Top 8 shoulder exercises for men to bulk up and gain mass

In the training process, the shoulders always take the most active part. Today we will tell you how to properly pump these muscles and what you should do in order not to harm yourself.

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Qualitatively pumped shoulders are necessary both for improving athletic performance and for the proportionality of the body.

Innholdsfortegnelse

Why should you pump your shoulders?

Even those who do not play sports at a professional level, need to keep their shoulders toned. In everyday life, the anterior and middle bundles of deltoid muscles are the main load. If the shoulders are underdeveloped, imbalance, shoulder pronation (inward rotation of the shoulder) and increased kyphosis of the thoracic region will develop over time.

With lifters, things are even more complicated. They perform a lot of pressing movements where the delts are very active. In their case, comprehensive training of all the bunches is important both from the point of view of aesthetics and health. Strong shoulders allow professionals to avoid injuries.

How do I prepare my shoulders for training?

The most important part of any workout is the warm-up. Stretching is all about preparing our muscles and joints for loading. First, a preliminary stretch is done to activate the central nervous system and for the brain to recognize the amplitude of movement in the joints. The fact is that during stretching, we bring the joint into motion with a large amplitude, and the target muscle is stretched at this moment, moving away from the place of attachment. In simple words, the tissues of our body come to an optimal state for training, the muscles become more mobile.

After prestretching, you can do shoulder mobility exercises with a rubber. Then you need to activate the posterior and middle trapezius and the posterior deltoid with the help of light shoulder releases with a rubber band, facepunch, “tearing” the rubber band in front of you and rotating the shoulder outwards.

Shoulder release with a rubber band

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Stand up straight, extend your arms in front of you.
Fix the projectile in the fist of one of your hands. With the other hand, take the rubber band and make a smooth pullback to the side.
Return to the starting position.
Make the movement only at the expense of the shoulder joint.
Do the same with the other arm.

Facepool

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Place the block at about chest level. Attach the rope handle to the block.
Step away from the machine so that the rope is taut.
Without lifting your shoulders, pull the rope handle towards you and upwards so that at the end point it is in front of your face.
Smoothly return to the starting position.

This exercise can be performed at home with a rubber band.

“Breaking” the rubber band in front of you

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Stand up straight, straighten your back.
Take the rubber band in your hands, and stretch them out in front of you.
Slowly spread your arms apart so that the projectile is stretched.
Return to the starting position.

Outward rotation of the shoulder

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Set the block at the level of the elbow joint. Turn to the simulator on your right side.
Bend your left arm at the elbow to a 90-degree angle and then grasp the handle with it.
Move your arm outward to the left away from you without extending your arm.
Return to the starting position.

Begin to perform exercises with small weights with a gradual progression, do not immediately go to the maximum. This way you will not only increase the effectiveness of training, but also reduce the risk of injury.

What is important to know when training shoulders?

When choosing exercises, focus on the muscles you want to work. The shoulder consists of the anterior, middle, and posterior deltoid muscles. But here’s a complete list of muscles:

the small rhomboid muscle;
beak-shoulder muscle;
triceps brachii;
biceps brachii;
brachialis;
deltoid muscle.

Boris Iljin: head presses are banned in the developed fitness community because of the high risk of shoulder impingement syndrome due to the anatomy of the structure.

Impingement syndrome of the shoulder joint is a shoulder joint disorder in which the tendons of the rotator cuff rub against the scapula spur.

Boris Ilyin: the barbell pull to the chin is also disliked in the advanced fitness community for the same reason as the head press. If it is to be done, it should be done with a narrow hand position, palms next to each other, and elbows are moved as far to the side as possible.

Also, for the correct performance of all exercises, it is necessary to understand the functions of the deltoid muscle, the parts of which we have listed above. Based on these functions, exercises are selected.

Deltoid muscle. With simultaneous contraction of all parts, it pulls the shoulder outward to the horizontal plane.
The anterior part flexes, performs horizontal adduction and rotates the shoulder inward.
The posterior part of the muscle performs horizontal withdrawal, extension and rotation of the shoulder outward.

