Boulder Shoulder Routines

[musclecarmayham]

I'd like to increase the size and strengh of my shoulders, but I've yet to find a routine that works for me. I can do epic shrugs with 120 DBs; and 405 rack pulls; but my shoulder press is abyssmally bad in comparison. I know that shoulders involve a ton of different muscle groups but it seems my problem is actually with the compound exercise technique. The DBs in the shoulder press on a straight-back tend to wobble when I try and form an A at the top of the movement, which aggrivates a wrist injury. With the barbell also have an issue with the seated movement (I smacked myself in the face rather well once and glad I didn't lose teeth).

Are there any suggestions or do I just need to find a spotter until I'm comfortable with the weight? I've tried low weight high reps with the DB shoulder and my forearms end up fatigued long before my delts. For the past year I've had the best growth overall by forcing my body to deal with high weight.

I'd love any feedback from vets or people who just want to show off their routine. Anything that doesn't involve me dislocating my shoulder I'll certainly try out.

[Armykid93]

I'd like to increase the size and strengh of my shoulders, but I've yet to find a routine that works for me. I can do epic shrugs with 120 DBs; and 405 rack pulls; but my shoulder press is abyssmally bad in comparison. I know that shoulders involve a ton of different muscle groups but it seems my problem is actually with the compound exercise technique. The DBs in the shoulder press on a straight-back tend to wobble when I try and form an A at the top of the movement, which aggrivates a wrist injury. With the barbell also have an issue with the seated movement (I smacked myself in the face rather well once and glad I didn't lose teeth).

Are there any suggestions or do I just need to find a spotter until I'm comfortable with the weight? I've tried low weight high reps with the DB shoulder and my forearms end up fatigued long before my delts. For the past year I've had the best growth overall by forcing my body to deal with high weight.

I'd love any feedback from vets or people who just want to show off their routine. Anything that doesn't involve me dislocating my shoulder I'll certainly try out.

Well shoulder is one of my favorites to work. I usually start off doing some lateral and front raises with dumbbells. After that I switch to shrugs and a Smith machine for shoulder press. I have to be extremely careful because I dislocated my shoulder some time ago and don't want to injure it. I keep my reps in between 7 and 10. And I usually do 4 sets. I recently learned from another thread that training the front most part of your shoulders may not be necessary because a lot of exercises for other body parts train them. Same with rears. So i'm going to switch up my routine and see how I feel. Hope this helped

[Times Roman]

There seems to be alot of thought that dumbells are preferred over bars and smith machines. i like to use a smith for my SP, because i can totally go to failure and not worry about it, unlike a bar or dumbs where they go slamming to the floor if miss your point. I also like one arm cable flies, dumbell flies. Dumbell shrugs are usually last and I try to do a couple of sets.

[Get hench Die Trying]

The wobble my be because you have a weak rotary cuff causing you to wobble there are a few things you can add into your shoulder workout to sort it out but go easy because if you mess up your rotary cuff you won't be able to train shoulders for a good few months.

Hope this helps

[brobraham lincoln]

Wobbling and forearm fatigue may be due to the fact that your just not used to the exercise. Starting with light weight and higher reps can be a great way introduce new movements into your routine. Might take some time to get used to, but will be worth it.

Some great delt exercises IMO are:
-Behind the neck barbell presses
-dumbbell presses
-side lateral raises
-bent over flys to hit posterior deltoid head

While you continue to progress, there are a ton of other exercises to incorporate. I prefer to use free weights as supposed to machines but that's up to what works for you.

[Armykid93]

Wobbling and forearm fatigue may be due to the fact that your just not used to the exercise. Starting with light weight and higher reps can be a great way introduce new movements into your routine. Might take some time to get used to, but will be worth it.

Some great delt exercises IMO are:
-Behind the neck barbell presses
-dumbbell presses
-side lateral raises
-bent over flys to hit posterior deltoid head

While you continue to progress, there are a ton of other exercises to incorporate. I prefer to use free weights as supposed to machines but that's up to what works for you.

There are exercises that put the shoulder at less risk than the behind the neck press. Skip that one. Other than that yeah those exercises are good

[Peter32]

I enjoy doing shoulders an found since I've changed to the Dorian Yates style HIT program they've come up nicely. I usually do some rotator cuff movements to start just 2 exercises/sets of 12 reps of each lightweight. Then start on smith front shoulder press ( 2/0/x/0 tempo) I always concentrate on keepin my shoulders back chest out with all shoulder exercises I think is key. Then do standing side raises to 1 set of cable side raise but to failure (+halfs) an standing bent over rear fly\ raise ( I found it helps to concentrate with raises to pretend your lifting with your elbows as your forearms are locked in position) then end with a flat press machine shrugs so you can concentrate solely on the shrug and not have to worry about grip or dumbells catching on your pants etc...

[dooie]

I like separating my traps and shoulders on different days, I'll do shrugs and other trap exercises on back day, and I do shoulders and tris on one day, this has helped enormously!!

