Shoulder exercises in the gym. How to pump up your shoulders in the gym. What safety measures must be observed during training?

Still from the film "The Incredible Hulk"

For men, inflated shoulders make them look wider; for women, well-developed deltoids (another name for shoulders) create an excellent illusion of a narrower waist.

In essence, it is the shoulder-to-hip ratio that forms that great proportion that everyone talks about so much - the hourglass. It looks beneficial on both men and women.

Biomechanics of the shoulder joint and anatomy of the deltoid muscle

Before we begin reviewing the best deltoids exercises, it is still necessary to understand the anatomy of the shoulder joint.

Therefore, in the next few paragraphs - the theory we need to understand how to “pump up” our deltoids in general, because the technique of basic movements is the key to success on the path to rounded and sculpted shoulders.

First of all, it is important to remember that the shoulder joint is the most mobile joint, providing most of the movement of the shoulder girdle. It allows you to move your arm forward/backward, from side to side to rotate it in and out, move it along the body in front and behind, and carry out rotational movements counterclockwise and clockwise. It is also worth remembering that the shoulder joint is also the most fragile, making it very susceptible to injury.

Why are the shoulders called “deltas”?

It's simple: the deltoid muscle is the shoulder. This muscle can be divided into three bundles:

Anterior beams (anterior delta)

Participate in lateral abduction of the arm during external rotation of the shoulder. Their role in shoulder flexion is small, but they assist the pectoralis major muscle (elbow just below the shoulder) in this movement. Assists the muscles: subclavian, pectoralis major and latissimus dorsi with internal rotation of the shoulder.

Lateral bundles (middle delta)

They are involved in the lateral abduction of the shoulder when it is in internal rotation and in the horizontal abduction when it is in external rotation, but practically do not participate in the horizontal extension of the shoulder (when it is in internal rotation).

Posterior beams (posterior delta)

They take a large part in horizontal extension, especially due to the small participation of the latissimus dorsi muscle in this movement in the horizontal plane.

Other horizontal extensors - the infraspinatus and teres minor - also work together with the posterior portion of the deltoid muscle as external rotators, as if in contrast to the internal rotators - the pectoralis major and latissimus muscles.

The posterior portion of the deltoid muscle also takes a large part in hyperextension of the shoulder, with the support of the long head of the triceps.

We're done with theory, let's move on to practice - exercises.

Front delt exercises

1. Standing press or military press

By nature - bench press. According to the degree of involvement of joints in work - basic (multi-joint).

The most common exercise for the anterior deltoid.

Technique: We take the barbell in our hands from the floor/from the racks, throw it/place it at chest level, placing it exactly on the collarbones. As you inhale, we lift the barbell above your head, and as you exhale, lower it to the starting position—on your chest.

I recommend moving the barbell slightly behind your head at the peak of the positive phase (when the barbell is at the very top), as weightlifters do, since then the load on the shoulder muscle is maximum, and the ligament suffers less damage from the load.

Watch your back during the exercise - do not bend it too much, so as not to overload the back extensors and strain yourself. And don’t sling the projectile (by sitting down at the moment of lifting) - this way you won’t hit the muscle we need with the load.

Perform 8 to 10 repetitions per set. The exercise is basic, because a large number of repetitions will simply tire not only your shoulders, but also the synergistic muscles (auxiliary muscles), and will also overload the stabilizers - the abdominal muscles and the very extensors that I mentioned earlier.

2. Bench press from behind the head

By nature it is also a bench press. In terms of the degree of involvement of joints in work - basic.

Technically, the exercise is very similar to the military press, but there is one key difference and one minor one. The secondary thing is that our position is now sitting, which means that the possibility of slamming the barbell (lifting it with the help of a squat with the legs) is definitely excluded.

The key difference is that we lift the projectile from behind the head and lower it similarly behind the head. This manner of execution allows you to stretch the front delta a little more, BUT (!) watch the technique very carefully!

All movements from behind the head are a colossal load on the rotator cuff of the shoulder, which, in turn, is very fragile. Hence another important point: in this exercise, take less weight and do more repetitions, then the risk of injury will be minimized.

3. Seated vertical dumbbell press

By nature - bench press. In terms of the degree of involvement of joints in work - basic.

The exercise is not much different from the previous one. The only difference is that we have dumbbells in our hands, which means that it will become a little more difficult to stabilize (control) the weight, as a result of which the front delta will be loaded better and more precisely.

In addition, dumbbells allow you to increase the range of motion. Try not to lower the elbow joint too much; it should not be significantly lower than the shoulder joint at the peak of the negative phase (during lowering). In terms of breathing, everything is similar to the previous exercises.

It is also advisable to take the whole thing a little less, and vary the range of repetitions from 10 to 20.

4. Lifting dumbbells in front of you

An excellent exercise for “finishing off” the front deltoid. Technically as simple as possible.

Initial: dumbbells lowered, stand straight, feet hip-width apart. While inhaling, we raise the dumbbell in front of us “to the horizon” (the level when the shoulder, elbow and wrist joints are extended in one line parallel to the floor). As you exhale, lower the dumbbell into the original exercise.

Despite the fact that the nature of the exercise is swinging, it should be performed as controlled as possible. In addition, due to the fact that the movement is isolated, you should not lean on heavy weights - it is fraught with injury.

Take light dumbbells, perform a large number of repetitions - from 15 to 20. By the way, when doing this, you can either alternate your arms or do both at once.

