A good side delt machine is essential to maximizing your shoulder width IMO

[anab0lic]

The alternatives just don't cut it.

DB side laterals = tension isn't consistent throughout the ROM

Cable side laterals = cable running either in front or behind your body the line of pull is all wrong to hit the side delt optimally.

Overhead pressing = mostly front delts and tris.

 

[275bills]

I agree bro, i love them

 

[Pharm_Fed]

For sides delts I do both db laterals and machines. I use a heavy weight for laterals to exhaust my delts and then use a moderate weight with very slow negatives and higher reps on side delt machine. Works great for me.

 

[sammy555]

I love the side delt machine, never felt comftable with dumbells but I really feel them on the machine. Always felt kinda guilty about using a machine as I'm old school but it works well

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

 

[TheRoid]

Not a fan of machines in general but this is a nice one.

 

[dalvare1]

I've used them before, they are very nice

Unfortunately my gym doesn't have one

But I wouldn't say that my delts won't be as good without them. I find heavy side laterals and wide upright rows get the job done

But I would def like to have access to a side felt machine, it def is a unique way to hit them

 

[Vehemoth]

Some reason I don't "feel" my delts as much using the machine... I think maybe some forced negs would be nice but I usually triangle solo.

I do love db side laterals. Standing up grab onto something with free hand and bend my body near 45 degrees, constant tension and you can incorporate the "cheaters" swing when fatigued

 

[mcswag]

Db raises

I think db side lateral raises are the best. Not sure what you mean being unable to keep constant tension through the rom. I use anywhere from a 40lb db to a 25 and control the weight as much as possible.. Holding on to something with my free hand, never swinging on the way up, and never touching my body once I come down.

I think I tend to lean a little to the opposite side of the hand the weight is in, but I stay in this position. I focus on not moving anything but my arm. The main thing is to work your self up to a weight you can comfortably control so you can keep that constant tension through the rom by not swinging or taking rests at the bottom.

 

[maldorf]

I wouldnt go so far as to say its the best thing, but it is one of the machines that I most favor. I used to use one when I was all done training delts, as a finisher. Nice slow high rep set, really burns and the pump is terrific. I love that feeling!

 

[anarchocapitalist]

Why does a constant tension thru the full range of motion make it a superior exercise?

Important? Sure.

Superior? I'd argue otherwise.

Some of the best mass builders (squats, deads, dips, etc) don't have a constant tension.

Personally my shoulders really blew up and got that round look from doing heavy free weight presses and dropping all isolation exercises. An example shoulder workout might be a seated db press, upright row, and a shrug.

 

[jm425]

I rarely use machines for medial delts. Mine are decent sized and I do a lot of upright rows and side laterals with dbs and I'll throw in some cable as well every now and then to finish them off. I've never been a fan of machines even when I used to diet down for shows. Call me old school, but it's what works for me.

 

[pj250]

smith mashine does me good

 

[tkav1980]

leaning dumbell side lateral with an 80% ROM solves the constant tension issue and IMO is a better choice. I always felt like I never fit right in those machines for some reason, It seemed really akward.

 

[Ides44]

Machines?

Most machines compensate for some muscular engagement.

Stabilizer or synergystic, mainly, IMO.

 

[teslacsten]

Unfortunately or maybe not always, but my gym has not one machine that is worth using. Anytime Fitness of course, built and designed for retired folks sent to exercise by the doc. Anyway all I do now is basic free weight movements, which suites me just fine. As for side delts I use straight arm, elbow slightly bent motion and always keep tension on shoulder. If you do these slowly and properly one cannot do over twenty pound dumbbells for over ten reps. I watched Kai Greene do them the same way and he basically said the same thing. It goes back to the mind/muscle connection. Most won't agree, but I shoulder press 315 for 8-10 and can still only do usually one set of fifteen of these shoulder burners. I would actually still rather have the machine because my shoulders are almost shot and I've come to find some machines really help take pressure off some of your sore or worn out body parts. I've learned to train with my head as well as my muscles, it just took fifteen years.

