Split Bodypart Workouts
The “split” weight lifting workouts are designed to be pieced together to form a weight lifting routine. For example, if you have an “arms” day in your split, you’ll probably want to combine bicep, tricep and forearm workouts in to one session.
Workouts that target one or two muscles groups (as part of a split) usually go something like this. You do the heavy compounds first, because they are the hardest and the most effective. Then you throw in one or two isolation exercises to really exhaust the muscle you’re targeting, and stimulate maximum growth (either muscle or strength).
For larger muscles, your weight lifting workout might include couple of exercises that hit the muscle from different angles, to make sure all the fibres get a good workout. For example, your leg workout might include back squats, front squats and hack squats, all of which target different parts of the quadriceps.
More exotic mass-building workouts are based on drop-sets, super-sets, and sets with forced reps or negatives. All of these techniques can be effective for shocking the body once in a while and stimulating new growth.
A word of warning though, regular use of these super-intensive weight lifting workouts can quickly lead to neural burnout, and set your training backwards.
As a general rule, you want to make use of these techniques infrequently, and lean towards using them as an occasional change from the basics, rather than as part of your regular program.
Full Body Workouts
Some people may prefer a full body workout. If time is an issue, and you can only afford to train two or three times a week, full-body workouts are a good solution.
Instead of training 2 or 3 muscles with 3-4 exercises, the aim of the full body workout is to train most or all of the body in a session, using 1-2 exercises per muscle group.
Compound movements like the squat and bench press are especially useful as they often target multiple muscle groups, and allow you to work your whole body in a shorter period of time.
A full-body workout shouldn’t leave any one muscle group feeling exhausted, but your whole body should feel moderately taxed.
Full body workouts are an excellent choice for anyone new to weight lifting, or anyone who can only afford to work out twice or even once a week.
Weight Lifting Workouts for Strength, Power or Sports
In order to develop a particular component of fitness, your workouts must be tailored accordingly. In this case a classic bodybuilding split probably isn’t for you.
Powerlifters for example, often utilise a “strength” workout and a “power” workout on different days, where they work the same muscles, but with different weights, reps, lifting speed and possibly with different exercises.
If you’re training for strength, power or sporting performance, your best bet is to check out the routine section, where you’ll find complete weight lifting routines tailored to your goals.
Here it is - the best shoulder workout for gaining muscle mass and width in the shoulders, and developing overhead pressing strength to boot.
In my opinion, effective shoulder training is the key to building a broad, powerful upper-body. Shoulders are pretty much the only bodypart that, if neglected, can ruin an otherwise well-built physique.
In the gym you may see a guy with huge arms, thick back, and deep well-muscled chest - but if his shoulders are undeveloped, he just doesn’t look … powerful. In contrast, perhaps you’ll see a builder or manual labourer who may have never touched a barbell in his life, but just has that broad, capable look about him.
The reason? Well-built shoulders from swinging heavy bags and overhead lifting. Shoulder development can often be the make-or-break factor in whether you look “big” or not, and whether you ARE strong, or whether it’s all just for show.
Contrary to popular belief, your shoulders are actually composed of three muscles. The anterior, medial and posterior deltoids. That’s front, middle and back in English.
The shoulder is a ball and socket joint, and each shoulder muscle pulls the upper arm in a different direction. The front delts pull the arm forward and up, the medial delts pull it out and to the side, and the rear delts pull it backwards.
That’s why to develop well rounded shoulders you really do need a variety of exercises – the “shoulder” is actually three different muscles, each of which pulls in a different direction. The best shoulder workouts work the shoulder in all three directions.
The workout
The best shoulder workout contains both compound and isolation exercises. As you may know, free-weights are by far and away the best choice for gaining strength and size.
Compounds are important for overall size and mass-building, as well as developing functional real-world strength. They also have favourable side effects such as increased testosterone production due to their taxing nature.
With shoulders, more than one isolation exercise is needed to really hit each part of the shoulder and stimulate growth from front to back.
