Growing delts

[richiec]

My best results were achieved utilizing a very simple but effective pre-exhaust routine.

Start with a set of very strict standing, arms locked, lateral raises (~20 reps) immediately,
less than 3 seconds, followed by a set of standing behind the neck barbell presses (~20 reps).
Do this two to three times a week.

Have everything set-up in advance; dumbbells at your at your feet and the bar already
loaded, then begin. If fail before your prescribed reps, continue with partials until failure
on both the laterals and the press behind the neck. If you do not have the shoulder
flexibility for press behind the neck presses, do ‘regular’ presses and not on a machine.

One or two, perhaps even three cycles will be sufficient. If you can do more cycles than that
than you are not working hard enough. I would start with two cycles and go up or down
from there. And when in doubt, do less cycles, not more.

Guaranteed, this will fry your delts. In a matter of three to four weeks, you will see results
but you must do them exactly as prescribed, especially the time between exercises as a
muscle regains about fifty percent of its strength after approximately three seconds.

And be sure to check your ego at the door. It’s not how much weight you are using, it is
how you do them. You will probably have to start with about half the weight you were
accustomed to using in both exercises, but you will get stronger and larger delts.

An alternative routine I have used which produced good results for a while is again to
start with lateral raises, then do wide grip up-right rows followed by press behind the
neck with the same weight, for as many reps you can perform. I think this, in retrospect,
lead to overtraining, but was very very productive in the short term.

I think that the deltoids are about the easiest body part to train and subsequently see
results in. Conversely they are about the easiest body part to over-train as they serve some
function in just about every upper body exercise.

Hope this helps. Please give this a try. Keep accurate records and report back with some
fotos (before and after) if possible. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Tried this before my chest/shoulder day. 1st exercise
20lb dumbbells for the last raise
Started with 95lb on the bar and had to drop to 65, overhead military press definitely my weak point
Fried though
Did some pec dec rears (3 sets of 20 reps) and finished with seated shoulder 5 way

 

[heman4u]

Try Standing Military Press

 

[alfresco]

over-training

Tried this before my chest/shoulder day. 1st exercise
20lb dumbbells for the last raise
Started with 95lb on the bar and had to drop to 65, overhead military press definitely my weak point
Fried though
Did some pec dec rears (3 sets of 20 reps) and finished with seated shoulder 5 way

richiec,

I am glad to read that you at least gave it a try.

It is my opinion that you are overtraining your shoulders. Dump the pec dec rears
and the seated shoulder 5 way (whatever the hell that is).

Do behind the neck presses if possible. Much more effective for shoulder
development than military presses.

And work to complete failure on each and every set. Do partials to reach your
rep goal if you cannot do another full rep. This conditions the mind and the body
for the pain encountered during time under tension.

Increase the weight when you can do 20 full reps on your first set. And do not
increase the weight more frequently than once a week.

Limit your chests exercises to one. I would not do any chest presses. Would do
dips or high-rep (50-100 reps) push-ups with your feet elevated.

You are training your brain as much as your body.

Hope this helps

 

[rcorchid]

My delts were always a weak point, but injuries that forced me to train lighter had the side effect of improving my delts over the last ten years. I used to train them heavy as hell, 125lb dumbells x8 on seated shoulder press, now I don't go over 75lbs dumbbells on shoulder press and my delts have improved. Side laterals and rear delts I have learned to isolate the muscle and take the back out of it, this has helped as well. I think the nature of the deltoid muscle is a little different than other muscles and responds well to lighter weight and higher reps, super sets, drop sets, etc. especially side and rear delts. I believe it is fact that they have a higher proportion of slow twitch fibers in medial delts than most other muscles, I read that in an anatomy textbook once...

This is really a lot like my situation. My shoulders have always been weak as far as the weight I could lift, so I told myself I had to lift heavy to improve them. Of course, after 20 years, they both became injured. So now I'm forced to use lighter weight, and I've added a lot more volume, especially with laterals, side and rear, and now I'm FINALLY starting to notice some growth and rounder shape. I do one upright pressing movement, and the rest laterals, lots of drop sets.

 

[heavyhitter]

face pulls all the time!!! Rear delt swings, and lateral raise machines have made the biggest difference for me. And continue to grind out partials until you cant move your arms any more. And myfavorite pressing movement is MD cage presses

 

[BlahaIsAFraud]

btn press

push press

 

[richiec]

richiec,

I am glad to read that you at least gave it a try.

It is my opinion that you are overtraining your shoulders. Dump the pec dec rears
and the seated shoulder 5 way (whatever the hell that is).

Do behind the neck presses if possible. Much more effective for shoulder
development than military presses.

