The best shoulder exercises with dumbbells at home. Raising hands with dumbbells while standing and sitting. Basic principles of shoulder training

As soon as this movement is not called. Wiring while standing, abducting dumbbells while standing to the side, breeding the forearms while standing, abducting the forearms, swinging with dumbbells while standing. For the sake of simplicity, we will designate it as "raising the arms while standing on the middle delta", but it is anatomically correct to call it sideways abduction. The number of techniques performed by athletes is even more diverse. Some argue that you need to contrive so as to raise your shoulders and take the dumbbells in an arc. Others - in no case bring the dumbbell above the elbow. Still others allow cheating, while others are strictly against it. Fifths generally believe that movement causes the nerves to be pinched in the shoulder joint and therefore should not be practiced. There are a lot of options, in fact, in fitness we need to master the simplest one, and not try to include "extra" muscles like traps in the process of work.

In fact, dumbbell breeding is rarely the cause of injury, except in a very terrifying technique. Individual athletes may throw weights to the head, raise their arms too high, swing aggressively, and rotate their arms backward at the shoulder joint during movement. They are seriously at risk, but not muscle tear, as is commonly believed, but sprains and subsequent inflammatory processes.

The problem with shoulders is that they are loaded not only in sports, but also in everyday life. We sit a lot, lifting our shoulders and overstraining the traps, carry bags on one shoulder for a long time, stretching one half of the body and involuntarily contracting the other, and often make sharp raises of our arms up without warm-up. This leads to overloading of the joints.

Let's say a person has never exercised. He comes to the gym and begins to perform the bench press, press in the simulator, sitting, standing, a couple more presses, but with dumbbells. In all of them, the deltoids work and the joint is involved. It is enough to overwork and make an awkward movement and you can get a tear or stretch. Ironically, injury occurs most often on the last exercise, and it's not some heavy bench press, but an isolating dumbbell swing while standing or a sideways arm with a cable. The reason for this is not the movement itself, but the overload of the joint.

Beginners are not recommended to do more than 2-3 bench press exercises in one workout. If there are too many exercises, it is better to leave abductions or swings for an easy session, and not do it when the body has already received sufficient load. Ideally, the workout should include 1 heavy, 1 auxiliary press, and one lying or standing arm abduction. Only then will the volume be adequate.

Anatomical features are also of great importance. With excessive development of the trapezium, the athlete will not be able to perform the movement only at the expense of the shoulders. This must be taken into account when choosing weights of weights and start literally with 2-3 kg.

Injuries are often accompanied by inflammations that are not localized, but spread throughout the muscle bundle. Often they also affect the nerves, which increases the pain. A doctor should be responsible for diagnosing shoulder injuries. Home treatment based on guesswork is not going to get you anywhere.

Some of them have already been mentioned. The shoulders "suffer" usually due to the athlete's exorbitant physical fitness. Simply put, everyone wants to pump them up faster, as they give the figure an athletic look and therefore turn the workout of any part of the body into "shoulders". This is not rational and leads to injury. A beginner athlete should not swing his shoulders on the same day with his chest and back.

There are two basic rules for creating a split for beginners:

If you are doing a standing or sitting press on shoulder workout day, it does not need to be attached to your chest or back. Do your shoulders and legs like the old school athletes and stay healthy;
If there is no bench press in the workout, but there are only abductions and a lift-broach, then do shoulder work on the day of a light bench press along with work on the triceps

Training shoulders with a back only makes sense if they really have nowhere else to put them, all the presses in the workout are heavy, the legs are also heavy, and the back is performed according to the principle of "pumping injuries". But this is not typical in fitness. Rather, it is a powerlifting approach.

Important: if a beginner is not yet doing a split, hand abductions can replace the bench press in some cases. For example, when training was performed on the classic bench press with a barbell, and the front deltas are already overloaded.

This movement has only a few technical features. They are aimed at ensuring that the load does not shift to the anterior and posterior bundles of the deltoid muscles. The front beams raise the arms, the back ones are taken back. It's simple - you do not need to allow a swing with a clear emphasis on bringing the shoulder blades and swing forward with a swing of dumbbells in front of the chest. Shifting and cheating options are loved by bodybuilding pros for just one reason. These people train for years, sometimes decades. Their muscles are difficult to "pierce" and surprise. Therefore, they use such strange methods for the layman.

Important: This exercise is rarely done first in shoulder training, but it almost always requires an articular warm-up. If you have already done the standing and lying presses, you just need to perform a few rotations in the shoulder joint, bringing the arm back. Those who have not done it require a full warm-up, with light body bar presses, abduction with rubber or without weights.

How to do the movement:

Stand directly in front of the mirror so that you can see your movements;
Take dumbbells of the minimum weight in your hands, but such that it is felt;
Take your forearm to the side, along an arcuate trajectory, raising the elbow to the side, but not above the shoulder;
The elbows are slightly bent;
Dumbbells in the hands unfold in the same direction as the movement;
When we move our hands to the sides, the little finger is at the top, the thumb is at the bottom, this causes the dumbbells to turn;
Raising and lowering are performed smoothly and slowly, without cheating with the body and additional unnecessary movements

In normal mode, the movement is performed for 10-12 repetitions. But there are also special cases. For example, a person has very responsive slow muscle fibers and needs repetition or static, that is, holding the dumbbells at the top point. Or a variant with a relatively low-repetition mode is possible, if the opposite is true. Here it is important to observe yourself and do what the body responds to.

