Shoulder girdle development
It would seem that the way is simple - to train the delts. But there is a problem: the delts are extremely reluctant to respond to training. The advice to load the delts more often, up to three times a week, in the spirit of targeted specialization programs, does not work here. In short, you will not take the delts with a cavalry charge. So what then? There are many questions. How to warm up to protect fragile shoulder joints? Do you need heavy presses? In what mode to pump the delts? With which muscles to combine? We will try to answer these answers below.
What exercises are most suitable for warming up the delts?
In pumping the delts, everything depends on the warm-up! A good warm-up can make a stunning difference to the usual routine of training the delts! You know, the largest bundle of delts is the rear. That's where you need to start. Take any exercise, even incline raises, even reverse raises on a chest machine. Then you need to slightly increase the weight and do endless repetitions again. Until you feel that the deltas have swollen, become dense and hot. Now you can start serious work. The weights are small, so there is no fatigue, but the psyche is reduced, and the deltas are in good shape.
The main thing is that the weight is smaller. The technique is impeccable, so that all the blood gathers in the back bundle.
Studies have shown that before training any part of the body, some athletes perform a regular warm-up "completely", that is, they give themselves a small aerobic load. Stretching exercises do not need to be performed if they torment the muscles beyond the limits of the weekend. Then, if we are talking about the deltas, perform "light" lifts through the sides or presses with dumbbells of 2.5 kg. Do not take large weights at once. Deltas are not the case. Only when the deltas are hot do you take on a solid weight.
It is the posterior deltoid muscle bundle that is of paramount importance for giving the shoulders an athletic look. The best exercises for developing this bundle are reverse raises on a pectoral machine and incline block raises.
The key point: when performing any of the incline raises, bend deeply, to a parallel with the floor. Lift your chin, do not slouch your back. Lift the dumbbells strictly to the sides. If the work of the posterior deltoid bundles is not felt, it means that you have overdone it with the weight and are lifting it due to inertia.
Deltas are often trained together with the chest, but is there any point in this?
Even if you combine these muscle groups in one workout, the sequence of exercises must be constantly changed. If, for example, this week you first affect the pectoral muscles, and then the shoulders, then in the next workout you will need to start with the shoulders. Elementary logic suggests that the part of the body that you train first increases much better; therefore, if you constantly train the delts after the chest, then without suspecting it, you can pretty much "launch" them.
It is believed that beginners will not harm the "combined" training of the chest and shoulders, but more trained athletes are recommended to allocate a separate day for each of the four main muscle groups, which are the legs, back, chest and delts. Well, in the intervals between these days you can work with "little things", such as biceps, triceps, calves, abdominals." Some statements of highly qualified athletes:
"I do not like to train the chest together with the delts, since in both cases pressing movements are used. During chest training, the deltoids are, of course, also subjected to stress, as are the biceps during many back exercises, but personally, I never expect to develop my arms "highly" by training my back."
"I've sometimes "bombed" my deltoids after my chest, and the results have been excellent. Of course, this method has its drawbacks: after chest exercises, my triceps and anterior deltoids are already tired. And this limits the volume and overall intensity of my deltoid training. That's why I've always used both tactics: sometimes I've "bombed" my chest and immediately moved on to my deltoids, and other times I've trained them separately so that they get their "maximum".
Key point: if you train your delts after an intensive chest workout, choose a light weight for the press and a heavier weight for the side raises and incline raises. And if you train your chest less intensively that day, work on the press with a significant weight, and on the raises and inclines with a relatively small one. In general, chest training is associated with a significant load on the deltoid muscles, and especially on their anterior bundles. For this reason, one of the body parts - the chest or the delts - may not receive the "due" load if you train them together all the time. Therefore, it makes sense to influence each muscle separately from time to time, and then "combine" them again.
Is it necessary to include "press" exercises in every delt workout? Is it possible to develop deltas without presses?Many athletes consider the press to be an excellent exercise. It is performed with dumbbells, but they are not brought together at the top point. The dumbbells are squeezed vertically upwards and also vertically lowered; bringing them together at the top point is detrimental to the work - the load on the deltas is weakened.Key point: the bench press is the main exercise for the deltas. The dumbbell bench press is preferable. It is the safest in anatomical terms. The barbell press over the head is not suitable for many due to the natural immobility of the shoulder joints. As for the chest presses, they unnecessarily overload the lower back. Well, this threatens injury to those whose lower back is weakened by sitting work.Should I train the trapezius together with the deltas?Experienced athletes say…"I work my trapezius muscles when I do back or deltoid exercises, but I do the most work on my trapezius on the day I train my back.""I don't really pay much attention to training my trapezius. I find that they get pretty pumped up when I do deltoid exercises.""I train my traps purposefully together with my back. You load my delts with presses and all sorts of "lateral" movements like incline presses, side raises, etc. But my trapezius, like other back muscles, requires mainly "pulling" exercises.""Sometimes I train my traps on "delt day" and sometimes on "back day," but it depends on what exercises I'm doing in that particular workout. If during my delt training I feel like my trapezius muscles are getting a good workout, I can add a couple of sets for my trapezius to really work them out. But I still leave the "deliberate" training of the trapezius for the back day for the most part."Key point: to some extent the trapezius work when training the deltoids, but it is more effective to develop them together with the back.What should be the load so as not to overtrain the shoulder joint?Some athletes believe that 10-15-rep sets are best for the back and middle deltoids. When you do the bench press, you should not go below 5-8 repetitions per set, do 3 sets in total.Others start with heavy bench presses and then move on to the dilutions and lifts through the sides. They turn this order of exercises into a kind of ritual. However, regular heavy bench presses will do more harm than good. The shoulder joint is too weak. Sooner or later an injury will happen. That is why in one week you should start with a heavy bench press and end with a "lateral" movement, and on the other, first perform a "lateral" movement with a heavier weight and for a "snack" - some "light" bench press. When you press a small weight, the deltas will get a rest, although the intensity of the training will still remain very high. Side raises and incline raises are best performed in an 8-12-rep mode, and bench press (with a heavier weight) - in a 6-8-rep mode.Shoulder injuries are always a nightmare - they take a very long time to recover. Whether you squat, press lying down or work on your biceps or extend your arms - the shoulders work the same. Therefore, the development of many other parts of the body directly depends on the "safety" of the shoulders. Therefore, the load range should include 10-12 repetitions.In general, the shoulder can withstand more load, but in this matter you should not overdo it. Some athletes like to work with significant weights, but if they feel something "The ugly immediately backfire. Really, what's the point of mutilating yourself? "Lateral" movements should be performed in a 12-15-rep mode, and presses - in the range of 6 to 12 repetitions." The key point: Your arm can move in different directions, since the shoulder is arranged like a ball joint, like the hip joint. But in terms of stability, the shoulder to the hip joint is oh so far away, so you have to be extremely careful. Listen to yourself. If during the first sets you feel even a slight discomfort in your shoulder, immediately stop the exercise. Then reduce the weight to the warm-up and start the movement from the beginning. If you see that everything is going well, add a little more load. And in no case do not train "because of the pain". It will cost you more!