approaches
Swing dumbbells to the sides while lying on a bench under the roar 3 times 12 approaches
Swing dumbbells to the sides 3 times 15 approaches

Conclusion

In 2005 I injured my shoulder very badly; I had to resort to surgery. I had an operation. After I recovered, I never thought I would be able to get big shoulders ever again. I tell you this story for two reasons:

First of all, I was wrong; my shoulder was gaining size. After I put the injury in the back of my mind and I decided enough was enough – I wasn't going to feel bad anymore and started working with what I had – I made amazing size gains for my shoulders.

Secondly, and most importantly, I injured my right shoulder because I was selfish about it. I want to make it clear to all aspiring weightlifters out there; Heavy weight training is great for stimulating growth, but only if used with excellent and correct form.

I was lucky that this injury happened to me when I was 18, as I recovered faster than I would have at 30. I also learned a big lesson: swing smart. I often see a lot of beginners destroying their shoulders with stupid swinging. As you've learned, the shoulder is actually three small muscles that make up a moderately sized area.

Train with heavy weights and do it hard, with extreme intensity, perfect technique, and your shoulders will grow.

Based on materials:

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/beginner-delt-training-guide.htm

I am sure that experienced athletes who understand the issue of periodization of training, biomechanics of movements and the theory of constructing specialized micro- and mesocycles had a smile on their faces when they read the title of the article. Because there are no most powerful or best exercises. There are more effective and less effective movements, but what is much more important is not the exercise itself, but how to combine it with others as part of a weekly cycle.

People less experienced in matters of sports continue to search magic exercises, magic powders and witch pills that will allow you to quickly achieve results. Unfortunately, there are none. On the other hand, if you approach the issue wisely, you can actually improve the shape of the deltas and achieve a significant increase in their volume over a very modest period. It took me eight months. After a year and a half, the deltoids went from lagging behind to becoming the dominant muscle group.

Below I will tell you the principles that will help you build wisely training program with an emphasis on shoulder development. And, of course, I will show you the five most effective exercises for this.

Two main mistakes that hinder the development of powerful deltas

First mistake

Incorrect exercise technique. Therefore, pay special attention to their descriptions below and to the video - I selected the highest quality videos.

Because of the crooked technique, people load everything but their shoulders. Trapezius, back, arms, overload the shoulder joints. In the first three cases, the load is ineffective - the weight is too small for these muscles or the vector of movement is incorrect. And the result of the last case will be an injury that will set you back a month and a half in training.

Looks at the barbell, bear grip - all this will end badly

In addition, it is worth mentioning here about frankly dangerous exercises that can severely damage the shoulder joints. A separate article has been written about this - be sure to read:

Second mistake

There is too much load on the deltas, due to which they do not have time to recover. After all, these are small muscle groups that work in almost all pulling and pushing movements during chest and back training.

Let's remember one of the classic split options:

• Chest + back
• Arms + deltoids

During chest training, you really loaded the front deltoids. And working on the back, the rear deltas were additionally pumped. Every other day, thoroughly load the same muscles again, but 48 hours is too short for their recovery. The muscles are not yet ready for serious work, which is why strength results do not increase and, as a result, muscle volume does not increase either.

Moreover, your arms are also well loaded during chest and back training. It turns out to be a double blow to all small muscle groups.

Let's add incorrect exercise technique to this whole mix and we'll get problems with the development of deltoids (and arms too) in those for whom these muscle groups are not dominant by nature.

The most effective exercises for training your shoulders

There are a great variety of all kinds of exercises for the development of deltas (the shoulder, in fact, is the part of the arm from the deltoid to the elbow, and the deltoid muscle is the same ball of three bundles that you want to develop). You can work with blocks, dumbbells, barbells, not to mention dozens of specialized exercise machines.

Below I will give the most effective movements in my personal opinion, which is not the ultimate truth. It was these movements that I used to work out the deltas before they current state(photo at the end of the article).

First, a little theory. Delta consists of three beams. Front, middle and back. The front one is responsible for pushing movements, the rear one is responsible for pulling movements. The middle delta is partially involved in both cases, plus when abducting the arms to the sides.

