Building 3D Shoulders

Surfboard man. Not a special hero. Just a guy with shoulders that are as strong as they look. Building 3D shoulders gives a powerful physique.

Here are the fundamentals for building 3D shoulders:

1. Big, 3D shoulders are built from doing a wide variety of movements.
2. The concept of three heads of the deltoids is antiquated. There are actually seven heads to the deltoids and they should be trained accordingly.
3. For thick, visually impressive shoulders, one should concentrate on training the medial and posterior portions of the deltoids.
4. There is no need for direct anterior deltoid training. If you do a good job at bench presses, incline presses or dips, the anterior portions of the shoulders should look just fine.
5. Big deltoids are best built with either descending sets, or with heavy, light, heavy training.
6. Powerful shoulders require big, strong arms. Make sure you are including the Best Arm Exercises in your training.
7. You get the best results by using three routines and alternating them. Doing the same routine two workouts in a row leads quickly to staleness in development.

Here are three routines to alternate every five days to build 3D shoulders:

Routine #1: Tri-Sets—Posterior Deltoids

In Routine #1, you also use trig-sets done for 5 series. In this workout, building the posterior part of the shoulder is the focus.

A-1: Bent-Over Lateral Raises: 6 to 8 reps @ 20X2 tempo

(Forehead is resting on a Scott Bench; this prevents cheating)

Rest 10 seconds.

A-2: Incline Prone Lateral with External Rotation at top: 8 to 10 reps @ 20X1 tempo

(The posterior deltoids are external rotator of the humerus when the arm is nearly fully abducted)

Rest 10 seconds.

A-3: Seated Rope Face Pulls: 10 to 12 reps @ 30X0 tempo

(Keep the torso immobile throughout the movement)

That is it. Your deltoids should be trashed.

Five days from now do Routine #2.

Routine #2: Tri-Sets

In Routine #2 for building 3D shoulders, train tri-sets done for 5 sets.

A-1: Seated Dumbbell Lateral Raises: 6 to 8 reps @ 20X1 tempo

Rest 10 seconds

A-2: Rope Low Pulley Upright Rows: 8 to 10 reps @ 20X1 tempo

Rest 10 seconds

A-3: Seated Dumbbell Presses Neutral Grip: 6 to 8 reps @ 40X0 tempo

Rest 3 minutes, repeat for 4 more series.

That is it. Your deltoids should be trashed.

Five days from now, do Routine #3.

Routine #3: Heavy-Light-Heavy System

A. On this 3d shoulder workout day, begin with One Arm Bent-Over Lateral Raise.

Start with your non-dominant arm.

Pick a weight you can do for 6 to 8 RM. Lift to failure, rest 10 seconds, use a weight that is about 20 to 25 percent lighter, and go for another 6 to 8 reps.

Pick a weight that is about another 20 to 25 percent lighter, go for another 6 to 8 reps. Rest 10 seconds. Now use a weight that is 20 to 25 percent HEAVIER than the original weight. Do 4 to 6 partial reps, stopping for a 2-second pause at the top of the concentric ranges.

Take a 45-second break, repeat with the dominant arm.

It looks like this:

1. One Arm Bent-Over Lateral Raise: 17.5 lbs x 8 reps @ 20X0 tempo
2. Rest 10 seconds
3. One Arm Bent-Over Lateral Raise: 15 lbs x 7 reps @ 20X0 tempo
4. Rest 10 seconds
5. One Arm Bent-Over Lateral Raise: 12.5 lbs x 8 reps @ 20X0 tempo
6. Rest 10 seconds
7. One Arm Bent-Over Lateral Raise: 20 lbs x 4 reps @ 2012 tempo
8. Rest 45 seconds
9. Repeat steps 1 to 7 with the dominant arm.
10. Rest 2 minutes

Do four of these heavy-light-heavy series per arm.

B. The second exercise is Poliquin Incline Lateral Raise

Start with your non-dominant arm.

The elbow is bent at 90 degrees. When you reach the top of the concentric range, extend the elbow, lengthening the resistance arm and increasing the load for the eccentric portion.

Pick a weight you can do 6 to 8 RM with and lift to failure. Rest 10 seconds. Now use a weight that is 20 to 25 percent HEAVIER than the original weight. Do 4 to 6 partial reps in the bottom range, stopping for a 2-second pause at the top of the concentric range.

Take a 45 seconds break, repeat with the dominant arm.

It looks like this:

1. One Arm Incline Lateral Raise: 25 lbs x 8 reps @ 20X0 tempo
2. Rest 10 seconds
3. One Arm Bent-Over Lateral Raise: 30 lbs x 4 reps @ 2012 tempo
4. Rest 45 seconds
5. Repeat steps 1 to 3 with the dominant arm
6. Rest 2 minutes

Do four of these heavy-heavier series per arm.

That is it. Your deltoids should be trashed.

Five days from now, go back to Routine #1.

Final Words

Big shoulders with a 3D look come by training the middle and posterior portions of the deltoids. You now have three routines that take 15 days to go through the rotation. You can do each routine 6 non-consecutive times, hence you now have 90 days of rewarding shoulder work to look forward to.