Pump up your shoulders at home. Barbell row to the chin to pump up the shoulders. We swing the deltoid muscles from a standing position

How to properly and quickly make the shoulders voluminous and embossed. The training technique will help to achieve a good result both at home and in the gym.

The deltoid muscle, which must be trained to obtain a round shape of the shoulders, consists of three bundles: anterior, middle, posterior. Each exercise should include all bundles in the work, only the comprehensive development of the muscle will make the shape of the shoulder correct. It is important not only the correct preparation of the program, but also the technique and degree of load.

Preparing for classes

Despite the preparation of the athlete and the weight of the equipment, it is necessary to start training with a warm-up. Even when training without equipment, there is a risk of injury in the form of muscle or ligament sprains. It is also important to warm up all the joints, so start your workout by jogging for 7-10 minutes, or by warming up the joints in place.

Be sure to perform circular rotations with your arms and stretching the deltoid and other muscles of the shoulder - biceps and triceps, as they also take on part of the load. Stretching is also recommended at the end of the session, this will help the recovery and growth of new muscle fibers.

Basic requirements for training

The main condition for muscle growth is the correct load and mode of work, in this case for mass growth, as well as nutrition before and after training - obtaining the necessary nutrients. As for the load, to increase the volume of muscles, it is necessary to perform an approach of 8-12 repetitions. This means that the load should be maximum, and the ability to perform an exercise with such a weight does not exceed 12 times. Only in this case, the muscles begin to grow. Over 15 repetitions, volumes, on the contrary, will begin to go away.

Rocking shoulders at home

Knowing the main requirements for muscle growth, the conclusion follows that without weight, muscles cannot be pumped up, and if they tell you this, know that this is a myth. You must ensure that the weight is just enough to perform the specified number of times, no more. Working with a small or own weight will only tone the muscles, but will not increase their volume. You can use improvised means instead of dumbbells - six liter bottles, chairs, whatever, as long as this weight is tangible for you. These workouts are suitable for beginners.

Push-ups upside down

It is better to perform this exercise only for trained people. Without physical training, it will not be possible to technically hold the body, there is a risk of injury. Therefore, be careful.

1. To simplify the technique, we put our feet on a hill, for example, a sofa. Hands are aligned on one line with the body.
2. We put our hands wider than the shoulders, the torso forms a right angle.
3. Inhale: bending your arms, lower the body, elbows go to the sides, forming a right angle. The head tends, but does not touch the floor.
4. Exhale: we push out with our hands due to the strength of the shoulders and triceps. We return to the original.

Perform 12 push-ups for 4 sets.

Pushups

In this option, only the rear bundles of deltas are involved, so push-ups alone are not enough for the muscle. But in home workouts for the rear delta, as one of the options, the exercise is acceptable.

Technique:

1. Take an emphasis lying down, put your palms under your shoulders, holding your lower back without bending.
2. Inhale: lower the chest lower to the floor, bending the arms, elbows pressed to the body.
3. Exhale: push up, straightening your elbows.

We perform 12 repetitions of 4 sets.

A set of exercises with a barbell at home

Pull to the chin

Exercise develops the anterior and middle deltoid bundles. The weight of the rod is adjusted using small pancakes, gaining the required load. The exercise is performed while standing.

1. We place the palms on the bar with a narrow grip, connecting the thumbs in the center - this will be the grip gauge.
2. Exhale: pull the bar along the body, draw the elbows through the sides. Bringing the neck to the chin, the elbows rise slightly above the shoulder joints.
3. Inhale: without a jerk, smoothly lower the bar, straightening your elbows.

Perform 4 sets of 8-12 reps.

Press in front of you

It is performed sitting or standing, the main thing is that the lower back does not bend, and the body does not sway. This exercise trains the front and middle deltas.

Technique:

1. Grasp the barbell with a wide grip, bending your elbows, and place the bar near your collarbones.
2. Elbows look down, chin slightly raised.
3. Exhale: press the bar in front of you, fully straightening your elbows above your head.
4. Inhale: slowly lower the bar to the collarbones.

Perform without jerking 8-12 times, depending on the weight of the bar. Only 4 approaches.

Press from behind the head

In this variant, the middle and posterior bundles of the deltoid muscle work. Also performed sitting or standing.

1. We place the neck on the upper part of the trapezius muscle, hold the barbell with a wide grip. When lifting, the elbows should pass through a right angle.
2. Exhale: squeeze the bar up, elbows look to the sides. At the top, the bar is above the head, not moving forward or backward.
3. Inhale: slowly lower the bar without touching the cervical vertebrae.

Perform also up to 12 times, only 4 sets.

Complex with dumbbells for wide shoulders

Dumbbell press

One of the most effective exercises for deltas. Can be performed while standing, to ease the load on the back - sitting.

1. We take dumbbells, place them over the shoulder joints, but without touching. Elbows are bent, look down, not touching the body.
2. Exhale: squeeze the dumbbells over your head, straightening your elbows.
3. Inhale: slowly lower to the starting position, without touching the shoulders.

As usual, perform 4 × 8-12 repetitions.