In fact, for the effective development of deltas, two basic exercises are enough - pressing and pulling.

There are enough pressing movements in any person’s strength training - all guys love to bench press, decently loading the front deltoid. But with traction movements they hose. And if they do rows of a barbell to the chin, then in most cases it is done incorrectly, loading the trapezius and injuring shoulder joint.

As a result, we see a situation where the front delta is more or less developed, and the rear delta is completely absent. Let's fix the situation.

Military press (standing barbell press)

An excellent basic exercise for developing the front deltoid, which partly involves the middle bundle too. The grip width is medium, that is, grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. If you take it too wide, the chest will steal part of the load; if you take it too narrow, you will overload the triceps, which will fail before the delta works well.

My personal advice is that I do not recommend lowering the bar below chin level, so as not to put a breaking load on the joint. Even if your flexibility allows you to lower the barbell to your chest, you shouldn’t push your luck. The risk of injury does not at all justify additional stretching of the muscle for supposedly better growth.

Note that the military press is also a good core workout.

An exercise option from Yaroslav Brin:

A good alternative from Denis Borisov (just don’t bend your hands back, the bar should lie on the base of your palm, and not on the pads, so as not to injure your hand):

And another interesting option from Adam Kozyra:

Dumbbell press sitting or standing

An alternative to the military press is to do the dumbbell press while standing. In cases where there are difficulties with the lower back and a large compression load is undesirable, you can do a dumbbell bench press while sitting with a slight inclination of the bench (80°).

Of the features, I will only note the point where it is necessary to lower the dumbbells - to ear level or so that the angle between the shoulder and forearm is 90°. Lower it lower - create a breaking load on the shoulder joint. Also remember that the dumbbells lie on the base of your palms, and not on their pads (calluses).

Exercise option from Denis Borisov:

And from Yaroslav Brin:

Barbell row to the chin (to the chest)

The second basic movement is for the development of deltas, in particular the middle and posterior bundles. The main mistake is to do this movement while grasping the bar. narrow grip, and then pull it higher, lifting your elbows almost above your head. In this case, you injure the shoulder joint and force the trapezius to work, but not the deltoids.

The most effective option for performing the exercise is shown in the video below ( wide grip, slightly bend forward, pull to the chest, elbows do not rise above the level of the deltoids):

Swings (breeches) with dumbbells while standing

An excellent option for additional development of the middle beam of deltas, but subject to correct execution exercises. To avoid mistakes, watch the video carefully:

Kickbacks in the Butterfly machine (plus bent over swings)

Pair additional exercises It won’t hurt to work on the rear delta bundles, since this group most often lags behind in development.

When doing the back abduction in the Butterfly simulator, it is important to move your shoulders forward and work within the amplitude (it is very short) so as not to use the back muscles:

As for bent-over dumbbell swings, it’s the same: we bring our shoulders forward, “smear” the trapezoid over the back, we work within the amplitude (the elbows do not rise above the level of the deltas):

How to intelligently build a microcycle for the development of deltas

If you are a beginner, then with an emphasis on deltas you don’t have to bother at all. Work in FullBody mode, and your shoulders will develop perfectly on presses and rows. It is enough to include in the program the army press, the barbell row to the chin and alternate these exercises in two basic blocks. I gave an example of such blocks in the first episodes of the BeardyBuilding podcast and in.

If you already have a couple of years of training experience, but the deltoids are still lagging behind in development, here is a basic scheme on how to cheer them up. She personally helped me a lot.

Four-day split:

• Monday: legs (3-4 exercises).
• Tuesday: pectoral (2-3 exercises) + anterior delta (1-2 exercises - military press or dumbbell press, lifting dumbbells in front of you with a hammer grip).
• Wednesday: rest.
• Thursday: back (3-4 basic exercises) + rear delta 1 exercise (any of your choice from the above).
• Friday: triceps (two exercises) + biceps (1-2 exercises, after all, when working on the back it is already loaded) + middle delta (2 exercises - barbell row to the chin, dumbbell swings to the sides).

