Shoulders are a very important in building a great looking upper body, and shouldn’t be overlooked. I am speaking from experience because I used to not work out my shoulders, what a mistake! It gives your upper body a disproportional look, as it’s where your biceps, triceps, chest and back muscles meet. So put these exercises in a routine and follow it religiously to get a great pair of shoulders!
To understand how to build a well rounded shoulder, you should understand how the shoulder is designed. The shoulder has three ‘heads’, the anterioir (front), the medial region (middle) and the posterior region(rear). To exercises these regions we use two groups of exercises; overhead presses and raises.
The shoulder press is an overhead press. It can be performed with dumbells or a barbell, it’s your choice. This exercise is good for building mass, mostly on the front shoulder (anterioir deltoid).
Using either a dumbbell or a barbell, sit on an upright chair and prepare yourself for the oncomming set, taking deep breathes. This takes oxygen to your muscles and so you can lift the weights for longer. Sitting with your back upright, lift the weight above your head. Lower your arms untill your upper arm is at 90° with your shoulder. Quickly ‘explode’ your arms back to the start position, and that’s one complete rep. Exploding your arms back to the top will increase the intensity of your workout.
Lateral raises are very important in the building of a well rounded muscle. This is because it works out the medial region, which is often the least developed part of the shoulder. This is because the anterioir (front) deltoid gets a good workout from your chest routine, and your posterior deltoid gets a good workout from your upperback routine. This leaves teh medial region less developed and so can lack proportion. This is why it’s important to perform lateral raises often in your shoulder workout.
You will need a light dumbbell as this will allow you to maintain correct form during the workout. This is an isolation exercise and so not a lot of weight can be used. I don’t know a lot of people who use 15kg or upwards. Grab your dumbbell, one in each hand with them by your side. Simply raise the dumbbells upwards with your arms fully outstretched. The weights should be pivoting around your shoulder. Stop when your upper arm is at 90° to the side of your chest. Return down slowly and that is one rep.
See the video below for a more detail view:
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