which is your favourite move to use for shoulder training?
Amongst bodybuilders, roelly is known for his huge deltoids. This dutch beast always focuses on maximal workouts for the entire triceps. Take a look at his training programme, the moves are really the same, so why is there such a big difference?
Come on, we'll take you along with roelly as he jerks his shoulders. Be sure to look out for the "Mistakes and tips" We give you to break through faster!
focus on engaging all parts of the muscle. Even with the heaviest dumbbells, perform high reps. Do mainly 10-12 reps per set in your workout. It is better to train bigger muscles with high training volume than with low training volume and high weights (1-5 repetitions).
Avoid swaying or borrowing during the movement, locking the joint at the highest point of the movement is also an area where problems often occur. Keep muscle tension as long as possible.
It is not advisable to rest too long between sets and try to keep the rest time between sets as short as possible to get greater results.
shoulder training programme
training movement number of sets number of reps rest time between sets
hummer machine shoulder press 2 sets warm up 20 30 seconds
seated dumbbell shoulder press 1 set warm up 20 30 seconds
note: 4-5 minutes rest between side planks and overhead side planks
1. Hummer machine shoulder press
to warm up with the hummer machine shoulder press, do a few very light sets of 20 repetitions to speed up blood flow to the shoulders and arms. This movement stimulates the anterior and middle bundles of the deltoids.
hummer machine shoulder press
as this movement is performed on an apparatus, the chances of the movement going wrong are minimised.
2. Seated dumbbell shoulder press
in this movement, which more guys choose to do with dumbbells, this is the best movement to stimulate the deltoids and warm up with two sets.
seated dumbbell shoulder press
when you do this movement with a barbell, you activate some stabilising muscles - biceps, triceps, obliques and even abdominal muscles - because of the internal rotation of the shoulders. This means that this movement stimulates more muscles than a normal movement. Use a counter grip to activate different muscles.
Movement details.
The back must be resting on the cushion of the bench, keeping your back flat when you sit down. If you use larger weights, make sure you have a partner on one side to protect you. When you don't have a partner, make sure the dumbbells are held at the end of the handles, on either side of your body.
seated dumbbell shoulder press
when you are doing the push-up, move fast as the dumbbells rise. When the dumbbells are lowered, fighting gravity activates more muscle groups and makes the movement more difficult.
Mistakes and tips.
Do not throw the dumbbells directly to the floor at the end of each set. Don't arch your back too much, you can injure the muscles in your back. Make sure you perform the push-ups with both arms at the same time.
3. Dumbbell side planks/overhead side planks
this movement shapes the middle deltoid bundle. The traditional movement starts at the waist and moves to a deadlift to shoulder height, adding a rotational movement to improve results. In the traditional movement you can throw the dumbbells up to shoulder height, but this is a big deal if you want to build bigger muscles.
The movement involves, turning your palms upwards and raising the dumbbells higher until they reach the overhead position! This movement has a huge advantage - the muscles will remain tense throughout the entire range of motion. With this set-up, movement borrowing becomes almost impossible. Perform three traditional side planks, then three overhead side planks.
dumbbell side planks
3. 1. Side planks
movement details.
Choose an appropriate weight and place your hands at your sides with a slight bend at the elbows. Start lifting the dumbbells and slowly work your way up until both dumbbells are parallel to the floor. The side planks relax the muscles each time the dumbbells are above shoulder height.
Mistakes and tips.
Pay attention to the starting position of your arms. Do not raise the dumbbells above shoulder height. Do not lower the dumbbells too fast.
3. 2. Overhead side planks
movement details.
Requiring a lighter set of weights, this movement is much more difficult than the traditional side planks. Start in a position with your arms at your sides and dumbbells in both hands. With a slight bend in the elbows, move your elbows and arms above your head while flipping your hands until you are in the overhead position. Then return to the starting position the same way you came.
Mistakes and tips.
Do not sway your body. Do not fully extend your elbows. Don't forget to flip your hands. Don't lower the dumbbells too fast.
overhead side planks
4. Shoulder shrugs
balancing the use of dumbbells and barbells, the dumbbell shrug and barbell shrug each have their own merits. This movement is one of the best ways to activate the obliques.
This movement is done incorrectly by over 90% of people in most gyms. Many guys will let their shoulders go round at the highest point, which is a very injury prone situation. Some guys think this move is fine to put on back training days, but it's also fine on shoulder training days.
movement details.
Hold dumbbells in both hands and place them 6 inside away from your body with your arms almost fully extended. With palms facing each other, rotate the arms slightly inwards. Shrug your shoulders and move the dumbbells upwards, keeping them vertically up and down. Contract at the top for one second, then relax your shoulders.
Mistakes and tips.
Do not fully extend your arms as there is a risk of injury to the elbows. Do not let the dumbbells touch your body as this will not fully activate the obliques. Do not do internal shoulder rotation. Do not allow the shoulders to round at the highest point of the movement. Do not lower the shoulders quickly as this will reduce muscle tension.
5. Prone dumbbell side planks
no other to you movement stimulates the posterior deltoid bundle better in isolation than this, and also engages your rhomboids and rhomboids, increasing the mass of the back muscles, and without the need for large weights to stimulate the larger muscles.
Movement details.
Keeping your back straight, hold a dumbbell in each hand and bend down so that your body is even almost parallel to the floor. The palms of the hands are opposite each other. The dumbbells hang down, which is the starting position.
prone dumbbell side planks
raise your arms until they are parallel to the floor, then slowly lower the dumbbells, controlling the speed of the movement. If you have had a previous injury to your lower back you can do the movement in a seated position.
Mistakes and tips.
Do not move the dumbbells back and forth, creating an irregular movement. The dumbbells should remain at the sides of the body throughout the movement. Do not lower the dumbbells quickly.
the deltoids are difficult to isolate and many training movements involve the deltoids either passively or actively, good technique will lead to better results. Hurry up and incorporate these tips into your next training programme.
Make sure you don't go up in weight for the sake of going up in weight, power feel and detail is king. Watch yourself in the mirror as you do each move, keep learning from your experience and you too can build bigger deltoids!