Important: the exercise should not be performed due to the force of inertia in any of the options. If you need to push with your legs, bounce or make movements with the body, too much weight has been taken, and you need to reduce it.

One-arm abduction is an option for those struggling with muscle imbalances or suffering from cheating. You need to take hold of the vertical support with your free hand, and stand up, transferring your weight to the center of the arch of both feet. Then the hand is taken to the side, completely repeating the technique of the main exercise.

Despite the fact that the goal is to defeat imbalances, the movement is done from both sides for the same number of repetitions.

Excessive lateral tilt should be avoided in order to avoid pinching the nerve and not provoke an inflammatory process.

Movement features

The following are the features of the exercise:

This is an isolating movement for the muscle, you do not need to take huge dumbbells, and try to push them up as you can;
The weight is selected individually, strictly so that it is possible to raise it by reducing the middle bundle of the deltoid, and not including the trapezium and muscles of the body and legs in the work;
If cheating cannot be removed at all, you need to make a movement in the "sitting on a bench" position with your back pressed against the back;
There is no way to develop a technique? Try stretching the rubber bumper to the side along the dumbbell abduction path. Take the lightest. The tape will teach you how to turn off their trapezius muscles

The list of mistakes for beginners and professionals is almost the same:

The desire to pump muscles as quickly as possible, and the choice of dumbbells that are too heavy, which will surely interfere with performing the exercise correctly;
Going out on toes, rolling along the foot, changing the position of the legs;
Execution of movement due to the inclinations of the body;
Starting position with the back tilted back;
Changing the trajectory of movement, throwing dumbbells to the head;
Uneven rise to the right and left. If you have a curvature of the spine, perform a one-arm movement;
Flexion in the hip joint with an inclination forward;
Changing the angle in the hip joint with fatigue;
Turning on extra muscles as you get tired

Shoulder swings are often done with a drop set to induce massive pumping. This is only permissible if the athlete is experienced and can maintain the starting position throughout the exercise.

For those who work with cheating, we can recommend smooth leads on the lower block of the crossover. This will help get rid of unnecessary jolts and other movements and will improve your technique almost instantly. The exercise must be performed regularly, then there will be no big problems with mastering it.

Any man dreams of having wide and massive shoulders. This is a kind of mute, but very effective demonstration of his strength, and therefore every bodybuilder devotes considerable attention to working out the deltoid muscles.

For delta training, isolation exercises play no less a role than base training. This is due to the fact that the muscle bundles of the deltoids are small in size, and very quickly respond to regular physical activity, starting to increase in volume and stand out. And in order to beautifully and clearly "shape" the muscles of the shoulder girdle, it is very important to include isolating exercises for each of the three bundles of deltoids in your training complex.

Consider one of the most effective exercises - standing dumbbell breeding, which effectively works out the middle - largest - beam.

Working muscles

First, let's briefly describe the anatomy of the deltoids. They are located above the shoulder joint, covering it from all sides, and are divided into three bundles: middle, back and front (the names correspond to their location). The main function of the deltoids is to rotate the shoulder in all directions, as well as to raise and abduct the arm.

Now - about the exercise. As mentioned above, the average bunch of deltoids takes over the main load. Additionally, the trapezius and supraspinatus muscles work (a small triangular muscle located between the scapula and the shoulder joint).

To whom and when?

An athlete with any level of training, both a beginner and an experienced athlete who has been practicing for a long time, can perform hand raising with dumbbells. This, however, does not mean that it can be included in the training program from the first visit to the gym - such a solution will be ineffective.

Basically, the exercise is performed by athletes who have been actively involved in at least three to four months. It has the greatest efficiency during the period of work on the relief, when it is necessary to separate the muscle bundles, and it is accentuated to work out the middle part of the deltoids. The exercise will be useful primarily for those athletes who have sloping shoulders.

Execution technique

We occupy the starting point: we become straight, our shoulders are straightened, and our head looks forward. Hands with dumbbells are lowered along the body, the elbow joint is slightly bent. The palms "look" at each other.

We raise our arms to the sides, moving strictly in a vertical plane, until the dumbbells are approximately at the level of the chin.

Smoothly begin the reverse movement, lowering the dumbbells back to the hips.

We repeat the required number of times.

We work with medium or minimum weight. Like most other isolation exercises, standing dumbbell raises require maximum working weights, but rather vice versa. The muscles will receive a serious load precisely from the correct and clear execution technique, so choose dumbbells with which you can perform at least 8 repetitions in each set.

The number of repetitions should be higher than in the basic exercises. Optimally - 8-12 times.

When raising your arms, try to hold your breath - this reduces the load on the spine.

