Delts - What works best for you?

[Palifter]

I started doing partial side laterals(John Meadows style)when I read this and noticed a dramatic difference within just a few weeks.

Love to hear this!

 

[Alzadosghost]

Laterals. Every variation you can think of. Laterals all day. When I stopped pressing heavy and started focusing on laterals my shoulders started changing

 

[Fleezy]

Like everyone else, lateral movements

Cable laterals with a cuff instead of handle, partial laterals, lateral raise machine

Find the pain, then find it again


Wish I had placed much more emphasis on lateral and rear delt movements rather than thinking OH pressing was the end-all be-all of shoulder growth

 

[marssel]

I started doing partial side laterals(John Meadows style)when I read this and noticed a dramatic difference within just a few weeks.

Same here I also just increased my lateral volume didnt slow the presses though, the cap seems to be affected. I’m doing like 10 sets then walking down the rack from 35s to 5s on a drop then I walk out. Got delts tonight in fact.

 

[juggy38]

Weekly volume cranked very high for 2-3 weeks, then back to Normal for 2 weeks repeat.

i have bow flex select-tech dbs at the house. EOD 4-5 sets of some sort of lateral raise or bench Y-raise, 3-4 sets of rear delts (dbs or bands).

Standing DB OHP is the best press for me to incorporate medial and rear delt…barbell or machine press is mostly anterior delt for me.

Also muscle cleans. It’s a barbell power clean, but no explosive movement, just clean it up trying to use only shoulders

 

[qbkilla]

I've been hitting these little delts 4x a week. Regular delts day then 4-5 sets high rep stuff after legs, back, arms too. I'm in a defect so can't say I've improved them but I definitely don't feel overtrained. My take away is they can handle a lot of volume frequency without "overtraining" them.

 

[MR. BMJ]

I train mine direct 1-2x/wk with a typical DC 3-way split (or a Su/M/W/F split). I like using 15-20'ish reps personally on laterals. I train at home, and i'm missing some dumbbells in the ranges I need (60's, 70's ), so I hit laterals first, then switch over to dumbbell presses. I'll do partials as well, like others mentioned, Meadows style, at the end.

For laterals, i like doing them 1 of 3 ways.

1) Straight sets of 15-20
2) DC R/P like a 20-25 first set before the 1st rest.
3) Or do a Lyle McDonald R/P where i'll hit a rep goal of 15-20, rest for 5-6 breathes, then do it over for 3-5 total failures sets (similar to DC, but with less rest between and slightly lower weight....due to less rest).

I have bad shoulders, but I can work around it. Mine really went down due to neglect of not wanting to feel any pain training them.....but i'm finally getting back on track.

I will also do front raises as well from time to time.

I hit rear delts on back day. I'll do 2-4 straight (reverse dumbbell flyes off an adjustable bench) sets of 20 reps...nothing fancy. Maybe 1-1.5 minutes rest in-between after hitting back.

 

[bg65]

Weekly volume cranked very high for 2-3 weeks, then back to Normal for 2 weeks repeat.

i have bow flex select-tech dbs at the house. EOD 4-5 sets of some sort of lateral raise or bench Y-raise, 3-4 sets of rear delts (dbs or bands).

Standing DB OHP is the best press for me to incorporate medial and rear delt…barbell or machine press is mostly anterior delt for me.

Also muscle cleans. It’s a barbell power clean, but no explosive movement, just clean it up trying to use only shoulders

sorry, didn't have time to read 90 posts but my delts historically sucked ass and i got best results w high volume, like juggy said. I think i learned that from John Meadows (high volume for delts). I don't even necessarily do a lot of different movements but just high volume of 3-4 lifts in a given workout. One of my favorite finishers is using a 35-45lb plate (the ones w handles around the perimeter) and doing sets of isolateral upright rows really focusing on the delt and without any rest period do sets of 15 reps one arm to the other and keep that up until you fail.
I couldn't really get any growth i was happy with until i used the high volume approach

 

[Fleezy]

does anyone start their delt training with traps - to exhaust them and take them out of the equation?

 

[beastmode121]

I have decent delts,

I do 6-8 top sets to failure

I start with rear delts and I isolate front delts

 

[cmryan]

does anyone start their delt training with traps - to exhaust them and take them out of the equation?

No but now I'm curious to try it. Have you tried this approach?

 

[Fleezy]

No but now I'm curious to try it. Have you tried this approach?

No but I’m thinking about it for next time

 

[qbkilla]

19:45 tried these for rear today but with a band, best pump I've had in rear delts. Never even seen it done this way...Is it a variant of face pull?

 

[control]

Any type of raise with a pause at the top. If you can't pause at the top of the rep, the weight is too heavy. For years I was heaving up heavy dumbells and just letting them drop back down without pausing at the top or controlling the negative

 

[sourpower]

3 sets of lat raises (various styles) every other training day. It’s the only direct shoulder work i do now.

 

[marssel]

19:45 tried these for rear today but with a band, best pump I've had in rear delts. Never even seen it done this way...Is it a variant of face pull?

How many of you use plates over bells for raises and if so what do you feel the benefit is?

 

[joos23]

How many of you use plates over bells for raises and if so what do you feel the benefit is?

I do on occasion for fronts delts with a twist, but nothing else. I've tried side delts before and I feel like you use to much forearms trying to hold the weight.

 

[joos23]

For side delts, I really like the 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock position. I also been using the y3t training. I feel like it keeps them guessing. I am going to add in the john meadows partials. I haven't done them in so long I forgot about them till I read one of the post lol.
I really wish my gym had a standing side lateral machine. I've used one in the past when I was on a trip and I loved it.

 

[marssel]

For side delts, I really like the 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock position. I also been using the y3t training. I feel like it keeps them guessing. I am going to add in the john meadows partials. I haven't done them in so long I forgot about them till I read one of the post lol.
I really wish my gym had a standing side lateral machine. I've used one in the past when I was on a trip and I loved it.

Thanks yea I tried plates for side laterals and didn’t like, I actually prefer the preloaded straight curl bars the ones that are a few feet long and do each delt separately and yea I saw that same post and thru more past failure partials back in my delt routine too bro.

 

[qbkilla]

How many of you use plates over bells for raises and if so what do you feel the benefit is?

I've tried plates for delts, still prefer DB. Tried KB too, went back to DB. Felt like thinking they would be better was majoring in the minors. Also I know they say cable are better z better resistance profile, I still feel like if some right....lighter weight.. explosive but with a pause at top DB hit them best. Just my opinion I do not like a slow lowering on the delts...I like to pump them up like pumping a basket ball lol