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Shoulders are the foundation of the upper body, which gives your physique the broad, tapered-look that most bodybuilders strive for. To be big, you must have big shoulders...
Shoulders are the foundation of the upper body, which gives your physique the broad, tapered-look that most bodybuilders strive for. To be big, you must have big shoulders. Also, having good, thick traps will make your body look even larger, give you better most muscular and rear double biceps poses, and help with your overall proportion.
Therefore, this article will go through four workout ideas; two using HIT and two using Volume training principles.
To begin let me remind you of the definitions of these terms (in my view) so that things will run a bit more smoothly throughout this series.
High-Intensity Training (HIT):
Method of training using heavy weights, lower repetitions (6-10), and explosive movements using a large amount of energy over a brief period of time.
HIT focuses more on the larger Type II-b fibers that give your muscles a more voluminous appearance. These fibers fatigue more quickly but produce the greater amount of force compared with Type-I fibers.
Volume Training:
Method of training using medium weights, higher repetitions (12-15), and more succinct movements using a similarly large amount of energy over a more extended period of time.
Volume training focuses on the smaller Type-I fibers that give your muscles a harder, more defined look. These fibers have a greater longevity for training and are more associated with cardiovascular training.
Shoulder Anatomy Lesson:
The shoulders, as we commonly refer to them, are made up of the anterior, medial, and posterior deltoid muscles. Each muscle has a specific function but all serve to move the humerus in one plane or another.
Also, I have included the upper trapezius, which I work on the same day with shoulders. This is due to personal preference and you can place them either separate or with a different muscle group according to your needs.
See the following diagrams and photos for a visual description of the involved muscle groups.
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| Anterior and Medial Deltoids |
Medial and Posterior Deltoids
and Upper Traps |
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Sample HIT Programs
HIT Program 1:
Smith Machine Shoulder Presses: 205 x 10, 225 x 8, 245 x 7, 265 x 6
Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raises: 45 x 8, 50 x 8, 55 x 8, 60 x 8
Double Front Dumbbell Raises: 35 x 8, 40 x 8, 45 x 8
Reverse Pec Deck: 200 x 10, 225 x 8, 245 x 8
Smith Machine Shoulder Shrugs: 315 x 12, 365 x 10, 405 x 8, 455 x 8, 495 x 6
 Click here to print the HIT program 1.
HIT Program 2:
Bent-Over Reverse Dumbbell Flyes: 30 x 8, 35 x 8, 40 x 8, 45 x 8
Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raises: 45 x 8, 50 x 8, 55 x 8, 60 x 8
Partial Dumbbell Lateral Raises: 100 x 8, 110 x 8, 110 x 8
Cambered Bar Front Raises: 65 x 10, 75 x 8, 85 x 8
Cambered Bar Upright Rows: 75 x 8, 85 x 8, 95 x 8
Dumbbell Shoulder Shrugs: 110 x 12, 110 x 12, 110 x 12, 110 x 12
*Please note that on some of the exercises I do more than 8 repetitions to start with. This is more to warm the muscle up with a heavier weight than for stimulation of the Type I muscle fibers.
Click here to print the HIT program 2.
Sample Volume Programs
Volume Training Program 1:
Dumbbell Presses: 50 x 15, 55 x 15, 60 x 12, 65 x 12
Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raises Drop Sets: 45 x 10 =>35 x 10=>25 x 10 (one set),
50 x 10=>35 x 10=>25 x 10 (second set), 55 x 10=>35 x 10=>25 x 10 (third set)
*Reps are fewer than 12 but are consecutive/without rest between sets and add up to 30 consecutive repetitions
Single Cable Front Raises: 30 x 15, 35 x 15, 40 x 12
Reverse Pec Deck: 150 x 15, 160 x 15, 170 x 15
Straight Bar Shrugs: 315 x 15, 315 x 15, 315 x 15, 315 x 15
Click here to print the Volume program 1.
Volume Training Program 2:
Click here to print the Volume program 2.
* Please note that this is just an example of the weights I would and do use in my training program. You will need to modify the weights to fit your particular level whether it be more or less weight.
Overall, I think this is a pretty comprehensive shoulder program that will do one of three things:
- Make your shoulder muscles larger
- Make your shoulder muscles more defined or
- All of the above.
I hope this program will help you with addressing your shoulder development issues. It has worked for me and should work for you. Just remember everyone responds differently to types of training and that you need to find out for yourself what you need to do to improve your physique.
Thanks,
jhustono1@cableone.net
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