Mahi in front of you

Mahi are performed either with two hands at the same time, or alternately, to simplify the complexity. In the exercise, the front delta works in isolation.
/>Technique:

1. We place the palms with dumbbells on the front of the thighs, the elbows are slightly bent.
2. Exhale: at the same time we perform swings with dumbbells in front of us, lifting slightly above the shoulders. The body does not wobble.
3. Inhale: slowly lower the dumbbells to the hips.

Rest between sets 1-2 minutes, and so 4 sets of 12 swings for each hand.

Mahi in tilt

The exercise involves only the back delta. Take small dumbbells, as the exercise is quite difficult, first try to work out the technique.

1. From a standing position, we tilt the straight body forward, keeping the back straight, arms hanging freely, knees slightly bent.
2. Exhale: perform swings through the sides, slightly bending your elbows. We raise the dumbbells to the level of the shoulder joints.
3. Inhale: slowly lower the dumbbells to the starting point.

Perform 12 times, feeling the work of the back bundles of the shoulder. Also 4 sets.

Your attention exercises with dumbbells on the shoulders:

Nutrition for strength training

Another important condition for muscle growth is timely and balanced nutrition. With a lack of nutrients, muscle growth becomes impossible.

Principles of nutrition for weight gain:

• the diet should contain a sufficient amount of complex carbohydrates (cereals, grains);
• mandatory consumption of building material for muscles - protein (eggs, lean meat, seafood and dairy products);
• six meals a day;
• eating within 40 minutes after training, thus closing the protein-carbohydrate window necessary for building new fibers.

Video lesson from the champion of the category Mens physicist - "How to quickly pump up wide shoulders":

Do not train for more than an hour, so as not to lose muscle mass. It is enough to train deltas 2 times a week, these muscles need 2-3 days to recover, so you should not load every day. Rest 2 minutes between sets. The main thing is to eat right and exercise regularly.

In contact with

A man with a triangular figure looks sexy. Broad shoulders, embossed torso, toned stomach excite the imagination of ladies. To have such forms, the future athlete needs to seriously work. The proposed training program will help pump deltoid muscles, trapezium, arms and chest.

Deltoid bundles are easily injured, so strict adherence to technique is required.

• shoulder presses;
• for isolated study of the deltoid muscles.

Warm up the shoulder joint swinging arms, writing out circles with elbows, pulling up. Exercises on the horizontal bar will make the shoulders powerful. Horizontal pull-ups, a wide grip will work out the middle, frontal beams. For the roundness of the back muscle, techniques with inverted shoulders, reverse narrow grip, and hanging are relevant.

Pushup Variations

We turn to push-ups from the floor. The main load falls on the thoracic region, quadriceps, to a lesser extent on the shoulders. The emphasis on the muscles depends on the position of the hands.

• In a narrow position, triceps work, the frontal (front) bundle of the delta;
• With a wide tension is shifted to the biceps, chest, middle, front of the shoulders.

Push-ups with legs on a support.

1. We put our feet on a support, hands on the floor;
2. The body slightly lowers to the floor;
3. For maximum load on the shoulder muscles, we perform shallow movements.

20 times for 3-4 sets.

Push-ups on one hand

This exercise will increase the mass of the shoulder girdle, load the triceps as much as possible.

1. We become in a horizontal position;
2. We take the left leg to the side;
3. We transfer the weight of the body to the right hand, we place the left hand on the waist.

Keeping balance, proceed to the exercise.

First, we go no deeper than 15 cm. Over time, we add 10 cm.

Push up upside down

Advanced level exercise. Deltas, biceps, triceps will be shocked. Along the way, coordination and balance will develop:

1. stand next to the wall;
2. we distance ourselves 2 steps back, take a sharp step, lean on our hands, throw our legs up;
3. we place the brushes 15 cm from the vertical.
4. A similar pose is taken from all fours. Leaning on the wrist, we go to the wall with our feet. When about 25 cm remains to the support, we take a vertical position.
5. We rest our palms on the floor, arms wider than shoulders, heels at the top;
6. We do not lean on the wall with our buttocks;
7. Gently bend your elbows until your head hangs above the surface. We do not touch the floor with the crown;
8. We unbend our arms, we return to the height.

We repeat as much as possible.

Dumbbell Workout

We alternately lift the load in front of us.

The goal is to load the front head of the delta.

1. Dumbbells (starting with 2 kg) are held in the palms;
2. We pull one brush forward, up, straight up above the head;
3. Controlling the movements at each point, slowly lower;
4. Having reached the level of the face, we raise the second hand;
5. Without going to the sides, we vertically spread our arms in opposite directions.

Dumbbell press up

Trains the frontal, middle delta. usually done at the end of a workout.

1. We take dumbbells so that the upper fingers are on top;
2. Bending the limbs at the shoulder joint, we lift the load;
3. We do not turn the wrists;
4. Having reached the temples, we return to the starting position.

Sitting on a chair, stretch dumbbells up. We load the frontal, middle delta, trapezoid.
We do 15 times x 3 sets with a rest of 30 seconds.

Arnold press

The basic exercise pumps 3 beams of the delta, triceps, upper chest, trapezium. Differs in wide amplitude of movements, position of brushes. Efficiency depends on the accuracy of the starting position:

1. We accept the basic position, we hold the dumbbells with our palms to the body;
2. Arms bent, elbows tense;
3. Hold your breath, stretch your arms forward;
4. Having reached the border of the shoulders, we turn our arms wide so that the little fingers look up, raise them above our heads;
5. On straight arms, lower the load down.