Front delt training: the Standing Shoulder Press
- Number of Sets: 3
- Reps: 8-10
This is the staple of the mass-building shoulder workout. Otherwise known as the military press, it’s a heavy compound that will hit your front-delts hard. If you only do one shoulder exercise, this is it. Not only will this build size, but significant pressing strength as well.
Make sure your form is good, and crank out 3 sets of 8-10 reps. Your range of motion is important - remember to lower the bar all the way down to your chest and full extend and lock your arms out at the top. Also, remember to breathe!
The Front Raise
- Number of Sets: 2-3
- Reps: 8-10
You may find the standing shoulder press enough to stimulate growth in the front delts, especially if you’re doing a lot of barbell benching on your chest day.
However, the best shoulder workouts include front raises for maximum growth. The front raise is an isolation exercise that targets the front delts. 2-3 sets is enough, and reps should be kept high-ish in the 8-10 range to stimulate hypertrophy.
That’s the front of the shoulders taken care of. What about the rest?
Side shoulders: The Lateral Raise
- Number of Sets: 3-4
- Reps: 8-10
Although the side shoulders are somewhat active in a variety of lifts, there’s only one exercise that really targets them enough to cause serious growth: the lateral raise.
Work hard on these, because they contribute more to that wide “cannonball” look than any other exercise. You can also check out the lying lateral raise for a variation on this exercise that some people find extremely effective for shoulder growth.
With lateral raises, it’s important to keep the form immaculate to make sure all the stress is on the side deltoids. Strict form with light weight is far more productive than a heavier weight that you have to cheat up.
Medial delts don’t contribute much to whole-body strength, so there’s no point cheat-lifting heavy weights via momentum on lateral raises. Focus on form and watch them grow.
The back of the shoulder: The Rear Delt Raise
- Number of Sets: 2-3
- Reps: 8-10
This is another isolation exercise, designed to target the back of the shoulder – the rear deltoids.
Some people find that their rear delts grow just fine from heavy back work – barbell and dumbbell rows in particular. Others find that they need the extra isolation work to really trigger growth in the rear delts.
Whether you choose to do rear delt raises on shoulder or back day, is up to you – personally I prefer back day because like to do them right after rows, when they’re already somewhat fatigued. However, the choice is yours.
That’s it, the best shoulder workout for strength and size you’ll find, probably ever. Seriously though, the secret to big shoulders is hard work and repetition of the basics, over and over.
Like all good free-weight workouts that work, it’s short and simple. Note: Intensity not included - that’s your job!.
How to Incorporate the best shoulder workout in your training
The workout is fine on its own or as part of a split. You can use it as a stand-alone once per week “shoulders” day, or combine it with chest and triceps for a “push-pull” split that trains shoulders once every 5 days, for example. For more suggestions, have a look at the complete workout routines and find what’s right for you.
This is the best chest workout that I know of for building mass. It’s simple, fairly quick, and you only need to do it once every 5-7 days. It is pretty intense, and you’ll be more than pumped afterwards.
Everyone in the gym seems to have a different chest routine, and many people are convinced that they’ve got that one “killer exercise” that packs on size.
The reality is, however, that your chest is made up of the same fibres as every other muscle in your body, and it responds best to the same type of basic exercises. It makes sense then that the best chest workout should be based on heavy compound movements with free weights.
Exercise #1: The Incline Barbell Bench Press
- Number of sets: 3
- Number of reps: 8-10
The incline bench press is an excellent compound movement that primarily targets your upper pectorals. The reps should be kept high for mass building, in the 8-10 range, and you should end your set 1-2 reps before “failure”; i.e. the point at which you can not physically lift the bar for another rep. (To find out why this is safer, click here, and to find out why it’s better for your gains, check this out).
The angle of incline should be anywhere from 10 to 40 degrees. Any more than this, and your shoulders are going to be doing a lot of the work. However, a few people do find that they can really hit the very upper fibres of the pecs at greater angles. It’s worth experimenting and finding out for yourself.
