James Bradford
Top 5 exercises for bigger shoulders|Military Press|Lateral Raise|Upright Barbell Row|Face Pulls|Shoulder Rear Raises
Shoulders, one of the most iconic muscle groups. Having a large broad set of shoulders can totally transform your physique from average to looking absolutely huge!
There are three parts to your shoulders, also known as the deltoids:
Anterior Deltoid: This is the front part of your shoulder and is often referred to as the front delts.
Lateral Deltoid: This is the side facing part of your shoulder, but is in the middle of the front and back delts.
Posterior deltoid: these are the backward facing muscles of your shoulder, commonly referred to as the rear delts.
But how can we increase their overall size?
Military Press[/caption]
The Military Press is a classic shoulder exercise, and is also called the overhead press. This is the go to exercise for building good round well defined shoulders as it activates all three heads. It’s so much more than a shoulder exercise as it also engages your traps, triceps and core at the same time.
To perform the exercise, hold a barbell in front of you at shoulder height, just underneath your chin. Slowly press the barbell up and exhale as you do. Ensure your arms are fully locked at the peak of the movement.
Lateral Raise[/caption]
The lateral raise is a shoulder exercise that is often overlooked by many of the bodybuilding community for whatever reason, but should not be missed. Fewer exercises hit the side laterals as effectively as the lateral raise and this will help with the development of the rounded outside of your shoulder.
To perform this movement, start with light dumbbells at your sides. Slowly raise your arms up so they are shoulder height and parallel to the ground. Hold this position for the extra squeeze in your middle delt, before lowering back to the start position.
Upright Barbell Row[/caption]
The upright row can be used to target the traps as well as the shoulders but when used effectively for the shoulders it targets all 3 heads of the shoulder at once, making it a great all-rounder. To perform the upright row so it targets your shoulders, place your hands close together, about 6 inches apart on a barbell. Raise the barbell up to your chin so your elbows flare out and hold this position for a second before lowering.
Face Pulls[/caption]
Face Pulls are exercises you do not see a lot in the gym. However, they are the best exercises for the middle and rear part of your shoulder. To perform a face pull, set a cable machine up so you have the rope attachment on the machine at about the height of your face. Pull the rope towards your face and as you come closer to your face, move your arms apart so by the end of the movement, your hands are next to your cheeks.
Shoulder Rear Raises[/caption]
This is another less popular exercise that really hits the rear part of the shoulder. It also involves the traps a little bit as well as some of the many muscles in your upper back. To perform the Seated Rear Delt Raise, sit on a bench with light dumbbells in your hands. Bend over so your chest is touching your legs and your hands are down by the sides of your legs.
Slowly raise the dumbbells sideways away from your body so they are in line with your back and are parallel the ground.
Shoulders - #1 Military Press
[caption id="attachment_3553" align="aligncenter" width="450"]
Military Press[/caption]
The Military Press is a classic shoulder exercise, and is also called the overhead press. This is the go to exercise for building good round well defined shoulders as it activates all three heads. It’s so much more than a shoulder exercise as it also engages your traps, triceps and core at the same time.
To perform the exercise, hold a barbell in front of you at shoulder height, just underneath your chin. Slowly press the barbell up and exhale as you do. Ensure your arms are fully locked at the peak of the movement.
Shoulders - #2 Lateral Raise
[caption id="attachment_3554" align="aligncenter" width="271"]
Lateral Raise[/caption]
The lateral raise is a shoulder exercise that is often overlooked by many of the bodybuilding community for whatever reason, but should not be missed. Fewer exercises hit the side laterals as effectively as the lateral raise and this will help with the development of the rounded outside of your shoulder.
To perform this movement, start with light dumbbells at your sides. Slowly raise your arms up so they are shoulder height and parallel to the ground. Hold this position for the extra squeeze in your middle delt, before lowering back to the start position.
Shoulders - #3 Upright Barbell Row
[caption id="attachment_3555" align="aligncenter" width="261"]
Upright Barbell Row[/caption]
The upright row can be used to target the traps as well as the shoulders but when used effectively for the shoulders it targets all 3 heads of the shoulder at once, making it a great all-rounder. To perform the upright row so it targets your shoulders, place your hands close together, about 6 inches apart on a barbell. Raise the barbell up to your chin so your elbows flare out and hold this position for a second before lowering.
Shoulders - #4 Face Pulls
[caption id="attachment_3556" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
Face Pulls[/caption]
Face Pulls are exercises you do not see a lot in the gym. However, they are the best exercises for the middle and rear part of your shoulder. To perform a face pull, set a cable machine up so you have the rope attachment on the machine at about the height of your face. Pull the rope towards your face and as you come closer to your face, move your arms apart so by the end of the movement, your hands are next to your cheeks.
Shoulders - #5 Seated Bent Over Rear Delt Raises
[caption id="attachment_3557" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
Shoulder Rear Raises[/caption]
This is another less popular exercise that really hits the rear part of the shoulder. It also involves the traps a little bit as well as some of the many muscles in your upper back. To perform the Seated Rear Delt Raise, sit on a bench with light dumbbells in your hands. Bend over so your chest is touching your legs and your hands are down by the sides of your legs.
Slowly raise the dumbbells sideways away from your body so they are in line with your back and are parallel the ground.
Summary
In summary, we have 5 killer exercise that will target each part of your shoulder effectively and ensuring no part is left lagging behind the others. Incorporating these exercises into your next shoulder workout will give your shoulders a pump like never before sand will help building those ball shaped shoulders that are every man’s envy. Just make sure your hard work in the gym isn't let down in the kitchen - make sure your workouts are fuelled with the best supplements before and after you hit those shoulders! YOUR VIEW: What do YOU find are the best shoulder exercises? Share them in the comments below!Tagged: Training