Do the exercise in the middle of the training set, after the base. To increase efficiency and better work out deep muscle fibers, use a super-set: immediately after spreading your arms, do, for example, (for the anterior bundle of deltoids).

Keep your spine straight and your body motionless. Many athletes involuntarily help themselves by jerking and swinging the body, especially if they take a large working weight. This not only reduces the effectiveness of the exercise, but also creates the risk of injury.

When moving, make sure that the elbow joint is motionless - its flexion reduces the trajectory of lifting the dumbbell and reduces the load on the middle bundles of the deltoids.

To increase the load on the medium beams, raise your arms slightly above shoulder level.

Be sure to move (both up and down) with emphasized smoothness, slowing down at the extreme points in order to extinguish inertia. At the same time, it is not necessary to linger, but on the contrary - it is best to perform the exercise continuously, thereby significantly increasing the tension of the deltoid muscles.

Of course, every man wants to have big and broad shoulders. After all, it looks beautiful and courageous. Massive shoulders emphasize the upper body very well, and visually reduce the waist. Dumbbell Shoulder Exercises are different. What kind of exercises are there, see below.

Why do we need different deltoid exercises at all? Everything is very simple. The shoulder has three parts:

front
average
back

And so, in order to get a harmoniously developed shoulder, you need to evenly pump all three parts. But we cannot pump all these parts with one exercise, which is why there are many different exercises.

I want to warn you right away that deltas are very delicate muscles that can be injured very easily. That is why, before starting the training, it is imperative to do a high-quality warm-up with an emphasis on the deltoid muscles.

Dumbbell Shoulder Exercises:

Seated (or standing) dumbbell press

This exercise belongs to the category of basic exercises. This is the # 1 exercise in building strong and broad shoulders. You can press dumbbells both from the chest (the front delta works to a greater extent), and with an accent behind the head (more load goes to the middle delta).

Narrow (or wide) grip dumbbell rows

It is also a basic exercise. The deadlift can be done with a narrow grip or a wide one. In cases of a narrow grip (over the shoulders or narrower), the front delta and trapezoid work the most. If you put the dumbbells an order of magnitude wider than your shoulders, then the middle delta will take all the load on itself.

Arnold press

The Arnold press is capable of working both front and middle deltas. By rotating the hands, the deltas are exposed to a deeper impact.

Swing dumbbells to the sides

Isolation exercise that specifically targets the development of the middle deltoid muscle bundle. Swings can be performed: standing, sitting, lying down and with one hand (choose the most convenient way for you). It is best used after the baseline to finish off the average delta.

Swing dumbbells in an incline

Also - an isolating exercise, only for the purposeful development of the posterior deltoid muscles. Can be performed while standing, sitting, lying down, with one hand. I recommend using it at the end of a workout, after basic exercises on the back delta, to finish off.

Swing dumbbells in front of you

This exercise is aimed at developing the front sections of the shoulder. As with all isolated exercises, it is recommended to use for finishing.

Pick the shoulder exercises you like the most and add to your workout routine. Also, dumbbells are good because they allow you to work out the muscle deeper and better, since the range of motion is greater (for example, in the bench press, you can lower the barbell as low as the bar allows).

Best regards, Garbar Sergey ()

Breeding dumbbells while standing shakes the middle deltas, supraspinatus muscle and traps. Exercise to form shoulder width and shoulder relief.

Spread your legs shoulder-width apart or slightly wider, lift the dumbbells and stand straight. Hands are relaxed and slightly straightened, dumbbells "hang" on the sides of the thighs and a drop are turned inward, keep your gaze in front of you. This is the starting position.
Take a deep breath and, stopping breathing, tighten the middle deltas, bring your hands through the sides only in a vertical plane flying over the shoulders.
When lifting the dumbbells, bend your arms slightly and keep them fixed at the elbows until the end of the set. It is forbidden to extend and bend your arms when doing the exercise.
Having reached the top point (dumbbells near the shoulders or slightly higher), exhale, slowly pull the dumbbells to your hips and immediately, without any hesitation, start the next approach.
Do the exercise at an emphatically slow pace.

Don't take too heavy dumbbells! You are unlikely to be able to reach shoulder level without bending your arms. And the more the elbows are bent, the worse the load on the deltas. The main thing is to start doing the exercises with a set with small dumbbells. Pull them up on straightened arms above your head. This will allow you to get a feel for the movement and stretch your shoulders for work sets.
To achieve an effective mid-delt contraction, raise your arm 45 degrees above your shoulders. This is clarified by the biomechanics of movement when raising the arm through the side up. The infraspinatus muscle is activated first. It is she who does the hardest work of raising the arm until the angle between the torso and the arm is about 30 degrees. Next, the deltoid muscle (namely, its middle head) comes into play - it performs the lion's share of the work to further raise the arm, even up to the position when the arm is 45 degrees higher than part of the shoulders. In addition, it is at this point that the middle part of the deltas reaches the contraction limit. After that, trapeziums enter into battle, the work of which completes the raising of the arm to a vertical position.
Stop breathing as often as possible in the positive phase of the exercise (raising the arms). It is then easier to keep your balance. And stopping your breathing makes you so much stronger.
Keep your posture straight during exercise. Do not bend forward or sway. The work takes place only in the shoulder joints. The other joints are fixed! Remember: if you push the dumbbells not strictly to the sides, but a little in front of you, then you cannot escape the temptation to lean forward, so that then, going backward, help yourself to raise the dumbbells with your whole body.
Exercise options - swings in a block simulator. Attach the handle to the cable passing through the lower block, then grab the right handle with your left hand, and the left handle with your right hand and pull the handles to your hips (cables cross). Another option is standing dumbbell breeding with a tilt of the torso towards the working hand (holding on to something with the other hand). By tilting the body, you greatly limit the participation in the "fight" of the infraspinatus muscle and even more focus the work on the middle deltas.