The meaning, I think, is clear - together with the pectoral muscles, the anterior delta is well loaded and it is enough to finish it off with 1-2 exercises. The rear delta is loaded along with the back, and one exercise at the end is enough to finish it off. Plus a couple of exercises for the middle delta on arm day.

Three day split

If you don't have the time or desire to do four strength training sessions a week, then add one basic triceps exercise to your chest day. For example, close grip bench press or French press. On your back day, add one or two biceps exercises (PSB and/or dumbbell biceps curls while sitting on an incline bench). On leg day, after training your lower body, do middle deltoid exercises (barbell rows and standing dumbbell swings).

A specialized version of the microcycle with an emphasis on top part body

I practiced this option for four months from October last year to January of this year inclusive. The idea is to visually increase your upper body without having to add much muscle mass. To do this, we make the back more lumpy (emphasis on training its inner part), prominent trapezius, more powerful deltoids, plus pecs.

Excellent specialization is obtained if the desired muscle group is trained a couple of times a week. In my case I made four strength training per week, within the framework of which I separately worked on the thickness (tuberosity) and width of the back, hammered the deltoids a couple of times and the pecs a couple of times. The exercises below are just an example, you can use any of your choice. Two or three warm-up approaches, two working sets.

Monday (pectorals + trapezius + deltoids):

• Two chest pressing exercises for 10-12 reps (for example, bench press, 30° dumbbell press, or hummer press).
• Shrugs with dumbbells or barbell (15-20 reps) + T-row with emphasis on the chest or lever row (10-12 reps).
• Military press or standing dumbbell press.
• Traction in the block rope handle to the chest.

Tuesday (Legs + Abs):

• 3-4 leg exercises to pump up all muscles (barbell squats, leg extensions, deadlifts, platform presses, lunges - 8-12 reps) + (20-25 reps).
• Twisting and reverse crunches on the press (20-25 repetitions 3-4 sets).
• Neck (so as not to be skinny in the background broad shoulders) - raising the head with a pancake on the forehead and/or on the back of the head.

Thursday (back width + deltoids):

• Three to four favorite exercises for back width (pull-ups, hammer rows or barbells/dumbbells, rows vertical block to the chest, pullover, etc. - 10-12 repetitions).
• Pull the barbell to the chin and swing dumbbells to the sides (10-12 repetitions, swings can be done for 12-15 repetitions).

Friday (arms + chest for tone):

• One rigorous basic chest exercise for three working sets of 12-15 reps. In my case, these were chest dips with a weight on the belt.
• A couple of basic biceps exercises (for example, PSB, seated dumbbell curls) + a couple of basic triceps movements (close-grip press, French press, cable extensions, etc.) for 10-12 repetitions.

Briefly about the main thing

The keynote of the article is not just to give some basic scheme for work, but to teach the principles of effective development of certain muscle groups.

In particular, success depends on both correct technique performing exercises, as well as from the reasonable construction of a microcycle, so as not to overload one or another muscle group. Use assistant muscle training (synergists) if you want to save time without overloading the body. Or wisely cycle training on muscles that are in no way related to each other if you want to work them as efficiently as possible within one workout. Moreover, in this case, it is advisable to take one large muscle group and one small one. Let's say pectoral and biceps, back and triceps, etc.

Developing a beautiful, athletic body is not as easy as it seems. You need to think here. At least if you want to progress, and not stagnate for years.

The training program consists of effective exercises. Divide the session into three parts to focus first on the middle deltoid, then on the back, then on the front.

How to pump up your shoulders in the gym

The shoulders or deltoids include three main muscle groups: the anterior, middle and posterior bundle. There are many exercises for pumping up the shoulders gym. Each of which helps to pump up the target shoulder girdle muscle well. If your goal is to recruit muscle mass, turn on basic exercises into shoulder training. Dumbbell or barbell presses are effective exercises to pump up shoulder muscles. Add isolation exercises with dumbbells and machine exercises to your workout to make your shoulders more defined and defined.

