Powerful broad shoulders look great and really emphasize that awesome V-shape so many of us are aiming for, if you don’t have it already. Strengthening and building up your shoulder muscles means intensive workouts targeting the right areas that’s what you’re about to find out. You’ll also find out how to avoid injury because if your shoulders are out of action, it affect all of your upper body training.
How do the shoulders work?
The shoulder is a complex interplay of several joints, which enables a large and varied range of arm movements. The deltoid is the main muscle of the shoulder. Its a thick, triangular shaped muscle which lies over the glenohumeral joint and gives the shoulder its rounded contour. The deltoid is named after the Greek letter Delta because it has a similar triangular shape. This muscle has three main parts:
- Anterior deltoid muscle (pars clavicularis) which arises from the collarbone.
- Middle deltoid (pars acromialis) which is located on the shoulder blade.
- Posterior deltoid muscle (pars spinalis) which is also located on the shoulder blade.
In addition to the delts the rotator cuff is also critical in strength training. This muscle is responsible for rotational movements and consists of:
- Subscapularis muscle
- Supraspinatus muscle
- Infraspinatus muscle
- Teres minor muscle
The best exercises for amazing shoulders
Some of the most basic exercises are the most effective shoulder exercises, including the squat, deadlift, bench press and shoulder press. Many serious trainers begin their shoulder training with these basics. For a varied and multi-faceted shoulder training, you can design a training plan around these.
Shoulder exercises for the front shoulder
- Front raises with dumbbell
- Front lifting on the cable pull
- Shoulder press with barbells
- Shoulder press with dumbbells
- Overhead press on the machine or multi-press
Shoulder exercises for the side shoulder
- Shoulder press with barbell
- Shoulder press with dumbbells
- Overhead press on the machine or multi-press
- Lateral raises with dumbbells
- Lateral lift on the cable
- Lateral lift on the machine
- Front pulling or upright rowing with an SZ dumbbell
- Front pulling or upright rowing on the cable pull
Shoulder exercises for the back shoulder
- Lateral raises bent forward with dumbbells
- Lateral raise bent forward on the cable pull
- Butterfly reverse
In general, working out dumbbells and barbells is more effective than on machines that dictate the sequence of movements.
Pay attention to technique
No matter which part of the body you’re targeting, the right technique is important. With the shoulders, its even more critical. When you’re using dumbbells or barbells, as opposed to machines, its easy to get the movements wrong which not only reduces the effectiveness of the workout, it increases the risk of injury.
Please be sure to follow the correct instructions for each exercise exactly, always use the full range of motion and stick to a strict tempo. Its also vital to be realistic about the weights you work with. Build up the weights over time and those shoulders will be in great shape and you’ll be injury-free.
Get intense for awesome results
To get results, you have to work outside of you comfort zone and push yourself to the limit. The good news is, if shoulder muscles are new to your program, these muscles develop rather quickly compared to any other part of your body. In general, you should take into account that the shoulder muscles are a relatively small muscle group. So, you shouldn’t overdo it when it comes to training volume.
Because muscle build-up takes place after training, your body and shoulder muscles need time to regenerate or adapt. Make sure you give your shoulders enough rest after training and wait until they’ve recovered before your next session. Sore muscles, are a sign that the muscle is still in the process of regeneration, so wait for the pain to go away before you target that muscle again.
Have a plan to pump those shoulders
Remember that the anterior deltoid in particular is heavily used during chest training. The rear deltoid is usually targeted in some back exercises. So, either plan enough days off between these training units or design the training split so that you train the shoulder together with the chest in one day.
How to avoid shoulder injuries
The shoulder is very prone to injury. Most shoulder injuries are caused by chronic overload or unbalanced shoulder training. Many gym rats have well-developed front and side deltoids, but they often lag behind when it comes to rear deltoids. A classic case of muscular imbalance.
Another problem is that the rotator cuff is often completely neglected. With increasing training duration, the deltoids develop while the rotator cuff suffers. Muscular imbalances in this area can lead to the shoulder joint no longer being properly supported in the socket. This can result in pain, inflammation and severe impairment of movement.
Here are steps to prevent shoulder injuries:
- Correct warm-up sets of the shoulders before the heavy work sets.
- A balanced shoulder workout that targets all three areas of the shoulder muscles (deltoid muscles).
- Targeted training of the rotator cuff muscles.
- A correct and clean training technique.
- Realistically assess your ability when choosing your weights.
Can you do effective shoulder training at home?
Beginners and advanced users can easily train their shoulders effectively at home. All you need is a pair of dumbbells, various kettlebells and an adjustable bench and you have the essentials for a varied and effective shoulder workout. Advanced gym junkies needs a more sophisticated home gym to keep shredding those shoulders.
The best shoulder exercises for home
The best shoulder exercises, like the classic shoulder press, can be done at home with dumbbells on an incline bench. Add sets of lateral raises, which train the lateral deltoid muscles, and you’re beginning to build a great workout program. Another effective exercise that will smash those shoulder muscles is the bent side raise. These three exercises alone will get you that epic V-shape in no time
