Shoulders Program for Advanced Training # 2
Shoulders as you can see from the illustration above, have three main muscle groups, the Anterior (front), Medial (middle), and Posterior (rear) Deltoid heads.
There are of course the other smaller muscles that comprise the Rotator Cuff, that are quite easy to hurt or damage due to too much weight and bad form.
Having said that the shoulders are so important in our day to day lives that we really need to take care of them and keep them strong even in later life!
In the following Shoulder exercises, we are doing 8 to 10 reps by 4 sets each, increase the weight if you can but not necessary during the session, perhaps next time you do it.
Make sure to pause at the top or contracted position for a second and squeeze the muscle/s.
The tempo is slower on the negative phase of the movement and not too long a rest between sets and exercises is recommended.
Keep hydrated during your session/s and make sure that you warm up and cool down.
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- Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press– A great exercise that works the 3 heads of the Deltoids.
- As per the above animation hold the dumbbells with palms facing towards the chest, then raise up to just before lock out above head in a count of 3 secs, lower back to starting position, slower in a count of 4 secs.
- First set do with a weight that you can do 12 reps, second set increase the weight do 10 reps, third set again increase the weight and do 8 reps and finally last fourth set increase again and do 6 reps, you should be only able to do just 6 or 7 at this point.
- Tips:- Take about 2 or so mins rest between sets to recover ATP energy levels, and then 3 mins before attempting next exercise. By now you should know the breathing, and mind to muscle connection, also make sure that you keep hydrated so have a drink between set or at least after the fourth set.
- Traps and Shoulders– Lying face down on a bench as in the illustration, pull the arms back, contracting the traps hard in that position and then lower the weight back to the starting position. Repeat for the required number of reps.
- Shoulders Diagonal Raises– Hold the dumbbells palms facing each other, arms hanging by your side.
- As you can see we are alternating in a diagonal lifting way.
- Now lift up, keeping elbows slightly bent till you reach about shoulder level, then slowly down to starting position and repeat for 4 sets of 10 reps, you may increase the weight if you can or just select a weight that you can at least do 8 good under control reps. Temp and so on as above.
- Rear lateral Raises–Face down on an inclined bench, fly the arms out to shoulder width, contract in the top position for a second, lower under control and repeat for the required reps.
- The reps and so on as for the previous exercises.
- Upright Rows Bands – As shown here we are using a band or bands to effect this exercise.
- Resistance-Band-Front-Raise – This exercise mainly puts most of the emphasis on the front or Anterior area of the Deltoid muscles.