Application

Intended: Everyone from beginners to masters.

When: In the middle of a workout on the muscles of the shoulders. Front standing dumbbell breeding Do bent over dumbbell swings or reverse swings with the Peck-Deck.

How many: 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps.

Sports instruction: Standing dumbbell breeding gives intensive load, the middle deltas, which are responsible for the width of the shoulders, are the first thing that catches the eye and shows the beauty of the physique. The exercise cuts a delineating split line around the middle head of the delta and increases its "banding".

Standing dumbbell breeding strengthen the muscles that abduct the arm in the shoulder joint, a movement that is found in boxing, swimming, volleyball, basketball. Besides standing dumbbell breeding- O An excellent exercise for the prevention and treatment of shoulder stiffness.

Video - Standing dumbbell breeding

Video - Shoulder Killing

Surely, you have noticed that any visitor to the gym performs shoulder exercises, but how often have you seen this muscle group really well developed? Most advanced athletes have a massive back, chest and even arms, but only a few can achieve proportional development of the shoulder system. How to achieve uniform pumping of all bundles of deltoid muscles and build your workout for wide shoulders correctly, we will tell you in this article! But, read it to the end, as you will find a lot of bonuses and useful chips.

On a note, when we train the shoulder, one way or another we use our arms, but today we will tell you a few secrets on how to turn off the forearm as much as possible for a more intensive study of the anterior and middle beam. And by the way, we do not forget to delight you with bonuses, and this time you will get shoulder training from the Fit Magazine team with Yuri Sakharov and Sergey Soklakov (the creator of this project)! Read the article to the bitter end and discover many new tips of the training process that will give you new sensations and new results!

How to properly organize delta training in terms of anatomical features?

Despite the fact that the shoulders appear to be a very small muscle group, they are capable of generating tremendous strength. But, unlike, for example, the lower leg, the shoulders in the exercise can make more movement in the joints. By using various muscle fibers, the joint can rotate the arm in and out, abduction and adduction, lift in front of oneself, etc.

From an anatomical point of view, the structure looks like this: the outer part of the clavicle connects with the upper edge of the scapula and the round head of the humerus, forming a hinge-type joint. Due to the fact that the glenoid fossa is shallow, we can turn the arm in any direction (which cannot be done with some other joints in our body). The muscle that attaches to the joint is the deltoid, which divides into three heads: anterior, middle, and posterior.

Shoulder training is most often compiled on the basis of which of the heads responds better to the load, which is better developed genetically, and which is lagging behind. It is very important to align the load so that the deltas develop evenly, creating an aesthetic, rounded shoulder shape with a peak in the middle. To better understand how to quickly build shoulders by using all deltas, you need to understand the functions of each of them:

The front delta bends the shoulder, turns the arm inward and raises it up;
The middle bundle deflects the hand;
The back delta extends the shoulder, turns outward, puts the arm down.

If you look at any of the TOP shoulder exercises, you will see that these workouts use both basic and isolation types of load.

Basic exercises for developing shoulder strength are used most often, simply because they allow you to work with larger weights and involve ALL heads of the deltoid. These exercises include:

Bench press or army press;
Seated dumbbell press or similar machine presses
Press in Smith;
Barbell pull to the chin or broach;

Isolating exercises on the shoulders usually complement the basic ones and are used to develop lagging deltoid heads (most often the back, or middle). Isolation is called so from the fact that it allows one of the deltas to be loaded to the maximum and the others to be “turned off” from work. Isolating exercises for the posterior beam include:

Swing dumbbells to the sides in an incline;
Swing dumbbells lying on your stomach;
Reverse dilutions in the simulator.

Front delta insulation is represented by:

Raising the lower block in front of you;
Lifting dumbbells or barbells in front of you.

Medium beam isolation:

Swing dumbbells to the sides while standing or sitting.

Once again, we repeat that it is necessary to build your training program based on your anatomical features, lag and predominance in the development of the anterior, middle and posterior deltas. Beginners are encouraged to start by developing strength in BASIC exercises and adding a little isolation.

It has been stated many times that male and female training is fundamentally no different, since the set of muscle mass for girls and the mechanism of muscle growth occurs in both sexes in the same way (the only difference is that men have a genetic advantage for more massive growth and development force).

Will the shoulder workout for girls be different from men's? No! Women can do all of the same effective shoulder exercises and will have great results.

