Shoulders and Traps Workout for Mass | Ross Dickerson
Want to take your shoulders to the next level? Give this muscle-building shoulders workout from Ross Dickerson a try.
Ross Dickerson's Shoulders & Traps Workout for Mass |
1) DB Shoulder Press - 4 sets, 6-8 reps
2) Seated DB Lat Raises - 4 sets, 8-10 reps
3) Plate Upright Row - 3 sets, 8-10 reps
4) DB Reverse Fly - 3 sets, 8-10 reps
5) Machine Press - 3 sets, 6-8 reps
6) Cable Front Raises - 3 sets, 8-10 reps each arm
7) Lat Raises Machine - 2 sets, 8-10 reps
8) Cable Shrugs - 4 sets, 8-10 reps 90sec Rest Between Sets & 2min Between Exercises |
Seated Dumbbell Press| Swapping out the barbell for dumbbells on overhead presses works each side independently, which is great for balanced development. The range of motion is also a bit longer, which can help maximize muscle growth. Pressing in a seated position also removes the lower body, allowing you to focus squarely on the shoulders.
| Cable Curl | This movement seems a lot like the standing barbell curl at first glance. After all, they're both bilateral movements in which you take a shoulder-width, underhand grip on the bar. What makes it different is that, like all of the best muscle-building cable exercises, the angle of loading gives you constant tension on the muscle through the full range of motion.
Essentially, that means you can't rest at the bottom or the top, which creates more total time under tension. Plus, depending on the gym you're in, you might have numerous handle options and body positions to keep you busy.
| Upright Row | Upright rows have a reputation as a shoulder destroyer, but like anything, it's all about how you perform them. As personal trainer Jimmy Peña explains in the article, "How Wide Should My Grip Be on an Upright Row," don't take a close grip, which can internally rotate your shoulders. Instead, take a wider grip where your upper arms go directly out to your sides.
The science backs this up, too. A wider grip has been demonstrated to both significantly increase delt activation and also minimizing the biceps' role in the movement. You can also perform these one arm at a time to get the same effect.
| Lateral Raise | This is one of the most popular and best isolation exercises in the weight room, but it's tougher to master than it seems. Beginners usually benefit from two cues: lead with your elbows, and only go down until your arms are about 30 degrees out from your sides. Both will help your raises be better—and more difficult.
| Front Raise | he "why" of this move is simple enough: raising your straight arm directly in front of you activates the anterior head of your deltoids. But it's not a must-do for everyone! Presses hammer the anterior delts, and these muscles already tend to be disproportionately large among individuals who overdo chest training compared to back training.
So, if you're only going to do one variation, which one is best? Single-sided dumbbell or cable raises are great because each side works independently, or alternating. This maximizes the mind-muscle connection, but also helps to build balanced shoulders