Exercises for middle deltoids

5. Swings with dumbbells to the side

By nature - flywheel. According to the degree of involvement of joints in work - isolated (low-articular).

Perhaps the best exercise for the middle deltoids. It is precisely this that allows us to acquire round, spherical shoulders, making us wider.

There are incredibly many options for the technique of this exercise: some suggest doing the movement as controlled as possible, others suggest slightly throwing the dumbbell in the positive phase (during the lift), and lowering it under control in the negative phase. I will tell you about the exercise through the prism of classical technique.

Place your feet hip-width apart, dumbbells lowered in the starting position.

As you inhale, move the dumbbells to the side to such a level that the shoulder is just above the elbow, and the elbow is just above the hand, then the innervation (switching on) of the middle delta band will be maximum.

As you exhale, lower the dumbbells to the starting position.

Let me remind you that the exercise is also isolated, so chasing weights in it is a counterproductive idea, since the middle bundle of deltas itself is small and weak, and therefore often calls for help from small stabilizers and the main synergist (auxiliary muscle) - the trapezius.

Stabilizers and auxiliary muscles will instantly connect if you overestimate yourself and your shoulders, take heavier dumbbells, and also try to unload our middle bundles to the maximum.

So perform high reps (15 to 20) with moderate weights.

6. Barbell row to the chin (broach)

By nature - traction. In terms of the degree of involvement of joints in work - basic.

The barbell row to the chin, or as they also say in weightlifting - pulling, is a popular exercise and is also often used in the gym.

But you might reasonably wonder why the basic exercise comes after the isolated exercise, and not vice versa, as is always the case? The answer is precisely this - a basic exercise. And this means that, being fresh on the middle delta bundles, we will want to take more weight, which means that our technique will suffer, as a result of which the middle delta bundles will receive insufficient load.

With pre-tired ovens, we will not be able to lift much weight, which means that we will perform the movement technically and fully load the middle delta bundles. It's simple!

Technically, it is also not entirely simple, because you need to pull the barbell carefully, without throwing, and the amplitude of movement should be moderate.

Our starting position: we hold the barbell in our lowered hands. As you inhale, pull the barbell towards your chin line, without moving the projectile far from your body. We bring the positive amplitude (upward movement) to the peak - the elbows and shoulders are at the same level, and then, as we exhale, we lower it until the arms are fully straightened.

The same nuance regarding the weight of the projectile - the bar should not be heavy. Otherwise, you will “miss” the middle delts and be sure to load the same trapezius, and load them as if they were agonists in this exercise (the main muscle group, not an auxiliary one).

Rear delt exercises

7. Bent-over rear delt swings with dumbbells

By nature - flywheel. According to the degree of involvement of joints in work - isolated.

Finally, we come to the most UNpopular bunch of our deltas - the rear one. Few people in the room pay due attention to it, but it is this bun that makes our shoulder harmoniously developed.

Starting position - dumbbells are lowered, our body is tilted forward to shift the emphasis of the load specifically to the rear bundles.

As you inhale, we move the dumbbells to the sides so that the elbow joint is almost level with the shoulder joint.

At the peak of the positive phase, we under no circumstances bring our shoulder blades together, so as not to use the latissimus dorsi muscles instead of the shoulders.

As you exhale, return the dumbbells under control to their original position.

The back is in a neutral position - we do not bend or twist the spine, the legs are slightly bent at the knees.

I think it has become quite obvious that any swing movement for a small beam is careful and targeted work, in other words, take moderate weights and perform a large number of repetitions.

8. Dumbbell abductions for the rear deltoid with dumbbells

By nature - traction. According to the degree of involvement of joints in work - isolated.

Despite the fact that the movement is traction, it still remains isolated, that is, the work occurs in one short movement in one joint - the shoulder.

Moreover, this exercise is low-articular, but significant weight can be taken here, because the rear delta can pull a lot and willingly; it is not for nothing that it is a synergist (auxiliary muscle) in almost all traction movements, including pull-ups and deadlifts.

Starting position: the body is tilted forward, the dumbbells are at the hips, the arms are slightly bent at the elbow joint.

As we inhale, we move our arms back, leaving our arms also slightly bent at the elbows.

We do not compress the shoulder blades under any circumstances, so as not to shift the load vector onto the back.

As you exhale, return the dumbbells to their original position.

As I mentioned, you can use more weight here than in the swing movements, but the rep range should also remain high since the rear deltoid loves volume work.

So, in total we have 8 shoulder exercises. This list is more than enough to build massive deltas.

But don’t forget what I mentioned at the beginning of the article: shoulders are a very fragile muscle group, and therefore you need to approach their training as responsibly as possible.

Warm up thoroughly, take a balanced approach to choosing working weights, control your exercise technique, and then success awaits you!

Read us, spread the word, live long and prosper. Thank you for your attention!

By the way, we recently debunked . Are you sure you know what proper nutrition looks like? So, most likely you are wrong!

I am sure that experienced athletes who understand the issue of periodization of training, biomechanics of movements and the theory of constructing specialized micro- and mesocycles had a smile on their faces when they read the title of the article. Because there are no most powerful or best exercises. There are more effective and less effective movements, but what is much more important is not the exercise itself, but how to combine it with others as part of a weekly cycle.