The position of the shoulders should allow the arms to move in the plane of the body.

In order not to burden the spine, we perform lifts at a slow pace.

Mahi dumbbells in an incline

We give roundness to the rear bundle of deltas. The muscle does not like a big load, so we choose equipment with a moderate weight.

1. We take dumbbells with a neutral grip;
2. When spreading the arms, we tilt the upper body parallel to the floor. The back is arched at the waist. Straight elbows are fixed in statics until the end of the exercise;
3. At the same time spreading the dumbbells to the sides, we try to raise our arms as high as possible. We make movements directly on the course. In the top position, pull the elbows above the back.

13-20 reps in 4 sets.
An integrated approach with alternating body weight and weighting will provide excellent results. Deltas recover quickly, therefore, for a delineated contour, you need to train every other day, while eating a lot of protein, and observing the water regime.

Broad shoulders have long been considered a sign of courage. Of course, appearance is not the only indicator of a person's assessment, and is often deceptive. Nevertheless, they “meet by clothes”, and in our case - by physique. The wider the shoulders, the narrower the waist, and the more athletic the person looks. Therefore, men love to work out their shoulder muscles, despite the fact that their training is associated with a number of difficulties.

Training this muscle group is difficult because they quickly get used to the loads, have an anatomically complex structure and are highly susceptible to injury. Therefore, to make your shoulders really big, you need to approach the training process very seriously. Today we will find out what features the study of the shoulders has, and we will figure out how to swing the shoulders correctly. And the advice of experienced bodybuilders will help us in this.

Anatomy

Before you learn how to correctly and quickly you need to understand the structure of this muscle group and the principle of its work.

So, which is also often called deltoid, consists of three sections (bundles): anterior, middle (aka lateral) and posterior. Each of the beams performs a separate function and is involved in a separate movement. Therefore, for each department there are certain exercises that work only on it. The anterior section raises the arm in front of it, the middle section raises it up through the side, and the posterior section moves the arm back. Thus, one muscle receives a very diverse load.

Many beginners, without understanding the structure of the shoulder, think that it is a single muscle of a spherical shape that needs to be pumped up with heavy shells, lifting them up (bench press, kettlebell press, etc.). Such an approach is certainly doomed to failure. Moreover, it is not only ineffective, but also traumatic.

It is located on a very fragile one. Therefore, it is very important to maintain accuracy and regularity in training, and also not to overload it. The fact that it consists of three sections indicates that basic exercises for normal muscle growth will not be enough.

Training Features

Based on the fact that the delta consists of three beams, it would be logical to assume that it is necessary to work out each of them separately. The uniqueness of the muscle is not even in the fact that it is divided into three sections, but in the fact that these sections are responsible for completely different movements. For example, the triceps also has three beams (for which it received the name "triceps muscle"), but the load vector on them differs little. In the case of the shoulder muscle, everything is much more complicated.

Therefore, heavy bench presses, which beginners are often fond of, are ineffective without isolating exercises. It is also worth remembering that heavy basic exercises with an illiterate approach can cause serious injuries. This is especially true for the bench press from behind the head, the trajectory of which is unnatural for the shoulder in terms of anatomy. Therefore, for starters, it is better to choose a bench press from the chest as a basic exercise.

In order to give results and not bring unpleasant consequences, it is worth choosing the right weights, following the ideal movement technique and wisely compiling a training program. Now let's find out how to swing your shoulders correctly. The photo will help us quickly understand this issue.

Basic exercises

Basic exercises are called exercises in which several joints are involved at once, and, in addition to the target muscle, a number of auxiliary muscles are involved in the movement. Such exercises are more dangerous than isolation exercises, but they allow you to effectively gain mass and increase strength. Without these, it will be ineffective and incomplete.

Bench press standing or sitting

This is the most common basic delt exercise. Therefore, it is considered a classic of bodybuilding. Thanks to the bench press, you can use all the beams of the shoulder, but the emphasis will fall on the middle section. If you slightly change the position of the elbows, and replace the direct grip with the reverse one, then the load will shift to the front deltas.

But this is not recommended, since the front bundles are already quite actively involved in all bench press exercises. As already mentioned, the bench press can be done both from the chest and from behind the head. The second option is more dangerous, so it is not suitable for beginners.

It is recommended to start with bench presses. Since these are multi-joint exercises, they require full concentration and take a lot of strength. Therefore, leaving them in the end, an athlete tired of other exercises risks serious injury.

The seated version of the barbell press takes the pressure off the lower back and is more insulating. It is recommended to practice both versions of the exercise.

Bench press on the Smith machine

This exercise performs the same function as the previous one, but it is much safer. Another difference is the exclusion from the work of the muscles that stabilize the position of the body and hands. The Smith machine allows you to fully focus on working out the target muscle group. The exercise is perfect for beginners who need to master the technique.

More experienced athletes are advised to use this exercise to “finish off” the shoulders after performing a simple bench press. The fact is that a number of stabilizing muscles are involved in the classic bench press, which get tired faster than the target muscle. Their fatigue leads to the fact that it becomes difficult for the athlete to hold the projectile and he puts himself at risk. The bench press in the Smith machine allows you to load your shoulders as much as possible, even if the stabilizers are tired.

