If you can select a muscle group to target, the shoulders are an excellent choice. Getting those massive boulders is no easy feat, but we can help.
When you hear some people talk about getting bigger muscles and fatter bank accounts, they aren’t mixing their words. In a world where looks reign supreme, huge shoulders will turn heads more than anything. Increased shoulder growth will also make it easier for you to lift heavy objects, excel at sports, and increase your overall strength. Here’s what you need to know about building your deltoid muscle and getting bigger shoulders.
Listed under the exercises are some recommendations for heavy and light sets and reps. Heavier sets with lower reps are designed to help build muscle mass while lighter sets with higher reps will help build muscle endurance. Both are important in healthy muscle development.
Overhead Shoulder Press
Workout Flow (Heavy): 2-3 Sets of 5-8 Reps
Workout Flow (Light): 3-4 Sets of 12-15 Reps
If your shoulders are something you want to improve, growing your shoulders will break some necks and help you get stronger. The exercise that first comes to mind is the overhead shoulder press, and for good reason. Lifting those dumbbells above your shoulders with a heavy-weight, low rep set with get you closer to larger shoulders than any other exercise as it targets all your deltoid muscles as well as your traps.
Bent-Over Reverse Fly
Workout Flow (Heavy): 2-3 Sets of 5-8 Reps
Workout Flow (Light): 3-4 Sets of 12-15 Reps
The next indispensable shoulder workout is the bent-over reverse fly. Using lighter dumbbells, you’ll be able to raise your arms from the ground to your shoulders while in a bent-over position. Doing this will not only work your post-deltoids and traps but it will also work your rhomboids, which are located in your back. Make sure that your knees are slightly bent as to not lock and possibly injure them.
The Arnold Press
Workout Flow (Heavy): 2-3 Sets of 5-8 Reps
Workout Flow (Light): 3-4 Sets of 12-15 Reps
Last but not least, we will be covering the Arnold Press. And yes, it was named after the legendary Arnold Schwarzenegger. Much like the overhead press, you will grab the same heavier set of dumbbells and lift them in the same manner. The variation comes with the insides of your wrists facing you and rotating them to face out once you lift the weights. This way you also work your rotator cuffs in addition to your deltoids. As you bring the weights back down, you will rotate them back to their previous position.
There are plenty more shoulder workouts available but those three are the ones that you’ll see most people doing. They target most of the delts and ultimately will lead to some larger shoulders.