People less experienced in matters of sports continue to look for magic exercises, magic powders and witchcraft pills that will allow them to quickly achieve results. Unfortunately, there are none. On the other hand, if you approach the issue wisely, you can actually improve the shape of the deltas and achieve a significant increase in their volume over a very modest period. It took me eight months. After a year and a half, the deltoids went from lagging behind to becoming the dominant muscle group.

Below I will tell you the principles that will help you wisely build a training program with an emphasis on shoulder development. And, of course, I will show you the five most effective exercises for this.

Two main mistakes that hinder the development of powerful deltas

First mistake

Incorrect exercise technique. Therefore, pay special attention to their descriptions below and to the video - I selected the highest quality videos.

Because of the crooked technique, people load everything, but not their shoulders. Trapezius, back, arms, overload the shoulder joints. In the first three cases, the load is ineffective - the weight is too small for these muscles or the vector of movement is incorrect. And the result of the last case will be an injury that will set you back a month and a half in training.

Looks at the bar, bear grip - this will all end badly

In addition, it is worth mentioning here about frankly dangerous exercises that can severely damage the shoulder joints. A separate article has been written about this - be sure to read:

Second mistake

There is too much load on the deltas, due to which they do not have time to recover. After all, these are small muscle groups that work in almost all pulling and pushing movements during chest and back training.

Let's remember one of the classic split options:

Chest + back
Arms + deltoids

During chest training, you really loaded the front deltoids. And working on the back, the rear deltas were additionally pumped. Every other day, thoroughly load the same muscles again, but 48 hours is too short for their recovery. The muscles are not yet ready for serious work, which is why strength results do not increase and, as a result, muscle volume does not increase either.

Moreover, your arms are also well loaded during chest and back training. It turns out to be a double blow to all small muscle groups.

Let's add incorrect exercise technique to this whole mix and we'll get problems with the development of deltoids (and arms too) in those for whom these muscle groups are not dominant by nature.

The most effective exercises for training your shoulders

There are a great variety of all kinds of exercises for the development of deltas (the shoulder, in fact, is the part of the arm from the deltoid to the elbow, and the deltoid muscle is the same ball of three bundles that you want to develop). You can work with blocks, dumbbells, barbells, not to mention dozens of specialized exercise machines.

Below I will give the most effective movements in my personal opinion, which is not the ultimate truth. It was these movements that I used to work out the deltas to their current state (photo at the end of the article).

First, a little theory. Delta consists of three beams. Front, middle and back. The front one is responsible for pushing movements, the rear one is responsible for pulling movements. The middle delta is partially involved in both cases, plus when abducting the arms to the sides.

In fact, for the effective development of deltas, two basic exercises are enough - pressing and pulling.

There are enough pressing movements in any person’s strength training - all guys love to bench press, decently loading the front deltoid. But with traction movements they hose. And if they do a barbell row to the chin, then in most cases it is done incorrectly, loading the trapezius and injuring the shoulder joint.

As a result, we see a situation where the front delta is more or less developed, and the rear delta is completely absent. Let's fix the situation.

Military press (standing barbell press)

An excellent basic exercise for developing the front deltoid, which partly involves the middle bundle too. The grip width is medium, that is, grip the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. If you take it too wide, the chest will steal part of the load; if you take it too narrow, you will overload the triceps, which will fail before the delta works well.

My personal advice is that I do not recommend lowering the bar below chin level, so as not to put a breaking load on the joint. Even if your flexibility allows you to lower the barbell to your chest, you shouldn’t push your luck. The risk of injury does not at all justify additional stretching of the muscle for supposedly better growth.

Note that the military press is also a good core workout.

An exercise option from Yaroslav Brin:

A good alternative from Denis Borisov (just don’t bend your hands back, the bar should lie on the base of your palm, and not on the pads, so as not to injure your hand):

And another interesting option from Adam Kozyra:

Dumbbell press sitting or standing

An alternative to the military press is to do the dumbbell press while standing. In cases where there are difficulties with the lower back and a large compression load is undesirable, you can do a dumbbell bench press while sitting with a slight inclination of the bench (80°).

Of the features, I will only note the point where it is necessary to lower the dumbbells - to ear level or so that the angle between the shoulder and forearm is 90°. Lower it lower - create a breaking load on the shoulder joint. Also remember that the dumbbells lie on the base of your palms, and not on their pads (calluses).

Exercise option from Denis Borisov:

And from Yaroslav Brin:

Barbell row to the chin (to the chest)

The second basic movement is for the development of deltas, in particular the middle and posterior bundles. The main mistake is to do this movement by grasping the bar with a narrow grip, and then pulling it higher, lifting your elbows almost above your head. In this case, you injure the shoulder joint and force the trapezius to work, but not the deltoids.

The most effective version of the exercise is shown in the video below (wide grip, slight forward bend, pull to the chest, elbows do not rise above the level of the deltoids):

Swings (breeches) with dumbbells while standing

An excellent option for additional work on the middle deltoids, but only if the exercise is performed correctly. To avoid mistakes, watch the video carefully:

Kickbacks in the Butterfly machine (plus bent over swings)

A couple of additional exercises to work out the rear deltas will not hurt, since this group most often lags behind in development.