Dumbbell press

We already know how to swing your shoulders with a barbell, now let's move on to a more affordable simulator - dumbbells. Technically, this exercise is similar to the previous two. However, it has its pros and cons. Of the minuses, it is worth highlighting the fact that the working weight of the dumbbells is less than the weight of the barbell. But a large amplitude compensates for this disadvantage and allows you to work out the muscles deeper, which, of course, is a plus. In addition, when there is a separate projectile in each hand, the stabilizer muscles are more involved. They give the arms a more natural amplitude in terms of anatomy than with a bench press.

Therefore, this exercise is suitable for those who are looking for an answer to the question: “How to swing shoulders with dumbbells at home?” After all, almost everyone can afford dumbbells, unlike bulky and expensive barbells. Of course, this is not the last exercise with this type of weight, but it is the only one of the basic ones.

Shoulder broach (rod pull to the chin)

Another useful basic exercise, without which it is very difficult to make shoulders large. Like the previous exercises, the shoulder broach engages all delta bundles. In this case, the main load falls on the rear beam, which is very important. Firstly, this department always lags behind in development, since its anatomical function is rarely used by a person. Secondly, this bun is quite voluminous, so it gives the shoulders a complete, impressive look.

Isolation exercises

Discussing the question of how to swing your shoulders correctly, we move on to the second class of exercises. Isolation exercises are aimed at ensuring that a specific muscle is pumped as efficiently as possible. They by themselves do not bring much effect in terms of developing strength and mass, but together with basic training they can achieve excellent results. In addition, it is thanks to isolating exercises that it becomes possible to work out one or another section of the muscle without affecting others.

Performing these exercises after the basic ones, you can load your shoulders as much as possible. Heavy weights in this type of training are not needed. This is where perfect technique comes first. The athlete should feel how the muscle is loaded throughout the entire movement. So, let's find out how to properly swing your shoulders with dumbbells using isolation exercises.

Breeding dumbbells

Perhaps this is the most common exercise for working out the middle (lateral) bundle of the deltoid muscle. How to swing your shoulders with it? This exercise, like other isolation exercises, requires maximum concentration from the athlete. Try to lift dumbbells precisely at the expense of the middle bunch of deltas. For this, the arms should be straight and parallel to the body. Jerks are unacceptable, as they significantly reduce the effectiveness of training and remove the load from the target muscle. It is advisable to make small pauses at the lower and upper points of the amplitude. It is recommended that the rise be done faster (but you should not use inertia), and the lowering be slower. During lowering, you should feel a burning sensation in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe middle bundle of the delta. You can perform the exercise with both hands at once, or separately or alternately. The main thing is to follow the perfect technique.

Lifting dumbbells in front of you

The same principle works here as in the previous exercise, only now the target muscle is the anterior bundle of deltas. It gives the shoulders a complete harmonious look. Since this exercise is very uncomfortable for the muscles, it is recommended to take small dumbbells to maintain the correct technique. You can raise your hands with any grip, but the neutral grip is most effective - when the palms are turned towards the body.

Breeding dumbbells in an incline

The third exercise with dumbbells is based on the same principle as the previous two. Now the posterior bundle of the shoulder muscle comes into play. The starting position in this case is different in that the body must be tilted so that it is almost parallel to the floor. In order to improve the mental connection of the brain with the shoulder, you can rest your head on a vertical bench. Hands should be raised smoothly, but rapidly, and lowered as slowly as possible. To heighten the effect, you can slightly bend them at the elbows.

Reverse dilutions

Here the same movement occurs as in the previous exercise, only the body maintains its even position thanks to a special simulator. This exercise not only gives the back bundle of deltas an accentuated load, but also strengthens the small rotator muscles of the shoulder, which help the main muscle in almost all exercises. It is recommended to perform reverse dilutions at the very beginning of the complex on the shoulders, with a small weight.

How to swing shoulders: training plan

Having considered the main exercises that will help us in working out the shoulders, we will figure out how to correctly compose a training program so that they produce the maximum effect.

So, it’s worth starting the study of the shoulders with basic exercises, and finishing with isolating ones. For shoulders to be big and strong, they do not need extra heavy weight, but a high number of repetitions. Therefore, basic exercises should be done up to 15 times per set, and isolation exercises up to 20 times. Load progression also takes place here. Progression in the context of bodybuilding is a regular increase in load, which is done so that the muscles do not get used to and constantly develop.

And another fundamentally important point is that the shoulders love variety. As already mentioned, the shoulders have a very complex structure and fairly wide anatomical functions. In this case, the shoulder joint is not particularly strong. Therefore, the deltas quickly respond to the load applied to them and get used to both constant weights and the same type of exercises. So, when answering the question of how to properly swing your shoulders in the gym, one cannot fail to mention the diversity in the training plan. For example, one session should be opened with a barbell press, the next with a dumbbell press, then a bench press in the Scott simulator, and so on.

There are not many isolation exercises, so there is not much choice here. But you can change their sequence. For example, if today was the first, then next time you should start by spreading your arms with dumbbells, and so on. Below are workout options that you can simply alternate. It’s worth starting the lesson with a couple of warm-up approaches with light weight.