Why do it first, you ask? Well, when most people start weight lifting, there is a tendency to focus too much on the flat bench. It’s a widely popular lift, and we can tend to give it more focus and energy than it deserves.
It’s all too easy to crank out 3-4 intense sets of flat bench with your gym partner, and end up throwing the incline in as an afterthought, or even not at all.
As a result, you train your lower pecs too hard, and your upper pecs get off easy. This can lead to an unbalanced, “droopy” look. Not cool.
If you make a point of doing incline first, every workout, then you ensure that the whole pectoral gets worked equally, or even that the upper pecs get stressed slightly more. This leads to much more aesthetically pleasing chest development.
I’ve chosen the barbell over the dumbbell because the extra stabilisation that comes with the barbell allows you to really focus on lifting with your chest.
Another reason not to go with dumbbells is that as you get up to heavier weights, there is a tendency to keep the dumbbells closer to the body and lift more with the shoulder. That’s one of the little-known reasons many people find their chest development stagnating after a few months with dumbbell presses.
Exercise #2: Flat Bench Press
- Number of sets: 3
- Number of reps: 8-10
Ahh, probably the best known chest exercise in the world. It certainly wouldn't be the best chest workout without the flat bench press. Not much needs to be said here, other than lift with intensity and good form. Again, high reps and stopping short of failure are key to building mass in the chest over the long term.
To maximise your gains you’ll want to check out this article on how to bust through plateaus and increase your bench press weight.
You might also want to find about proper bench press form, and learn how to keep your shoulders healthy while you bench. The advice on form applies to the incline bench press as well.
Exercise #3: Cable Flies
- Number of sets: 2
- Number of reps: 10-12
To finish the best chest workout, we’ll end with cable flies. These allow you to really isolate the chest and finish off with an incredible deep burn and stretch.
Why not dumbbell flies, you ask? Well, because of the mechanics of the lift, dumbbell flies can be somewhat dangerous and put you at greater risk of a pectoral tear.
It can be hard to judge your “distance from failure” on flies, and it can be harder to drop heavy dumbbells lying flat, than it is to let go of cables standing up.
I also prefer cables because they stress your chest throughout the entire range of motion, whereas dumbbells mostly stress it in the bottom third of the lift.
So that, in my opinion, is the best chest workout you can do for mass. It's short, it is intense, and it is effective. It works well as part of a split bodypart weight lifting routine. Combine it with this shoulder workout for a kick-ass Chest & Shoulders day.
The best bicep workout for arm size is refreshingly simple. Much is made of the bicep, possibly the most well known muscle of all time - and there have probably been more exercises invented for the bicep alone than for the rest of the entire upper body.
However the bicep is a small muscle with a simple function – flexion of the elbow. When the bicep contracts, the angle between your upper and lower arm decreases.
Bicep training is pretty simple, really – do anything that involves bringing your forearm and upper arm closer together, under resistance.
Not all bicep exercises were born equal though, and there’s good reason for why some people develop huge arms, while others can do set after set of curls each week and not really get anywhere.
The Best Bicep Workout
Many people struggle with their biceps because they’re either training them WAY too often, or they’re doing stuff that doesn’t really stimulate much growth – either due to bad form, or choice of exercises. This workout is effective for two simple reasons:
- It’s built on the right exercises - i.e., the most effective bicep mass builders
- It’s the right volume of training – i.e. significantly less than what most people will do in a week
So without further ado, I give you the best bicep workout for arm size.
Exercise #1: The close-grip chin-up.
- Sets: 3
- Reps: 6-10
The close grip chin up is an exceptional mass-builder for the biceps. Contrary to popular belief, it’s the most important exercise for bicep development. Here’s why.
The close grip chin up is a closed chain exercise – i.e. an exercise in which the hand or foot (in this case the hand) doesn’t move, but the rest of the body does. Other examples would be the pull-up and the barbell squat.