When doing the back abduction in the Butterfly simulator, it is important to move your shoulders forward and work within the amplitude (it is very short) so as not to use the back muscles:

As for bent-over dumbbell swings, it’s the same: we bring our shoulders forward, “smear” the trapezoid over the back, we work within the amplitude (the elbows do not rise above the level of the deltas):

How to intelligently build a microcycle for the development of deltas

If you are a beginner, then with an emphasis on deltas you don’t have to bother at all. Work in FullBody mode, and your shoulders will develop perfectly on presses and rows. It is enough to include the military press and barbell rows to the chin in the program and alternate these exercises in two basic blocks. I gave an example of such blocks in the first episodes of the BeardyBuilding podcast and in.

If you already have a couple of years of training experience, but the deltoids are still lagging behind in development, here is a basic scheme on how to cheer them up. She personally helped me a lot.

Four-day split:

Monday: legs (3-4 exercises).
Tuesday: pectoral (2-3 exercises) + anterior delta (1-2 exercises - military press or dumbbell press, lifting dumbbells in front of you with a hammer grip).
Wednesday: rest.
Thursday: back (3-4 basic exercises) + rear delta 1 exercise (any of your choice from the above).
Friday: triceps (two exercises) + biceps (1-2 exercises, after all, when working on the back it is already loaded) + middle delta (2 exercises - barbell row to the chin, dumbbell swings to the sides).

The meaning, I think, is clear - together with the pectoral muscles, the anterior delta is well loaded and it is enough to finish it off with 1-2 exercises. The rear delta is loaded along with the back, and one exercise at the end is enough to finish it off. Plus a couple of exercises for the middle delta on arm day.

Three day split

If you don't have the time or desire to do four strength training sessions a week, then add one basic triceps exercise to your chest day. For example, close grip bench press or French press. On your back day, add one or two biceps exercises (PSB and/or dumbbell biceps curls while sitting on an incline bench). On leg day, after training your lower body, do middle deltoid exercises (barbell rows and standing dumbbell swings).

A specialized version of the microcycle with an emphasis on the upper body

I practiced this option for four months from October last year to January of this year inclusive. The idea is to visually increase your upper body without having to add much muscle mass. To do this, we make the back more lumpy (emphasis on training its inner part), prominent trapezius, more powerful deltoids, plus pecs.

Excellent specialization is obtained if the desired muscle group is trained a couple of times a week. In my case, I did four strength training sessions a week, during which I worked separately on the thickness (bulge) and width of the back, hammered the deltoids a couple of times and the pecs a couple of times. The exercises below are just an example, you can use any of your choice. Two or three warm-up approaches, two working sets.

Monday (pectorals + trapezius + deltoids):

Two chest pressing exercises for 10-12 reps (for example, bench press, 30° dumbbell press, or hummer press).
Shrugs with dumbbells or barbell (15-20 reps) + T-row with emphasis on the chest or lever row (10-12 reps).
Military press or standing dumbbell press.
Row in the cable handle block to the chest.

Tuesday (Legs + Abs):

3-4 leg exercises to pump up all muscles (barbell squats, leg extensions, deadlifts, platform presses, lunges - 8-12 reps) + (20-25 reps).
Ab crunches and reverse crunches (20-25 reps, 3-4 sets).
Neck (so as not to be skinny against the background of broad shoulders) - raising the head with a pancake on the forehead and/or on the back of the head.

Thursday (back width + deltoids):

Three or four favorite exercises for the width of the back (pull-ups, rows in a hammer or barbell/dumbbells, rows of a vertical block to the chest, pullover, etc. - 10-12 repetitions).
Pull the barbell to the chin and swing dumbbells to the sides (10-12 repetitions, swings can be done for 12-15 repetitions).

Friday (arms + chest for tone):

One rigorous basic chest exercise for three working sets of 12-15 reps. In my case, these were chest dips with a weight on the belt.
A couple of basic biceps exercises (for example, PSB, seated dumbbell curls) + a couple of basic triceps movements (close-grip press, French press, cable extensions, etc.) for 10-12 repetitions.

Briefly about the main thing

The keynote of the article is not just to give some basic scheme for work, but to teach the principles of effective development of certain muscle groups.

In particular, success depends both on the correct technique of performing exercises and on the reasonable construction of a microcycle so as not to overload one or another muscle group. Use assistant muscle training (synergists) if you want to save time without overloading the body. Or wisely cycle training on muscles that are in no way related to each other if you want to work them as efficiently as possible within one workout. Moreover, in this case, it is advisable to take one large muscle group and one small one. Let's say pectoral and biceps, back and triceps, etc.

Developing a beautiful, athletic body is not as easy as it seems. You need to think here. At least if you want to progress, and not stagnate for years.

Exercises for the shoulder girdle are needed, first of all, for women with an A-shaped figure type (“pear”), so that the figure becomes proportional. There is no need to even talk about men, because wide, strong shoulders make the silhouette sporty and look sexy.

The best equipment for strength exercises are dumbbells and barbells. Let's talk in more detail about effective shoulder exercises that you can do at home and in the gym.

Basic exercises

Dumbbell press (sitting position)

When performing such a press, three bundles of deltoid muscles are simultaneously activated.- middle, rear, and especially front.

IP: Sitting on a bench with a backrest (tilt angle - 80–90 degrees), arms bent, elbows pointing to the sides, forearms pointing up, palms with the apparatus turned forward.

Straighten your arms, lifting the dumbbells, inhale, and exhale, lower them down.

When performing the exercise, make sure that the elbows are directly under the hands and do not move forward. Exhale while pressing, inhale while lowering. Keep your back straight without bending.

Arnold press

This is the development of Hollywood actor and bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger. During one of the workouts, he turned his palms at the lowest point of the amplitude and felt that the load on the deltoids had increased than with regular presses.