Some of the differences in women's workouts can be triggered depending on what result you expect. Some girls do not do shoulder-width exercises because of their anatomical features, since they have a initially wide skeleton. In this case, it is advisable to reduce the load on the middle delta, which increases the width, and focus on the back and front bundle, which will help round the shape of the shoulders, but will not visually make them wider. , which focuses on the middle delta, since it is this that makes the bulk and width, and also forms the peak of the deltoid.

Based on the foregoing, let's summarize how to properly swing the shoulders of men and women?

The TOP exercises and rules for women should include:

Front beam isolation;
Rear delta insulation;
Sighting work on a medium beam based on needs;
Multi-repetitive work with light weight, if there is no task to add weight;
Low-repetition work with a large (as far as possible in women's training) weight if the tasks add weight (and contrary to the delusion, the girls go to the gym not only to lose weight).

How to swing a man's shoulders in the gym:

Uniform processing of all beams;
Competent connection of insulation to the base;
Combination of multi-repetitive training with low weight and low-repetition with high weight;
Cycling and load variability.

Below we will talk about exercises for wide shoulders with a barbell, dumbbells and other equipment, but do not forget to take into account the individual characteristics of your anatomy when drawing up a training program. Delta training should be carried out, placing emphasis on the lagging beams, and reducing the load on those heads that respond well to it (otherwise the development will not be harmonious).

Below you will see a set of shoulder exercises in pictures with a description, which in our opinion is very convenient for understanding.

The seated dumbbell press should definitely be part of your broad shoulders exercises, as it allows you to use all the bundles of your deltoid, but does not load them evenly.

Beams involved: the main load on the front, moderate - on the middle and less - on the back.

Execution technique: sitting dumbbell lifts are carried out along an arcuate trajectory with the reduction of the shells at the peak point. The position of the hands is as if you are holding a barbell over your head, there is no need to turn the hands.

Raise the dumbbells up as you exhale and lower them as you inhale, smoothly without jerking. The back should be in a natural deflection in the lumbar region and keep straight throughout the exercise.

Features of the technique: the elbows should be strictly under the hands, do not start forward and backward. If you lower the dumbbells down too much, the shoulder joint will be "covered" with deltas, which will break the classic execution technique.

Some professionals believe that swinging shoulders in the gym without basic exercises like dumbbell presses or barbell presses is ineffective. Overall, they are right. It is the basic exercises that allow you to develop the strength of the deltas, which will allow you to progress in weights and technique.

Standing barbell press or army press

It is desirable that the shoulder training program include this exercise (just not on the same day with the dumbbell press). It is also basic and allows you to work out the entire deltoid muscle. What's more, this barbell shoulder exercise involves full range of motion (from elbows below the shoulders to above the head) and forces the deltoid to work at full strength.

Beams involved: main work - medium, moderate - front, less - back. Also, many small stabilizing muscles are included in the work.

Execution technique: Performing this exercise on your shoulders, throw the barbell in one jerk motion onto your chest. Starting position - standing straight, feet shoulder-width apart, grip of palms - slightly wider than shoulders. As you exhale, squeeze the projectile upward, while lowering, make an entrance. It is quite difficult for a beginner to perform this exercise while standing without inertia, but you should not swing, squat or tilt the body back.

Features of the technique: according to the classical scheme of the bench press with a barbell, the elbows should be exactly under the hands in order to maximally include the middle beam of deltas in the work. But, depending on your goals, you can focus on the front delta by tucking your elbows forward, just like holding the barbell while doing the front squat.

Do not forget that when doing shoulder exercises with a barbell in a standing gym, your back is your support, and the muscles of this part of the body should also be evenly developed to stabilize you during the exercise without risk of injury. Therefore, in your training split, there must be exercises for the back and, in particular, for the lower back.

This technique is also included in basic shoulder exercises, since it involves the entire deltoid, but it is especially traumatic and difficult for people with poor shoulder stretch and mobility, as well as for those who have had injuries to the joint of the same name. It is definitely not recommended for beginners!

Beams involved: the main work - anterior, moderate - medium, posterior - insignificant.

Execution technique: this exercise on the muscles of the shoulders can be performed both standing and sitting. It is recommended to place the barbell on racks. The position of the hands is wider than the shoulders, the elbows are strictly under the hands and the barbell. Press the projectile up from behind the head, without starting the bar forward, but moving it strictly perpendicular to the floor. Slowly lower the bar down as you inhale, and squeeze again as you exhale.

Advice: if this is your first time doing the exercise, we advise you to do it in the Smith machine (and indeed it is better to do it in Smith) so that you can work safely even without insurance. Also, Smith will allow you not to think about controlling the trajectory of the barbell, since, thanks to the limiters, it will move strictly perpendicular to the floor.

The presses are the most popular shoulder exercises in bodybuilding because they involve a huge amount of muscle. And if you perform them while standing, then your whole body works (which is not always a plus)!

Exercises on deltas in simulators is a fairly convenient option for beginners, since they allow you to work already at a given range of motion, reducing trauma. Usually, presses are performed while sitting on a bench with a back (we will talk about the features of its tilt, and what it gives, we will talk below).