How to swing the muscles of the shoulders: a set of exercises

Basic exercises are done in 4 sets, and isolation exercises in three. The number of repetitions for basic and isolating exercises was mentioned above.

First option:

1. Bench press on the Smith machine.
2. Breeding hands in the simulator.
3. Breeding dumbbells.
4. Lifting dumbbells in front of you.

Second option:

1. Bench press standing.
2. Lifting dumbbells in front of you.

Third option:

1. Seated dumbbell press.
2. Breeding dumbbells standing.
3. Breeding dumbbells in an incline.
4. Lifting dumbbells in front of you.

There are many such programs. It is recommended to add a second basic exercise over time to increase the load.

Many people ask questions like: “How to swing your back and shoulders correctly?” This question is incorrect. As well as the question “How to swing arms and shoulders correctly?”. The fact is that when drawing up a training plan, you need to ensure that the antagonist muscles are not worked out in one day.

Therefore, the muscles that help each other in work must swing together so that the next day they are well rested while their antagonists work. Usually the shoulders are worked out with the chest and triceps, since these muscles insure each other in many exercises, while the biceps, back and abs are not involved in this at all. Therefore, you cannot train the shoulder and biceps at the same time, or the shoulder and back, because the next day when training the chest and triceps, the whole body will hurt.

Supersets

A good option for isolating training are supersets - several exercises for different parts of the muscle without a break. Thus, a superset for the shoulder muscles with dumbbells might look something like this: raising the arms + raising the arms + raising the arms in an incline. Then comes the rest, and everything repeats again. This complex is good because, despite the study of different bundles, the muscle is in tension for a longer amount of time, which leads to its rapid growth.

Conclusion

Today we have learned how to properly swing your shoulders at home and in the gym. This muscle is quite specific. On the one hand, he is dearly loved by men, because he gives the figure an athletic outline. In this regard, many novice athletes only think about how to pump up their shoulders and arms, which is completely wrong, because you need to develop in a complex way.

On the other hand, the shoulder is quite difficult to work out and is very sensitive to injuries. Therefore, in order for it to develop, you need to try and monitor the perfect observance of technology. Shoulder training is also good because, if desired, it can be done at home with simple dumbbells. How to swing shoulders with dumbbells, we already know. And no special simulators are needed here.

The weak points of many athletes are the underdeveloped posterior deltoid muscles, the not very clear relief of the three heads of the muscle, etc. Fear not, in this article we will tell you how to build wide, well-shaped shoulders! Details below.

You have all heard the expressions: turn a strong shoulder, put everything on your shoulders, and sometimes it seems that the whole world lies on your shoulders. The shoulder area is an extremely important part of the overall appearance of our body.

From any point of view, the trapezius muscles are not only necessary for a harmonious and proportional appearance, they also contribute to the performance of many functions that, taken together, give results in other parts of the body. Strong, well-shaped deltoid and trapezius muscles allow the body to look strong and harmonious.

The shoulder area is an extremely important part of the overall appearance of our body.

Broad shoulders make you look more masculine and strong. Any athlete who wants to build a perfect body should direct all his efforts to training proportional deltoid and trapezius muscles.

Often, the shoulders are considered as an integral part of the notorious X-shaped figure. If you draw imaginary lines from the deltoid muscles to the calves, then you will just get that very coveted "X".

The entire shoulder girdle plays a huge role in most (if not all) bodybuilding competition poses. The deltoid muscles should be evenly developed on all sides in order to give the body an overall complete and harmonious appearance along with the developed trapezius muscles.

The weaknesses of many athletes are underdeveloped rear deltoid muscles, pumped anterior deltoid muscles and not very clear relief of the three heads of the muscle. Fear not, in this article we will tell you how to build wide, well-shaped shoulders!

A bit of anatomy

If we consider the deltoid muscles in a complex, it may not be clear which head is responsible for what. Let's look at each muscle individually.

Anterior deltoid muscle. It starts from the collarbone and attaches to the humerus. The anterior head of the deltoid muscle is responsible for abducting the arm forward. She actively works during the performance of the presses.

Middle deltoid muscle. It also starts from the collarbone and is attached to the humerus. The middle head of the deltoid muscle is responsible for abducting the arm sideways away from the body. It is thanks to this head that the upper body looks wide and properly developed.

Posterior deltoid muscle. It starts from the scapula and is attached to the humerus. The posterior head of the deltoid muscle is responsible for abducting the arm to the side and back. She actively works during exercises for the back muscles, such as pull-ups and deadlifts.

Trapezius muscle. The trapezius muscle is slightly different in anatomical terms from the deltoid. This seemingly simple muscle group performs a huge number of functions.

The trapezius muscle is a long, trapezoid-shaped muscle that starts at the base of the skull, runs along the top of the spinal column, and ends in the middle of the lower back. The trapezius muscles raise (raise the shoulders) the shoulder blades, bring the shoulder blades closer to the spinal column (pull the shoulder blades together), and lower the shoulder blades.

Building broad shoulders!

Now that you know about the anatomy and mechanisms of movement, let's figure out how to build wide shoulders. The presented movements and exercises are designed to get the maximum result every time you visit the gym. Remember that it is always necessary to use the correct technique and not to lift too much weight so as not to risk your safety.