The Arnold press engages the front and side heads of the shoulders, to a lesser extent - the rear heads.

To perform the bench press, you will need a bench or chair with a high back.

As you inhale, lift the dumbbells. When the elbows reach the height of the chin, the wrists are gradually rotated 180 degrees. At the top point, the palms are already directed away from the face. After pausing at the top for a second, the arms are also smoothly lowered, the wrists are turned again so that at the bottom point the palms are again directed towards the face. The head is not lowered, the chin remains parallel to the floor surface at all times, and the gaze is directed straight ahead.

Even the slightest inaccuracy leads to muscle unloading. Therefore, at the top point, the dumbbells are not allowed to touch each other; the elbows are fully straightened.

Beginners need the lightest weight so that they can perform 10 repetitions without effort.

The Arnold press is performed sitting and standing, and the result is different in each case. So, when performing the exercise while sitting, muscle strength increases, while standing, mass increases.

Dumbbell lateral raises

This classic exercise develops the mid-head and visually broadens the shoulders.

I.P.: standing, feet shoulder-width apart, palms with dumbbells held in them pointing down, arms slightly bent at the elbows. The body is slightly tilted forward, the abdominal muscles are tense, and there is a natural arch in the back.

The arms are slowly raised - slightly above shoulder level. In the upper position, the palms are directed downward or to the sides (thumb down). In the latter case, the shoulder muscles experience greater loads due to an increase in amplitude.

Raising dumbbells forward

Such lifting allows you to work the front part of the delta separately from the middle and thoracic region.

I.P.: the dumbbells almost touch the hips, the body is naturally arched, the arms are slightly bent and fixed at the elbows, only the shoulder joint works.

As you inhale and then hold your breath, raise your arms to shoulder level or slightly higher. At the top point, exhale and slowly lower your arms. The distance between the upper limbs (shoulder width or slightly wider) is stable.

In order for the front part of the delta to work at full strength, take extremely heavy weights, which can be raised to the desired level.

Shoulder workout video

High traction

Another name used is “chin pull.” Traction loads the lateral sections, and the anterior and posterior sections are also involved in the work.

I.P.: standing, arms slightly bent at the elbows.

The dumbbells are pulled up using the strength of the shoulder muscles so that their line is parallel to the floor surface or slightly higher. At the same time, try not to use other muscles.

Dumbbell flyes (from a lying position)

This exercise requires an incline bench.

I.P.: lying on an inclined bench face down, arms with sports equipment slightly bent at the elbows and perpendicular to the body. Raise your arms to the sides until your shoulders are parallel to the floor. When lowering, they maintain tension, but the muscles do not relax.

Push ups

I.P.: emphasis on hands and toes. The palms are spread slightly wider than the shoulders at chest level, directed forward.

While inhaling, they lower themselves: bend their arms at the elbows to a right angle, and as they exhale, return to IP.

One-arm dumbbell lift

Exercise trains the supraspinatus muscle- one of the four that make up the rotator cuff.

I.P.: reclining on the side, holding the dumbbell with an overhand grip. The arm is straightened along the body.

The arm is raised perpendicular to the floor and returned to its original position.

Bench press

The weight of the barbell is chosen so as to complete 8 repetitions. The exercise is dangerous Therefore, it is necessary to accurately master the technique of its implementation.

The exercise can be performed from a sitting or standing position. For diseases of the shoulder girdle, the Smith machine is used. In the lower position, the barbell is lowered to the middle of the neck height, no lower - the projectile remains suspended.

I.P.: Sit under the barbell and grab it with a medium grip. The elbows are located strictly under the bar, the back is slightly arched. When using a bench, the backrest is tilted at an angle of 75-80o, and the shoulder blades rest against it.

While inhaling, hold your breath, lift the projectile, with your elbows spread to the sides. At the top, the arms are straight, the bar is located directly above the head. After a short pause, they exhale and smoothly lower the barbell into the IP position, but do not place it on their shoulders until they complete the approach.

Barbell chest press

The deltoid and small muscles are loaded.

I.P.: standing, feet shoulder-width apart. Bend forward, lift the barbell without bending, and place it on your chest.

With a powerful push, the projectile is squeezed up and slowly lowered onto the chest. Make sure that your back remains straight and does not arch in the lower back.

Increase or decrease volume?

Beginners first master the technique of each exercise by doing 12 repetitions. Start with a light weight that allows you to complete this program.

To reduce volumes

Broad shoulders bother girls. To lose weight in the shoulders, perform from 12 to 15 times in 3 sets.

To increase muscle mass

Training options for men

Program No. 1

vertical dumbbell presses;
dumbbell press (standing position);
the same, sitting;
alternately lifting dumbbells to the chin (pull only one hand, the other remains below);
raising dumbbells to the sides.

Program No. 2

barbell press (from behind the head);
the same, from the chest;
lifting one dumbbell to the side (lying position);
raising dumbbells to the sides while standing;
lifting dumbbells forward;
the same, one dumbbell;
dumbbell press (sitting position);
the same, standing.

Program for girls

Girls strive to look fragile and feminine, so they are afraid of such exercises. But the fears are in vain: only those who strive for such a result and do the exercise with heavy weight run the risk of overdeveloping this part of the body.

Lesson program:

dumbbell press from a seated position;
lifting dumbbells to the sides, forward (movements alternate);
dumbbell row to the chin;
Raising arms with dumbbells on an incline bench.

