Welcome to the world of intermediate bodybuilding. You’ve spent a year or three in the gym, and you finally have a handle on nutrition. You know what you should be eating, and you stick to a pretty good bodybuilding lifestyle all around. You’ve reached the point where you’re past trying to get ‘big arms’ and you have advanced to the point of a new goal – complete and balanced bodybuilding development.   Unless you have been blessed with superior genetics, you probably have noted your shoulders are one area which certainly could use a little bit of special attention. You train them weekly of course, but since they’re just not shining like some of your standout body parts do, you are aware of the fact you need to do more. Here are a few tips for better hitting the shoulders in a more balanced manner.    Hit the rotators Just a few minutes per week of rotator cuff training will lead to an enlargement of the tendon area, and allow for more flexibility in the shoulder area – and more growth as well. Don’t just focus on the three deltoids. Spend five minutes before each shoulder and chest day with a 5-pound dumbbell and your favorite assortment of rotator cuff movements. If you aren’t familiar with these movements, visit youtube.com for a wealth of useful movements which lead to RC safety, injury prevention, and muscle growth!

If you like this article, click here to share:

Welcome to the world of intermediate bodybuilding. You’ve spent a year or three in the gym, and you finally have a handle on nutrition. You know what you should be eating, and you stick to a pretty good bodybuilding lifestyle all around. You’ve reached the point where you’re past trying to get ‘big arms’ and you have advanced to the point of a new goal – complete and balanced bodybuilding development.   Unless you have been blessed with superior genetics, you probably have noted your shoulders are one area which certainly could use a little bit of special attention. You train them weekly of course, but since they’re just not shining like some of your standout body parts do, you are aware of the fact you need to do more. Here are a few tips for better hitting the shoulders in a more balanced manner.    Hit the rotators

If you like this article, click here to share:

Every muscle group in the body connects to another muscle group by virtue of location and tendon placement. They all work together to form a unique network of muscles, unified in the single purpose of completing tasks we ask of it. When we attempt a simple lift, such as the bench press for example, hundreds of small muscle groups and thousands of fibers are called into play. The simple act of benching 135 pounds for a single rep requires contributions (in terms of contraction and the exertion of force) from the pectorals, three heads of the deltoids, triceps, forearms, and back muscles to a lesser extent. Additionally, we may even exert some force all the way down to our calves as we use our entire body to help move the weight, as is the case in some circumstances.

If you like this article, click here to share:

Pyramiding your sets is simple, and it can be used to ensure that you are adequately hitting both the slow- and fast-twitch muscle fibers. Not only does this give your joints a rest in avoiding four ultra-heavy sets and ensure you are properly warmed up before attempting heavy weights, but it stimulates as many possible muscle fibers in the targeted muscle group as possible. Here is a sample shoulder routine, which uses pyramid sets.

If you like this article, click here to share:

Q:  Dude, my front delts are sorely lacking. I never do isolative exercises for them I always feel they get enough on chest days, but I guess I'm wrong. What's a quick way to add more meat to my FD without sacrificing strength on bench day?

If you like this article, click here to share: