The shoulder joint is very complex. For a bodybuilder, there should be an effort to ensure the shoulder remains healthy as it is involved in nearly all upper body exercises. It is the muscles deep inside the shoulder joint, known as the rotator cuff, which can often cause discomfort. These muscles are not really visible in the same way as the deltoid muscles, and therefore may go underdeveloped. We have not included a rotator cuff workout here, but it would be important to implement some exercises within your overall training plan which strengthens the muscles of the rotator cuff.
The following exercises target the various heads of the deltoid muscle. The deltoid muscle is the three headed muscle which composes the main bulk of the shoulder, and is the muscle we must target if we wish to increase the size of the shoulder region. The muscle composes of three heads; the front (anterior), side (lateral) and rear (posterior) head. Below are four exercises which compose our workout, with information on how to perform the exercise, which deltoid head(s) it targets, and how many repetitions and sets’ to perform.
Lateral raise
This targets the side deltoid head.
Stand upright whilst grasping a set of dumbbells to the front of the body. Bend the elbows slightly, and keep the elbows fixed in this position throughout the exercise. Raise the arms to the side of the body until the elbows are at shoulder level. Slowly reverse the movement and repeat for repetitions.
Perform ten repetitions, three sets.
Do not allow the dumbbells/wrists to travel higher than the elbow, as this will shift stress away from the middle head and onto the front head.
Seated dumbbell shoulder press
This targets the front and side deltoid head.
Sit with a sound posture, whilst grasping a pair of dumbbells at shoulder level. Keep the elbows flared outward and the palms facing in front. Press the dumbbells above the head by extending the arms. Slowly reverse the movement and repeat for repetitions.
Perform eight repetitions, three sets.
Bent over raise
This targets the rear deltoid head.
Stand upright grasping a pair of dumbbells. With sound posture, lean forward so the torso is bent forward at forty five degrees. Bend the elbows slightly, and keep the elbows fixed in this position throughout the exercise. Raise the arms towards the ceiling, leading with the elbows until the elbows are level with the shoulders. Slowly reverse the movement and repeat for repetitions.
Perform twelve repetitions, three sets.
Upright row
This targets the front and side deltoid head.
Stand upright grasping a barbell to the front of the torso (an EZ bar would be more comfortable to the wrists, however). With a shoulder width grip, bring the barbell up to neck height, keeping the barbell close to the torso during the movement. The upper arms should be flared outward, with the elbows at shoulder level. Slowly reverse the movement and repeat for repetitions.
Perform twelve repetitions, two sets.
The upright row is not suitable for those with rotator cuff or wrist injuries.