A set of effective shoulder exercises for men

Exercises	Sets	Repetitions/Time
Shoulder pull with wide grip	4	10
	3	15
	3	12
	4	15
	3	20
	3	10
	3	10

Exercises for pumping the middle delta

Shoulder pull with wide grip

Technique:

1. Stand up straight. Grab the barbell so that the distance between your hands is wider than shoulder width. Initial position: straight arms along the hips.
2. Inhale and pull the barbell along your body all the way to your chin. Pull your elbows up. Keep your forearms as vertical as possible to the floor. Don't bend your wrists.
3. Slowly straighten your arms and exhale.

Number of repetitions: 4 sets of 10 repetitions.

Dumbbell lateral raises

Technique:

1. Stand up straight. Take dumbbells.
2. Bend your arms slightly at the elbows and control one bend angle throughout the entire exercise.
3. Inhaling, lift them to the sides towards the temples of the head.
4. Exhale and lower slowly. Keep your back straight.

Number of repetitions: 3 sets of 15 times.

Technique:

1. Sit on the bench. Place your hands with dumbbells at the same level as your eyes.
2. Inhale and raise your arms up, bringing them together at the top.
3. Exhaling, return to the starting position.

Watch your posture. While performing the exercise, the body should remain motionless.

Number of repetitions: 3 sets of 12 repetitions.

Posterior deltoid training

Shoulder exercise on the machine: reverse flyes

Technique:

1. Adjust the machine. The distance between the handles is equal to shoulder width.
2. Press your body against the seat surface. Control your posture.
3. Inhale and move the handles back. Hold this position for a couple of seconds.
4. Exhale and return to the starting position.

Number of repetitions: 4 sets of 15 repetitions.

Technique:

1. Starting position – sitting on the edge of a bench with dumbbells in your hands.
2. Tilt your body. Arch your back slightly at the lower back. The feet are fixed.
3. Exhale and spread your arms out to the sides so that they are parallel to the floor. Stay in this position for a little while.
4. Gently lower your hands.

Number of repetitions: 3 sets of 20 times.

Exercises for the front deltoid in the gym

Exercise “Seated Arnold Press”

Technique:

1. Sit on the bench. Keep your back straight, pressing it to the surface.
2. Bend your elbows, turn your palms with dumbbells closer to your shoulders.
3. Lift them up. Turn your palms out when you reach your eye line.
4. When your arms are straight above your head, your palms should be facing forward. At the end point, exhale.
5. Return to the original position in the same way.

Number of repetitions: 3 sets of 10 times.

Technique:

1. Sit on a bench at an angle of about 70 degrees. The legs are pressed tightly to the floor. Hold dumbbells in your hands.
2. Raise your arms above shoulder level.
3. Lower and inhale.

Note! When raising your arms with dumbbells in front of you, your palms should be facing down. The elbows remain motionless.

A more complex option - with a shortened range of motion

Main difference: do not lower the dumbbells below your hips. The shoulder muscles will be constantly tense. The exercise will become more effective.

Number of repetitions: 3 sets of 10 reps.

You can adjust the number of approaches and repetitions yourself, based on your own sports training. The exercise program is designed to increase muscle mass for men. To achieve greater results, include foods that muscle tissue needs in your diet.

The 7 shoulder training programs given in the article will help you figure out what exercises you can do to pump up your deltoids. Each set of shoulder exercises will help pump up the entire shoulder girdle and work out all the bundles of deltoid muscles and separately, middle, anterior and posterior.

There are no two people who would train exactly the same way and build big shoulders. Each athlete performs a different sequence of exercises, number of approaches, uses different weights and length of rest periods. This article will help everyone figure out how to pump up their shoulders in the gym or at home.

Individuality is an inherent property of a person, and there is nothing wrong with that, but it imposes restrictions on how to pump up the deltoid muscles for an individual person. Certain principles and approaches make training better, especially when it comes to the question of how to quickly pump up your shoulders. So I made 7 really effective complexes shoulder exercises, each of which will tell you how to pump your shoulders for relief, width and mass.