The deltoids are loaded when performing a number of basic exercises. That's why Train your shoulders no more than once a week.

Video training for girls

Warming up before training is necessary for the exercise to bring greater benefits and to protect itself from injury.

Here is a set of movements for warming up:

rotate the shoulders back and forth, perform alternately for the right and left shoulders or synchronously for both sides;

rotate the arms, maintaining the greatest amplitude, perform alternately for the right and left shoulders or synchronously for both sides;

arms are bent at the elbows at chest level and jerked backwards; swing your arms vertically with straight arms (one time - right hand up, left hand down, two times - vice versa), try to move the limbs as far behind the back as possible.

Whatever your deltoid goal, one of these seven workout programs will help you achieve it!

No two athletes train exactly the same way. Whether it's the selection and sequencing of exercises, the number of sets and reps of each, how long it takes to complete an exercise or set, the length of rest periods, or what training techniques are used, every athlete has their own training DNA.

Among the millions of gym goers, there are probably millions of different shoulder workouts out there. Individuality is good, but certain principles make some programs better than others, especially for specific purposes.

So instead of presenting you with a million ways to get bigger deltoids—which would make this article a little time-consuming to read—it's going to be condensed down to seven really good shoulder training programs, each targeting a different deltoid development goal.

Pay particular attention to how exercise selection and order, sets/repetitions, training volume, and various advanced principles can be manipulated to emphasize a particular goal.

If you find a program that you like, try it for 4-8 weeks, then return to your regular training or try another regimen from the list.

Explanations for training

The presented training schemes do not include warm-up approaches. Do as much as you need, but never push your muscles to failure.
Choose a weight that will allow you to reach muscle failure in the specified rep range.
If you have a training assistant, do some forced reps on your heaviest sets of bench presses. If you don't have a partner, do drop sets on the last set of each exercise, reducing the weight by about 25% when you reach muscle failure and moving to the second point of failure.

Goal: gain shoulder muscle mass

To build muscle, always start your workout with the most difficult exercises—multi-joint overhead presses, in the case of delt training—that will allow you to lift the maximum weight.

In this muscle-building workout, the first compound exercise is followed by a second compound exercise, followed by isolation movements for each of the three deltoid heads: anterior, middle, and posterior. Keeping your overall training volume high also promotes muscle growth.

You can make your workout more challenging in several ways. For the overhead press, start by using dumbbells, which are a little more difficult to control and allow for a greater range of motion than a barbell. You will also follow a reverse pyramid scheme, which will allow you to increase the number of repetitions, bringing the muscle closer to failure.

For the first two sets, use a fairly heavy weight and work in the lower rep range—6 total—to achieve greater strength gains than you could get with slightly higher reps and lighter weights.

As your muscles become tired and fatigued, reduce the weight by about 5 kilograms or 2.5 per side in subsequent approaches. Finally, on the two hardest sets, especially the last one, enlist the help of a partner so you can squeeze in the final reps.

Since the front delts get plenty of work on chest day and the middle delts take the brunt of the overhead press, it's not uncommon for the rear delts to be left out.

In this workout, you'll train them before the other two while you have a little more energy. However, feel free to change the order of the isolation exercises in this circuit based on your weak areas. If you think your deltoids are well-balanced, simply vary the order of isolation movements from one workout to the next.

Workout 1: Increase Shoulder Muscle Mass

Seated dumbbell press– 4 sets of 6, 6, 8, 10 repetitions (rest 2 minutes)
Wide-grip vertical barbell row– 3 sets of 8, 8, 10 repetitions (rest 2 minutes)
– 3 sets of 8, 10, 12 repetitions (rest 1 minute)
– 3 sets of 8, 10, 12 reps (rest between 1 minute)

Goal: relief of the deltoid muscles

Lifting light weights for high reps is no longer considered the best approach for getting deltoid definition.

This workout focuses on increasing shoulder size (moderate weight, moderate reps) and then high training volume of work combined with supersets to increase the number of calories burned both during and after the workout (called excess post-exercise oxygen consumption or EPOC , English excess postexercise oxygen consumption - the amount of oxygen required to oxidize the under-oxidized metabolic products accumulated in the body during intense muscular work, also called oxygen debt)

Workout 2: Deltoid Definition

Normal execution

Seated barbell press

Superset

Standing dumbbell lateral raises
Seated bent over raises with dumbbells– 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions (rest 60-90 seconds)

Superset

– 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions (without rest)

Superset

Peck Deck flyes– 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions (without rest)
Lateral raises using an expander or rubber band– 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions (rest 60-90 seconds)

Goal: to create a foundation for beginners

This basic workout consists of one overhead press and an isolation exercise for each of the three deltoid heads. For the first exercise, use a machine to get a feel for the movement before moving on to free weights.

Although moving to free weights will be a challenge for your coordination at first, it is better for gaining muscle mass in the long run. Start with light weights so you can focus on proper technique first. Add weight only when you have full control of the movement.

Workout 3: For Beginners

Seated overhead press
Standing dumbbell lateral raises– 3 sets of 12 reps (rest 60-90 seconds)
Raising your arms in front of you from the lower block– 3 sets of 12 reps (rest 60-90 seconds)
– 3 sets of 12 reps (rest 60-90 seconds)

Goal: development of the middle deltoid fascicle

To make your shoulders look wider, you need to emphasize your middle deltoids. This in turn helps create a V-shaped torso, creating the illusion of a narrow waist. Of course, the key to this kind of training is to do more exercises that target the middle deltoids.