My shoulders are my best asset now!! On my shoulder day to bring them up my workout was
DB shoulder press
Smith machine press partials (behind the head)
Side laterals, super setted with front raises (cables, or DB)
Reverse flys super setted with upright rows

Then tris
I always do dips for tris, this Is a great exercise for the shoulders also!!

[musclecarmayham]

Awesome, going to try these out Saturday, they all sound great. If I can get the movement right, I'd like the barbell for mass gain.

The cables actually surprise me, I always heard the mantra that cables and machines were for "cripples"; but I like the isolation exercises thrown in there.

[MickeyKnox]

* TWISTING DUMBBELL LATERAL RAISE x 10 REPS
Then
* PALMS REAR SHOULDER PRESS x 6 REPS
Then
* PALMS FORWARD LATERAL RAISE x 12 REPS
Then
* DECLINE FRONT RAISE x 8 REPS
Then
* PALMS REAR LATERAL RAISE x 16 REPS
Then
* BARBELL CLEAN & JERK (6 Rep Sequence Performed to failure)
Then
* 2 MINUTE RECOVERY
Then
* REPEAT FOR 3x MORE SETS.

if this doesn't' make them grow nothing will.

[musclecarmayham]

Going to have to start low on the clean & jerk; I've been afraid of trying that movement because I don't want to smack myself in the face if I'm all riled up in a dander. Thanks man.

[stpete]

I like dooie's workout as i do the same. Except i don't do anything behind the neck. When going heavy i start w/db's too simply cause i'm fresh and less chance of injury. Then onto SM for heavy presses. and as Times said, go to failure. But if i had to chose one, it would be the Smith Machine.

Good Luck.

[cardshark88]

OHP, db press, side raises, reverse pec deck

[castiron]

riled up in a dander. LOL! front raise side raise military press incline press. also a kind of weird one i learned mma training take a 45 and hold it on either side then hold it out front of you. Then kind of rotate it around your head like the moon orbits the sun. Its epic. try to keep the arms out as far as possible and do it till ya got the deeep burrrrn.

[JAB1]

My shoulder w/o
DB Mil press-4 to 5 sets
Side lateral raises-4 sets
Bent flys(back shoulders-3 or 4 sets
Shrugs-4 sets
Sometimes end with couple sets of plate front raises

I would like to incorporate the ones where you lift the bb up to your ching with hands close togehter, but not sure what to replace. My workout does me well, my shoulders are also my best asset imo

[drose979]

What's the best rep amount for shruggs. I've heard 20 but see guys doing huge weight for 10 reps.

[musclecarmayham]

riled up in a dander. LOL! front raise side raise military press incline press. also a kind of weird one i learned mma training take a 45 and hold it on either side then hold it out front of you. Then kind of rotate it around your head like the moon orbits the sun. Its epic. try to keep the arms out as far as possible and do it till ya got the deeep burrrrn.

Those endurance holds like that are brutal for me. I've tried holding 25's together across my chest and lifting up to shoulder height and after a few reps I want to scream. I want to work on my shoulders because my biceps have started dominating my arms and I want a well-rounded look.

I like doing shrugs; but am I doing a disservice to myself by trying a few low rep high weights before doing a dropset with low weight to finish?

Normal shrug set is:

70s to warm up, up to 15 reps
80s for 12
90s for 8
100s for 6
Throw in 110s for 3 to focus on building strength.
60s until failure.

I don't want to sacrifice strength by just building up "pretty" muscle with hyperthropy. Suggestions?

[Woollster00]

Well shoulders are my favourite muscle and my biggest i treat my workout towards shoulders as splitting up the 3 delts and doing 2 excercises for each one for example

Front delts
Standing barbell shoulder press 5 sets
1 Warm up set
12 reps,10 reps,8 reps,6 reps,4 reps increasing the weight each time

Seated Dumbell shoulder press or arnold press
1 Warm up set
12 reps,10 reps,8 reps,6 reps,4 reps increasing the weight each time

Side delts
Seated Latteral raises with DB
1 Warm up set
12 reps,10 reps,8 reps,6 reps,4 reps increasing the weight each time

Standing side raises with DB
1 Warm up set
12 reps,10 reps,8 reps,6 reps,4 reps increasing the weight each time

Rear Delts
Behind the head shoulder press (Be careful with these very un natural movement can get injured easily) usually use the smith machine as safer but if you're brave You can use BB
12 reps,10 reps,8 reps,6 reps,4 reps increasing the weight each time

And then finally the last excercise i have no idea of the name of it use the cable system and grab both sides and do a bent over sort of row movement hard to explain where your arms cross it works rear delts a lot anyway
12 reps,10 reps,8 reps,6 reps,4 reps increasing the weight each time

[musclecarmayham]

My biggest concern is getting an even size to them, as my rear delts are pitiful. Picked up some braces for my wrists, seems to help substantially during shoulder day as my left wrist is a weakpoint due to an old injury. Other than behind the head shoulder press, which I still can't get the hang of on the smith machine, I don't know of other ways to train that other than cables. I just wish the smith and cables weren't so popular, I don't have all day to hang around the gym...

I feel like I am getting the most out of the standing shoulder press, but not sure how wide I should grip it. It really bugs me, I need my shoulders and back to up my bench press game.