Please note that the order of exercises, weights, number of repetitions and volume can be changed to find the best way for you to pump up the deltoid muscles. Once you choose a workout that works for you, follow it for 4-8 weeks and then return to your usual routine or try another one from this list.

Notes:

• Below we will mainly talk about how to pump up your shoulders in the gym, but some of the programs are well suited for training at home.
• The given sets of exercises do not include warm-up. When warming up, perform as many reps as you need, but never reach muscle failure.
• Choose a weight that will allow you to reach muscle failure in the prescribed number of repetitions. It will be correct pumping shoulders to involve in work maximum amount delta muscle fibers and achieve muscle growth.
• If you're training with a partner, do a few forced reps on your heaviest set of overhead presses. If not, then perform a drop set on the last set of each exercise, reducing the weight by about 25% when muscle failure is reached. In total it needs to be achieved 2 times.

How to build big shoulders: mass training

Goal: building up all delta beams

Most effective method how to pump up your shoulders in the gym is to work with heavy weights, but you need to approach your training correctly so as not to get injured. To do this, you need to warm up well and follow the exercise technique.

To build shoulder mass, always start your workout with the biggest difficult exercises(V in this case overhead presses), which allow you to lift more weight. Then perform single-joint exercises on each of the three deltoids: anterior, middle, and posterior. This will set the stage for muscle building work as long as you maintain your overall training volume.

When we pump our shoulders, we can complicate the training in several ways. For the overhead press, start by using dumbbells, which are notoriously more difficult to balance and allow for a greater range of motion than a barbell. You will also perform reverse pyramid, since it allows you to do more sets with muscle failure. For the first 2 sets, you'll use fairly heavy weights in a low rep range (6) to build strength. As fatigue accumulates in subsequent approaches, reduce the weight by about 5 kg. Perform the last 2 heaviest approaches with a belay partner so that you can maintain technique.

Because the front delts do a lot of the work in chest training, and the middle delts bear the brunt of the weight during the overhead press, the rear delts often remain small and weak. In this workout, shoulder pumping takes place when you have a lot of strength in reserve. At the same time, don't be afraid to change the order of single-joint exercises based on your weaknesses. If you think that all of your deltoids are proportionally developed, simply perform these exercises in a different order at each workout.

Massive shoulder training program

1. Dumbbell overhead press - 4 sets of 6,6,8,10 reps (2 minutes rest)
2. Barbell row to the chin - 3 sets of 8,8,10 reps (2 minutes rest)
3. 3 sets of 8,10,12 reps (1 minute rest)
4. Lifting the barbell overhead with straight arms - 3 sets of 8,10,12 reps (1 minute rest)

How to build sculpted shoulders

Goal: definition of deltas

Here you will learn a good way to pump up deltoids by drawing individual fibers. Lifting light weights for high reps is no longer considered the best way to achieve delt definition. First and foremost, this indoor shoulder workout aims to stimulate muscle growth (moderate weights in a moderate rep range). To increase the number of calories burned during and after training (post-exercise oxygen consumption effect), high volume is used in combination with supersets. Here you will move faster and feel a real burning sensation in your muscles. Now you know how to pump up your muscles so that they are not only sculpted, but also the so-called “cut” appears.

Shoulder training for relief

1. Military bench press - 4 sets of 8-12 reps (2 minutes rest)
2. Standing dumbbell lateral raises - Superset:
3. Dumbbell lateral raises while sitting in an incline position -
4. 3 sets of 10-12 reps (no rest)
5. Crossover chin pull - 3 sets of 10-12 reps (60-90 seconds rest)
6. 3 sets of 10-12 reps (no rest)
7. Raising arms to the sides with an expander - 3 sets of 10-12 reps (60-90 seconds rest)

How to quickly pump up your shoulders

Goal: mastering the technique and providing a solid foundation for further training

This complex consists of overhead presses and single-joint exercises for each deltoid group. Start with a machine to learn the movements before moving on to free weights, which are best for building muscle.

