Shoulder Blast: 5 Moves for Bigger Shoulders

A set of round, strong shoulders can make the difference between a perfect body and an average one. The problem is that most guys have a hard time building big shoulders. Some stick only to raises and presses, while others simply don’t pay enough attention to these muscles. So, what’s the best way to get perfectly capped delts? Give your shoulders a blast with these moves:

 Seated Front Dumbbell Raise

The seated front dumbbell raise hits your front deltoids. To perform this exercise, sit on a bench in an upright position. Grasp the dumbbells with an overhand grip. Your palms should be facing your thighs. Lift the dumbbells to the front without swinging.

Keep your elbows slightly bent and your palms facing down. Your arms should be above parallel to the floor. Remember to keep your head and back straight in a neutral position. Squeeze your shoulder blades together throughout the movement.

Seated Side Lateral Dumbbell Raise

This exercise targets the middle deltoids. To get started, sit on a bench and hold a dumbbell in each hand. Keep your arms straight down at your sides, with the palms facing in.

With your elbows slightly bent and facing the ceiling, raise the dumbbells to shoulder level squeezing your shoulder blades at top of the movement. Your arms should be parallel to the ground. Return to the initial position with slow moves.

Heavy Seated Dumbbell Press

The heavy seated dumbbell press engages your front and side delts. For greater gains, use the heaviest load you can lift. Consider having a spotter to ensure proper form. Sit upright on a bench, holding two dumbbells in your hands. Bring them up to shoulder height at each side. Rotate your hands during movement so that the palms are facing forward. Push the dumbbells up, keeping your back and head straight in a neutral position. Your arms should reach lockout position at the top of the movement. Slowly return to the starting pose as you inhale.

Light Shoulder Press

The light shoulder press is another great exercise for your front and side delts. The key is to use lighter weights that allow you to perform more reps. The dumbbells should be 60 to 75 percent lighter than those used when doing the shoulder press.

To perform this exercise, stand on a bench with back support. Grab two dumbbells and bring them in front of you at upper chest level. Your palms should be facing your body. Keep your elbows bent and your arms next to your torso. Your feet must stay planted firmly on the floor. Lift the dumbbells slowly until your arms are extended above you in straight arm position. Meanwhile, rotate your palms until they’re facing forward. Return to the initial position while rotating the palms toward you.

Seated Bent-Over Rear Delt Raise

This is one of the best strength exercises for the rear deltoids. To get started, sit on the end of a bench and place the dumbbells behind your calves. Keep your legs together.

With your back straight, bend at the waist so you can grab the dumbbells. Your palms should be facing each other. With your elbows slightly bent and facing the ceiling, raise the dumbbells to shoulder level. Make sure your arms are parallel to the floor. Return to the starting position after a one second contraction at the top.

The Pre-Exhaust Delt Routine

This advanced workout routine is based on tri-sets. The results will exceed your expectations. It’s the perfect workout for killer delts! A typical set includes seated bent over deltoid raises, seated front dumbbell raises, and seated side lateral rises. For optimal results, rest 90 seconds or less between sets.

Since you’ll have to use different weights for each exercise, plan your workout ahead and have the dumbbells prepared. Start with a lighter load to ensure good form.

– Three sets of 12 to 15 reps for the seated bent over deltoid raise.

– Three sets of 15 to 20 reps for the seated side lateral dumbbell rise

– Do three sets of 12 to 15 reps for the seated front dumbbell raise

If done properly, this workout routine should have pre-exhausted your delts before you get to the dumbbell press. So, continue your workout with a superset consisting of heavy seated dumbbell presses followed by light dumbbell shoulder presses. Rest 90 seconds between sets. To maintain good form, use a spotter and reasonable heavy weights for the next exercise.

– Perform 3 sets of 5-6 six reps each for the first exercise

– 3 sets of 12 to 15 reps for the light shoulder press.
Combining tri-sets with supersets will help you break through training plateaus and get the most out of your workout. It’s also a great way to save time, overload the muscles, and make your routine more intense. Since this workout consists of both isolation ad compound moves, you should experience muscle soreness the next day, which means you’re on your way to a perfect body with broader, stronger shoulders.