Closed-chain exercises have been scientifically proven to be the most effective type of exercise for the stimulation of hypertrophy. The subject warrants an entire article (or series!) but the short story is, your body just seems to take them “more seriously” and adapts to the demands of closed-chain exercises more extensively.
What does this mean for your bicep training? If you do one exercise, do the close-grip chin-up. It’s far and away the most effective for building mass.
Exercise #2: The Barbell curl
- Sets: 3
- Reps: 8-10
The barbell curl is the best of the free-weight exercises available for bicep growth. The most important thing to remember with the barbell curl is strict form. That is: a shoulder width grip on the barbell with arms hanging straight down.
No swinging, jerking or movement of the shoulders, back or legs(!). Your body should be a statue, with the only movement occurring at the elbows. Provided you maintain good form, the barbell curl will hit your biceps hard.
It helps to keep your wrists straight while you lift. Also, keep the mental focus on the biceps and deliberately squeeze them at the top. This helps reduce swing from your back or shoulders.
Exercise 3: Cable bicep curls
- Sets: 2
- Reps: 8-10
These are a good final exercise for growth in the bicep. Although free weights are superior to cables for many reasons, cable curls have the advantage of maintaining tension on the biceps all the way through motion of the lift.
You’ll feel this most at the top of the lift, where you have to squeeze harder than with barbell curls. On their own they aren’t enough, but as part of this workout cable curls compliment chins and free weights very nicely.
So there you have it, the best bicep workout you can do for hypertrophy. This workout is designed to be part of a bodyweight split, so you’ll benefit most from performing it once every 5-6 days, probably combined with another bodypart. A typical split would be something like:
Monday – Chest & Triceps Wednesday – Back & Biceps Friday – Shoulders & legs
Be wary of training biceps too much more than once per week, as compared to the rest of your body they are a small muscle, and to really grow as a whole you have to train your body in proportion.
Looking to develop 6 pack abs and sculpt your abdominals? This free ab workout will deliver measurable results.
It’s simple, effective and takes about 10 minutes. You only need to do it two to three times per week to see gains. Like all muscles in your body, abs respond best to short, intensive workouts under resistance.
Before we start though, I’ll need to dispel a couple of myths about ab training.
Myth #1: I need to train my abs for hours with hundreds of crunches and sit-ups.
Your abdominal muscles are made up of the same muscle tissue as every other muscle in your body. And we know that the best way to develop your arms, chest, or back is by lifting heavy weights and training in the 8-12 rep range. So why on earth did we think that we needed to do hundreds of sit-ups to develop our abs?
The fact is, abs respond to training like every other muscle in your body. It is well known that the 8-12 rep range is optimal for increasing muscular development and tone.
Any higher than that, and we’re training the endurance capacity of our muscles, which is fine if we’re training for a sit-up marathon, but not much use otherwise. The age of the 1000-situp workout is over.
So now we know that we get results when we train abs like every other muscle in the body – a few intense sets per week, in the 8-12 rep range, and that's what this free ab workout is based on.
Myth #2: I can reduce belly fat by training my abs.
This is simply not true - it goes against all principles of exercise physiology. Your body just does not reduce fat in this way. Muscle tissue is entirely separate from fat, and working a particular muscle has no direct effect on the layer of fat above it.
In fact, the body sheds fat systematically – meaning, that if you’re burning more calories than you’re consuming, then the body burns fat throughout the whole body to make up the difference. So when you’re in “fat loss” mode, the fat comes off from all over your body. That’s why the fitness industry has coined the phrase:
“abs are built in the kitchen, not in the gym”
So, why train abdominals at all then? Well, training your abs with the free ab workout increases muscle tone and develops the abdominal muscles. Your abs are more obvious and prominent when they are well-developed.
In fact, that’s actually how the myth originated – ab training makes your abs more prominent, so it appears that you’re losing belly fat. What’s actually happening is that you’re developing the size and muscle tone of your abdominal muscles.
