For bodybuilders – particularly natural trainers – the shoulders are among the toughest areas to develop. Sure, you will occasionally run into a genetic freak that developed cannonball delts scratching his backside in the morning. However, for most of us, the shoulders are a very tough area to develop, and one that only sees success after years of dedicated and consistent training. Here are a few questions you should ask yourself if your shoulders aren’t up to par.

Are you going heavy enough?

On the heavy movements such as seated dumbbell military press and barbell overhead press, you should be stopping at 6 to 8 repetitions because you reach failure. If you are regularly able to complete 12 to 15 repetitions, it’s a pretty good sign that you just aren’t training heavy enough.

What are your genetic limitations?

Look at the physiques of your family members. Do they have broad shoulders, or are they very lean. Of course you can increase your own size and become the best “you”, fulfilling your own potential. However, if your entire family is rail thin, you aren’t going to develop the width of a Vic Martinez, no matter how hard you train.

How is your chest development?

Often, bodybuilders with great chest will have poor shoulders, and vice versa. On movements such as the bench press and incline shoulder presses, one of these muscle groups will typically “take over” the brunt of the work most of the time. If your chest is naturally good, your shudlers may be naturally weak. Use isolation movements to correct this and keep your chest out of the lifting loop.

What kind of volume training do you engage in?

For many bodybuilders, particularly naturals, high volume shoulder training is the only thing that works for them if they want to gain muscle mass. Sure, Dorian Yates may have been able to develop world-class delts by training them with six sets every ten days… but he was the exception, and not the rule.

Are you keeping it simple, stupid?

Some bodybuilders, particularly those who read a lot of magazines and try every thing they read, end up limiting their growth because they insist upon continually attempting every possible isolation and specialization technique, exercise, and workout in the book. The shoulders are a small group that responds well to a lot of heavy training.

Do you target your rotator cuffs as well?

Spending five minutes training your rotator cuffs once a week will help to strengthen the humerus, which will actually create more space in the shoulder area, and prevent a lot of lifting injuries.

How many times a week do you train shoulders?

Some people simply respond better to twice-weekly shoulder workouts, even if they see great results with one day of all other body parts. If all else fails, try adding 8 to 10 sets of shoulders to your workout which takes place 3 days after your first and main weekly shoulder session.

Do shoulders have their own day?

Placing this important muscle group after chest or back often results in a mediocre workout. Instead, complete shoulder movements first on their own day, and add triceps or traps to the end of this routine.

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