M 2006 POSTER SERIES

®
28
PERCENTAGE
OF MEN
WHO HAVE
Our 2006 Men’s Health poster series delivers SHOULDER
PAIN WHILE

Rock-Solid
the results you want in the time you have— WORKING OUT
with workouts from the world’s top experts.
This month: bolder shoulders

Shoulders
B Y M YAT T M U R P H Y
P H OTO G RA P H BY P I OT R S I KO RA
THE PAYOFF
GREATER STRENGTH The alternating shoulder press in this workout
helps you look great all over. Because you work each arm separately, both sides
of your body are trained evenly—helping you avoid muscle imbalances.
56
PERCENTAGE
OF MEN
WHO HAVE
CONTINUED
A BULLETPROOF UPPER BODY This workout emphasizes your rotator TO WORK OUT
cuffs—the primary stabilizers of the shoulder joints. Since the shoulders are AFTER FEELING
the most unstable joints in the body, shoring them up helps protect you from A PULL OR PAIN
injury and allows you to lift more in every upper-body exercise.
THE ULTIMATE PUMP This routine incorporates a sequence called the
Javorek complex, named after former Romanian Olympic weight-lifting coach
Istvan Javorek. It works your shoulders from five angles, forcing a surge of

18
blood that’ll make your upper body appear larger right after your workout.

BENCHMARK OF SUCCESS NUMBER OF

HOW STRONG ARE YOUR SHOULDERS? MUSCLES
ACTIVATED
The classic military press builds the largest muscles of your shoulders, including your deltoids,
DURING THE
rotator cuffs, and trapezius, making it a great exercise to measure shoulder strength.
MILITARY
Sit on a bench with your feet flat on the floor and grab an empty bar with your hands slightly
PRESS
more than shoulder-width apart. (Use a spotter.) Keeping your back straight, press the bar
overhead until your arms are straight, then lower it to the top of your chest. Do 10 repetitions,
rest 60 seconds, then add 10 to 20 pounds and repeat for a set of eight repetitions. Rest again,
add another 10 pounds, and do a third set, this time of five repetitions. Continue adding weight
in increments of 5 to 10 pounds—increase your rests to 2 to 3 minutes—until you work up to the
heaviest weight you can lift five times. That’s your five-repetition maximum, or five-rep max.

TRACK YOUR PROGRESS

Record your five-rep max in the chart here. Then
follow the plan on the back of this poster and retest
START
[WEIGHT IN POUNDS] 446
MOST POUNDS
yourself every 2 weeks. Go to MensHealth.com/ WEEK 2 PRESSED
[WEIGHT IN POUNDS]
poster to compare your improvement with that of OVERHEAD IN
other Men’s Health readers, or to use our five-rep- FINISH THE WORLD’S
[WEIGHT IN POUNDS] STRONGEST
max calculator if you prefer not to complete this test.
MAN
COMPETITION,
BY ZYDRUNAS
YOUR GOAL: ROCK-SOLID SHOULDERS SAVICKAS IN
YOUR TIME: 20 MINUTES 2005

The best way to build muscle isn’t always the most obvious. For instance, con-
ventional wisdom says that if your shoulders are weak, you’re not working them
hard enough. But, in fact, just the opposite is true, especially when it comes to
the most obvious exercise. “Men do entirely too many shoulder presses,” says

STYLING: SABINA KURZ/SUSAN PRICE, GROOMING: STACY BENEKE/R.J. BENNETT

Jon Crosby, C.S.C.S., performance director for Velocity Sports Performance.
“Excessive pressing exercises can destabilize your shoulders by overworking the
front portions of the muscles, which eventually causes the shoulder joints to be
pulled out of alignment.” So instead of growing stronger, your shoulders—and all
the muscles that attach to the shoulder joints, including those of your chest and
40 TO
arms—become weaker over time.
The solution is this 4-week plan, courtesy of Crosby. It’s designed to work
the entire shoulder girdle—all the muscles that hold your upper-arm bone in
its socket and allow the shoulder blade to move. This includes your deltoids,
trapezius, rhomboids, and scapular stabilizers. And although logic might suggest
50
PERCENTAGE
OF BODY
WEIGHT A FIT
that such a well-rounded approach would require extra time in the gym, Crosby MAN SHOULD
took into account that most chest and back exercises involve your shoulders—so BE ABLE TO
you need to use this workout only once a week. Perform Workout A in the first SHOULDER-
2 weeks and Workout B in weeks 3 and 4. Do the exercises in the order shown, PRESS
finishing all sets of an exercise before moving on to the next one.