Beams involved: main work - front / middle (depending on the inclination of the bench), less - back.

Execution technique: sit on the simulator facing forward, support - on the ischial bones. Grasp the handles, inhale and squeeze the handles up as you exhale. Breathe in as you lower the handles down.

Features of the technique: if you are interested in what exercises make the shoulders wider, then the press in the simulator can enter the TOP5! We already said that the middle head of the deltoid makes the main shoulder width, but how to make it work? Most often, the bench of the bench press has a backward deflection, which includes the front beam of deltas in the main work. But even an incline bench is not a hindrance to you! It is enough just to sit on it the other way around, so that your back remains straight, and the pressing movement occurs strictly perpendicular to the floor. Another secret is that in order to relieve tension from the forearm in this exercise, it is necessary not to grip the handle, but to push it with an open palm.

To develop muscle mass in the shoulders, be sure to include presses in your workouts, because muscle strength and volume are uniquely correlated with each other.

Dumbbell Extension is an isolated exercise for working out the middle beam of the shoulders. The main work falls on the middle delta, but the anterior beam is also included in the work, and with some technical and anatomical features, the posterior one. Therefore, some athletes classify side swings as basic exercises.

Beams involved: main work - medium, less - front and back.

Execution technique: stand up straight or sit on a bench with your back straight. Inhale, as you exhale, lift the dumbbells through the sides just above parallel with the floor. Don't sway or squeeze your shoulders.

Features of the technique: it is better to start lifting dumbbells through the sides with a weight that is comfortable for you in order to master the technique. The palms should be parallel to the floor, and the elbows should be turned back, not lifted up. This will allow you to maximize the use of the average delta.

The spread is a great exercise for extending the shoulders, but only if done technically correctly! The wrong technique can include the front beam in the main work, which already works great in other exercises and responds to the load, as well as the trapezoid.

Bent-over dumbbell raises are an isolating back delta exercise and can be performed both standing and seated. The main task is to feel the work of the posterior beam and understand that you have fallen into it, and this is not easy.

Beams involved: the main work is the back.

Exercise technique: starting position - the body is tilted parallel to the floor or slightly higher, the arms are slightly bent. When lifting the projectile, the elbows should move up. At the peak, the shoulders should form a straight line parallel to the floor, and the forearm should be perpendicular to the floor. Alternatively, if you are working with straight arms, your arms should form a straight line at the peak point.

Features of the technique: incline dumbbell breeding is a rather difficult exercise, because not every athlete is able to turn off additional muscles from work and focus only on the back beam of deltas. The main mistake is to flatten the shoulder blades at the peak point and raise the arms precisely due to them. Swinging with dumbbells should be done by moving the elbow. Simply put, you have to imagine that you are pulling the projectile with your elbow straight up.

Crossover pulls are part of the shoulder exercises that are added after some training and mastery of technique has been gained. This exercise belongs to the isolating back delta and can be performed both standing upright and in an incline.

Beams involved: the main work is medium, the middle and front delta can also be connected, but only slightly.

There are two options for the technique.

Rope pulling technique: starting position - standing with a slight deviation of the body back. Grasp the rope with your shoulders perpendicular to your torso, and your forearms extended. As you exhale, pull the rope into your chin, spreading your shoulders to form a straight line. How to build shoulders in this way is best seen in the picture below.

Cross-traction technique (performed with a rope without handles): can be performed both standing upright and in an incline. Grasp the ends of the cables with your arms crossed in front of you. As you exhale, spread your arms to the sides until they form a straight line.

Features of the technique: when performing this exercise to increase the size of the shoulders in the slope, you can rely on the basics of the swing technique with dumbbells in the slope.

Raising the bar to the chin or broaching

The barbell pull to the chin belongs to the basic exercises, since it is multi-joint and includes almost all deltoid bundles in the work.

Beams involved: main work - medium, moderate - front, less - back.

Execution technique: stand up straight, take the barbell slightly narrower than your shoulders. As you exhale, stretch the projectile along the body, bending your elbows. At the peak, your elbows should be above your shoulders and your hands should be at about chin level. Lower the projectile down and repeat the exercise.

Features of the technique: it is better to pull the barbell to the chin with a medium grip, and not a narrow one. The narrower you place your hands, the more you will move your elbows forward, which will shift the load from the middle delta to the front. There is an option for performing the exercise with a wide grip.

Pulling the bar to the chin also uses the trapezoid, and with the wrong technique, the whole emphasis can shift to it. To prevent this from happening, try not to tuck your shoulders to your ears, but to pull the projectile with your elbows.

This exercise for pumping the shoulders is basic, since it involves all three deltoid heads, but, unlike the usual dumbbell or barbell press, the Arnold press is not recommended for a beginner, due to the technical complexity.

Beams involved: the main work is the middle and anterior delta, the lesser is the back. Also, the rotator cuff muscles are included in the work.

