need some size for my shoulders

[ascendant]

well, now that i'm back into lifting again, been looking back on my old pics to see what i needed to work on, and i've noticed my shoulders have always been a lagging bodypart, so wanted to focus on them with some good size-building excercises.

my typical shoulder excercises are dumbell/cable laterals (side and bent-over), upright rows (dumbell/barbell and close/wide grip), and shrugs (not so much for shoulders as traps, but i include it with shoulders).

i know one main excercise i'm missing is dumbell/barbell presses, but i tend to avoid them because my front delts tie-in on my shoulders higher than my sides and my rear, so it tends to overdevelop over the other two. so basically, i avoid all direct front delt work. they get plenty from my chest workouts anyway.

lately though, i'm wondering if i should start including dumbell and barbell seated presses again cause i do know they work the side delts to a degree too, and if i really want to put size on my delts, presses seem to be one of the main excercises.

just wanted to hear some of your opinions on if you think presses effectively work the side delts as well or are mostly just for the front delts? oh, and i can't do them behind the neck with a barbell cause of problems with my rotator cuffs. as it is, even when doing them in front or with dumbells, my shoulders *pop* on the way down, which is another reason i usually avoid them.

also, if there are any other kinds of excercises other than those i mentioned above that you guys think might be a good idea, let me know. thanks.

[kuad]

yeah, what is a good delt workout?

[boondockSAINT]

I genetically have bigger shoulders and chest than arms, but I would think you would be better off with an upright barbell press to hit the front and side delts, and then the bent over laterals for the rear delts. I think you will see more growth from the strength/weight aspect of the military press than front/side raises.

[juice_305]

for my self delts have never been a problem to grow. there my best muscle.
my workout includes db shoulder press, side db raise, front db raise, cable raises, reverse pec deck for rear delts, up right rows on the smith machine thats more or less my workout all are done with 5 sets and as heavy as i can go without herting my self. and from time to time i'll include smith machine shoulder press. try to work your side delts first so they get most energy at the first of your workout and ad in a extra set if there lagging behide thats what i do for parts that are lagging
hope this helps

juice

[chest6]

I genetically have bigger shoulders and chest than arms, but I would think you would be better off with an upright barbell press to hit the front and side delts, and then the bent over laterals for the rear delts. I think you will see more growth from the strength/weight aspect of the military press than front/side raises.

Im the same way genetically...I never really worked front or rear delts directly..I feel that front delts get hit enough during over pressing and chest pressing exercises and rear delts get hit enough during back..

[Testostack]

start w/ shoulders lat. raise and then barbell/smith press. finally i go with rear delts raises and/or front raise. 2 excercices for traps (behind back barbell shrugs/dumbbells shrugs) that's it.........good bro

[~fuelforfire~]

Well i know what works good for me, or what i believe works for me, but i think you should just try and switch things up, read on other peoples shoulder workouts and do the things that you feel work best for you, oh and i do
shoulder press(dumbell one week, barbell next)
side raises from the rear(cable)
front raises
shrugs
its short and i kind of want to get another excersize in there, but yah thats what i do.

[ascendant]

well, i went to a website that had exercises i never even saw before and techniques that i want to give a try. guess i might start adding the shoulder presses to my shoulder routine as well, as it seems like it really helps to add size to the delts.

suppose if i just do 2 or 3 sets and focus the rest of my shoulder routine on the side and rear heads, it'll be all good.

i can't believe i never realized my shoulders were lagging though till now, and even more bothersome that nobody told me back then! thanks for the help on here though guys, much appreciated.

[Testostack]

Well i know what works good for me, or what i believe works for me, but i think you should just try and switch things up, read on other peoples shoulder workouts and do the things that you feel work best for you, oh and i do
shoulder press(dumbell one week, barbell next)
side raises from the rear(cable)
front raises
shrugs
its short and i kind of want to get another excersize in there, but yah thats what i do.

Man! you never do the lateral raise??? a shame cuz it's really great one, whatever your genetics are.....

[Italian Stallion]

well, now that i'm back into lifting again, been looking back on my old pics to see what i needed to work on, and i've noticed my shoulders have always been a lagging bodypart, so wanted to focus on them with some good size-building excercises.

my typical shoulder excercises are dumbell/cable laterals (side and bent-over), upright rows (dumbell/barbell and close/wide grip), and shrugs (not so much for shoulders as traps, but i include it with shoulders).

i know one main excercise i'm missing is dumbell/barbell presses, but i tend to avoid them because my front delts tie-in on my shoulders higher than my sides and my rear, so it tends to overdevelop over the other two. so basically, i avoid all direct front delt work. they get plenty from my chest workouts anyway.

lately though, i'm wondering if i should start including dumbell and barbell seated presses again cause i do know they work the side delts to a degree too, and if i really want to put size on my delts, presses seem to be one of the main excercises.

just wanted to hear some of your opinions on if you think presses effectively work the side delts as well or are mostly just for the front delts? oh, and i can't do them behind the neck with a barbell cause of problems with my rotator cuffs. as it is, even when doing them in front or with dumbells, my shoulders *pop* on the way down, which is another reason i usually avoid them.

also, if there are any other kinds of excercises other than those i mentioned above that you guys think might be a good idea, let me know. thanks.

i think you won't get impressive shoulders with laterals and upright. those exercises are just "complementary" so good for definition or stacked with presses.
As a general rule you'll need to put the steel on the barbell to grow, and delts aren't an exception.
i can read that you have some problems training the front-delts so i feel to suggest you this workout:
1# L-Fly
2# Overhead lockout (behind head)
3# Laterals raises
4# Dumbbell shrughs

1)with the l-fly you'll train several shoulders (rotatory cap) muscles that you won't develop with regular presses or raises; this exercise is very important 'cause will reduce strengh imbalances between the cap (weaker) and the internal muscles (stronger) that are mainly trained. This strenght imbalance is one of the main shoulder injury factors.

2)overhead lockout will allow you to use significant weights for your delt workout; don't use a grip too much wider than your shoulders.
you'll need a rack or a multipower; put your barbell 3~4 inches lower than it should be if you had your arms completely extended and blocked, this is the starting position. As for the esecution of this exercise just press over your head until you'll extend completely your arms than come down slowly until the starting point. The reduced trajectory of this exercise, as i said 3~4 inches, will allow you to use big weights will keeping injuries probability down.
I tryed personally this routine and i found it to be pretty nice, especially because i really care about avoiding accidents during my workouts.

[IronReload04]

I havnt touched side or front or rear raises nor i have i touched cables in about 1.5 years and it hasnt hurrt my progress, i can assure you

[TheMudMan]

I don't do a lot for delts. I train them with chest so they are pretty well worked from that.

3 sets DB Press superset with seated side laterials
3 sets Bent over BD laterials
4 sets shrugs

All done to failure but with strick form and slow movement