Shoulder workout

[international82]

This is for anyone who has had this problem, I have been using the skinnyguy.net workout for 7 months and have gained like 40 pounds of muscle from it
Problem is, my shoulders aren't keeping up and it doesn't look like I've added that much, with bigger shoulders obviously you look bigger but originally skinny guys have smaller frames I guess so how do you work on your shoulders specifically in addition to a mostly compound exercise routine?
On the days I do shoulders which is once a week, I do 5 sets of shoulder press, 8 reps, 6, 4, 2 and then 12 or so.

Any advice is appreciated, especially if you have worked on your shoulders alot as alot of people tend to ignore them.

 

[Julian]

40lbs? are you ****ting me?



You got any pics, id like to see the transformation.

 

[Warboss Alex]

You're overtraining your shoulders, 5 sets is excessive IMO.

As for getting bigger shoulders - when you can military press and db press 200lbs or more, you won't be complaining about having small shoulders!

(i.e., continue to lift progressively heavier weights with good form and feed yourself properly to grow)

I'm also slightly skeptical about the 40lbs.. I assume it's a gross exaggeration.

I've seen someone put on 70lbs in a year naturally, however, though such genetic aliens are few and far between!

 

[international82]

I love it how everybody responds with skepticism, by the way it wasn't 40 pounds, it was 42 pounds with about 10 pounds of fat so it is 52 pounds of fat and muscle, anyways I won't ride you too hard it's know-it-all, seen-it-all morons like you who try to give me advice in the gym when I am lifting more than them and obviously getting better results(42 pounds). Part of the reason is that I stopped playing basketball as much so I wasn't burning all the calories I used to.

The program says 30 pounds in 3 months, I gained 42 pounds in 7 months what the **** is so hard to believe. Anyways, thanks for the advice I guess.

Nah, I don't have any pictures yet, I haven't finished I am going to be on the gaining mass for 3 more months then maybe.

ANYBODY ELSE?

 

[EFFORT]

When your Military Pressing your body weight for 10-12 reps you'll shoulders will be fine.

Just increase weight to it each week, and invest in some fractional plates. Add about 1 to 2 pounds to your military press each week. Thats a 28lb increase for your military press in 7 months if your adding 1 pound a week, thats a lot more weight then most guys are adding to there military press.

 

[Ajax]

Originally posted by international82
I love it how everybody responds with skepticism, by the way it wasn't 40 pounds, it was 42 pounds with about 10 pounds of fat so it is 52 pounds of fat and muscle, anyways I won't ride you too hard it's know-it-all, seen-it-all morons like you who try to give me advice in the gym when I am lifting more than them and obviously getting better results(42 pounds). Part of the reason is that I stopped playing basketball as much so I wasn't burning all the calories I used to.

The program says 30 pounds in 3 months, I gained 42 pounds in 7 months what the **** is so hard to believe. Anyways, thanks for the advice I guess.

Nah, I don't have any pictures yet, I haven't finished I am going to be on the gaining mass for 3 more months then maybe.

ANYBODY ELSE?

I've gained about the same amount of weight as you have and trust me, if you haven't done any cutting yet then you don't know how much fat you have added.

 

[AFK Protector]

yo can someoen give me a link to how to do a military press? I've been doing shoulder presses for a while and the gains are very little. I tried exrx.net and I couldn't find it .... please help.

 

[Ajax]

The exercise is at exrx.net under (fronterior) deltoid

 

[AFK Protector]

Originally posted by Ajax
The exercise is at exrx.net under (fronterior) deltoid

thanks man. I didn't know where to begin to look.

 

[Warboss Alex]

Originally posted by international82
I love it how everybody responds with skepticism, by the way it wasn't 40 pounds, it was 42 pounds with about 10 pounds of fat so it is 52 pounds of fat and muscle, anyways I won't ride you too hard it's know-it-all, seen-it-all morons like you who try to give me advice in the gym when I am lifting more than them and obviously getting better results(42 pounds). Part of the reason is that I stopped playing basketball as much so I wasn't burning all the calories I used to.

The program says 30 pounds in 3 months, I gained 42 pounds in 7 months what the **** is so hard to believe. Anyways, thanks for the advice I guess.

Nah, I don't have any pictures yet, I haven't finished I am going to be on the gaining mass for 3 more months then maybe.

ANYBODY ELSE?