Standing barbell and dumbbell bench press

No exercise can outperform the bench press when training the front and middle heads. Grasp the barbell more than shoulder width apart. Start with a barbell under your chin and press up without fully extending your elbows. Return to starting position. All movements should be performed smoothly without a pause at the top.

When doing a press with dumbbells, place them on either side of the head so that the elbows look to the sides. Make sure you don't start the exercise at too high a point, the dumbbells should almost touch your shoulders. Squeeze the dumbbells up at the same time, bringing them together at the top point. Do not fully straighten your elbows.

The dumbbells should not touch at the top, otherwise the load on the shoulders will be too great. Return to starting position and repeat.

Advice. A great alternative to this exercise that doesn't require as much effort to maintain balance is the Smith Machine Press. It allows you to use more weight by reducing the number of accessory muscles needed to perform this exercise. In addition, on this simulator it is very easy to remove weights from the rack and put it back.

Breeding arms to the sides with dumbbells and blocks

For the development of the lateral head of the deltoid muscles, it is best to spread the arms to the sides (lifting the dumbbells to the sides while standing). To perform side raises with dumbbells (sitting or standing), bend your elbows slightly and place them slightly in front of your hips.

The secret is this: you will be doing this exercise differently than you are used to (using the good old “pouring a jug of water” technique). You will need to bring the dumbbells out in such a way that the little finger is always at the top point.

This is the technique of Charles Glas. The thumb should constantly look down without changing its position. So the lateral head is isolated as much as possible, so use light weights to properly perform the exercise. Return to the starting position in the same way and repeat.

To perform side pulls on the blocks, stand near the machine and grasp the D-handle with the hand that is farthest from the machine. Position the handle in front of you so that the arm with it crosses the body and is slightly bent at the elbow, then lift the weight up and to the side until the arm is parallel to the floor. Hold at the top and squeeze the muscles, then slowly lower the weight in the same way. One exercise for each side counts as a set.

Advice. To bring a little variety to you will help raise the dumbbell with one hand to the side. Hold a dumbbell in one hand, and grasp the fixed vertical rack with the other. Standing next to the rack, begin to tilt your body to the side until your non-working arm is completely straight. The dumbbell is now angled away from your body. Raise your arm as if you were doing a standard two-arm raise until it is parallel to the floor.

You will notice that the arm is raised above shoulder level. This will work the muscle fibers more intensively and isolate one side, which will allow you to use a little more weight.

Breeding hands with dumbbells in emphasis

To inflate the rear heads, you can perform breeding with dumbbells in a standing position. When doing this exercise, bend over at the hips so that you are parallel to the floor (as if you were doing a Romanian deadlift) and not at the waist.

Grab two moderate weight dumbbells, bend your elbows slightly and raise the dumbbells in an upward arc until they are parallel to the floor. Return to the starting position, but do not touch the dumbbells to each other. Try not to lift the dumbbells too high, as this will put stress on your back muscles.

Advice. To add some variety to your program and add some intensity to your posterior deltoid workout, try crossovers on a cable machine. Stand in the center of the machine, grasp the handles (which should be set at shoulder level) in a criss-cross pattern - the right handle with your left hand, and the left handle with your right.

In this position, your arms should be crossed over your chest. Take a step back so that the hands with the cables do not touch the body. Bend your elbows slightly and pull the weight as if doing this exercise in a bent over, spreading your arms. Squeeze your deltoid muscles and slowly return the handles to the starting position.

Vertical traction to the chest with a barbell or on blocks

The ideal solution for rounding the deltoid muscles (especially the middle heads) are vertical pulls with a wide grip.

Grasp the barbell in front of your hips with an overhand grip slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Raise it up along the body, spreading the elbows to the sides until the upper parts of the arms are parallel to the floor. Squeeze the deltoid muscles at the top point and return to the starting position.

To perform a pulldown to the chest on the block, simply attach a long bar to a low pulley, place your hands and perform the exercise as described above. When using blocks, constant muscle tension is achieved, especially if you squeeze the muscles at the top point to achieve maximum contraction.

Advice. If you have shoulder problems or feel uncomfortable doing pull-ups but want to experience the benefits of this exercise, you can try dumbbell rows. Hold the dumbbells in front of your thighs and lift them up like you would a row with a barbell. The difference will be in the freedom of movement of the arms, which will remove some of the load from the shoulder girdle.

Front barbell or dumbbell lifts

Front raises are often used as the final exercise when training the anterior and middle heads of the deltoid muscles. Hold the barbell with an overhand grip slightly more than shoulder-width apart in front of your hips.

With your elbows slightly bent, raise the barbell in front of you at approximately eye level using your shoulder joints. Slowly lower the barbell to the starting position.

When performing dumbbell front raises, hold them near your hips with your thumbs facing forward (as if you were about to do curls). Raise the dumbbells in front of you, bending your arms at the shoulder joints, without turning your wrists. When you reach eye level, return to the starting position.

Advice. If your gym is always full of people and the barbells/dumbbells are constantly busy, you can do front lifts using plates. The plate raise is a great alternative to barbells and dumbbells.

Take a weight with which you can perform the required number of repetitions, as if you were holding the steering wheel. Make sure your grip on the plate is a little closer to the underside so that you can tilt it slightly as you lift it up. Lower and raise the plate as if doing frontal dumbbell raises.

