Critique my shoulder routine

Gerbil

Gerbil

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Hello all I have been training for over 4 years and went from barely being able to bench the bar to yesterday benching 255x11. But unfortunately my shoulders have been lagging. So I would like some feed back on my shoulder routine. I do rear delts on back day.

Arnold press 3x10-12
Front raises 3x10-12
Laterals 3x10-12
Push press 3x5-8
Cable upright rows 3x15-20

What are your thoughts on it? I have seen a bit of progress with it but it seems to have stalled a bit.

Thanks in advance

-Gerbil
 
csa2179

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um i had a similar problem.. i chilled out on them.. lowered weight drastically for like 2 months did the same work out just less weight and really slow. after 2 months i was like a new person i could almost do double the weight as before i took the break. i really like shoulder work outs
 
asooneyeonig

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check out 5/3/1 and the big but boring accessories. or a 5x5 program.

what you will notice is that hitting the part of around 25 reps and leaving 1 in the tank each set you should see great results.
 

evodrag

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Take a week or two off. come back and lift heavier like 8-6-4 reps sets. switch it up
 

Yup619

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I personally like to work in rear delts on shoulder day, maybe throwing them in there would help out a bit. I like the 4x8 routine, heres what I do:

Arnold Press
Seated Front DB raises (keeps from swinging)
Seated 1 arm cable crossover (for rear delt)
Seated, bent over lateral DB raises
One arm laterals (I hold on to a pole so i can be at an angle to prevent swinging)

and every other week I substitue one of these for seated military press
 
ZiR RED

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The vast majority of people don't need any extra anterior delt work; however, must have under developed rear delts and rhomboids.

If you are doing push presses, these should be first in your program. If your goal is overall size, then nothing beats a strict standing over head press. Nothing. Make that the crux of your owrkout.

Br
 
Torobestia

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kaikara

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If you are doing push presses, these should be first in your program. If your goal is overall size, then nothing beats a strict standing over head press. Nothing. Make that the crux of your owrkout.

Br
This. I always do heavy barbell military presses and I always do them seated because it prevents me from using the rest of my body for leverage.

Your shoulder workout is the equivalent of chest day without a barbell bench press. You need a heavy compound exercise. (Unless that's what you're referring to as push press, cuz I'm not familiar with that term).
 
HondaV65

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Deadlifts.

No, I can't explain it ... it makes no sense, but when I started really concentrating on deads, my delts exploded (along with a few other parts also).

So yeah, deadlifts.
 
sidoious

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Deadlifts.

No, I can't explain it ... it makes no sense, but when I started really concentrating on deads, my delts exploded (along with a few other parts also).

So yeah, deadlifts.
May have had to do with the scapular retraction as you came up with the weights.
 
Torobestia

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=
Your shoulder workout is the equivalent of chest day without a barbell bench press. You need a heavy compound exercise. (Unless that's what you're referring to as push press, cuz I'm not familiar with that term).
Yeah, push presses are a compound exercise. It's a power/dynamic movement where you use your legs for drive (push) and then press the bar.
 

Sonny1011

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shoulders have always been my strongest and favorite to work out. I would change som things up on yours
stop doing arnold presses. go heavier and less reps on military dumbell or barbell. keep high reps on side laterals. Do some cable upright rows. Shoulders are a small muscle compared to chest or back and you dont need 3 sets for every exercise. tone it down. Also check out dorian yates seated side lateral, where on the last set you just keep going even if your barely lifting your arms....its brutal but effective.
 
Frank Reynolds

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a strict standing over head press. Nothing. Make that the crux of your owrkout.

Br
My favorite ****ing lift. haha

I like to mix it up with high rep DB SOHP sometimes, but really SOHP is the cornerstone of my delt training.
 
themondtster

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Heavy BB MP followed by heavy BB upright row with grip shoulder width... then some accessories.
 
fueledpassion

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Deadlifts.

No, I can't explain it ... it makes no sense, but when I started really concentrating on deads, my delts exploded (along with a few other parts also).