In addition to the core exercises, you can use different angles of isolation movements for different training stimuli and perform such exercises with a moderate body displacement earlier in the training when your strength level is highest.

You can alternate this workout in your weekly split with a more balanced delt workout that hits all three heads evenly (such as Workout 1).

Workout 4: Focus on Middle Delts

Standing barbell press– 4 sets of 8 reps (rest 2 minutes)
Vertical barbell row – 3 sets of 8-10 reps (rest 60-90 seconds)
Side dumbbell raise with one arm while standing with a slight bend to the side– 3 sets of 10 repetitions with each arm (rest 60-90 seconds)
Standing dumbbell lateral raises– 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions (rest 60-90 seconds)

Goal: development of the posterior deltoid bundle

The rear delts tend to lag in both beginners and advanced bodybuilders. Simply put, they don't get the same stimulation as the front and middle deltoids, which are heavily worked in chest exercises and multi-joint shoulder movements.

The rear delts get an indirect load on back day, but still, too many lifters focus on working the “mirror” muscles.

If your rear delts are underdeveloped, simply follow this routine for 4-8 weeks, or alternate it with a more balanced shoulder routine.

Workout 5: Focus on the rear delts

Seated dumbbell press– 4 sets of 8-10 repetitions (rest 2 minutes)
Raises of arms with dumbbells lying chest on an inclined bench– 4 sets of 8-10 reps (rest 60-90 seconds)
Raising arms in a crossover from the upper blocks
Peck Deck Raises– 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions (rest 60-90 seconds)

Goal: development of the anterior deltoid bundle

If you're training your chest, you probably already have well-developed front deltoids. After all, they work in all chest exercises, especially those performed on an incline.

But relatively weak front delts will keep you from getting a bigger chest, so here's a workout that focuses on the front delts that you can use instead of a regular shoulder workout.

Divide your workouts between chest and shoulders, especially focusing on the front deltoids, leaving at least 48 hours between them to allow them to fully recover between sessions.

Workout 6: Focus on the front delts

Standing barbell press– 4 sets of 8-12 repetitions (rest 2 minutes)
– 4 sets of 8-12 repetitions (rest 2 minutes)
Raising dumbbells in front of you– 3 sets of 10 reps (rest 60-90 seconds)
Raising your arms in front of you from the lower block– 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions (rest 60-90 seconds)

Goal: pre-tire the deltoids

As with training the pectoral muscles, the triceps can sometimes be the limiting factor when training the shoulders, especially when performing presses.

If your triceps always tire before your shoulders get the proper load, you'll never be able to push your delts to failure.

The pre-fatigue method solves this problem. Here you do isolation exercises for the delts first, and then move on to perform basic pressing movements while the triceps are still strong. Thus, the deltoids will fail before the triceps.

Even though your delts will be fresh and strong when doing isolation exercises because you're doing them first, avoid the temptation to lift heavy because of the added stress on your elbow joints.

Also, since your muscles will already be pretty tired by the time you get to the compound exercises, the machine version of the overhead press may be a little safer.

By switching the exercise order, your muscles will be a little stronger on the isolation movements, but a little weaker on the overhead press, so adjust the weight accordingly.

Workout 7: Pre-Exhaustion Method

Lateral arm raise from the lower block– 4 sets of 8-10 repetitions with each arm (rest 60-90 seconds)
Lifting the barbell in front of you with straight arms– 3 sets of 10 reps (rest 60-90 minutes)
Peck Deck Raises– 3 sets of 10 reps (rest 60-90 seconds)
– 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions (rest 2 minutes)
– 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions (rest 2 minutes)

What you need

Beautiful and voluminous shoulders are an attractive appearance for both an athlete and an ordinary person. Developed shoulders bring the body shape closer to a V-shape, making the figure more athletic.

Let's look at some basic shoulder exercises that will help you achieve a powerful upper body and will be an excellent incentive for further muscle gain.

How to organize training correctly?

The decision to pump up your shoulders does not arise out of nowhere. Either someone persistently recommended this to you, or in the process of working on yourself you felt that not everything was okay with this zone. In the first case, the most logical option is to start going to the gym. And you will definitely need a trainer who will assess your initial condition, set priorities and recommend a course of effective shoulder exercises.

If you are not new to sports, an instructor is not necessary: you will be able to develop a training plan yourself. It doesn’t matter where you train – in the gym or at home. The main thing is to have access to the necessary athletic equipment.

And don't forget the three principles of effective training:

regularity;
continuity;
progressiveness.

In other words, classes need structure. Let the interval between training days be long but stable. The training process itself must be continuous. If you have allocated 1 hour for yourself, then you cannot take unplanned breaks during it. It is important to gradually increase the load, but at the same time maintain proper technique.

Shoulder anatomy

The shoulder muscle is otherwise called the “delta” for its similarity to the triangular shape of the Latin letter of the same name. The biceps and triceps are located lower and do not belong to the deltoid muscle. Therefore, an athlete doing shoulder exercises must understand that as a result, only his upper arms will be pumped up, but not his arms themselves. It is for this reason that delt exercises are suitable for girls who want to have relatively broad shoulders, but do not want to be too muscular.

