The shoulders are very important for most of the lifts and upper body movements, so you should make it as strong and injury free as possible. Check out the top 3 exercises for all 3 parts of the shoulder you should be doing according to Sal Di Stefano of Mind Pump Podcast.
The Mind Pump Podcast is an online radio show that talks about all things fitness and is usually provocative. His guests are Sal DiStefano, Adam Schafer, Justin Andrews and Doug Egge. They also have a YouTube channel with over 700,000 subscribers.
These are Sal Di Stefan’s 3 favorite exercises for full shoulder development.
The shoulder is made up of three major muscles or heads that make up the deltoid muscle, rather than three separate heads of the shoulder. The deltoid muscle is a large triangular muscle that covers the shoulder and provides its rounded appearance. It has three distinct portions or heads:
- Anterior deltoid: This head of the deltoid muscle is located in front of the shoulder. It originates from the lateral third of the clavicle and inserts into the deltoid tuberosity of the humerus. The anterior deltoid is primarily responsible for shoulder flexion, which involves raising the arm forward, as well as assisting in horizontal shoulder adduction.
- Middle Deltoid: The middle deltoid is located in the center of the shoulder. It originates from the acromial process of the scapula and inserts into the deltoid tuberosity of the humerus. The middle deltoid is responsible for shoulder abduction, which involves lifting the arm out to the side of the body.
- Posterior deltoid: This head of the deltoid muscle is located at the back of the shoulder. It originates from the spine of the scapula and inserts into the deltoid tuberosity of the humerus. The posterior deltoid is primarily responsible for shoulder extension, which involves moving the arm backward, as well as assisting in horizontal shoulder abduction.
Together, these three deltoid muscle heads play a crucial role in various shoulder movements, providing stability and allowing for a wide range of motion in the shoulder joint.
So the 3 exercises you’ll see below are Stefano’s favorite movements to cover all three shoulder heads and provide a thorough workout for your shoulders.
3 best exercises for all 3 shoulder parts
1. Lateral raise
This exercise is great for the lateral delts which help give the shoulder a rounded appearance. If you do the Dumbbell Lateral Raise by twisting your arm overhead and pulling it back a bit, you take the strain off your shoulders and put it on your back and lats.
How to build huge, strong shoulders with the dumbbell lateral raise
You can do this exercise standing or sitting. Di Stefano likes to lean forward a bit (if standing), making sure he doesn’t shrug during the movement or swing his arms outward.
If you try to pause for a second at the top of the movement, you’ll feel even more tension on the lateral head of the shoulder.
Aim for lighter weights and higher reps (10-15 reps).
2. Arnold print
The Arnold press targets the anterior deltos of the shoulder. Overhead presses are better at hitting the shoulders than front raises, for example, as Di Stefano explains.
Unlike a regular overhead press, with the dumbbell Arnold press, you’re twisting your arms as you push them up and down. This spiral motion is really great for the shoulder. What it does is encourage this lower range of motion, its full range of motion, which activates the anterior head of the shoulder a little more.
3. Back lift supported
With an incline bench and a pair of dumbbells, use the bench to support your chest, lean forward and, with your arms falling in front of and under your body, separate the dumbbells out to the side without using your back and locking your shoulders in place.
This exercise is Sal’s favorite for targeting the back of the shoulder which helps achieve a rounder look in the shoulders.
Do it slowly, in a controlled way, take them out, separate them and bring them back down.
Watch the video for a better explanation of each exercise and why they are so good at hitting all 3 parts of the shoulder.
5 shoulder exercises you should do
The Most Effective Shoulder Workout (100 TOTAL RIPs)
15 Best Shoulder Exercises For Muscle Growth (And How To Use Them)
Training your shoulders to make them bigger can be difficult for a few reasons:
- Genetics: The size and shape of your shoulders are largely determined by your genetics. Some people may have a genetic predisposition for broader shoulders, while others may have narrower shoulders. This can make it more difficult to achieve significant gains in shoulder size through training.
- Shoulder Anatomy: The shoulders are a complex joint made up of multiple muscles, tendons, and bones. Due to their complexity, it can be difficult to effectively train all of the shoulder muscles with traditional strength training exercises. For example, the anterior deltoids can be easily stimulated with overhead pressing movements, but the lateral deltoids and posterior deltoids may require more targeted exercises to effectively stimulate growth.
- Overtraining: The shoulders are often worked indirectly through other upper body exercises, such as bench presses and rows. This means they can easily be overtrained if not given enough rest and recovery time. Overtraining can lead to injury and can also prevent muscle growth.
- Lack of progressive overload: Progressive overload is the gradual increase in the stress placed on muscles over time, which is necessary for muscle growth. If you don’t progressively increase the weight, sets, or reps of shoulder exercises over time, your muscles may not be getting enough stimulation to grow.
To train your shoulders effectively and promote muscle growth, it’s important to incorporate a variety of exercises that target all three heads of the deltoids, as well as the rotator cuff and trapezius muscles. It’s also important to allow for adequate rest and recovery time between workouts and progressively increase the intensity of your workouts over time.
3 Perfect Looking Rear Deltoid Exercises For Shoulders
6 great bodyweight shoulder exercises
5 best tips to recover from shoulder pain
Should you train your shoulders every day?
No, it is not recommended to train your shoulders every day. The shoulders are a complex joint that is involved in many upper body movements and require time to recover and adjust to the stress they experience during exercise. Overtraining the shoulders can lead to muscle fatigue, decreased strength and increased risk of injury.
The frequency of shoulder workouts depends on several factors, including your fitness level, training experience, and training intensity. In general, it is recommended that you allow at least 48 hours of rest between shoulder workouts to allow for adequate recovery time.
How to take on the challenge of the fitness age
If you’re a beginner, you may benefit from exercising your shoulders once or twice a week, gradually increasing the frequency as your fitness level improves. If you’re an advanced lifter, you may be able to train your shoulders more frequently, but it’s still important to allow for adequate recovery time and avoid overtraining.
Ultimately, the frequency of your shoulder workouts should be based on your individual fitness goals, training experience, and ability to recover. It’s important to listen to your body and adjust your workout frequency and intensity as needed to avoid injury and promote muscle growth.
How long should you wait to train a muscle again?
How many times a week should you train each muscle?
How to transform your body in 6 weeks
#exercises #parts #shoulder #BOSROX