So yeah, deadlifts.
Rear-delts will feel it anyways, especially if they are under-developed.
 
fueledpassion

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shoulders have always been my strongest and favorite to work out. I would change som things up on yours
stop doing arnold presses. go heavier and less reps on military dumbell or barbell. keep high reps on side laterals. Do some cable upright rows. Shoulders are a small muscle compared to chest or back and you dont need 3 sets for every exercise. tone it down. Also check out dorian yates seated side lateral, where on the last set you just keep going even if your barely lifting your arms....its brutal but effective.
While I know this is true for most, it simply just is not for me, lol. My shoulders absolutely take a dump on my chest especially when they are pumped, lol. I have never been able to get my shoulders sore after a workout. Never. It's amazing. Too bad my whole body isn't as genetically gifted as my shoulders!
 
kaikara

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My shoulders didn't start growing until I started a high volume routine. I was using the same 3-4 exercises per body part that I was doing with everything else. Then I started the Quantum Body Method. That's an insanely high volume, fast paced workout. My shoulders started growing much better after that.
 
asooneyeonig

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whatever you do please drop those upright rows. unless you want shoulder surgery down the road then go ahead. there are far safer exercises that give the same or better results so it just seems silly to do them.
 

EliteSoldier

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I had that same problem.. So I changed my 4 day split to a 3 day split..
Chest/back
Leg/shoulders
Bi's & Tri's supersets

On leg and shoulder day, I started doing clean and jerks/power cleans for my shoulders.. Then the normal leg stuff..
Tried this for 2month and my size and power went up... Guess it had to do with the fast twitch fibers..

Try it buddy, might work for you too..
 

ckcrown84

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Cut the Arnolds, waste of energy.

Here is my shoulder routine, take it for what its worth
dumbbell seated press - warmup and 2 working sets.
Standing barbell shoulder press - 2 working sets (med weight)
Smith Machine shoulder press - 3 working sets (heavy weight)
Smith Upright rows (can do these regular too if you want) 2-3 sets.

DB side laterals and Front raises (2 sets each)
 

Jordinator

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This. I always do heavy barbell military presses and I always do them seated because it prevents me from using the rest of my body for leverage.

Your shoulder workout is the equivalent of chest day without a barbell bench press. You need a heavy compound exercise. (Unless that's what you're referring to as push press, cuz I'm not familiar with that term).
Locking your knees out also helps with preventing leverage with Overhead Press.
 
kingk0ng

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The vast majority of people don't need any extra anterior delt work; however, must have under developed rear delts and rhomboids.

If you are doing push presses, these should be first in your program. If your goal is overall size, then nothing beats a strict standing over head press. Nothing. Make that the crux of your owrkout.

Br
^ Read this post. Read it over and over again, because this is the best advice anyone can give you.

You want shoulders? Get your strict press up to 200-250. Don't focus on tons of movements and miraculous training routines. Just keep adding weight until you can press 200-250. I guarantee you will not show me a single man in the weight room that can hold a 225 barbell overhead his head that is small or weak, and his shoulders will probably be pretty healthy.

Another thing, don't put much focus on anterior deltoids. They are stimulated sufficiently with inclines, dips, flat bench and strict pressing. You also put your shoulders in bad positioning when you are on the computer, driving and anytime the scapula is slunched forwards.

The more movements focusing on the shoulder, the harder it will be to progress on all of those movements, so just keep focusing on development of your strict press. Do your lateral raises and bent over lateral raises to focus on deltoid development. You'll need to focus on scapula retraction and external rotation of the humerus as well - bent over rows, bent over lateral raise, face pulls, ect.

Zir Red, you have a valid understanding of the human body and its physiology and the way the body works. Your knowledge is greatly appreciated, especially by myself. We need more people like you on this board and in everyday gyms.

Edit: Contracting the quads help stabilize the knees at the bottom so you don't use knee drive.
 
ZiR RED

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Locking your knees out also helps with preventing leverage with Overhead Press.
Yes, but it will transfer the load to the lower back...and will result in exactly what shouldn't happen, excessive lordosis (ie.: turning the press into a standing incline press).

Keep the knees slightly bent, contract your quads as kingkong mentioned...but also forcefully contract your abdominals and glutes to keep the spine neutral while pressing....

Br
 
Frank Reynolds

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I am hoping to hit a 250+ sohp soon. My favorite lift of all time :lol:
 
Emerge

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I personally found heavy T-Bar Rows the most helpful. Concentrate on form.
 
Torobestia

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Edit: Contracting the quads help stabilize the knees at the bottom so you don't use knee drive.
I regularly almost pass out doing this, unfortunately, since my strict OHP days are 2 days after doing hack squats. My quads get so fried just standing there pushing D:
 
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