The Workout
Free Ab Workout: Weighted Abdominal Crunches
- Sets: 3
- Reps 8-12
The weighted crunch is the bread and butter of abdominal training. We add weight to the basic crunch to ensure that we reach muscular fatigue in the 8-12 rep range. So how do we add weight? Simple – hold a dumbbell or barbell plate behind your head, and perform the crunch as normal. Start with a 10lb weight and aim to increase it gradually.
Technique
Like flat on your back with your feet on the floor and your knees bent. Hold the weight behind your head. Raise your upper back off the ground and “curl” your body forward. It’s called a crunch because that’s what you’re doing – crunching your abdominal muscles up. Remember, it’s not a sit-up - your lower back should still be in contact with the floor. We’re looking to isolate the abdominals with the “crunch” movement.
When your abs are fully contracted, lower yourself back down under control. That’s 1 repetition. Perform for three sets and you should feel a satisfying burn in your upper and middle abs.
If you really want to step up your crunch training, investing in an Ab Lounger could be a great bet. The resources at Ab Lounger Guide are second to none.
Free Ab Workout: Lying Leg Raises
- Sets: 3
- Reps 8-12
This is a great exercise for the lower abdominals that don’t get targeted so well by crunches. Simply lie on the floor with your legs straight. Keeping your entire back, hips, ass and arms on the floor, raise your legs towards the ceiling. Make sure to do it smoothly and without swing. Raise them up to vertical, then lower them back down under control. That’s 1 repetition.
Free Ab Workout: Stomach Vacuums
- Sets: 3
- Reps 1 – 20-30 second hold.
This exercise is good for restoring abdominal muscle tone. It’s hardly seen in the gym these days, but it used to be a staple in the workouts of athletes and fitness professionals.
You need to be on your hands and knees to perform it. The aim is to “suck” your stomach in as far as possible, resisting gravity. Hold it until your stomach becomes fatigued – usually somewhere in the 20-30 second range. Perform a total of three sets, with a minute break between each.
This doesn’t actually work the visible abs, but a band of muscle underneath them known as the transverse abdominus. This muscle is responsible for keeping your stomach held tightly in to your body. If you’re someone who has managed to get lean and has fairly well developed abs, but for some reason they “stick out”, then this is the exercise you need to be doing.
So that’s the complete free ab workout. Perform it two to three times per week. If you’re weight lifting, it makes sense to perform it at the end of your sessions. Bring intensity to your workouts, and you’ll see results within a couple of weeks. Again, if you're looking to step up your ab training, investing in an ab lounger can be an excellent move.
After a couple of months, you can expect tight, well toned and developed abdominal muscles. From there it’s up to you to get lean enough to ensure that they’re visible!
So, you’re new to the gym. You’ve been led around tamely for your induction, laughed secretly at the girls on the “inner thigh” machine, and already been told off for forgetting your towel. It’s time to get down to business and learn how to do what you signed up for in the first place!
Here’s how to build chest muscles (the pectorals), with 4 great exercises.
The Butterfly or Dumbbell Fly
The dumbbell fly is one of the exercises that can build stronger, more muscular chest muscles, without putting excess strain on your wrists. You can use the pec-deck machine, which is available in most gyms, or use free weights by lying flat on your back using a bench, and raising your arms from the sides to eye level. This is typically called the dumbbell fly, and targets the muscles in your inner chest.
The pec-deck machine is a great way to isolate your pectoral muscles. It doesn’t put a lot of strain on your wrists, which means that you’re lifting depends more on the strength of your chest rather than the strength of your wrists.
The Bench Press
If you’re asking yourself how to build chest muscles, the exercise that leaps to most people’s minds is the bench press. The bench press is the best exercise for building a strong and sizable chest.
You can target different parts of your chest by changing the incline of your lift. If you want to hit the muscles in your upper chest, than do the incline press.