Arnold Lift Technique: sit on a bench with a flat back. Take dumbbells in your hands at chest level, palms turned to the body. As you exhale, squeeze the projectile upward, smoothly spreading your elbows to the sides. Exercise on the shoulders involves turning the forearms with the dumbbells just above the ears.

Features of the technique: the exercise is recommended to be performed only by professionals in view of its complex technical features. To maximize the inclusion of the back and middle head of the deltoid, during the bench press, your hands should smoothly move from the position in front of the body during the turn of the forearms to the position on the sides of the body.

Your shoulder workout should definitely include dumbbell swings in front of you if you want to increase the load on the front deltoid beam. Yes, this exercise allows you to isolate the front delta as much as possible, but only when done correctly!

Beams involved: main - front, less work - medium.

Execution technique: the exercise can be done while standing or sitting. Take dumbbells and press them to your hips with outstretched arms. As you exhale, lift the dumbbells up to parallel with the floor. Don't wobble.

Features of the technique: to relieve the load from the middle beam and maximize the connection of the front one, it is recommended to turn the elbows down. This can be done by taking the dumbbells not parallel to the floor, but perpendicularly, or even by turning your palms up. We do not recommend raising your hands above the parallel with the floor, since in this case, the trapeze will take over part of the work.

This exercise is similar to the previous one, but slightly more convenient in technique, due to the fact that it is easier for you to raise both arms symmetrically, holding the barbell. This will allow you to work with a lot of weight.

Features of the technique: if you want to achieve more tension in the front delta, then it is recommended to take the barbell the other way around - palms up. The movement should be directed straight up, without swinging or raising the projectile above parallel with the floor. If you break the technique, then most of the load falls on the middle delta or trapezoid. If you cannot “escape from cheating”, and you continue to sway by inertia, then from a standing position sit on a bench. So you can concentrate on lifting the projectile with the muscles of the shoulders.

Why is it so important to think over the training process? Yes, because your return on training and the result directly depends on this. Naturally, if a beginner takes a ready-made program of a professional and tries to achieve something by doing it, it is unlikely that a good result will come out ...

First, decide what goal is in front of you:

Are you training shoulder strength?
Do you want to achieve relief and make your deltoids even more attractive?
Looking for weight exercises in the gym?
Do you want to diversify your workouts and get out of the plateau?
Or maybe you just want to master the technique and grasp the essence in general?

Perhaps, for a beginner, the last approach will be the most reasonable, but more on that below ...

The main feature of pumping shoulders for a beginner is as follows:

You must master the correct technique;
Develop strength for the ability to work with increasing weights;
Turn on the neuromuscular connection as much as possible and learn to feel the target muscle.

What is needed for this?

First of all, take one or two basic exercises as a basis for pumping your shoulders in order to use all the deltoid bundles (the best exercises will be barbell presses).

Second, exercise at FULL amplitude to maximize muscle engagement and create a strong neuromuscular connection.

Third, choose a weight that is comfortable for you, with which you can work for 10-12 reps in the CORRECT technique.

To "pump" the shoulders with blood and create a pumping effect, you can include several approaches of work in incomplete amplitude (ie you work in constant muscle tension), BUT a beginner can only supplement the classic training in full amplitude with stato-dynamics. Please note! When working in statistic dynamics, you should increase the number of repetitions to 25-35, performing exercises to a moderate burning sensation in the muscles. This allows you to maximize the consumption of the energy component of the cell and contributes to a better production of anabolic factors, and, accordingly, better growth in the future.

Strength exercises such as the bench press are best done on the Smith machine or other bench machine. The simulators already have a predetermined range of motion, which allows you to mix concentration from technique to physical sensations.

Isolation exercises should be used to push the target group, and the concept of variability has not been canceled.

Training example for a beginner:

Day 1:

Seated dumbbell press: 4 * 8-12;
Broach with a barbell: 4 * 8-12;
Standing wiring: 4 * 15;
Swing in front of you: 4 * 15.

Day 2:

Bench press in Smith: 4 * 8-12;
Dumbbell broach: 4 * 8-12;
Standing wiring: 4 * 15;
Swing in the slope: 4 * 15.

An example training split for a beginner looks like this:

Chest / biceps;
Back / Triceps;
Legs / Shoulders.

Depending on your goals and recovery ability, you can add another shoulder workout per week. And remember, the best shoulder exercises for a beginner are basic, and only then the simplest isolating.

The training of professionals is fundamentally different. Advanced athletes can usually train much more often, as they recover much faster thanks to "hormonal games" and sports nutrition (sports nutrition should be taken by all people, not just bodybuilders). As we have already said, "pro" can devote the whole workout to one muscle group (for example, on some days they can only do shoulder exercises).

Another feature of professional training is the need for training stress and "innovation." Unfortunately, if you train according to the theory of muscle destruction, which we talked about above (you constantly work to increase weights, and, accordingly, rely on muscle adaptation and return), then sooner or later you will reach your genetic limit (even on "hormonal games ").

In this case, only a killer shoulder workout, which is also called stress work, will save you. How do you create this stress? There are several ways:

Increase in projectile weight;
A combination of various types of exercises (supersets, trisets, etc.);
Preliminary fatigue;
Different number of repetitions / Time under load;
Different range of motion: trajectory and angles.

