TRAINING TIPS
Increased Mass and Strength for Your Shoulders
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Many fitness guys misunderstand the importance of shoulders. Fact is, huge shoulders, not huge arms, make you look better in a shirt and help you lift heavier weights.
With our exercises, we’ll give you big and powerful shoulders people will always notice.
1. Barbell Overhead Press
* Stand with the body tight and rigid.
* Hold a barbell just above the upper chest, hands slightly wider than shoulder width.
* Think of an imaginary straight line drawn from the elbows through the wrists and hands and into the ceiling.
* Press the bar up along this path as the elbows extend, taking the same path back down to the starting position.
* Do 3-5 sets of 4-8 reps.
2. Hang Clean & Press
* Grab a barbell overhand at shoulder-width.
* Keep back flat and lower it to knee level.
* Straighten, shrug up, and come up on the balls of the feet.
* Flip wrists over, and press the weight straight overhead.
* Reverse the motion to return to the starting position. That’s 1 rep.
* Do 1 set of 6 to 8 reps, rest 90-120 seconds, and then use a lighter load for a second set of 10-20 reps.
3. Push Press
* Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and grip the bar with your fingertips, elbows pointing forward.
* Rest the bar on the front of the shoulders.
* Drop down into a shallow squat, centering your weight under the barbell.
* Press up through your heels.
* Drive the bar directly above your head until arms are straight.
* Lower the bar down to your chest.
* Do sets of 1-5 reps.
4. Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
* Grab a pair of dumbbells and sit on a low-back seat or adjustable bench set upright with feet on the floor.
* Begin with elbows at shoulder level but slightly forward, forearms angled in slightly so the inner plates of the dumbbells are directly above your delts.
* Palms should face forward and knuckles face back.
* With knuckles pointed at the ceiling, push the weights straight up, stopping short of locking out your elbows.
* At the top, they should be close to each other without touching.
* Control the dumbbells all the way down until the upper arms are parallel to the floor or slightly lower, the weights at approximately ear level.
* Arms should be parallel to your body, moving toward the sides as you lower the dumbbells.
* For greater muscle size: 6 to 12 reps of a weight between 67 and 85 percent of your one-rep maximum. For increased strength: 6 or fewer reps of a weight equal to 85 percent of your one-rep maximum. For power: 1 to 5 reps at between 75 and 90 percent of your one-rep maximum.
5. Dumbbell One-Arm Shoulder Press
* Stand with legs at shoulder-width apart and a dumbbell in one hand, with your arm bent above the shoulder.
* Extend through the elbow to lift the dumbbell directly above.
* Lower it back down to your shoulder and repeat.
* Repeat for as many reps and sets as desired.
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