Tag: deltoids

Upright Rows

Stand with the legs slightly apart and back straight. Grasp the barbell with an overhand grip slightly wider than shoulder width as it rests against the thighs:

  • Inhale and pull the barbell up along the body to the chin keeping the elbows as high as possible.
  • Lower the bar in a controlled manner without abrupt movements.
  • Exhale at the end of the effort.

This exercise mainly uses the deltoid, trapezius, and biceps, and to a lesser degree, the muscles of the forearms, the
gluteal muscles, the lumbosacral group, and the abdominal muscles.
This is a fundamental exercise that is comprehensive and helps develop a “Hercules” physique.

Variations:

  • Barbell Upright Rows: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a barbell with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Raise the bar to your chin, keeping your elbows high and your shoulders back.
  • Dumbbell Upright Rows: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your body. Lift the weights to your chin, keeping your elbows high and your shoulders back.
  • Cable Upright Rows: Stand facing a cable machine with a straight bar attachment, with the cable at its lowest setting. Grasp the bar with an overhand grip and pull it up towards your chin, keeping your elbows high and your shoulders back.
  • Smith Machine Upright Rows: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and the bar of the Smith machine in front of you. Grasp the bar with an overhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Lift the bar to your chin, keeping your elbows high and your shoulders back.
  • Kettlebell Upright Rows: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a kettlebell in each hand with your palms facing your body. Lift the weights to your chin, keeping your elbows high and your shoulders back.
  • Banded Upright Rows: Stand on a resistance band with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the band with an overhand grip. Pull the band up towards your chin, keeping your elbows high and your shoulders back.

High Pulley Lateral Extensions

Stand facing the pulleys with the arms extended to the front, gripping the right handle with the left hand and the left handle with the right hand:

  • Inhale and extend arms to the side and back.
  • Exhale at the end of the movement.

Return to the initial position with a controlled movement and begin again.
This exercise mainly contracts the posterior deltoid, infraspinatus, teres minor, and, at the end of the movement as the shoulder blades come together, the trapezius and deeper in, the rhomboids.

Comment: People who carry their shoulders for- ward because of chest muscle development can perform this exercise in addition to posterior shoulder work at a machine to help rebalance their posture.
To realign shoulders where they belong, work with moderate weights, and at the end of the movement squeeze the shoulders back.

Low Pulley Front Raises

Stand with the feet slightly apart, arms next to the body. Grasp the handle with an overhand grip with one hand:

  • Inhale and raise the arm up to eye level.
  • Exhale at the end of the movement.

This exercise contracts the deltoid (mainly the anterior deltoid) as well as the clavicular head of the pectoralis major and, to a lesser degree, the short head of the biceps brachii.

Variations:

  • Single-arm raises
  • Alternating raises
  • Using a straight bar attachment
  • Alternating resistance bands
  • Single-arm raises with a resistance band

Low Pulley Lateral Raises

Grasp the handle with the arm next to the body:

  • Inhale and raise the arm to horizontal.
  • Exhale out at the end of the movement.

This exercise mainly develops the middle deltoid. Because the muscle is multipennate, com- posed of many fibers in the shape of a feather, it is best to vary the working angles in order to work all the fibers.

Variations:

  • Single-Arm Low Pulley Lateral Raises: performed using one arm at a time.
  • Alternating Low Pulley Lateral Raises: alternating between arms while raising the weight.
  • Standing Lateral Raises: performed while standing, as opposed to being seated.
  • Bent-Over Low Pulley Lateral Raises: performed while bending over, with your torso parallel to the floor.

Side Lying Lateral Raises

Lie on one side on the floor or on a bench holding a dumbbell with an overhand grip:

  • Inhale and raise the arm to vertical.
  • Exhale at the end of the movement.

Unlike standing raises, which progressively work the muscle to maximum intensity at the end of the movement (when the arm reaches horizontal), this exercise works the deltoid differently by focusing the effort at the beginning of the raise. Sets of 10 to 12 repetitions work best.

Comment: This movement contracts the supraspinatus, the muscle mainly responsible for initiating abduction. Varying the initial position (dumbbell in front of or behind the thigh) allows you to work all the deltoid fibers.

Lateral Dumbbell Raises

Stand with a straight back, with legs slightly apart, arms hanging next to the body, holding a barbell in each hand:

  • Raise the arms to horizontal with the elbows slightly bent.
  • Return to the initial position.

This exercise mainly uses the middle deltoid.
The three divisions of the deltoids create a multipennate muscle whose different fiber directions converge on the humerus. Their function is to support relatively heavy weight and to move the arm through its full range of motion with precision. 

Therefore, it is important to adapt training to the specifics of this muscle by varying the initial position of the movement (hands behind, to the side, or in front). This thoroughly works all the fibers of the middle deltoid. Because everyone’s physical structure is different (length of the clavicle, shape of the acromion, and height of the insertion at the humerus), you must find the angle of the initial position that is best for you. Lateral raises contract the supraspinatus, although you can’t see this because it is located deep in the supraspinatus fossa of the scapula (shoulder blade), where it attaches to the lesser tubercle of the humerus.

Raising the arm above horizontal contracts the upper part of the trapezius; however, many bodybuilders don’t work above horizontal so that they isolate the the lateral deltoid. This exercise should not be performed with heavy weights, but instead in sets of 10 to 25 reps, while varying the working angle without much recuperation time until you feel a burn. To increase the intensity, maintain an isometric contraction for a few seconds with the arm at horizontal between each repetition.

Bent-Over Lateral Raises

Stand with legs slightly apart and knees slightly bent and lean forward at the waist while keeping the back straight. With arms hanging down, grasp the dumbbells with the elbows slightly bent:

  • Inhale and raise the arms to horizontal.
  • Exhale at the end of the effort.

This exercise works the shoulder group, accenting the work of the posterior deltoid. Squeeze the shoulder blades together at the end of the movement to contract the middle and lower portions of the trapezius, rhomboids, teres minor, and infraspinatus.
Variation: The exercise may be performed facedown on an incline bench.

Front Dumbbell Press

Sit on a bench, keeping the back
straight. With elbows bent and pointing forward, hold the dumb- bells at shoulder level with an underhand grip (thumbs pointing away from each other):

  • Inhale and extend the arms vertically while rotating 180 degrees at the wrists, bringing them into an overhand grip (thumbs pointing toward each other).
  • Exhale at the end of the movement.

This exercise solicits the deltoid, mainly the anterior deltoid, as well as the clavicular head of the pectoralis major, triceps brachii, trapezius, and serratus anterior.

Variations:
This exercise may be performed seated against a backrest to help prevent an excessive arch in the back, standing, and alternating arms.

Comment: Working with the elbows pointing forward prevents excessive friction, which triggers inflammation in the shoulder that can eventually develop into a more serious injury.
This movement is recommended for people with weak shoulders and is meant to replace more intense exercises, such as classic dumbbell extensions with the elbows pointing to the sides or extensions from behind the neck.