We prefer to concentrate our training on the biceps and triceps, but you're missing out! Shoulder training will drastically alter your physique and complete your cosmetic appearance. Shoulders are important since they help with strength and postural movements.
A good set of shoulders will make you appear broader and add bulk to your muscles, giving you more definition and cosmetic appeal.
Having wider and more prominent shoulders will aid your overall success in the gym by increasing your strength in other movements. To encourage serious growth and develop your 3D shoulders, try incorporating these shoulder exercises.
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Heavy compound exercises are one of the most effective ways to improve strength and muscle hypertrophy since they use many functioning muscles. The dumbbell shoulder press is a strength and stability movement for the upper body.
Start in a sitting position with your back against the support. Have a slight gap between the middle of your spine and the surface of the support.
Kick your knees up to help propel the dumbbells to shoulder height.
Retract your scapula before the movement. In the majority of shoulder and back exercises, retracting your scapula will allow for better support and also allow muscles to properly activate and execute movements.
Press the dumbbells in a vertical motion above your head.
Driving the weight upwards through your elbow joint will provide proper shoulder activation.
Control the weight back down to the starting position and repeat
Sets and Reps: 4×8-12, increasing the weight per set approaching the lower end of the rep range on the last set
Standing Dumbbell Lateral Raises
Dumbbell lateral raises are a simple movement that targets the lateral head of your shoulder, but they also contain a smaller muscle called the supraspinatus. When raising the dumbbells, the supraspinatus is triggered in the first part of the motion. In other lifts, increasing the size of the supraspinatus can help to strengthen the shoulder socket.
In a secure standing position with your feet shoulder width apart, bring the dumbbells next to your side.
Lift the dumbbells up and to the side to shoulder height causing your arms to become parallel with the ground.
Do this without bending or changing the angle of your elbow joint from when you started the movement.
Make sure that when you’re raising the dumbbells up, that you are letting the dumbbell hang below your elbow socket.
Tighten your core to help your body to not swing during the movement.
This will allow for greater shoulder activation and tension on the muscle.
If you were to draw a parallel line from your elbow at the end of the movement, the dumbbell should be slightly below it.
Lower the dumbbells down to the starting position.
Sets and Reps: 4×10-12, AMRAP last set
Face Pulls
Face pulls mainly target the back head of your shoulders, also known as the posterior head. The development of the posterior head of your shoulders is what will give your shoulders that 3-dimensional appearance.
In rowing movements, the posterior head is also a major muscle. Increasing the posterior head's strength would boost rowing motions, which could lead to improvement in back growth.
To set up, put the cable at a position slightly above eye level on a pulley machine.
Then put on a rope attachment.
Grab the rope with a pronated grip.
Stagger your feet to give your body support throw the movement.
Squeeze at the peak of contraction when pulling the rope towards your face.
Pull the rope directly towards your face while also separating your hands.
Sets and Reps: 4×12-15, tempo is a 2 second squeeze with a 3 second eccentric
Control the weight slowly in the eccentric part of the movement.
Upright Rows
Upright rows are one of the most powerful exercises for reaching both of the heads of the shoulders. This tri-set at the end of a workout will fatigue you and maximise hypertrophy. Adjusting the hand position is all that is needed for this tri-set.
Get a barbell that holds an amount of weight that you can comfortably do several reps with.
In a standing position, pick up the barbell with a wide overhand grip approximately 6-12 inches outside shoulder width.
Keep a straight back and let the bar hang around your thighs.
Keep the bar close to your body as you raise it. The movement should be performed to where you are almost touching your chin.
Use your shoulders to raise the bar and bring your elbows up and to the side.
Lower the bar back to the starting position next to your thighs and repeat for the desired repetitions.
Drive the motion with your elbows and always keep your elbows above your forearms.
After finishing a set with a wide grip, immediately do a set with a shoulder width grip, after the set with a shoulder width grip, immediately do a set with a close grip.
Sets and Reps: 3×10-12 each set
Related article: The Ultimate Superset Shoulder Workout
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