The deltoid muscle is attached to three bones: the humerus, scapula and clavicle. When performing exercises, take into account the individual characteristics of the body. If you have had fractures or dislocations of the listed bones, it is recommended to exercise only with a trainer, and loads should be limited. A similar requirement applies to injuries of the shoulder joints or their ligaments.

The delta consists of three bundles: anterior, middle (lateral) and posterior. Let's look at their location and participation in training in more detail in the table.

The two main functions of the delta are to push the load away from you and to pull it towards you. These two components give rise to all the variety of movements that we use in shoulder exercises. When we do front swings, dumbbell and barbell presses, we develop the pushing function (front beam). Swings from the sides or in an inclined position, as well as all kinds of traction, are the second component (middle and rear beams).

For the full development of deltas, you need to perform at least one exercise for each of the beams. Most often, athletes “fall out” of the back and middle ones, since the front one is quite easy to pump up thanks to its participation in all presses, and exercises for the other two beams are either neglected, or not done enough, or with the wrong technique (for example, swinging heavy dumbbells with cheating) .

Warm-up

- a very important step before every workout. In this case, it is necessary to warm up the shoulders and minimize injuries. For 5-10 minutes, perform simple warm-up exercises in the starting position - standing on the floor:

Tilt your head in different directions and rotate in a circle.
Circular rotation of the shoulders forward and backward.
Alternately raising your arms up through the sides and lowering them.
Horizontal swings of arms.
Again, circular rotations with your arms back and forth. Then one hand forward and the other back. Change hands.

- one of the most common, so pay due attention to the warm-up and do it as thoroughly as possible.

Basic exercises

We bring to your attention several of the most effective basic shoulder exercises so that you can choose the most suitable ones for yourself. It is better to do the first few workouts with an instructor so that he can control you, explain and show you the technique.

Also, do not forget about isolation exercises - most movements for the middle and posterior bundles are exactly like this, but this does not mean that they are ineffective. You just need to competently combine base and isolation depending on your goals, length of service and training experience.

Barbell chest press standing and sitting

Otherwise called the military press. This is the most effective exercise for developing the pushing function of the deltoid muscle.

And that's why:

Free weight exercises work a lot of stabilizer muscles.
Large range of motion: you can touch the barbell to your chest, you can lower it to your chin if you feel uncomfortable doing it too low.
The exercise can be done by any person, not just weightlifters. It is enough to choose a comfortable weight.

Advice! The grip on the bar for this exercise should not be too wide or too narrow. Optimal option: slightly wider than shoulder width. The forearms in the starting position should be perpendicular to the floor. When lifting the barbell, do not follow it with your eyes. Don't extend your elbows all the way - this is true for all shoulder presses.

The exercise can also be done while sitting:

Many people think that this will reduce the load on the spine, but in fact the opposite is true - the load on the intervertebral discs in this movement will be greater in a sitting position. And if for small weights there is not much difference, and you can start doing the exercise while sitting, and then switch to the standing version, which is more difficult in terms of technique, then with large weights you should definitely work only in a standing position.

Another option is to sit in Smith. Here the movement will be strictly determined by the design of the simulator, which “turns off” some of the stabilizer muscles and makes the bench press itself a little easier. That's why the weights here will be a little higher. However, a given vector of movement can also be a problem - the risk of injury to the shoulder joints increases, since here you will not be able to move the projectile in the plane of the floor, only perpendicular to it.

Bench press standing and sitting

In this exercise you will take less weight than in the previous version, although the amplitude here is obviously shorter. But the shoulder joints have less freedom, which increases the risk of injury. In addition, you need to lower the projectile behind your head more slowly and under control - you can accidentally hit the back of your head.

Lift the barbell straight up from behind your head, in the same plane as your forearms. Leaning forward may cause you to fall and drop the projectile on your neck. And if you lean back, you can injure your shoulder joints. It is better to do this exercise in front of a mirror or with an instructor.

A similar exercise can be performed while sitting (including in Smith), but for this, as in the previous exercise, you need to have a pumped lower back and a healthy spine. It is also more difficult to throw the projectile in a sitting position. While standing, you can step back and forward to adjust your balance.

Many people believe that the exercise is aimed at developing the middle deltoids. They really work, but the front ones still take on more load. This is why all pressing exercises should be based on the front deltoids.

Attention! We do not recommend this exercise to anyone. Leave it to those who play sports professionally. The risk of injury to the shoulder joints is too high. This exercise can easily be replaced with a chest press or dumbbell press without loss of effectiveness.

Seated dumbbell press

Along with the military press, this is the best basic exercise for building massive deltoids. Many professional athletes even prefer it to the standing barbell press.

It is best to perform the exercise on a bench with the back set at an angle of 90 degrees or close to it. There is no need to touch the dumbbells at the top point; also, do not straighten your elbows completely. At the bottom, lower the shells to the maximum comfortable depth.

Arnold press

This is a variation of the previous exercise, which allows you to actively use, in addition to the front deltoid, the middle deltoid. It was named after Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose deltoids, by the way, were not very developed. But the actor-athlete still remains a standard for many athletes, and such a modification of the bench press is indeed very good for diversifying the training process.

The difference here is that in the starting position, the hands with dumbbells are in front of the head, and not at the side. The grip is reverse, that is, the palms are facing back. In the process of lifting the projectiles upward, the hands rotate 180 degrees. At the top point everything is similar to a simple dumbbell press. When lowering, a reverse reversal occurs.