The lower chest muscles can be hit by doing the decline press, and if you’re looking for power, the flat lift is great too. By combining these three different lifts, you can develop your entire chest.
Cable Crossovers
When considering the problem of how to build chest muscles effectively, you should strongly consider adding the cable crossover to your routine. This machine offers a full range of movement, which helps build more muscle mass.
Push-ups
The standard push-up is actually a great exercise. You can do it anywhere, and it works not only your chest muscles, but your abdominal core and torso as well. You can add weight to your back to make this exercise more difficult to perform - a weighted back pack is the best option.
If you want to add some variation, you can purchase a medicine ball. Place it underneath your toes and do your push-ups that way. This changes the incline of your push-up, and work the upper pecs harder, as well as requiring more stabilisation from your abdominal core.
It’s important to remember that your chest muscles constitute some of the largest muscles in your entire body. This is why some people complain that they don’t see results immediately. There’s more muscle to work, and so it takes longer to see results.
When lifting heavy weights, you should wait at least 48 hours before you perform the exercises again. Your body needs time to heal and add to your muscle mass.
If you want to see the best results, you'll need to vary your workouts at some point. For instance, do the push-up and crossover exercises in one workout session, and the bench press and butterfly machines the next. Change up the inclines on the bench press every so often, and vary your routines every 4-6 weeks. This will help you avoid plateaus, and give you maximum results.
Learning how to build chest muscles has one other benefit; when you work your chest, in most cases you’re also working your shoulders and arms. This helps burn calories, builds a great upper body physique and keeps you lean.
The musculus deltoideus or delts, are the primary muscles targeted in a shoulder workout. Each deltoid muscle consists of three individual and distinct sets of muscle fibers, including the anterior, posterior, and middle or lateral fibers, making the deltoid muscle a pennate muscle, a muscle whose fibers make it generally more stable, allow it to produce more force, but make it less flexible than other muscles.
Whether you're doing a shoulder workout to build mass or to sculpt, it is always important to target all three of these muscle fibers for optimal results and for complete development of this muscle.
Since the deltoid muscle consists of three individual sections, and each section has its own individual action, it is important to use an exercise that specifically targets each individual section in order to properly develop the entire shoulder.
Exercises that involve pressing actions and movements are a great way to develop the front deltoid. The middle or lateral section of the deltoids can be trained using exercises like lateral raises or fly exercises, as well as overhead pressing. To develop the rear deltoid, exercises like bent-over lateral exercises are usually preferred.
The following are two sample shoulder workouts (one for beginners and one for more advanced individuals) that are sure to help you develop each section of the deltoid muscle.
Workout #1 – Beginners
- Shoulder Press – Using a barbell or a pair of dumbbells, do 4 sets of repetitions. Begin with 10 repetitions for the selected weight, then do 2 less repetitions for each subsequent set (i.e. 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, & 4).
- Lateral Raises – Take a similar approach as the shoulder press, except with 3 sets instead of 4. Begin with 12 repetitions, then 10, then 8.
- Shoulder Shrugs – Not technically part of the shoulder, but pretty close. The trapezius muscles are often trained on “shoulders” day in a bodybuilding split. Using a barbell (or even a pair of dumbbells), you should again complete 3 sets in this exercise with 10, 8, and 6 repetitions in each successive set.
This workout is simple and straightforward. It targets all three areas of the deltoid muscle to ensure that it is properly developed. As you progress, you can change the type of exercise as well as the number of repetitions. However, always make sure to target all three areas for proper deltoid development.
The advanced shoulder workout is a little more difficult. The basic exercise is the standing shoulder press, which requires a lot more balance and overall co-ordination. It has the advantage of training the body as “one piece” which is essential for full-body strength, and assists with your performance in other lifts or sports.
Workout #2 – Advanced
- Standing Shoulder Press – Perform 3 sets of 6-10 repetitions. Use higher reps more for muscular hypertrophy, and lower reps with higher weight for strength. Remember to breathe!
