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Define Your Delts: 5 Must-Do Shoulder Exercises

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Define Your Delts: 5 Must-Do Shoulder Exercises

Improve the appearance and strength of your delts with these science-based exercise tips that will put you head, and shoulders, above the rest. by Alex Savva Aug 30, 2013

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The shoulders play a key role in nearly every upper body exercise. Because of their critical function, extreme range of motion, and potential to bulge under your shirt like two stolen cannonballs, strong shoulders are essential for maximum performance and a well-rounded, fit physique. This article will help you maximize your shoulder development with a science-based exercise attack.

See All 5 Exercises in Action!

Watch The Video - 04:19

Shoulder Structure and Function ///

Before you train, it's important to understand the muscles you're targeting. Your shoulders are composed of the larger deltoid musclesanterior, medial, posteriorand smaller rotator cuff muscles that support the ball and socket joint. The rotator cuff is made up of four musclesthe teres minor, infraspinatus, supraspinatus, and subscapulariswhich aid in all overhead and rotational movements at the shoulder. The deltoid muscles are the prime mover of arm abductionmoving the arm away from the bodyalong the frontal plane. The front (anterior) muscles are involved in shoulder abduction when the shoulder is externally rotatedthink lateral raises with your thumbs turned up. The anterior deltoid also works with the subscapularis, pectorals, and lats to internally rotate the

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Bodybuilding.com - Define Your Delts: 5 Must-Do Shoulder Exercises

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humerus bone, effectively turning your thumbs in and towards the center of the body so your palms face back.1 The rear (posterior) fibers are strongly involved in transverse extension, as in cable back rows.2 The lateral fibers perform basic shoulder abduction when the shoulder is internally rotated, like in lateral raises. They also perform shoulder transverse abduction, as in a reverse flye, when the shoulder is externally rotated.3 An important function of the deltoid muscles is also to support the humeral head to prevent dislocation when carrying heavy loads, as in a heavy farmer's carry.4

Must-Do Movements ///

1 / Standing Dumbbell Press
Sitting is overrated. While it might cause you to have a lower one-rep max, a standing dumbbell press better stimulates shoulder growth than a seated press. Though you'll be lifting less weight, the standing shoulder press requires more stability, so you'll be actively strengthening your core and adding balance to your physique while you smoke your shoulders.5 There's no doubt that the standing dumbbell press performed with a full range of motion is the best exercise you can do for maximum deltoid recruitment. A study from the University of Padova found that using the widest range of motion when performing the military shoulder presselbows fully extended at 180 degreesresulted in a significant increase in electromyogram (EMG) activation of the pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, medial deltoid, posterior deltoid, upper trapezius, middle trapezius, long head of triceps, and teres minor.6

Execution If you haven't been fully extending your elbows during your shoulder presses, you're in for a surprise. Check your ego at the door, drop the weight, use a full range of motion, and reap the rewards of working smarter and harder with the following steps: 1. With your feet shoulder-width apart, take a dumbbell in each hand. 2. Raise the dumbbells to eye level with your elbows bent to about 90 degrees. 3. Brace your core and drive the dumbbells up and together, extending the elbows to 180 degrees. 4. Pause, and slowly return the weight to the starting position.

2 / Prone Reverse Flye

Skip the machines. A recent study showed that the EMG activity for the posterior deltoid and infraspinaturs was greatest when performing a reverse flye with a neutral hand position (palms facing each other) compared to a pronated grip (palms down). While you might be tempted to hop onto the seated reverse flye machine, you're better off using free weights and a bench to perform the prone reverse dumbbell flye. Not only do free weights allow you to get in the optimal hand position, the movement also better isolates the rear delts and recruits more stabilizers than the machines.7

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Execution 1. Lie face down on a flat bench with the balls of your feet firmly planted into the ground for support. You can roll up a towel and place it under your forehead for comfort. 2. Grasp the dumbbells with your arms angled out and a slight bend in your elbows. 3. Retract your shoulder blades as you bring the weight up, squeeze, and then lower the weight under control. 4. Repeat. Maintain constant control and tension throughout each rep.

3 / Bent-Over Reverse Fly 21s

This triset targets the rear delts while hitting the medial and front heads, as well. It's a great variation to throw into the end of your routine. Remember to keep the weight light in order to maintain proper form and keep the mind-muscle connection you need to maximize every rep.

Execution 1. Start in a bent-over position with your core tight and knees slightly bent. 2. Perform the first seven reps with a neutral grip (palms facing each other). Retract the scapula, squeeze, and slowly resist the negative. 3. Perform the next seven reps with a prone grip (palms facing down). Lead with the pinkies out as you squeeze the rear delts during each rep. 4. For the last seven reps, turn the palms back to a neutral grip and perform a forward raise. Keep the shoulders down as your raise the dumbbells and slowly lower them with control.

