Broad shoulders are one of the most appealing body parts to women and men alike. They are the symbol of manliness, strength, and power. If you’re a beginner and have slanting shoulders, you will need to put in extra time and effort.
Your shoulders can be a hard muscle group to train and develop. You need to have a balance between the compound (multiple joints) and isolation (single joint) exercise to ensure an overall shoulder growth and development.
Many people make the mistake of limiting their shoulder training by sticking to a single shoulder part. Your shoulders are made up of three heads – anterior, posterior and middle. You need to put equal attention to all the three parts for round and fuller shoulders.
If you’ve always struggled with training your shoulders, we have specifically designed this workout for you. Following this training routine will ensure your shoulder development, strength and conditioning are on point.
1. Arnold Press – 3 Sets 12 Reps
In this workout, we’re looking for an overall shoulder development keeping in mind all the three heads of the shoulders. This exercise was devised by the Governator to target the shoulders from all the angles.
In this exercise, start with the dumbbells in front of your shoulders with your hands supinated. Rotate your hands outwards as you complete a shoulder press so your hands are facing outwards at the top of the movement. Return to the starting position with your hands supinated.
2. Cable Lateral Raises – 3 Sets 12 Reps
Cable lateral raises is an incredibly useful exercise to target your middle deltoids. Using a cable ensures you have constant tension on your shoulders throughout the exercise. Using dumbbells takes off the tension at the bottom of the movement.
Hold the handlebar in front of your thighs and hold onto the cable machine for support. Complete a side lateral raise so your arm is parallel to the floor at the top of the movement. Maintain a full range of motion for optimal results.
3. Front Raises – 3 Sets 12 Reps
Only a few other exercises target your front delts as this exercise does. The anterior delt development is necessary as it separates the shoulders from your chest and delivers the shredded look.
Hold the dumbbells at your sides with your palms facing inwards. Lift your right dumbbell until your arm is parallel to the floor, return to the starting position and repeat for the left arm. Lifting the dumbbells any higher will take away the tension from your shoulders.
4. Incline Bench Rear Delt Flyes – 3 Sets 12 Reps
The rear or posterior delts are a weak muscle group for most people. These people make it even harder by not training them often. Doing the rear delt raises on an incline bench turns the exercise into an isolation movement.
Lie on a bench inclined at 70-degree while holding the dumbbells with a supinated grip. Keep a slight bend in your elbows while you lift the dumbbells. Your rear delts should be filled with lactic acid at the end of this exercise.
5. Shrugs – 3 Sets 15 Reps
This is the exercise most people use to show off their manliness. They fill the barbell with plates and move their shoulders an inch. You need to have a full range of motion in this exercise to target your traps.
While performing this exercise, imagine lifting your shoulders up to your ears and squeeze your traps at the top of the movement. Leave your ego at the door and use moderate weights to make the most of this exercise.