Shrugs with barbell and dumbbells

The ancestor of all trapezius exercises are barbell shrugs. Grasp the barbell at your hips with an overhand grip shoulder-width apart. Raise your entire shoulder girdle up, touch your shoulders to your ears, squeeze your muscles, then slowly lower the barbell down.

Important. Do not rotate your shoulders during this exercise. Raise them straight up and down. Do not make circular motions forward or backward, otherwise there is a possibility of injury.

Some athletes find dumbbell shrugs more comfortable and more effective. While the barbell is in front of you and can pull you forward, the dumbbells are always positioned at your sides to aid balance. Take a pair of dumbbells as if you were going to do curls, lift your shoulders up and squeeze the muscles. Lower your shoulders to the starting position and repeat.

Advice. If you have problems with the mobility of the shoulder girdle, you can perform barbell shrugs from behind the back, which are a great alternative to the traditional variations of this exercise.

In a standing position, grab the barbell with an overhand grip behind the buttocks. Raise your shoulders up as you would with a regular barbell shrugs and squeeze your muscles. The range of motion may be slightly limited, so be careful and strictly follow the technique of the exercise.

Greetings, friends! For a long time we did not understand the training programs. Today I decided to consider everything related to the question: “How to pump up deltas?”, As well as many other related issues. In short, if you are interested in how to make your shoulders (deltas) stronger and more voluminous, then this article is for you.

We talked about the anatomy of the deltoid muscles (shoulders) in a small article. Therefore, I will not consider it here. If interested, read. That article will not take you more than 2 minutes.

Pumped up shoulders are very beautiful, but not many people understand why. The fact is that the wider and larger your shoulders, the more impressive your silhouette looks. Ideally, you should have a very narrow waist and very broad shoulders. This is what EVERY bodybuilder strives for.

So, let's not talk too much. It's time to specifically consider how to pump up the deltas.

How to train?

There is a constant debate about what is more effective in growing deltas: swings or bench presses. I must say right away that I am a supporter of the mandatory performance of traction and bench presses for the growth of your shoulders and, in my opinion, this is more than logical. Now I will explain why.

Presses and deadlifts are basic exercises that involve several joints and muscle groups, so we can work with much heavier weights than dumbbell swings, which means we will follow the main rule for muscle growth - load progression!

Dumbbell swings are isolation exercises that “bomb” your deltas more precisely, but, despite this, they have a number of disadvantages. Ready? Let's go.

First, because swings are isolating exercises, then, by and large, only deltas work without the inclusion of other muscle groups in the work, which means that we will not be able to regularly increase the working weight and violate the rule of load progression.

Secondly, deltas are very delicate muscles, because. can perform both pulling and pressing movements. And the more complex the device, the easier it breaks.

The shoulders have incredible mobility due to their articulated design. By the way, the shoulder is the MOST MOBILE JOINT in our body, so it is injured much more often than all the others.

The same is true with the shoulder muscles - deltas. You can hear about a delta injury much more often than, for example, an injury to the quadriceps femoris muscle (quadriceps).

Therefore, it will be much more logical to do various presses and thrusts, which are less traumatic on the one hand, and will load your deltas well before the isolating load - swings.

In short, first heavy presses and pulls, and then “finishing” already tired deltas with various swings.

How to pump up deltas. Best Exercises

So. Now I will list the best, in my opinion, exercises for the growth of your deltas, which have proven their effectiveness more than once.

Bench press standing / sitting (military bench press)

A great basic exercise that grows the shoulder girdle awesome, but there are a few caveats.

The bench press while standing or sitting should be performed in front of you (from the chest), and not from behind the head. I begin to understand what the herd instinct is when I see how people in the gym, one after another, begin to perform this exercise, winding the bar of the bar, simply copying each other by the head. They also often perform a similar exercise in the Smith machine.

With such a position of the shoulders (when the neck starts behind the head), the shoulders take an extremely uncomfortable position and the risk of injury greatly increases. Especially when people lower the bar too low, and even perform the exercise in full amplitude. Up, down, up, down... Fuck! Injury!

It is better to perform this exercise by lowering the barbell in front of you. It is more physiological and safer.

Another problem is that such an exercise can cause unpleasant sensations in the lower back, especially for beginners, whose muscles in the lower back region are very weak.

An alternative to the bench press while standing may be the following exercise.

Seated Dumbbell Press

This is a great alternative to the previous exercise for several reasons.

1. First, when you press with a barbell, your hands have nowhere to go, and they can be in a very uncomfortable position for them. When you press with dumbbells, your hands will turn on their own into a more comfortable position for them, which will reduce the risk of injury.
2. Secondly, during dumbbell presses, many stabilizer muscles are included in the work, which fix the dumbbells in the hands relative to each other.
3. Thirdly, due to the lack of a neck, the middle (hybrid) bundles of the deltoid muscles are worked out much more strongly.
4. Fourth, because you are sitting, there is practically no axial load on the spine, so this exercise is suitable even for those who experience problems with the lower back.

Barbell pull to chin

Great basic exercise! The trouble is that very rarely such an exercise is performed correctly. Yes, what to say. Almost never!