Boris Iljin: delts work in absolutely all presses, as well as in crossover exercises related to the pectoral muscles.

Basic exercises for shoulders in the gym

Overhead barbell press

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Stand up straight, feet shoulder-width apart, back straightened.
Lower your shoulder blades and bring them in.
Take the barbell in your hands and bend your arms at the elbows so that the bar was at the level of your chin, and the shoulders are parallel to the floor.
As you exhale, straighten your arms and push the bar up, with your arms still slightly bent.
Når du puster inn, går du tilbake til utgangsposisjonen.

Dumbbell press up

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Place your feet about shoulder width apart, shoulder blades should be lowered and aligned, back straight.
Take the dumbbells and bend your arms in front of you to an angle of 90 degrees so that the dumbbells are at the same level as your chin.
As you exhale, straighten your arms up.
Når du puster inn, går du tilbake til utgangsposisjonen.

Standing arm curl

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Stand up straight with your feet at the width of your pelvis.
The shoulder blades are brought in and lowered, the back is straight.
Slightly tilt the body forward.
Straighten your arms and pick up the dumbbells.
Place your hands in front of you so that the dumbbells touch each other.
As you exhale, move your arms out to the sides, keeping them straight.
Når du puster inn, går du tilbake til utgangsposisjonen.

Standing arm curls in a bend

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Stand up straight, feet on the width of the pelvis, the pelvis itself is slightly pulled back, and the body is tilted forward about 30-40 degrees.
Take the dumbbells and lower your arms down.
As you exhale, spread your arms apart so that they are parallel to the floor.
Når du puster inn, går du tilbake til utgangsposisjonen.
Keep your back straight. Your arms should also remain straight during the movement.

Bending the arms in the shoulder joints

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Place the feet on the width of the pelvis, similar to the previous exercises, the shoulder blades are lowered and brought, and the back is straight.
Make a slight inclination of the body, about 10 degrees.
Take the dumbbells and lower your straight arms along the body.
As you exhale, bend your arms at the shoulder joints to a 90-degree angle between your body and shoulders.
Når du puster inn, går du tilbake til utgangsposisjonen.

You can either lift your arms with dumbbells simultaneously or alternately.

Arnold press

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Starting position is sitting on a bench with a vertical back, back tightly pressed to the bench, feet on the floor in a stable position, legs bent at the knees at right angles.
Take dumbbells in your hands, turn your arms so that your palms are facing your face, shoulder bones parallel to the floor, forearms perpendicular to the floor and parallel to each other.
On an exhale perform an upward press, at the top point the dumbbells should be in projection over the shoulder joints.
When you reach 60 degrees between the humerus, turn your palms and dumbbells outward.
At the top point, the arms should be fully straightened and the palms should face forward.
Når du puster inn, går du tilbake til utgangsposisjonen.
Perform the dumbbell press smoothly, evenly, without jerks and jolts.

Bench press

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Lie on the bench, bring your shoulder blades together and stick your chest forward.
Grasp the bar with a grip slightly wider than shoulder width, feet should be firmly on the floor.
Remove the bar from the rack and inhale and lower it to chest level.
As you exhale, push the barbell up by extending your arms.

The exercise can be performed both with a barbell and with dumbbells.

Sit-up press with dumbbells

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Sit on a bench with a backrest, rest your back on it, put your feet on the floor.
Take the dumbbells in your hands, spread them apart and bend at the elbows, bring your shoulder blades together.
As you exhale, straighten your arms and lift the dumbbells up, keeping your arms parallel to each other.
Når du puster inn, går du tilbake til utgangsposisjonen.

This exercise can be performed standing, and if desired, replace the dumbbells with a barbell.

Boris Iljin: to include the posterior delta in the work, you can perform incline pull-downs, horizontal pull-downs in the machine (reverse “butterfly”), as well as a variety of pulling movements such as facepulls, pulling blocks and pull-ups.