And work to complete failure on each and every set. Do partials to reach your
rep goal if you cannot do another full rep. This conditions the mind and the body
for the pain encountered during time under tension.

Increase the weight when you can do 20 full reps on your first set. And do not
increase the weight more frequently than once a week.

Limit your chests exercises to one. I would not do any chest presses. Would do
dips or high-rep (50-100 reps) push-ups with your feet elevated.

You are training your brain as much as your body.

Hope this helps

Thanks man! I did behind the neck presses, not sure why I typed military lol

Will give what you said a fair shot and check in

 

[beastmode121]

things that stood out to me ..

You do only E exercises for them. You do them with another big muscle that fights for the blood and nutrients too. You do them here and there..

You need 1 to 2 dedicated shoulder days. 2 big pressing movements with alternating isolating makes movements for each shoulder head. Drop sets, rest pauses and bands... work very well, I love working with bands


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[bigflex256]

Do partial side laterals and and go heavy with it one week and light the next week focusing more on that burn and the reps.

And for rear delts, any row machine basically instead of pulling to midsection like with back....pull up high to the neck area to really bring in the rear delts.

Ultimately, just add in more volume and get creative.

 

[little slice]

could everyone who is posting advice please post pics of their delts?



would add a great deal to the discussion IMO

 

[heavyhitter]

could everyone who is posting advice please post pics of their delts?



would add a great deal to the discussion IMO

Ill put one up when I get home from work. They aren't the most impressive by any means!!! But ive made significant improvements to them doing this

 

[Kaladryn]

230lbs currently, this is last week.

 

[little slice]

230lbs currently, this is last week.

now we're talking



this should be a Professionalmuscle staple IMO.. otherwise, we are too similar to other websites with complete noobs giving out advice


problem is, a lot of the big guys here haven't yet posted pictures.

 

[Ashop]

We all know that genetics will dictate the look of muscles, but not growth. That said, my delts are lacking imo.

I feel like it's mainly the lateral and rear delts that are lack luster. I do shoulders with chest (doing a MD workout program, not individualized)
I do lateral raises, rear delts on pec dec (20-30 reps) and smith machine overhead every once in a while. These are the main exercises off the top of my head

Anyone got any other shoulder movements to help stimulate growth? Have never had much success with them growing. TIA

My delts have always been a strong point. Recently though I decided I needed some improvements in my side delts so I set a day aside for shoulders only. It's made a tremendous difference and my shoulders are wider than ever.

 

[richiec]

230lbs currently, this is last week.

Nice Kal!!!

Great shape

 

[Ruileee]

I agree that "The key to developing shoulders or any muscle is actually feeling the muscle work while you perform exercises.",and just do moderate,keep your joint safe,don't pursue the fast effect,keep a long term and you will see the effect.

 

[juggy38]

Here’s a good split to tag them 3x week

Chest/shoulders
Legs
Back/tris/rear delt
Off
Chest/shoulders
Dead’s+leg pump/biceps
Off

Back exercises hit medial and rear delts good. On chest/shoulders day do some heavy incline bench/OHP if it doesn’t hurt and go to town on laterals.

Keep volume in mind....your hitting them every 48-72 hours. Stimulate, dont anhilate.

 

[GDADDYG8]

My delts were always a weak point, but injuries that forced me to train lighter had the side effect of improving my delts over the last ten years. I used to train them heavy as hell, 125lb dumbells x8 on seated shoulder press, now I don't go over 75lbs dumbbells on shoulder press and my delts have improved. Side laterals and rear delts I have learned to isolate the muscle and take the back out of it, this has helped as well. I think the nature of the deltoid muscle is a little different than other muscles and responds well to lighter weight and higher reps, super sets, drop sets, etc. especially side and rear delts. I believe it is fact that they have a higher proportion of slow twitch fibers in medial delts than most other muscles, I read that in an anatomy textbook once...

Would you say it’s possible your form wasn’t great using the 125’s and you weren’t targeting the delta as well?


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[GDADDYG8]

**broken link removed**

You can see how many different opinions there are. It depends on which combination targets your delts the most.

For me free weights are king.

DB side laterals
Upright bar rows
Behind the neck standing barbell press
DB bent over laterals for rears
Bent over barbell face pulls
Seated DB presses

Presses I stay in the 6-10 range. Other exercises in the 8-12 range. If something feels good keep doing it. You should be able to find a way to ale them burn like hell.

I think everyone can agree you should train them more often. I would start there. Given you are eating enough to grow.


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[H8Potion]

If you’re doing Mountaindog training already, I’d add in a secondary “pump day” for shoulders. Can be just shoulders or pair it with something else. Maybe a lighter chest day. I used to do a heavy chest and delt day then 3-4 days later do another chest/delt pairing but go lighter on chest and a little heavier on delts.