Everyone likes nice bowling bowl-like shoulders, but getting those can be difficult. Sometimes, people just fail to develop the right shape of shoulder because they do the workouts wrong. This article will cover six of the best exercises for shoulders. Make sure you follow the procedure correctly and avoid the common mistakes.
6 Exercises for Bigger Shoulders
1. Barbell Military Press
For this exercise, you should start by placing the barbell weight at collarbone height. Your hands should be at shoulder-width throughout the workout. The actual exercise involves lifting the barbell straight towards the ceiling and then bringing it down slowly. It is important to have very brief rest times at the bottom of the rep. Also, you should brace your abs when lifting and always keep the tension at the collarbone. Make sure you don’t use your lower back to lift the weights as this will only cause strain to the lower back and do very little for your shoulders.
2. Dumbbell Shoulder Press
For this one, you should start by setting up a comfortable bench and then sit upright. Your lifting motion should be towards the ceiling and down towards your ear. Many people make the crucial mistake of lifting the dumbbells forward or backwards, and as a consequence, they lose control of the tension. At the bottom of the rep, your wrist should meet your bicep.
3. Upright Row
At the start of this workout, your shoulders should be held back, your legs should be at hip width, and your abs should be braced. Your hands should also be at shoulder width. This angle is especially important if you are interested in working you medial and lateral head of the delts in the middle of the shoulder. If you want to work your traps instead, you can reduce the distance between your hands and follow the rest of the steps.
4. Seated Lateral Raises
Start by sitting on a bench, then brace your abs and lean slightly forward on your shoulders. The tension should be at the middle of your shoulders. Remember to keep your back straight throughout the entire workout. You should slowly raise the weights outward till your arms are parallel to the floor. Bend your elbows slightly as you raise your arms. Many people make the crucial mistake of swinging the arms forward and backwards instead of outwards. This will place most of the tension on the traps and none on the shoulders.
5. Front Plate Raise
This workout is great for the front part of the shoulders. The plate should start just above the quads. Bring it up to the ceiling just above the tension of the shoulders at the top. Your shoulders should be slightly depressed backwards and your abs should be braced. Bend your elbows slightly as you gently bring down the weight. Holding your arms completely straight will put more strain on the biceps and elbows.
6. Cable Reverse Fly
If you intend to work the rear delts at the back of your shoulders, you should try this workout. You should start by positioning the cable at just above the shoulder height, then you can bring your elbows apart. Your arms should stay at the same position as you bring your shoulders back to squeeze the cable at the end of the rep.
Conclusion
Bigger shoulders are highly desirable. With a regular workout routine involving these six exercises, you should be able to develop such shoulders.
