Shoulders: Targeting The Three Heads

The shoulders are made up of three heads. The anterior (front), medial (side), and posterior (rear) deltoids. They also tie in with the trapezius muscle, which runs across the upper back. As an athlete and competitive bodybuilder, the shoulders can be seen at all angles. Therefore, it is important to work and blast the delts and traps using exercises which target all three heads.

The Routine

1. Seated Barbell Press Behind Neck (4 sets x 8-10 reps)
   A basic compound movement which works all three heads, including the traps. It's a good starting and mass building exercise. Aim for heavy weights with strict form if mass is what you want. Seated on a bench with 90° back support, lift the barbell off of the pins. Always begin this exercise with arms outstretched over the head, and slowly lower the weight down behind your neck until the bar touches your traps. Press back up again just before your arms are locked out. Repeat movement with control and breathe freely throughout. Keep your back straight, head forward, and feet pressed firmly to the ground.
    
2. Standing Side Raises (4 sets x 10-12 reps)
   An isolation exercise which specifically works the medial deltoids (if you want the nice round flare, this one's for you.) Begin with dumbbells along side of legs at mid thigh. With arms slightly bent at the elbow, raise both dumbbells out to sides (directly in line with the medial deltoids) to shoulder-width height. Slowly control the dumbbells down again to mid-thigh (starting position.) Do not pause or stop at any point until the reps have been completed. To avoid back swing and possible injury, bend knees slightly, take a shoulder-width stance, relax the traps, and keep your back straight.
    
3. Seated Rear Deltoid Flyes (4 sets x 10 reps)
   This exercise is performed on the pec-flye station, facing the machine with you face up against the pad. Grip bars at shoulder height. Again, a slight at the elbows will isolate the rear delts and blow them out. Begin this movement with arms in line with the front deltoids. Using a semi-circular action, bring both arms back to the point where the hands are in line with the rear deltoids. Emphasize the squeeze of the posterior deltoids at this point. Return to the original position in a slow controlled manner. Do not pause or stop at any point until the reps have been completed.
    
4. Standing Upright Barbell Rows (4 sets x 8-10 reps)
   Take a narrow centered grip of the barbell. The bar should be resting on your mid-thighs with arms straight. Raise the bar straight up to your neck along the path of thighs to neck. Elbows will bend out as the bar is raised. Do not hold at the top of the movement. Slowly lower the weight back to the original mid-thigh position. As the weight is lowered, you should feel the traps pulling and extending eccentrically. On the up movement, the traps are contracting. Focus on the feeling of the movement in both directions.

Stretching

To increase recovery time between workouts, stretch throughout, and upon completion of the routine. Press behind neck requires a lot of shoulder flexibility, because of the nature of the movement. Stretching the delts will help you improve and eventually perfect your form.

1. Single Straight-Arm Stretch
   Pull arm with opposing hand across the upper chest until the arm is straight. Hold for fifteen seconds and alternate with the other arm.
    
2. Reach-High Stretch
   Extend one arm at a time above the head so that it is resting along a wall or bar. Hold for fifteen seconds and alternate.
    
3. Shoulder Rotations
   Swing arms one at a time in a circular motion along side your body. The hand should be brushing along the side of the thigh. This increases blood to the muscle and is a good initial warm-up exercise.

Have a great shoulder workout! If you have any questions, or want to share your progress, contact me.