The muscles of the shoulder, mainly referring to the deltoid muscle, which can be simply divided into three parts: The anterior, middle and posterior bundles, so if all three parts are trained to be more plump and body fat is low enough, it will appear like a pumpkin with a break in definition, hence the name pumpkin shoulder.
Most gym-goers use equipment to build textured deltoid shoulders, often focusing on the anterior and middle deltoids, sometimes neglecting to train the posterior deltoids, when in fact it is equally important to train the anterior, middle and posterior deltoids to create the perfect 'pumpkin shoulder'.
Your shoulders are made up of two parts: The deltoid and the tendon sleeve. The deltoid is the main muscle group of the shoulder and is responsible for defining the shoulder. The rotator cuff muscle group stabilises the shoulder joint, which is very important because it is the most flexible joint in your body. This flexibility is good because it allows you to move your arm in many directions, but the flexibility and stability is not very good, making it very vulnerable to injury. This is why it is so important to strengthen these muscles.
What is the deltoid muscle
The deltoid helps you to lift your arm in front of your body, out and over your head, and to reach your arm behind you.
While most people refer to the deltoid as one muscle, it is actually made up of three different parts or heads: The front (anterior), middle (lateral) and rear (posterior) heads. These three heads will never work alone; however, certain exercises can relatively isolate one part of them. But you want to make sure you do it correctly to create a well-rounded shoulder.
Both men and women tend to develop the anterior deltoid bundle through everyday activities, such as lifting heavy objects. But most people have a weak middle deltoid and rear deltoid because we rarely move objects to the side or behind us in our daily lives, which is why to have "Pumpkin shoulders" You should incorporate targeted deltoid exercises into your training programme.
We have summarised 9 exercises for the deltoids to help you strengthen and grow your shoulder muscles and get pumpkin shoulders.
1. Deltoid front planks
Benefits:One of the best anterior deltoid exercises, targeting the anterior deltoid head. This helps build the strength needed to lift the object in front of you.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand and your arms at your sides. Keeping your arms straight, lift the weights directly in front of you at shoulder height, tigers facing each other. Lower and repeat.
2. Over-the-shoulder dumbbell elbow pinch
Benefits:Helps with full shoulder muscle stimulation as it trains all three heads of the deltoids. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Extend your arms out to the sides and bend your elbows at 90 degrees. Your upper arms should be at the same height as your shoulders and your hands should be pointing towards the ceiling. This is the starting position. Place your forearms in front of your body with your palms facing inwards. Then reverse the movement to return to the starting position. Press the weight directly above your shoulders and reverse the movement back to the starting position. This is a complete movement.
3. Standing arnold push-up
Benefits:This movement targets all three heads of the deltoids, giving full triceps stimulation.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand under your chin with your palms facing you. As you turn your palms outwards, press the dumbbells overhead until their backs are facing you. Pause at the top, then lower the dumbbells to start and rotate with your palms facing backwards. Repeat.
4. Dumbbell lunge shoulder thrusts
Benefits:Similar to the jerk shoulder thrust helps build control and absolute strength, you can use the deltoids, obliques and triceps."
With your feet hip-width apart, hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height, palms facing each other. This is the starting position. In an explosive movement, press the weights overhead while jumping forward with one foot and backward with the other so that you land with a high lunge. Return the front foot to the starting position and return the weight to shoulder height. Repeat.
5. Hammer push-up
Benefits:This combination exercise works not only your deltoids but also other muscles in your upper body including biceps, forearms and triceps.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand and your arms at your sides, palms facing each other. Tuck your elbows at your sides and roll the dumbbells to your shoulders without moving your upper arms. Push the dumbbells over your head until your arms are straight and your palms are facing each other. Return the weights to your shoulders and lower your arms all the way down to your sides. Repeat. 6. Prone side planks (flyes)
Benefits:The posterior deltoids are the most commonly used in back training, but they tend to be one of the least developed muscles in the body because people don't tend to target them enough in their training. This movement has a better targeting of the posterior deltoid bundle. Be sure to keep the movement accurate to keep the posterior deltoids engaged and the spine safe, and don't choose too much weight.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand on either side of your body. Bend at the hips, keeping the back flat and the arms hanging down with the palms facing the body. With a slight bend at the elbows, lift your arms outwards until they are parallel to your back. Lower and repeat.
7. Sumo squat rotation
Benefits:This full body exercise uses all three of your quads, gluteus maximus, deltoids, and your obliques.
Stand with your legs outstretched and your toes pointed outwards, holding a dumbbell in both hands. Bend your arms so that you can lift the dumbbell to your chest. This is the starting position. As you squat down to sumo, push your hips back and keep your back straight. Straighten your legs. Starting from the left, rotate the dumbbell around your head and then to the left. Continue this movement as you move the dumbbells in front of you, rotating your feet to the left. Bend your knees into a squat position, straighten your arms and slowly place the dumbbells in front of your knees. Straighten your legs, return your weight to a staring position and lower the dumbbells back to your chest. Repeat on the other side.
8. Seated barbell push-up
Benefits:This movement may look simple, but you are working the front of the deltoids, triceps and serratus anterior (the muscle under the shoulder blade that covers the rib cage), all to build strength and increase shoulder stability.
Adjust the reclining seat so that the back of the chair is vertical, then sit on the seat. Fit a barbell and grasp it in the middle with your lower palm. Bend your arms and place the barbell under your chin. Press the barbell upwards until your arm is straight. Return to just below the chin. Repeat.
9. Standing row + prone shoulder pull back
Benefits:These two exercises target the middle portion of your deltoids, obliques and biceps, all of which help build pulling power.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand, arms hanging in front of your body, palms facing your body. Tilt the dumbbells at 45 degrees and place them together so that the ends meet, forming a triangle. Keeping your core muscles tight, raise the triangle of dumbbells vertically to your chin, elbows out, but not above shoulder height. Do 12 reps. Drop arms to sides, bend knees and fold back flat. Keep your arms straight, palms facing back. Pull your shoulder blades back and your abs back and lift the dumbbells behind you parallel to your back, with your hands close to your hips. Lower your arms and repeat 12 times. These exercises will not only give you the "Pumpkin shoulders" You are looking for, but will also give you a full body workout.