Start with a light load and focus on proper technique. Add weight only when you can fully control the movement.

Training program

1. Standing dumbbell lateral raises - 3 sets of 12 reps (60-90 seconds rest)
2. Raising your arm in front of you in a crossover - 3 sets of 12 reps (60-90 seconds rest)
3. Extension of arms in the butterfly simulator - 3 sets of 12 reps (60-90 seconds rest)

How to pump up your middle deltoids

Goal: building up the middle deltoid muscles

To make your shoulders wider, you need to develop the middle bundles of deltoid muscles. This will also allow the waist to appear narrower and give rise to a wider shoulder girdle. The emphasis in this program, naturally, is on exercises for the middle deltas.

You will perform them at the beginning of the workout, when the energy is at its highest. high level. You can alternate this program with a more balanced delt workout (like mass) during your weekly split.

A set of exercises for the middle deltoids

1. Seated overhead press - 4 sets of 8 reps (2 minutes rest)
2. Barbell row to the chin - 3 sets of 8-10 reps (60-90 seconds rest)
3. Raising the dumbbell to the side with one hand -
4. Standing dumbbell lateral raises - 3 sets of 10-12 reps (60-90 seconds rest)

How to pump up your rear delts

Goal: building up the posterior deltoid muscles

The posterior deltoid muscles often lag not only in beginners, but also in advanced bodybuilders. Simply put, they don't get as much stimulation as the front and middle deltoids, which are involved in chest exercises and shoulder presses.

To develop your rear delts, perform this routine for 4-8 weeks, or alternate it with a more balanced shoulder workout.

A set of exercises for the rear deltoids

1. Overhead press -
2. Dumbbell lateral raises while sitting in an incline position - 4 sets of 8 reps (60-90 seconds rest)
3. Raising arms in a crossover - 3 sets of 10 reps (60-90 seconds rest)
4. Extension of arms in the butterfly simulator - 3 sets of 10-12 reps (60-90 seconds rest)

How to pump up your front delts

Goal: building up the anterior deltoid muscles

If you train your chest frequently, you probably already have well-developed front deltoids. After all, they are involved in all pressing exercises, especially when performing them in an incline position. However, relatively weak anterior deltoids may hinder the building process. pectoral muscles. This training is intended to correct this situation.

There should be at least 48 hours between chest and shoulder workouts to allow the muscles to fully recover.

A set of exercises for the front deltoids

1. Seated overhead press - 4 sets of 8-12 reps (2 minutes rest)
2. Arnold press - 4 sets of 8-10 reps (2 minutes rest)
3. Raising dumbbells in front of you - 3 sets of 10 reps (60-90 seconds rest)
4. Raising your arm in front of you in a crossover - 3 sets of 10-12 reps (60-90 seconds rest)

What to do if your shoulders don't grow

Goal: preliminary fatigue of the deltas

The triceps can sometimes be the limiting factor in shoulder training, especially on the press. If these muscles always give out before you've properly worked your shoulders, you'll never be able to push your delts to muscle failure and build your shoulders in compound exercises. Practice pre-fatigue is intended to correct this situation. This The best way how to properly pump up a lagging muscle. Here you first fatigue the delts with single-joint exercises and then perform overhead presses while the triceps are full. Thus, the deltoids must reach failure before the triceps do.

At the beginning of your workout, do not be tempted to go heavy with weights, as this will put additional strain on your muscles. elbow joints. Also, if by the time you get to multi-joint exercise, you will feel very tired, do it in the simulator. It will be a little safer this way.

Training program

1. Pull the lower block to the side with one hand - 4 sets of 8-10 reps (60-90 seconds rest)
2. Lifting the barbell in front of you with outstretched arms - 3 sets of 10 reps (60-90 seconds rest)
3. Extension of arms in the butterfly simulator - 3 sets of 10 reps (60-90 seconds rest)
4. Overhead press in the simulator - 3 sets of 8-10 reps (2 minutes rest)
5. Barbell row to the chin - 3 sets of 10-12 reps (2 minutes rest)