Have you ever noticed a guy in the gym working out or walking down the street that looks like he took a couple of basketballs and tucked them into his shirt where his delts are supposed to be? Then you realize that those are actually his shoulders. The guy probably looks like he could play on Monday Night Football ... without the pads.
Now how would you like to be that guy? Do you want to be the guy who can buy a new suit and pull the pads out of the shoulders so it will fit right? Do you want to be the one who people look at and wonder how someone can get deltoid implants like that? The wider and thicker the shoulders are, the smaller the waist looks by comparison.
If you want to look freaking huge, you must have a pair of shoulders that you can be proud of. It takes a lot of work, and you will be sore, but do this routine for 6-to-8 weeks and I assure you that you will look in the mirror, wonder who the big guy is and realize that it is you.
This Is Not Your Typical Shoulder Routine
I am sure you have seen routines that are similar, a press, side raises, rear laterals and you are done. Well, this workout isn't that conventional. Although you will build mass on your delts, you can also get some detail as well. If you keep up with pro bodybuilding, you might recognize some of these or all of these exercises.
Each one I got from a pro and put them together into a routine I found incredible results with. If you are new to the world of bodybuilding and fitness, you might want to do a more conventional routine before trying this and even then, it might take some time to get the form on these right, but once you do, watch your delts grow like weeds.
Exercise 1: Seated Arnold Dumbbell Press
Of course, the Arnold Press would come from Austrian Oak himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger. He would do these to carve detail into his front delts. You start with a pair of dumbbells at shoulder height with your palms facing you.
Begin to press, only as you go up, turn the dumbbells so once your arms reach lockout, your palms face away from you. Hold it for a count of one. Lower back the opposite way to a count of three so that your position is the same as when you started. I recommend one or two warm-up sets of 12-15 reps followed by three working sets of 8-10 reps.
Exercise 2: One-Arm side laterals
This lift came from two-time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler. Grab a dumbbell with either arm.
Keeping your arm slightly bent, raise the dumbbell away from your body until your arm is parallel to the floor. Hold for a one count and lower back to the beginning to a 3-count. Do three working sets with each arm of 8-10 reps.
Exercise 3: Cable Seated Lateral Raise
If you have seen Ronnie Coleman's "Road to Redemption" DVD, then you know which exercise this is. You stand at a cable station with both pulleys having single-hand attachments. Reach with the left hand and grab the pulley on your right. Then grab the left one with your right hand.
Keeping a slight bend in your elbows and concentrating on your shoulders, pull both pulleys until your arms are stretched out. Hold for a count of one and lower to a count of three. Do three working sets of 12-15 reps.
Exercise 4: Front Plate Raise
While standing straight, hold a barbell plate in both hands at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions. Your palms should be facing each other and your arms should be extended and locked with a slight bend at the elbows and the plate should be down near your waist in front of you as far as you can go. Tip: The arms will remain in this position throughout the exercise. This will be your starting position.
Slowly raise the plate as you exhale until it is a little above shoulder level. Hold the contraction for a second. Tip: make sure that you do not swing the weight or bend at the elbows. Your torso should remain stationary throughout the movement as well.
As you inhale, slowly lower the plate back down to the starting position.
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Quickly read through our step-by-step directions to ensure you're doing each workout correctly the first time, every time.
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What comes with BodyFit?
- Instructional Videos
Don't risk doing a workout improperly! Avoid injury and keep your form in check with in-depth instructional videos.
- How-to Images
View our enormous library of workout photos and see exactly how each exercise should be done before you give it a shot.
- Step-by-Step Instructions
Quickly read through our step-by-step directions to ensure you're doing each workout correctly the first time, every time.
BodyFit
$6.99/month- 2,500+ expert-created single workouts
- 3,500+ how-to exercise videos
- Detailed workout instruction
- Step-by-step workout tips
- Training at gym or at home
- Access to Workout Plans
- Access to Bodyfit App
- Store Discounts
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What comes with BodyFit?
- Instructional Videos
Don't risk doing a workout improperly! Avoid injury and keep your form in check with in-depth instructional videos.
- How-to Images
View our enormous library of workout photos and see exactly how each exercise should be done before you give it a shot.
- Step-by-Step Instructions
Quickly read through our step-by-step directions to ensure you're doing each workout correctly the first time, every time.
I would recommend only doing shoulders for the day you try this routine, but if you must do two muscle groups a day, then give yourself a good five minute break before moving on to the next muscle group. Also stretch a little between sets to prevent stiffness and keeping the blood in the muscle.
I would also suggest only training shoulders once a week. You will need to give them a break before training them again. Also, doing this routine more than once a week may result in overtraining and that is definitely not productive in building a great pair of shoulders.
Conclusion
So there you have it, a shoulder routine that will build those delts into something that will amaze you. I wouldn't recommend going too heavy with the weights until you are absolutely certain you are doing them right.
Just remember that when you are in between sets - the acid is building and your shoulders are burning with a sensation that you aren't sure is a good thing - to ask yourself that question: "How bad do I want to be THAT GUY?"