Best way to bring up side delts??

[mchief101]

need some advice on how to bring up side delts, my shoulders are ok but i have always had a flat looking side delt ever since...i have tried lots of volume on side laterals cable and dumbbells but nothing seems to work....any advice? thanks u

 

[ajdos]

Larry Scott used to do dumbell presses with the bells tipped inward at an angle towards the body, if you try them you can really home in on the side delt.
Just have to make sure to hold the bells tipped.

 

[JRBD]

Side laterals...drop sets!! standing & seated, have worked great for me

 

[Kaladryn]

need some advice on how to bring up side delts, my shoulders are ok but i have always had a flat looking side delt ever since...i have tried lots of volume on side laterals cable and dumbbells but nothing seems to work....any advice? thanks u

Forget cable laterals, use dumbbells.

START at the top position with the arms straight out, this is going to mean REALLY light weight (baby).

Lower HALF way down to your sides, then return to the starting position.

I prefer seated.

Use relatively high reps, 12-20 range. If you can use more than 20lbs dumbbells you are a monster.

Basically what you are doing is only the top half the range of a standard side lateral, mechanically that is when the medial delts are working. The first half of a traditional side lateral is all trap and rotator cuff.

Finally, all this assumes you are leading with the elbows, at the top of the motion, look at a side mirror, your medial delts should be horizontal, your anterior delts should NOT be higher than your medials.

 

[tmuscle]

some type of lateral movement



find whatever angle works for you and what type of weight/rep scheme

 

[tri-terror]

Standing or seated military press, heavy. Standing side laterals, again, heavy(but controlled). When you fail on the laterals eke out as many partials as you can with your head tilted back to take the traps out of it.

 

[Jim550]

Solid advice from the guys above, you can also start your workout (pre-exhaust) with side laterals....

 

[garcia]

HEAVY partial DB laterals

 

[MM PUNK]

Elitefts.com - Dumbbell Swings with Fat Gripz Extreme - YouTube
Horizontal Shoulder Press.MPG - YouTube
High Intensity Shoulders - YouTube
6 ways - YouTubeHigh Pull Low Rows - YouTube

 

[aminoman74]

Side late raises wide upright rows.

 

[msmoke44]

anyone have any shoulder workout reccomendations which also strenghten the rotator cuff as opposed to injuring it?

 

[tri-terror]

anyone have any shoulder workout reccomendations which also strenghten the rotator cuff as opposed to injuring it?

Rotator cuff is totally separate. Its not really worked during delts movements, that's why people end up with problems. They have big strong delts and weak rotators.
So you have to warm them up and work them separate.

 

[CDJack]

Rotator cuff is totally separate. Its not really worked during delts movements, that's why people end up with problems. They have big strong delts and weak rotators.
So you have to warm them up and work them separate.

This is not really true. While it is correct that many, if not most, trainees have push/pull muscle imbalances and would benefit from a lot more upper back and scapular stability work, including posterior cuff, the rotator cuff does work when you do many shoulder exercises to initiate movement. That's why you get pain during shoulder exercises when you have some sort of rotator cuff dysfunction.

Btw, no need to work your internal rotators if anyone is doing that. They get overworked as is. You can keep your shoulders plenty healthy with consistent use of external rotations at 0-20 degrees abduction, face pulls, band pull aparts, and scaptions. And unless you are an overhead athlete and need strength up there, DO NOT do 90/90 abdution/external rotation exercises. It is a dangerous position for most people and can actually cause shoulder problems.

Other maybe useful info...the supraspinatus (top of the cuff) is most commonly injured--it is also used most frequently in delt exercises. The infraspinatus is often underdeveloped.

 

[tri-terror]

This is not really true. While it is correct that many, if not most, trainees have push/pull muscle imbalances and would benefit from a lot more upper back and scapular stability work, including posterior cuff, the rotator cuff does work when you do many shoulder exercises to initiate movement. That's why you get pain during shoulder exercises when you have some sort of rotator cuff dysfunction.

Btw, no need to work your internal rotators if anyone is doing that. They get overworked as is. You can keep your shoulders plenty healthy with consistent use of external rotations at 0-20 degrees abduction, face pulls, band pull aparts, and scaptions. And unless you are an overhead athlete and need strength up there, DO NOT do 90/90 abdution/external rotation exercises. It is a dangerous position for most people and can actually cause shoulder problems.