April06_Poster_FIN_V2_4.4.indd 1 7/18/06 7:55:31 AM

WORKOUT WORKOUT

A
WEEKS 1 & 2
B
WEEKS 3 & 4

1
Alternating Shoulder Press 2 Dumbbell Upright Row 1 Swiss-Ball Alternating Shoulder Press 2 Dumbbell Shrug
Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand just above your shoulders, Stand holding a pair of dumbbells at arm’s length in front of Sit on a Swiss ball with your feet flat on the floor. Hold a pair of dumbbells just Stand holding a heavy dumbbell in each hand at arm’s length, with your
with a neutral grip (palms facing each other). Press the weight in your your thighs, your palms facing your body. Keeping your above your shoulders with a neutral grip, your palms facing each other. Press palms facing the sides of your thighs. Keeping your arms straight,
right hand straight above you until your arm is fully extended, then forearms pointed down and the weights close to your body, the weights overhead until your arms are straight. Keeping your right arm shrug your shoulders up as if you were trying to touch them to your ears.
slowly lower the weight to the starting position. Now press the dumb- lift your upper arms. Pause when the dumbbells are just extended, slowly lower the weight in your left hand to its starting position, Pause, then slowly lower your shoulders until your arms hang down as
bell in your left hand straight up and lower it. Continue to alternate arms below your chin, then slowly lower them. then press it back up. Next, keeping your left arm extended, lower the weight far as possible.
throughout the set. in your right hand and press it back up. Continue alternating arms.
The plan: Perform two sets of 10 repetitions in week 1, and The plan: Do three sets of eight repetitions in week 3, and four sets of six
The plan: In week 1, do two sets of 10 repetitions with each arm; in week three sets of eight in week 2. Rest for 60 to 90 seconds The plan: Perform three sets of six repetitions with each arm, resting for 60 to reps in week 4. Rest for 60 to 90 seconds between sets.
2, do three sets of eight reps with each arm. Rest for 60 to 90 seconds between sets. 90 seconds between sets.
between sets.
3
Lying Swiss-Ball Row 3
4 Incline Row to Standing to External Rotation
External Rotation Scaption Holding a light dumbbell in each hand, lie
Lie facedown on a bench that’s set at Stand holding a light pair of facedown on a Swiss ball with your chest off
a 45-degree incline, and hold a light dumbbells in front of your thighs the ball so your body is inclined. Your arms
dumbbell in each hand with an with a neutral grip (your palms should hang down in front of the ball, palms
overhand grip. Your arms should hang facing each other). Raise your facing your feet. Keeping your neck straight,
straight down, with your palms facing arms forward and out at 45- slowly pull the weights up until your upper
your feet. Keeping your head down, pull degree angles until they’re at eye arms are parallel to the floor, then rotate your
the weights up until your upper arms level. The weights should point forearms forward until your palms face the
are parallel to the floor. Your elbows to 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock at the floor. Pause, then reverse the motion to lower
should point out to the sides and top of the move. Slowly lower the weights to the starting position.
should be bent at 90-degree angles. your arms.
The plan: Perform two sets of 10 repetitions,
Keeping your upper arms stationary,
The plan: Perform two sets of resting for 45 to 60 seconds between sets.
rotate the weights forward until your
12 repetitions, resting for 45 to
palms face the floor. Pause, then
60 seconds between sets.
reverse the movement to return to
the starting position.
The plan: Perform two sets of 12
repetitions, resting for 45 to 60 seconds
between sets.

mc
Go to MensHealth.com/
poster to chat about
this workout with other
Men’s Health readers.

4 Javorek Complex
Stand holding a pair of dumbbells, arms at your sides, palms facing each other.
Raise your arms in front of you until they’re parallel to the floor. Lower the
weights and repeat for a total of six repetitions. Now raise your arms out from
your sides until they’re parallel to the floor, and lower them. Again, complete six
reps. Next, bend forward at the waist until your torso is almost parallel to the
floor. Raise your arms out to your sides, lower them, and repeat for a total of six
reps. Stand up and place your hands in front of your thighs, palms toward you.
Pull both weights up until they’re just below your chin. Lower and repeat for six
reps. Finally, turn your palms so they face each other, curl the weights up to your
shoulders, and press them overhead. Reverse the move and repeat for six reps.
The plan: Perform two sets, resting for 90 seconds between sets.

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