Thick, Cannon-ball Shoulders In Minutes
If youre looking to develop an impressive, muscular physique, well-developed shoulders are an absolute must. Thick, round "cannon ball delts" will make your upper body appear wide and powerful and will help immensely in creating the v-tapered look that all bodybuilders strive for. Many serious lifters will argue that underneath clothes, muscular shoulders make the greatest contribution toward the overall appearance of the upper body. The deltoid (shoulder) is a large three-headed muscle group consisting of the anterior (front), medial (side) and posterior (rear) deltoid. The basic function of the deltoid muscle is to rotate and lift the arm. In order to develop massive, all three heads of the shoulder must be fully developed. It is also important to develop the trapezius muscles as well since they extend from the neck down between the shoulder blades. The following routine is designed for overall development of the deltoids and trapezius muscles. Although very basic, it is a foolproof way to get freaky development up top. There isnt a single lift out there that can match the incredible shoulder-stimulating effect of a basic overhead pressing movement. Both a barbell and a dumbbell can be used for this exercise, but dumbbells are the best overall choice. With dumbbell presses you get a greater range of motion for overall development and each shoulder is working individually maximizing the effort put out by both shoulders completely. Also, doing presses with barbells to the front overemphasizes the anterior delts and upper chest while presses behind the neck using a barbell put a lot of stress on the shoulder joint risking injury. Grab a pair of dumbbells and sit on a bench with a vertical back support. Press the dumbbells overhead until your elbows are just short of locking out, and then lower them back to shoulder level. After that, you have to work with side lateral raise, which can also be performed with a pair of dumbbells. Side lateral raises primarily develop the medial head (side delt) of the deltoid. Stand upright with your feet planted firmly on the ground about shoulder width apart and with your knees slightly bent. With a dumbbell in each hand, let your arms hang in front of your body with the palms facing each other. Using your shoulders, lift your arms up and out away from your body until your hands are at shoulder level or slightly higher. When it comes to training your shoulders for maximum size and strength, a basic overhead press and a side lateral raise is all you need. Its very important to realize that the shoulders are stimulated on virtually every single upper body exercise that you perform and therefore they do not require a lot of direct work. Most people perform far too much work on their shoulders and actually hinder their gains as a result. Because of this I typically do not recommend that you perform isolation exercises for the anterior and posterior heads. Dont forget that the key to massive shoulders is quality, not quantity. This is a sample shoulder routine that you can use: Seated Overhead Dumbbell Press - 2 sets of 5-7 reps. Standing Dumbbell Side Laterals - 1-2 sets of 10-12 reps. Big, full, separated, striated and capped delts will guarantee youre wide up top. Follow these basic guidelines for technique and exercise choices. All sets should be taken to complete muscular failure where no additional reps can be completed using proper form. Week after week youll notice how your shoulders grow, i guarantee that.Thomas writes tips and articles for people who want to build muscles, lose weight and become fit and healthy. Submit your articles to the article directory.