4 / Lateral Raises with Kettlebells

Take your standard dumbbell lateral raises to a new level. Using kettlebells will add an extra challenge for your forearms and shoulder stabilizers since you really need to control each rep's weight, which isn't directly in your palms. It is important to focus on squeezing the deltoids instead of allowing momentum to take over the movement.

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Execution 1. Grab a pair of kettlebells and hold them at your sides. 2. With your elbows slightly bent and your wrists locked, lift each kettlebell up and out to the side until your arms are parallel to the ground. Turn your thumbs down at the peak contraction to better target your side delts. 3. Pause for a second and slowly lower back to starting position. Advanced Variation: Perform this with the weight hanging directly underneath the handle and go heavier.

5 / Neutral-Grip Sternum Chin-Up

If you've never performed this version of a chin-up, you're missing out. Give it a shot. Not only does it hit your lats and rear delts harder than a traditional chin-up, it also blasts your core.

Execution 1. Start with a neutral grip on the chin-up bars. Pull your shoulder blades together and drive yourself up until your chest reaches the bar. 2. Keep your chest and shoulders open as you pull yourself up. Focuson the rear delt squeeze at the peak contraction. At the top of the move, your body should be at a 45 degree angle from the ground. 3. Brace your entire body as you slowly lower yourself back to the starting position with your torso upright. References 1. http://www.exrx.net/Muscles/DeltoidAnterior.html 2. http://www.exrx.net/Muscles/DeltoidPosterior.html 3. http://www.exrx.net/Muscles/DeltoidLateral.html 4. Potau JM, et al. Quantitative Analysis of the Deltoid and Rotator Cuff Muscles in Humans and Great Apes. Int J Primatol 2009; 30:697-708. 5. Saeterbakken AH and Fimland MS. Effects of body position and loading modality on muscle activity and strength in shoulder presses. J Strength Cond Res; 2013 Jul;27(7):1824-31. 6. Paoli A, et al. Influence of different ranges of motion on selective recruitment of shoulder muscles in the sitting military press: an electromyographic study. J Strength Cond Res; 2010 Jun;24(6):1578-83.

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7. Schoenfeld B, et al. Effect of hand position on EMG activity of the posterior shoulder musculature during a horizontal abduction exercise. J Strength Cond Res; 2013 Jan 8. [Epub ahead of print]

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alex Savva
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Alex Savva is a sought-after strength and conditioning expert, founder of CircuitFIT, co-founder of Pharmafreak and much more.
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COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE Please keep comments positive and constructive

Help the community by reporting inappropriate comments Inappropriate comments may be reported and/or removed Add a comment Body Stats
ht: 5'10" wt: 161 lbs bf: 20.0%

Rep Power: 10 (5 characters minimum) notify me when users reply to my comment

estin1981
Okay okay.....lets get to work!
Aug 30, 2013 6:00pm | report

Body Stats
ht: 6'0" wt: 187 lbs bf: 100.0%

Rep Power: 10

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julia651
my Aunty Lillian got a stunning yellow Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 by working part time at home online... helpful resources.......... www.YAD7.com
Rep Power: 10 Sep 1, 2013 3:41am | report

SATXcyclist
Alex What is your opinion on upright rows?
Aug 30, 2013 7:24pm | report Rep Power: 10

Body Stats
ht: 5'7" wt: 167 lbs bf: 14.4%

GyzzBrah
Those work your traps mainly I think
Aug 31, 2013 1:17am | report

Body Stats
ht: 5'5" wt: 132 lbs bf: 12.0%

Rep Power: -3383

GyzzBrah
Those work your traps mainly I think
Aug 31, 2013 1:17am | report

Body Stats
ht: 5'5" wt: 132 lbs bf: 12.0%

Rep Power: -3383

cmvs
works side and front, some traps
Aug 31, 2013 11:31am | report

Body Stats
ht: 6'7" wt: 182.6 lbs bf: 13.0%

Rep Power: 10

stud4848
If you focus on keeping your shoulders from shrugging and squeeze your shoulder blades together towards the top of the movement, it's a pretty effective way to work the medial and rear part of your delts
Rep Power: 10 Aug 31, 2013 3:23pm | report

Body Stats
ht: 6'1" wt: 203 lbs bf: 5.9%

Ostwind
Upright rows are silly. Not good for your shoulders at all in the sense that it's not a healthy movement to do with heavy weight.
Rep Power: 10

Body Stats
ht: 6'2" wt: 209 lbs bf: 14.0%

Lift heavy. Bench press, Press, Cleans, pull/chin up w/weight, barbell rows will get you great shoulders. Throw in a bonus round of Arnold Presses. Those KB lat raises look good though.
Aug 31, 2013 5:50pm | report

jigc23
just do the dam rows
Aug 31, 2013 6:17pm | report

Rep Power: 10

jaimeonthereal
Amazing! I've had a hard time developing my rear delts. I'm bent on trying these moves! Thank you Alex!
Aug 30, 2013 8:23pm | report

