Workout for Broad and Round Shoulders
Sloping shoulders are a sign of physical weakness and is associated with laziness. On the other hand, broad and square shoulders are linked with physically active and strong individuals.
If you study the body postures, lethargic people will drag their feet and walk with dropped shoulders while the powerful people walk with an upright posture with broad shoulders. Wide shoulders are an essential part of a V-taper and can give your physique an appealing look.
Exercise 1 – Superset
– Arnold Presses – 3 Sets 20, 15, 10 Reps
– Rope Front Raises – 3 Sets 10, 15, 20 Reps
In this workout, we’ll be training the front, medial and posterior deltoids to get the round and full look. Arnold presses train the medial and the front delts and will give your shoulders the round and bolder look.
Rope front raises are an isolation exercise which works the anterior deltoids. Using the cable machine keeps constant tension on the front delts throughout the movement which helps in better muscle fiber recruitment.
Exercise 2
– Seated Side Lateral Raises – 6 Sets 30, 20, 10, 10, 20, 30 Reps
We’ll perform the lateral raises while being seated as it removes the probability of using momentum to lift the weights. In this exercise, we will start by performing 30 reps in the first set and end the exercise again with 30 reps on the sixth set.
Once you complete the third set, use the same weights to complete the fourth set. The challenge in this exercise is to use the same weights in the fifth and sixth set as you used in the first and second sets. It’ll be hard as the fatigue will have set in.
Exercise 3 – Drop-Sets
– Barbell Military Presses – 3 Sets 12, 10, 8 Reps
When done with the right form, the barbell military presses can be one of the hardest exercises. This exercise is called the military presses for a reason. You need to perform the barbell presses with a strict form without using any momentum or jerking movement.
The military presses target the medial delts effectively. Grab the barbell with a monkey grip and the bar should be resting right above your shoulders at the bottom of the movement.
At the top of the movement, your elbows should be locked out and the bar should be over your temples. With your arms extended over your head, your body should be in a straight line forming a right angle with the floor.
Exercise 4 – Superset
– Alternate Dumbbell Front Raises – 3 Sets 10 Reps (Each Arm)
– Kneeling Cable Rear-Delt Flyes – 3 Sets 15 Reps
The dumbbell front raises target the anterior delts while the rear-delt flyes target the posterior delts. While performing the front raises, raise the dumbbells to your eye-level and bring them back to your sides.
While standing in the center of the cable pulley machine, grab the right cable with your left hand and vice-versa without any extension. Kneeling down eliminates the use of momentum and isolates your rear delts.
Exercise 5 – Superset
– Dumbbell Shrugs – 3 Sets 30, 20, 10 Reps
– Bent Over Dumbbell Rear-Delt Flyes – 3 Sets 10, 20, 30 Reps
Dumbbell shrugs target the trapezius muscle. The dumbbell shrugs give you a better range of motion as compared to the barbell and you can move your shoulders closer to your ears. Start with lighters weights and progress to as heavy weights as you can lift.
Rear delts are one of the weakest muscle groups for most people. They can also be amongst the most stubborn muscles to develop. In the bent over rear-delt flyes, hold the dumbbells with a neutral grip and contract your muscles with every rep.
Who do you think has the best shoulders? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