- Lateral Raises – Take a similar approach as the shoulder press, except with 3 sets instead of 4. Begin with 12 repetitions, then 10, then 8. Optional: substitute these for lying lateral raises to get deeper and more complete middle-shoulder workout.
- Bent-Over Rear Delt Flys – Complete 3 sets of 10 during this section of the workout.
As with any shoulder workout, or any type of weight lifting exercise, it is always important to warm up properly. Whether you're doing a beginner or and advanced shoulder workout, always take the time to warm up. Yes, we know this should probably have been written before the exercises, but hey, we know you'll just skip passed it – that's why it's at the end.
A good warm up should take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. To warm up your shoulders for a workout, begin with a little cardio. There's nothing wrong with getting the old plasma flowing. Do some stretching, especially arm stretches, and add a few arm circles to loosen up the joints. Forget the abdominal work out, a little warm up, together with either one of these workouts and you'll be well on your way to developing those so-called cannonball deltoid muscles that all the girls are into these days.
The musculus deltoideus or delts, are the primary muscles targeted in a shoulder workout. Each deltoid muscle consists of three individual and distinct sets of muscle fibers, including the anterior, posterior, and middle or lateral fibers, making the deltoid muscle a pennate muscle, a muscle whose fibers make it generally more stable, allow it to produce more force, but make it less flexible than other muscles.
Whether you're doing a shoulder workout to build mass or to sculpt, it is always important to target all three of these muscle fibers for optimal results and for complete development of this muscle.
Since the deltoid muscle consists of three individual sections, and each section has its own individual action, it is important to use an exercise that specifically targets each individual section in order to properly develop the entire shoulder.
Exercises that involve pressing actions and movements are a great way to develop the front deltoid. The middle or lateral section of the deltoids can be trained using exercises like lateral raises or fly exercises, as well as overhead pressing. To develop the rear deltoid, exercises like bent-over lateral exercises are usually preferred.
The following are two sample shoulder workouts (one for beginners and one for more advanced individuals) that are sure to help you develop each section of the deltoid muscle.
Workout #1 – Beginners
- Shoulder Press – Using a barbell or a pair of dumbbells, do 4 sets of repetitions. Begin with 10 repetitions for the selected weight, then do 2 less repetitions for each subsequent set (i.e. 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, & 4).
- Lateral Raises – Take a similar approach as the shoulder press, except with 3 sets instead of 4. Begin with 12 repetitions, then 10, then 8.
- Shoulder Shrugs – Not technically part of the shoulder, but pretty close. The trapezius muscles are often trained on “shoulders” day in a bodybuilding split. Using a barbell (or even a pair of dumbbells), you should again complete 3 sets in this exercise with 10, 8, and 6 repetitions in each successive set.
This workout is simple and straightforward. It targets all three areas of the deltoid muscle to ensure that it is properly developed. As you progress, you can change the type of exercise as well as the number of repetitions. However, always make sure to target all three areas for proper deltoid development.
The advanced shoulder workout is a little more difficult. The basic exercise is the standing shoulder press, which requires a lot more balance and overall co-ordination. It has the advantage of training the body as “one piece” which is essential for full-body strength, and assists with your performance in other lifts or sports.
Workout #2 – Advanced
- Standing Shoulder Press – Perform 3 sets of 6-10 repetitions. Use higher reps more for muscular hypertrophy, and lower reps with higher weight for strength. Remember to breathe!
- Lateral Raises – Take a similar approach as the shoulder press, except with 3 sets instead of 4. Begin with 12 repetitions, then 10, then 8. Optional: substitute these for lying lateral raises to get deeper and more complete middle-shoulder workout.
- Bent-Over Rear Delt Flys – Complete 3 sets of 10 during this section of the workout.
As with any shoulder workout, or any type of weight lifting exercise, it is always important to warm up properly. Whether you're doing a beginner or and advanced shoulder workout, always take the time to warm up. Yes, we know this should probably have been written before the exercises, but hey, we know you'll just skip passed it – that's why it's at the end.
