Welcome to the world of intermediate bodybuilding. You’ve spent a year or three in the gym, and you finally have a handle on nutrition. You know what you should be eating, and you stick to a pretty good bodybuilding lifestyle all around. You’ve reached the point where you’re past trying to get ‘big arms’ and you have advanced to the point of a new goal – complete and balanced bodybuilding development.
Unless you have been blessed with superior genetics, you probably have noted your shoulders are one area which certainly could use a little bit of special attention. You train them weekly of course, but since they’re just not shining like some of your standout body parts do, you are aware of the fact you need to do more. Here are a few tips for better hitting the shoulders in a more balanced manner.
Hit the rotators
Just a few minutes per week of rotator cuff training will lead to an enlargement of the tendon area, and allow for more flexibility in the shoulder area – and more growth as well. Don’t just focus on the three deltoids. Spend five minutes before each shoulder and chest day with a 5-pound dumbbell and your favorite assortment of rotator cuff movements. If you aren’t familiar with these movements, visit youtube.com for a wealth of useful movements which lead to RC safety, injury prevention, and muscle growth!
Add Upright rows
Many bodybuilders tend to steer clear of upright rows for fear of damaging their shoulder joint. As long as moderate weight is used and the bodybuilder fully warms up, this should not be a problem. Many top IFBB professional bodybuilders use upright rows to help bring out the rear-deltoid and trap tie in, an area which can be very weak when only traditional movements are used. Give them a shot!
Don’t forget the cables
Cable raises in lieu of dumbbell movements can provide new angle of pulling, as well as a level of continuous tension not seen with most exercises. Mix them in at the end of your workout when your ability to control free weights carefully may lessen. You will likely find cables deliver a pump that dumbbells do not, even if they don’t help all that much with size.
Change your shoot zone
If you’re a natural bodybuilder, you are well advised to stay that way as long as possible. If you are a chemically assisted bodybuilder who has entered the ‘dark side’ of steroid use, then you should consider changing your injection zone to the deltoids. Many bodybuilders have noticed a great deal of localized growth that results in the area where they make their most shots. Have you every noticed how a new steroid used will suddenly develop incredible quadriceps and deltoids? Have you ever noticed there are very few so-called ‘natural’ bodybuilders with incredible quads or deltoids? The fact of the matter is, moving your injection zone to a weaker area such as shoulders will deliver a lot of growth into this receptor-packed region.