Would you be surprised that broad shoulders in men are one of the most attractive features? Or that men with broad shoulder make more money and appear as better leaders? Here are your surefire exercises for deltoids to develop those broad shoulders.
Stunning Shoulder Your Top Exercises for Deltiods
Your deltoids are a complex muscle group with many different functions. Fortunately, your deltoids are not that complicated to train. Simply by employing these five tried and true shoulder exercises you can be well on your way to shocking your shoulders into explosive strength gains.
Preventing and Dealing with Shoulder Injuries
Shoulder injuries are some of the most common injuries in sports and life. I have had poor sleeping habits and sleep with my arms above my head frequently. This developed shoulder pain so bad that I couldn’t lift my arm above my head without hearing grinding. Because of the grinding, I thought for sure that I had cartridge or tendon damage. To my surprise, it was all because of fatigued muscles and there was no real damage. After reading “The Frozen Shoulder Workbook” I realized that I had cascading muscle fatigue in my shoulder and overcame it through self trigger point message.
Avoid Injury During Your Shoulder Routine
The best way to avoid injury is to ensure your muscles are warm prior to lifting heavy. Even doing a few repetitions (reps) with a lightweight first can help warm up your muscles. You also want to stretch your shoulders at the end of the routine. Stretching your shoulders will help you maintain mobility, recover faster and prevent injuries.
More In-depth Shoulder Warm-Up
In this video, Scott Herman goes over a few exercises to warm up your shoulders. If you find that you have frequent shoulder pain, you may want to incorporate some of these into your warm-up.
1. Barbell Shoulder Press (aka “Military Press”)
Military Press is the Entire Shoulder Exercise
You will target your Deltoids, Anterior by performing the military press. Additionally, this compound exercise incorporates a larger number of secondary muscles (Synergists/Stabilizers). Specifically, you will use Pectoralis Major Clavicular, Triceps Brachii, Deltoid Lateral, Trapezius Middle, Trapezius Lower, Serratus Anterior Inferior Digitations, Triceps Long Head, Biceps Brachii Short Head, Trapezius Upper, and Levator Scapulae while performing the military press.
Shoulder Press for Size and Strength
When you want to grow the size of your shoulders you want to lift a weight to near failure at 8-15 reps per set and do it for least 3 sets. If you are lifting to increase stength you want to lift a heavier weight for fewer reps. Specifically, you want to be near failure at 2-5 reps and you can even do negatives at the end when lifting for strength gains. If you are lifting for both size and strength you can do a pyramid lifting routine or a half pyramid.
2. The Dumbbell Should Press
Like the barbell press, the Dumbbell Shoulder Press can also be done sitting or standing. Many people prefer the sitting position because by doing so you can use some additional back support.
Protect Your Back For Overhead Presses
When performing standing military press or standing dumbbell press you should wear a lifting belt. The belt will give you additional back support and reduce your risk lower back injury. Even if you have a strong core when lifting to near failure stabilizing muscles will also fatigue and lead to poor form. Consequently, poor form in overhead presses can lead to back injuries. Because you use these stabilizing muscles standing military shoulder press and dumbbell press can build a stronger lumbar spine musculature (core) as the lower back muscles have to struggle to stabilize the upper body.
You Work Stabilizers More For Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Although the dumbbell press targets the same major muscles as the shoulder press. You will find that you will use more muscles to control the dumbbells over your head. Specifically, the major shoulder muscles you will target are your Deltoids, Anterior. Similarly, the secondary muscles (Synergists/Stabilizers) you use are Pectoralis Major Clavicular, Triceps Brachii, Deltoid Lateral, Trapezius Middle, Trapezius Lower, Serratus Anterior Inferior Digitations, Triceps Long Head, Biceps Brachii Short Head, Trapezius Upper, and Levator Scapulae.
3. Dumbbell Raises For Well Rounded Deltiods
When you are working to isolate the top of your Deltoids, you want to maintain your upper body upright as much as possible. Because the more you lean forward the further back on your shoulders and then back will be incorporated. Similarly, if you want to work the front of your Deltoids, then lift the dumbbells in front of you doing some front raises.
Muscles Developed With Side Lateral Raises
The primary muscle you target with lateral raises is your Deltoids, Lateral. In addition, the secondary muscles (Synergists/Stabilizers) you use are Deltoid Anterior, Supraspinatus, Trapezius Middle, Trapezius Lower, Serratus Anterior Inferior Digitations, Trapezius Upper, Levator Scapulae and Wrist Extensors.
Bent Over Dumbbell Lateral Raises (aka Bent Over Dumbbell Flies)
You will target you Deltoids, Posterior by leaning forward with your dumbbell raises. Similarly, your secondary muscles used are Deltoid Lateral, Intraspinatus, Teres Minor, Trapezius Middle, Trapezius Lower, Rhomboids, Wrist Extensors, Triceps Brachii, Erector Spinae, Hamstrings, and Gluteus Maximus.
Exercises for Deltoids at Every Angle
Incorporating the different angles for lateral raises and front raises will fatigue and strengthen your shoulder more. If you want well-rounded shoulders you need to work every part of your deltoid and these raises will do that.
4. Arnold Press For The Front of Your Shoulders
Additional Muscles used for the Arnold Press
You also use many stabilizing and synergist muscles while performing Arnold Press. Such as your Triceps Brachii, Deltoid Lateral, Supraspinatus, Trapezius Middle, Trapezius Lower, Serratus Anterior Inferior Digitations, Triceps Long Head, Trapezius Upper, and Levator Scapulae.
5. Barbell Upright Row
Although there are muscles that you will not fully utilize unless you perform upright rows. So there is some controversy about upright rows, although many lifters use them. The can also benefit Olympic lifts such as the clean since they use a similar movement and muscles.
Muscles Targeted By Upright Rows
With a narrow grip, upright rows are an excellent shoulder movement that targets all three heads of the deltoids. Since Barbell Upright Rows target all three heads of the Deltoids they are included in the best exercises for deltoids. Additionally, you will target your Deltoid Anterior, Supraspinatus, Brachialis, Brachioradialis, Trapezius Middle, Trapezius Lower, Serratus Anterior Inferior Digitations, Infraspinatus, Teres Minor, Biceps Brachii, Trapezius Upper and Levator Scapulae.
Building Broad Shoulders With Exercises For Deltoids
You should be ready to build some broad shoulders with these surefire exercises for deltoids. Remember to warm-up at the beginning of your training and stretch at the end to aid in recovery and prevent injuries. What other exercises for deltoids do you use in your training and why?
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