A good warm up should take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. To warm up your shoulders for a workout, begin with a little cardio. There's nothing wrong with getting the old plasma flowing. Do some stretching, especially arm stretches, and add a few arm circles to loosen up the joints. Forget the abdominal work out, a little warm up, together with either one of these workouts and you'll be well on your way to developing those so-called cannonball deltoid muscles that all the girls are into these days.
The musculus deltoideus or delts, are the primary muscles targeted in a shoulder workout. Each deltoid muscle consists of three individual and distinct sets of muscle fibers, including the anterior, posterior, and middle or lateral fibers, making the deltoid muscle a pennate muscle, a muscle whose fibers make it generally more stable, allow it to produce more force, but make it less flexible than other muscles.
Whether you're doing a shoulder workout to build mass or to sculpt, it is always important to target all three of these muscle fibers for optimal results and for complete development of this muscle.
Since the deltoid muscle consists of three individual sections, and each section has its own individual action, it is important to use an exercise that specifically targets each individual section in order to properly develop the entire shoulder.
Exercises that involve pressing actions and movements are a great way to develop the front deltoid. The middle or lateral section of the deltoids can be trained using exercises like lateral raises or fly exercises, as well as overhead pressing. To develop the rear deltoid, exercises like bent-over lateral exercises are usually preferred.
The following are two sample shoulder workouts (one for beginners and one for more advanced individuals) that are sure to help you develop each section of the deltoid muscle.
Workout #1 – Beginners
- Shoulder Press – Using a barbell or a pair of dumbbells, do 4 sets of repetitions. Begin with 10 repetitions for the selected weight, then do 2 less repetitions for each subsequent set (i.e. 4 sets of 10, 8, 6, & 4).
- Lateral Raises – Take a similar approach as the shoulder press, except with 3 sets instead of 4. Begin with 12 repetitions, then 10, then 8.
- Shoulder Shrugs – Not technically part of the shoulder, but pretty close. The trapezius muscles are often trained on “shoulders” day in a bodybuilding split. Using a barbell (or even a pair of dumbbells), you should again complete 3 sets in this exercise with 10, 8, and 6 repetitions in each successive set.
This workout is simple and straightforward. It targets all three areas of the deltoid muscle to ensure that it is properly developed. As you progress, you can change the type of exercise as well as the number of repetitions. However, always make sure to target all three areas for proper deltoid development.
The advanced shoulder workout is a little more difficult. The basic exercise is the standing shoulder press, which requires a lot more balance and overall co-ordination. It has the advantage of training the body as “one piece” which is essential for full-body strength, and assists with your performance in other lifts or sports.
Workout #2 – Advanced
- Standing Shoulder Press – Perform 3 sets of 6-10 repetitions. Use higher reps more for muscular hypertrophy, and lower reps with higher weight for strength. Remember to breathe!
- Lateral Raises – Take a similar approach as the shoulder press, except with 3 sets instead of 4. Begin with 12 repetitions, then 10, then 8. Optional: substitute these for lying lateral raises to get deeper and more complete middle-shoulder workout.
- Bent-Over Rear Delt Flys – Complete 3 sets of 10 during this section of the workout.
As with any shoulder workout, or any type of weight lifting exercise, it is always important to warm up properly. Whether you're doing a beginner or and advanced shoulder workout, always take the time to warm up. Yes, we know this should probably have been written before the exercises, but hey, we know you'll just skip passed it – that's why it's at the end.
A good warm up should take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. To warm up your shoulders for a workout, begin with a little cardio. There's nothing wrong with getting the old plasma flowing. Do some stretching, especially arm stretches, and add a few arm circles to loosen up the joints. Forget the abdominal work out, a little warm up, together with either one of these workouts and you'll be well on your way to developing those so-called cannonball deltoid muscles that all the girls are into these days.
I hope this information is very hopeful. It has been to me.
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