What is the problem? It's just that traditionally the upward movement, when we pull the barbell to the chin, begins for most with lifting the shoulders. This is extremely unphysiological! Thus, the entire load falls on the shoulder joint.

It is GOOD when only the deltas contract during this exercise, but BAD when the entire load falls on the shoulder joint, as when lifting the shoulders up.

What to do? You will have to strongly, almost completely change the technique of this exercise, that in fact it will no longer be a barbell pull to the chin.

You need to pull TO THE CHEST, first. And do not raise your shoulders, secondly. You need to force yourself to keep your shoulders in place, but at the same time pull the bar up, and not to the chin, but to the chest. To the chest, because this way your elbows will be lower than your shoulders. This is one of the basic rules.

Remember, in the thrust of the bar to the chin: ELBOWS ALWAYS ARE BELOW THE SHOULDERS.

Pulling is done like this: take the barbell with a grip slightly wider than shoulders, lean forward a little and, WITHOUT LIFTING YOUR SHOULDERS, raise the barbell to chest level (until the elbows are parallel to the shoulder joints). The narrower your grip, the more the trapezoid and the greater the range of motion are included in the work. And vice versa. Wider grip - more deltas work and a smaller amplitude.

The pull of the bar to the chin mainly engages the middle beam of our deltas, which most of all visually makes the torso wider, therefore it is most noticeable for the jocks.

In general, the front bundle of deltas works with all types of bench presses, so for most they are highly hypertrophied, and the middle and rear deltoids are underdeveloped. Therefore, many pitching seem stooped.

Solution: be sure to do traction for the development of the middle and rear bundle of our shoulders, because this is their main function.

Mahi dumbbells

Dumbbell swings are isolation exercises, i.e. exercises that involve only one joint (in this case, the shoulder). I must say that in the first year of training for a beginner, there is no point in doing swings at all, because. the muscles will have enough load from the presses and pulls.

Mahi are needed, as a rule, in two cases:

• if you want to “finish off” your deltas with an aimed load, after the main workout;
• if you want to pre-warm up and pump blood into the deltas before the main workout;

There are different types of swings, but all of them can be divided into three main groups:

• front;
• medium (to the sides);
• rear (tilted);

If you lift the dumbbells in front of you, then this will load your front deltas. As a rule, there is no need for this, because. the front bundles of deltas are heavily loaded in various other presses (bench press, etc.). If you still think that you need to do "front swings", use a large number of repetitions with light dumbbells, or take one heavy dumbbell and raise it in front of you.

To properly load the middle bundles of the deltoid muscles, you need to use dumbbell swings to the sides (through the sides).

You need to perform them like this: lean forward slightly, lower your shoulders down to turn off the trapezoid from work, try to raise the dumbbells so that your elbows are slightly higher than your wrists.

There is one feature. To understand how to swing through the sides, you need to imagine that you are holding a cup in your hands and pouring water out of them. Then your wrists will turn out correctly (little finger up and thumb down). This will work great for the middle bundles of your deltas.

The back beams, as a rule, are the most stubborn, but this is most likely due to the fact that the exercise technique is lame. In fact, there is nothing complicated. Just lean forward a little more (almost to a horizontal position). The technique for performing like two drops of water is similar to the technique for medium beams.

The posterior bundles are traction muscles. Therefore, they grow well when performing barbell rows to the chin with a much stronger forward tilt of the body (almost 90 degrees). In the same position, swings are performed.

Another alternative is Lee Haney's back row. It was invented, as you understand, by the cool bodybuilder Lee Haney, who won Olympia 8 times, but that's not the point.

Usually, it is performed either with a barbell behind the back or in Smith, but there is a problem here. Ass bothers! Not very comfortable.

Pulling Lee Haney behind his back is similar to shrugs (shrugs), but only here the elbow joint is bent at the top point. Alternatively, you can do dumbbell rows instead of barbells. Raise them alternately to stabilize the body and concentrate on the back beam of our deltas.

If I were specifically asked: “How to build deltas?”, Then I would describe a POWERFUL training program for the shoulders in this way:

1. Seated Dumbbell Press: 2 sizes + 3-4 x 6-12.
2. Barbell pull to the chin: 1 size + 3-4 x 6-12.

If you have been training for a long time, then you can add dumbbell swings at the end to “finish off” your deltas:

1. Mahi dumbbells: 1 size + 3-4 x 8-12.

If you, like most people, are lagging behind the back bundle of your deltas, then make the forward lean a little stronger, replacing the usual swings with dumbbell swings in the slope:

1. Mahi dumbbells in an incline: 1 size + 3-4 x 8-12.

conclusions

1. Deltas perform two types of movements: presses and deadlifts.
2. Deltas are very “tender” muscles due to the incredible mobility of the shoulder joint, so it is easy to injure.
3. Various bench presses and barbell rows to the chin are best for growing deltas.
4. Mahi can only be used to warm up the deltas (with small weights) or to “finish off” at the end of a workout. Mahi - play a secondary role.
5. Presses develop mainly the front bundle of deltas, traction - the back.

This is the end of this post, my friends. I hope that you have learned something new for yourself on how to pump up deltas. All the best.

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With respect and best wishes, !

P.P.S. If you are just starting out in bodybuilding, then it is too early for you to purposefully train your shoulders. You need . It will give you a POWERFUL start.