Other maybe useful info...the supraspinatus (top of the cuff) is most commonly injured--it is also used most frequently in delt exercises. The infraspinatus is often underdeveloped.

Right, but is it not true that even thought the rotators work during a press they don't develop from that exercise?

The question was posed how do I work out(delts) and not screw up my rotator cuff. I believe you would have to add in specific exercises for that, that are not necessarily going to work the delts. Except maybe face pulls for rear delts.

 

[Crom]

This is not really true. While it is correct that many, if not most, trainees have push/pull muscle imbalances and would benefit from a lot more upper back and scapular stability work, including posterior cuff, the rotator cuff does work when you do many shoulder exercises to initiate movement. That's why you get pain during shoulder exercises when you have some sort of rotator cuff dysfunction.

Btw, no need to work your internal rotators if anyone is doing that. They get overworked as is. You can keep your shoulders plenty healthy with consistent use of external rotations at 0-20 degrees abduction, face pulls, band pull aparts, and scaptions. And unless you are an overhead athlete and need strength up there, DO NOT do 90/90 abdution/external rotation exercises. It is a dangerous position for most people and can actually cause shoulder problems.

Other maybe useful info...the supraspinatus (top of the cuff) is most commonly injured--it is also used most frequently in delt exercises. The infraspinatus is often underdeveloped.

What is an 90/90 abduction/external rotation exercise? I usually do some rotator cuff exercises with a cable before workouts and then also take a band between my hands and stretch it above my head and back like holding a broom stick. This really warms my shoulders up and they feel much better doing this. Is this what you are saying we should not do?

 

[Incognito1]

Forget cable laterals, use dumbbells.

START at the top position with the arms straight out, this is going to mean REALLY light weight (baby).

Lower HALF way down to your sides, then return to the starting position.

I prefer seated.

Use relatively high reps, 12-20 range. If you can use more than 20lbs dumbbells you are a monster.

Basically what you are doing is only the top half the range of a standard side lateral, mechanically that is when the medial delts are working. The first half of a traditional side lateral is all trap and rotator cuff.

Finally, all this assumes you are leading with the elbows, at the top of the motion, look at a side mirror, your medial delts should be horizontal, your anterior delts should NOT be higher than your medials.

This is great form, but what I also do along with this is have your hands so that when you reach the top on the rep you have your pinky finger higher than the index finger. Its only a very slight change but you will really feel the side delt burn. Hope I explained well enough. Its hard to explain in words

 

[Geoffke]

1) high dose deca or equipose
2) heavy military presses + laternal raises with a lot of drop sets
3) train heavy. Strict form for shoulders didn't work for me

When I tried to train heavier with a little bit of cheating, they start growing
very well.
I don't understand it but you have to learn what's working and what not.


4) don't forget the rear delts! they are very imporant for round shoulders. I do a lot more sets for rear delts, with higer reps
Sometimes I even start my training with rear delts. It's good to mix things up.


I agree on the cable stuff. It's useless for shoulders IMO
I only use them when I'm injured

I love training delts, they are my best bodypart

 

[saps]

Side laterals...drop sets!! standing & seated, have worked great for me

This

HEAVY partial DB laterals

This

4) don't forget the rear delts! they are very imporant for round shoulders. I do a lot more sets for rear delts.
Sometimes I even start my training with rear delts. It's good to mix things up.

And this

 

[Crom]

1) high dose deca or equipose
2) heavy military presses + laternal raises with a lot of drop sets
3) train heavy. Strict form for shoulders didn't work for me

When I tried to train heavier with a little bit of cheating, they start growing
very well.
I don't understand it but you have to learn what's working and what not.


4) don't forget the rear delts! they are very imporant for round shoulders. I do a lot more sets for rear delts, with higer reps
Sometimes I even start my training with rear delts. It's good to mix things up.


I agree on the cable stuff. It's useless for shoulders IMO
I only use them when I'm injured

I have come to many of the same conclusions as you did, Geoffke! Strict form did nothing for my laterals. It was only when I started going real heavy with some cheating that they really started to grow.

 

[Oblix]

405pnds Behind the Head Press

405pnd Behind the Head Press.