Body Stats
ht: 5'5" wt: 154 lbs bf: 15.0%

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Rep Power: 10

Southxx87
Awesome article! will be switching seated press to standing, and skipping the reverse fly machine next tuesday, sooo excited
Rep Power: 10 Aug 30, 2013 9:26pm | report

Body Stats
wt: 187 lbs bf: 14.0%

dul
no front raise?
Aug 31, 2013 3:29am | report

Body Stats
ht: 5'8" wt: 154 lbs bf: 9.0%

Rep Power: 10

TheHairyGeek
He demonstrated a bent over front raise in the video. This is a good exercise becuase: The absolute full range of motion for a front raise would involve your hand moving in an arc from your hip, forwards and upwards until it is pointing at the sky. A regular front raise only stops at just above shoulder height as very little energy energy is required for the last part of the movement. By being bent over, you can complete the upper part of the movement while still actually creating a large amount of tension in the muscle. The lower part of the movement is performed every single time you perform a bench press with your elbows tucked in and tension is placed on the front delt every time you do bicep curls or overhead barbell press. Essentially, the front delt gets a lot of love already, and the bent over front raise helps polish it off.
Aug 31, 2013 10:49am | report

Body Stats
ht: 5'10" wt: 186 lbs bf: 20.0%

Rep Power: 10

TheHairyGeek
He demonstrated a bent over front raise in the video. This is a good exercise becuase: The absolute full range of motion for a front raise would involve your hand moving in an arc from your hip, forwards and upwards until it is pointing at the sky. A regular front raise only stops at just above shoulder height as very little energy energy is required for the last part of the movement. By being bent over, you can complete the upper part of the movement while still actually creating a large amount of tension in the muscle. The lower part of the movement is performed every single time you perform a bench press with your elbows tucked in and tension is placed on the front delt every time you do bicep curls or overhead barbell press. Essentially, the front delt gets a lot of love already, and the bent over front raise helps polish it off.
Aug 31, 2013 10:49am | report

Body Stats
ht: 5'10" wt: 186 lbs bf: 20.0%

Rep Power: 10

dul
Oh sorry I couldn't watch the video the player bugged... Thanks.
Aug 31, 2013 12:05pm | report Rep Power: 10

Body Stats
ht: 5'8" wt: 154 lbs bf: 9.0%

Stratowarrior
Looks pretty good, but what's with the hat?
Body Stats

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Aug 31, 2013 12:28pm | report

ht: 5'9" wt: 179.2 lbs bf: 17.8%

Rep Power: 10

DemolitionDAN
I have tiny rear delts..... I'm ready to make me hurt!
Aug 31, 2013 4:04pm | report Rep Power: 20264

Body Stats
ht: 5'7" wt: 177 lbs bf: 15.0%

DemolitionDAN
I have tiny rear delts..... I'm ready to make me hurt!
Aug 31, 2013 4:04pm | report Rep Power: 20264

Body Stats
ht: 5'7" wt: 177 lbs bf: 15.0%

ArtistX
I can do these at home. I LUV THE *prone reverse flye* .. can't do in gym ..the guys will come to look at my *** ..SO HOME IT IS .. <3 THANK U BY THE WAY excellent post :)
Rep Power: 10 Aug 31, 2013 5:23pm | report

Body Stats
ht: 5'7" wt: 140 lbs bf: 20.0%

jigc23
where u say u work out at again?
Aug 31, 2013 6:19pm | report

Rep Power: 10

ArtistX
I can do these at home. I LUV THE *prone reverse flye* .. can't do in gym ..the guys will come to look at my *** ..SO HOME IT IS .. <3 THANK U BY THE WAY excellent post :)
Rep Power: 10 Aug 31, 2013 5:23pm | report

Body Stats
ht: 5'7" wt: 140 lbs bf: 20.0%

verz22
Ill def switch to standing presses and if only my gym had kettlebells to try out on lateral raises
Aug 31, 2013 5:25pm | report Rep Power: 10

Body Stats
ht: 5'11" wt: 190 lbs bf: 10.0%

Greater Deity
Doing it tonight, no doubt.
Aug 31, 2013 6:22pm | report

Body Stats
ht: 5'10" wt: 227 lbs bf: 12.0%

Rep Power: 271166

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Rugby2003
No isolation on the front delts? 3 out of the 5 are isolating the rear delts, I guess cos that's the most neglected side of the delt. But still 3 rear, 1 side isolation and 1 overall shoulder. I feel there at least should be a forward raise in there or something...
Aug 31, 2013 8:54pm | report

Body Stats
ht: 5'10" wt: 167 lbs bf: 12.0%

Rep Power: 10

kellycookie
Wonderful! Can't wait to try these! Thank you Alex!
Aug 31, 2013 10:02pm | report

Body Stats
ht: 5'4" wt: 140.3 lbs bf: 24.0%

Rep Power: 10

Showing 1 - 25 of 27 Comments

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