Thinking of making some changes to my delt workout

H

Hazard445

New Member
I have been doing standup shoulder presses for quite some time. It has helped me make some upper body strength. However, I decided now as I focus more on hypertrophy, i should change it up.

my workout:
Squat/SLDL
Incline bench/dips
Rows/wide grip pullups
Standup mil press

I mainly do standup shoulder press for my shoulders, however i noticed in my phyisque I lack upper body width and overall thickness. The uppermost portion of my torso (anterior delts and upper pectorals mainly) aren't that well developed and big, and I was wondering how I can REALLY hit these spots hard and make them big.

I changed my flat benching to incline benching, but here is my main concern:
Should I drop my stand up shoulder press and do seated BTN* shoulder presses to really get those anterrior deltoids? Also, Should I drop my wide grip pullups for either hammer (neutral) grip, or medium grip BTN pullups? Finally, How effective are behind the body shrugs for developing that overall upper body width?

*BTN=Behind neck
 
<div>
(Hazard445 @ Apr. 20 2007,07:15)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">I have been doing standup shoulder presses for quite some time. It has helped me make some upper body strength. However, I decided now as I focus more on hypertrophy, i should change it up.

my workout:
Squat/SLDL
Incline bench/dips
Rows/wide grip pullups
Standup mil press

I mainly do standup shoulder press for my shoulders, however i noticed in my phyisque I lack upper body width and overall thickness. The uppermost portion of my torso (anterior delts and upper pectorals mainly) aren't that well developed and big, and I was wondering how I can REALLY hit these spots hard and make them big.

I changed my flat benching to incline benching, but here is my main concern:
Should I drop my stand up shoulder press and do seated BTN* shoulder presses to really get those anterrior deltoids? Also, Should I drop my wide grip pullups for either hammer (neutral) grip, or medium grip BTN pullups? Finally, How effective are behind the body shrugs for developing that overall upper body width?

*BTN=Behind neck</div>
Just a few thoughts I'm sure others will chime in, If by standing military you mean 'strict&quot; ie. no leg drive; you could switch to push press - allows higher loads to lockout position (leg drive enables this) and although this takes some emphasis off the delts on the way up , accentuating a slow (relatively slow - not ridiculously HIT &quot;superslow&quot;) and CONTROLLED negative (descent) will hit the area in question with the highest possible loads and strength increase (and size)will come quickly. For maximum mechanical advantage take a tip fro0 the russian lifters and slightly &quot;stagger&quot; your foot placement, you could alternate which foot you Lead with from W/O to W/O like some do who use alternating grip for deads to prevent imbalances.


As for BTN presses, I don't fall into the rabidly opposed camp at all but MHO is that you would be better served to combine upright rows with pushpress ; it's a fairly &quot;low drain on CNS&quot; movement which makes a nice &quot;icing&quot; on the pushpress &quot;cake&quot;. Shoulder width or wider grip done with strict CONTROLLED pull, no body english or &quot;cheating&quot; will wrap those side delts up nicely . The trick is to approach them like BBRows, if you let your ego giude the lift you can pull a lot more but in doing so bypass the very area we are trying to annihalate. Let feel be your giude properly executed the row will be felt in side delts and uppr back, too much weight will be felt only in upper back . As you've indicated a overall upper body width desire this fits in quite effectively .


Finally for what you are going for pushpress, upright and BB rows, and deads should be your breaed and butter. And no disrespect but I'd switch out SLDL for conventional or sumo , when returning a heavy pull to the floor (I dont drop them but lower under control) I feel it in my lats even more than chins, my point is that Deads hit things you wouldn't nessessarily think of including reardelts, traps and yes even side delts . Straight leg is fine but regular allows higher loads and especially in regards to what we are going to get in terms of the secondary muscles in this lift like stabilizers the higher the load the better they will grow .


No need to take the upright row past nipple hieght , and use a wide (relatively) grip , more than shoulder width less than snatch. If you feel any PAIN check form , if pain persists , give up the movemnt you are one of those who should NOt do upright rows- but give them a chance first , they are a great movement with good upper body spillover beyond just the target muscle. Good luck!
smile.gif
 
Wow thanks for the feedback! I will be sure to altenate the standing push press (shoulder width and controlled) with the upright rows for some serious delt madness! Also, why is it you chose to replace SLDL with sumo deadlift? From the looks of it sumo DL develop the overall body mass greater than its more hamstring Stiff legged counterpart?
 
<div>
(Hazard445 @ Apr. 20 2007,14:41)</div><div id="QUOTEHEAD">QUOTE</div><div id="QUOTE">Wow thanks for the feedback! I will be sure to altenate the standing push press (shoulder width and controlled) with the upright rows for some serious delt madness! Also, why is it you chose to replace SLDL with sumo deadlift? From the looks of it sumo DL develop the overall body mass greater than its more hamstring Stiff legged counterpart?</div>
And that's exactly why I would favor it/them , like I said SLDL is fine but you didn't express a hamstring lag, you asked how to tweak your routine for upper body and shoulder goals- and because conventional deadlift allows greatest load- greatest possible stimulation will hit stablizers and balancers so to speak (what I called secondary muscles in the lift), I'm building on that by saying that 'spill over' from any kind of deadlift is going to be maximized by using which ever form allows you to pull the greatest load, which I'm betting is going to be either sumo or conventional. It's possible that SLDL is the form that allows you to pull the most weight but not likely .


usually it would go in this order for the forms:

SLDL
RDL
Conventional/Sumo

Thats from weakest to strongest.

So to get the most tweakage for shoulders from your stated program ..... Conventional/Sumo is going to be the &quot;biggest rock we can throw in this pond&quot; to borrow a &quot;HIT-ism&quot; for a second, with biggest ripples so to speak or &quot;spill over &quot; in my terms for the upper body. And thats by virtue of it's enabling the greatest load.


So as you see it's really quite simple!
biggrin.gif
 
What I love was the recommendation of the upright rows, due to its low CNS stress. I have trouble performing incline bench AND my standup push press on the same day (anterior deltoid anal rape). So i would do upright rows on my incline bench days. Also, I will change my SLDL to sumo deadlifts. I'm going to need to practice my form.
 
Hazard,
Good questions-overall I'm struggling through delt development as well; though recently I think I've found a formula that works well for me. My goal body type is essentially a taller version of a gymnast. Full shoulders, solid arms, lean and tight everywher else.
Something I've stumbled over has been the handstand press on paralettes.
While you can't necessarily adjust the weight downwards (ie your BW) so as to work properly with HST, it is an extremely high tension movement that has made my front delt development explode.
If i feel so inclined I might do a few sets of handstand presses and follow them up with some Scott presses.
My lateral delts favorite move has been a more powerful version of the lateral fly. It allows me to lift considerably more weight, and allows me to concentrate directly on my delts(not my traps, arms or anything your body normally thinks of in regular lateral flys). For my rears I use bent over version of the last move.
If its thickness and width you're after, heavy compound movements that focus DIRECTLY on the delt are best. Militaries include the upper pecs, upright rows include the traps a fair amount....research the anatomy and see if you can tweak certain movements to more directly stress the delts
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top