 

[lestatgear]

Never really used them much on the past as they always felt awkward and I actually felt them a lot in my traps as well v. side delts. However, I have been using them a lot the past couple of weeks as I'm recovering from surgery to reattach a ruptured biceps tendon, and this allows me to work shoulders without firing my biceps. Overall, I feel their decent but not superior.

 

[Pharm_Fed]

Never really used them much on the past as they always felt awkward and I actually felt them a lot in my traps as well v. side delts. However, I have been using them a lot the past couple of weeks as I'm recovering from surgery to reattach a ruptured biceps tendon, and this allows me to work shoulders without firing my biceps. Overall, I feel their decent but not superior.

I've found that keeping the seat height a little low prevents me from engaging traps too much. But if the seat is too high I experience the same thing you're talking about. May be worth a try to lower the seat and see if that isolates the delts a little more.

 

[DOGGCRAPP]

I wrote this about 5-6 years ago...its what i have alot of advanced guys do for their widowmaker....Ive had Dusty on it for a couple years now

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Shoulders:

You take a machine like the one below or similiar (pictured is the Cybex shoulder lateral) and you dont grab the regular handles that you see in the picture near the pads....you grab the metal bars as I outlined in red in the picture. (little bit lower than the red box i drew but you get the picture)--if you start grabbing that bar too hard you have to make adjustments and grab it thumbless instead.

Seated and facing the machine (obviously) (after 1-2 warmups) you take a weight that is insanely hard to do for 20-30 reps straight setted. You have to be true to yourself here and only count reps where your elbows get even with your shoulder height at the top of the rep....I do this by watching for a plate to come up into my point of view....usually when i see the 100 plate come up to where i can see it...I know i made it.

This is how it goes--right in a row

a) 20-30 reps straight setted--all the way up to parallel with shoulders and all the way down--and these should be brutal at the end of the set to where you might need to pause just for a second (a true second we arent rest pausing here) to gather your bearings to get 3 more...2 more...1 more on the journey after you get past the 15 rep mark or so

b)immediately you do 10 partial reps which will be from the absolute bottom (for you, everyone is a different width, so your bottom will be different than Dave Bair's or Trulyhuges bottom range) to about halfway up now....so 10 partials from bottom to 45 degrees. (These will hurt) ....and yes there is no "other"....its 10 partials or your a candy ass nancy boy.

c)immediately after that you do one static hold and there is no excuses here....YOU WILL GET 30 SECONDS AND YOU WILL MAKE IT. You go up about 5 inches from the bottom (right below where you did your 10 partials) and you hold it there and you get 30 seconds. I do this by sitting up straight, flexing my lats outward and spreading my shoulders and raising them up and holding. This is the part where you will be squirming on the seat and probably using my name with profanity...because this hurts...alot...not a little....alot...(did i say how painful this part is?)

So you do A, B, C right in a row

Thats written in stone.

Now what you do for me and yourself is.....3 way spit guys who have weak shoulders....every single time shoulders comes up in rotation, this is your second exercise (straight setted)...AND MORE IMPORTANTLY...EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU DO THIS YOU MUST/MUST/MUST/MUST/MUST further this ahead. You try like a son of a bitch to always keep it in the 20-30 rep range but the weight always goes up 5-10lbs next time when you get over 20 reps on A.

Over months and months and months of fighting up in weight in the 20-30 rep range you will start falling under that range and then you make the battle to the death 15 reps (every time you get 15 or above you go up 5-10lbs next time shoulders comes up).....and then sadly down the road youll start falling below 15 reps and the battle is to stay above 10 reps, anytime you hit 13,14,15 or more you add a 5lb plate for next time....and your fortitude takes over from then on....because once you fail at anything 10 reps or below this exercise is gone.....so fight.

(Doesnt matter because by then youll be almost doing the whole rack and your delts should look dramatically larger/rounder)

You should be on this exercise for 6 months if not a year fighting the uphill battle. Sometimes the choice will be to go for more reps with the same weight and that will be the right choice but most of the time its you working your way up that weight stack so keep that in mind.

Newbies who dont listen to me and start widowmaking every bodypart or adding these to your 2 way split repertoire get ready for short blasting phases and overtraining and me saying "I freaking told you so why you shouldnt be doing it on the 2 way split!" in the future

Sidenote:--im a 6 footer so i put the seat all the way down the bottom....but i guess everyone has to figure the seat adjustment out accordingly to your own height

 

[pimpman]

doggcrapp thx so much for that info.i really need to bring my shoulders up.my question is you do a,b,c in a row one time only and your done with shoulders?
also what u mean by 3 ways split ? sorry if that question sounds dumb i just want to make sure i do it 100% right

I wrote this about 5-6 years ago...its what i have alot of advanced guys do for their widowmaker....Ive had Dusty on it for a couple years now

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Shoulders:

You take a machine like the one below or similiar (pictured is the Cybex shoulder lateral) and you dont grab the regular handles that you see in the picture near the pads....you grab the metal bars as I outlined in red in the picture. (little bit lower than the red box i drew but you get the picture)--if you start grabbing that bar too hard you have to make adjustments and grab it thumbless instead.

Seated and facing the machine (obviously) (after 1-2 warmups) you take a weight that is insanely hard to do for 20-30 reps straight setted. You have to be true to yourself here and only count reps where your elbows get even with your shoulder height at the top of the rep....I do this by watching for a plate to come up into my point of view....usually when i see the 100 plate come up to where i can see it...I know i made it.

This is how it goes--right in a row

a) 20-30 reps straight setted--all the way up to parallel with shoulders and all the way down--and these should be brutal at the end of the set to where you might need to pause just for a second (a true second we arent rest pausing here) to gather your bearings to get 3 more...2 more...1 more on the journey after you get past the 15 rep mark or so

b)immediately you do 10 partial reps which will be from the absolute bottom (for you, everyone is a different width, so your bottom will be different than Dave Bair's or Trulyhuges bottom range) to about halfway up now....so 10 partials from bottom to 45 degrees. (These will hurt) ....and yes there is no "other"....its 10 partials or your a candy ass nancy boy.

c)immediately after that you do one static hold and there is no excuses here....YOU WILL GET 30 SECONDS AND YOU WILL MAKE IT. You go up about 5 inches from the bottom (right below where you did your 10 partials) and you hold it there and you get 30 seconds. I do this by sitting up straight, flexing my lats outward and spreading my shoulders and raising them up and holding. This is the part where you will be squirming on the seat and probably using my name with profanity...because this hurts...alot...not a little....alot...(did i say how painful this part is?)

So you do A, B, C right in a row

Thats written in stone.

Now what you do for me and yourself is.....3 way spit guys who have weak shoulders....every single time shoulders comes up in rotation, this is your second exercise (straight setted)...AND MORE IMPORTANTLY...EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU DO THIS YOU MUST/MUST/MUST/MUST/MUST further this ahead. You try like a son of a bitch to always keep it in the 20-30 rep range but the weight always goes up 5-10lbs next time when you get over 20 reps on A.

Over months and months and months of fighting up in weight in the 20-30 rep range you will start falling under that range and then you make the battle to the death 15 reps (every time you get 15 or above you go up 5-10lbs next time shoulders comes up).....and then sadly down the road youll start falling below 15 reps and the battle is to stay above 10 reps, anytime you hit 13,14,15 or more you add a 5lb plate for next time....and your fortitude takes over from then on....because once you fail at anything 10 reps or below this exercise is gone.....so fight.

(Doesnt matter because by then youll be almost doing the whole rack and your delts should look dramatically larger/rounder)

You should be on this exercise for 6 months if not a year fighting the uphill battle. Sometimes the choice will be to go for more reps with the same weight and that will be the right choice but most of the time its you working your way up that weight stack so keep that in mind.

Newbies who dont listen to me and start widowmaking every bodypart or adding these to your 2 way split repertoire get ready for short blasting phases and overtraining and me saying "I freaking told you so why you shouldnt be doing it on the 2 way split!" in the future

Sidenote:--im a 6 footer so i put the seat all the way down the bottom....but i guess everyone has to figure the seat adjustment out accordingly to your own height

 

[DOLFAN]

Side lateral machine is great if you have bad tennis elbow like myself. No tension on tendon.