A good solution in this case is the introduction of static-dynamic training with moderate acidification. You give your muscles a different load and allow the body to produce more anabolic factors for growth.

The main features and rules by which the shoulders are pumped in stato-dynamics are:

Work in incomplete amplitude / in amplitude;
High intensity training - 25-35 repetitions or 40 seconds under load;
Short rest between sets - 40-45 seconds;
Long rest between exercises - 6-8 or 8-10 minutes.

It is imperative that you have a moderate burning sensation during the exercise according to this scheme!

Another way to diversify the training process is to do shoulder exercises in the simulator, but not according to the classic scheme! For example, a good option is to use different types of loads - working with crossover cables and dumbbells at the same time.

Well, as for the classic rules, then:

In order for the shoulders to become wider, it is necessary to pay special attention to basic exercises and focus on the middle beam of the deltoid. The best exercises in this case are the classic presses, the broach, and the Arnold press.

Naturally, advanced athletes simply have to focus on isolation exercises on the shoulders - it is they that allow them to work out the lagging heads and "hone" their shape. The most problematic area is the posterior tuft, which forms the roundness of the shoulder at the back.

In truth, the Pro's arsenal contains almost every possible exercise for training shoulders. But this does not mean at all that they use them all as part of one or two workouts. The programs of advanced athletes are constantly changing - one set of deltas can be planned in one week, and radically different in another. But what remains unchanged is the very basis of delta training and the accents set.

Constant training stress and the introduction of variety and allows the "pro" to constantly improve their form, not standing still. But remember that a beginner does not need such stress. For a beginner, the main task is to master the technique and create a neuromuscular connection.

How to build shoulders in the gym - video from our team

If your shoulder workout seems boring to you, and you would like to add some variety to it, then we suggest you try training with the Fit Magazine team! We have prepared especially for you a fitness video about the best shoulder exercises in the gym together with Yuri Sakharov and Sergey Soklakov:

Follow the link to find another cool video of our workout and a lot of useful information on how to build shoulders.

We hope that our exercises for working out the shoulders in the gym were very useful to you, but below you will see a description of our workout.

Description of our workout and nuances

Our Shoulder Workout Program:

Swings with dumbbells to the sides (as much as possible "pump" deltas with blood);
Block pull in the crossover (we turn on the antagonist muscles to give maximum blood flow to the upper body, since they themselves are a very small muscle group);
Heavy dumbbell swings (maximum weight);
Press in the Smith machine with an inclination with a medium grip (uses all parts of the deltoid, but focuses on shocking, power movement for a large number of repetitions and the inclusion of the front delta);
Swing with dumbbells in an incline to the back delta;
Leading the bar back in an inclination to the posterior delta (allows you to maximally strain and stretch the posterior delta for more blood tolerance);
Swing with dumbbells in an incline to the back delta (maximum pump);
Press the barbell with a straight grip (performing the press increases the intensity of the workout and blood flow to the area of the anterior delta);
Swing with dumbbells in front of you on the front delta;
Swing in the crossover in front of you.

We hope our workout has given you an understanding of how to build shoulders in the gym with the right technique.

Smart Shoulder Workout + Sports Nutrition = Maximum Performance

What do you think is needed to achieve a decent result and high-quality form? Most of you will say “cool, thoughtful workouts”. And, damn it, you will be right! .. But only half) An equally important component of progress is a full recovery. Let's not forget that according to the classics of the genre, our muscles receive microtrauma during training and grow exactly DURING RECOVERY!

So what does it take to recover and grow? "Competent power scheme" - you say, and again you will be only half right! The reality is that an athlete cannot get all the necessary elements for recovery from ordinary food, and various factors can prevent this:

Poorly thought out diet (amount of kcal, BJU, vitamins, minerals, etc.;
Insufficient function of the gastrointestinal tract, which does not allow the assimilation of all useful substances completely;
Poor quality of food (which is not uncommon in modern reality), etc.

Thus, you can only supplement and improve your diet with sports supplements, and must be on your list:

Multivitamins (allow you to support the immune system and, in principle, the balanced work of the body's systems);
Amino acids (are fast regenerative material for muscles);
Protein (allows you to supplement the lack of protein from food + is a really high-quality source of protein);
Creatine (makes it possible to increase the energy reserves of muscle cells to give an impetus to the progression of weight and greater return from training);

Summary

We told you about the most effective exercises for the shoulders and some of the nuances of the training process. Do not forget that you need to approach the preparation of your training program based on two factors:

Your level of training (beginner, amateur, professional);
Your goals (strength, mass, relief, shape correction, etc.).

Also, do not forget that you need to perform shoulder exercises as skillfully as possible, not only to avoid injury, but also to get the full benefit from your workout. It is incredibly important to create a neuromuscular connection and feel the target muscle.

We advise you to definitely read the articles about exercises with dumbbells at home, because it will tell in more detail about the energy supply of muscle activity and special "tricks" that will help you achieve even better results!