First, if you think we're morons then why're you asking us for advice? If you're ever in the UK, get in touch and we'll have a workout together, if you need proof that there's some validity to what I'm saying. If you made those gains then well done to you - but you can't expect us to take everything you say as gospel without providing some sort of proof. If I said I had a 17-year-old nephew who benches 500 for 12, would you believe me? (I haven't, incidentally.)

Be that as it may - Ajax has a point, cut down to your original leanness and THEN measure your weight increase.

In any case, military press is an excellent shoulder exercise although eventually manouevering the barbell into position will be impractical because of its weight - time for a smith machine military press (front or back, I do both).

Same goes for dumbbell press - as a result I don't do either dumbbell or barbell presses for my shoulders because it's too dangerous/tiring to get the weights into position.

 

[Gus]

Behind-the-neck military press is horrible for your rotator cuff...believe me, I've had rotator cuff surgery. The thing to remember about shoulder injuries is that they don't just happen....they slowly degenerate over time and then suddenly you'll hear a *pop* or something and it's all over. Things like front raises, behind-the-neck pulldowns and behind-the-neck military presses, when used for a long period of time, WILL result in shoulder injury (unless you're some sort of genetic freak!).

 

[AFK Protector]

Originally posted by derEikopf
Behind-the-neck military press is horrible for your rotator cuff...believe me, I've had rotator cuff surgery. The thing to remember about shoulder injuries is that they don't just happen....they slowly degenerate over time and then suddenly you'll hear a *pop* or something and it's all over. Things like front raises, behind-the-neck pulldowns and behind-the-neck military presses, when used for a long period of time, WILL result in shoulder injury (unless you're some sort of genetic freak!).

how about shoulder presses w/ dumbbells?

 

[Centaurion]

military press is not behind the neck.

 

[Warboss Alex]

Originally posted by derEikopf
Behind-the-neck military press is horrible for your rotator cuff...believe me, I've had rotator cuff surgery. The thing to remember about shoulder injuries is that they don't just happen....they slowly degenerate over time and then suddenly you'll hear a *pop* or something and it's all over. Things like front raises, behind-the-neck pulldowns and behind-the-neck military presses, when used for a long period of time, WILL result in shoulder injury (unless you're some sort of genetic freak!).

I disagree - I've done behind-the-neck presses and pulldowns for years now and touch wood, am completely unscathed. Use proper form and weights you should control and you should be fine.

DB shoulder presses - see above comments. Excellent exercise but far too easy to plateau on them.

 

[Sh0t]

Originally posted by EFFORT
When your Military Pressing your body weight for 10-12 reps you'll shoulders will be fine.

Just increase weight to it each week, and invest in some fractional plates. Add about 1 to 2 pounds to your military press each week. Thats a 28lb increase for your military press in 7 months if your adding 1 pound a week, thats a lot more weight then most guys are adding to there military press.

Not really true. I weigh 225 and I can Mil press 230 for about those numbers above and my shoulders aren't very big. This tends to be quite common actually.
I even do a lot of handstand pushups which is of course, "military pressing" your bodyweight.

Most people get the best shoulder gains from the low weight raises and such. This has been the case especially
here:
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=474554&highlight=deltology
Hence the invention of all those neato shoulder exercises.

As far as shoulder exercises being harmful, a lot of it depends on the existing condition of your shoulder. "THe 7 minute rotator cuff solution" is a great book that should be in every trainers library but unforunately, the demand has driven the price to astronomical levels like 200-400 bucks a copy so it will be hard to find one

Overall I would say, do NOT be surprised if your shoulders do not get gigantic from doing military presses, as that is a quite common occurance.

For pure strength, raises and such things are very lame, but for those trying to get very big shoulders, they tend to be superior.

Don't use the smith machine for military presses, moving the weight into position should not be hard at all. Simple power clean the weight up and then start pressing it. What's so hard about that? You will NEVER be able to military press more than you power clean, so I don't really understand that "problem".

my suggestion would be to pick one of the shoulder isolation exercises for each head, do those for 1-3 sessions, then switch to another one for 1-3 sessions, and then back again.
Military pressing should "always" be done, but don't rely on it for mass gains

for example:
Session A:
Anterior - Standing front raises
Medial - Standing side laterals
Posterior - Standing bent over reverse flyes

Session B:
Anterior - Arnold Press
Medial - lying lateral raise
Posterior - lying side raise

etc

Good luck on the road to boulder shoulders

 

[Gus]

Centaurion...military press is in front...behind-the-neck (BTN from now on) military press is, well, behind the neck.

If you have loose joints, the pulldowns and military press behind the neck have a higher chance of causing injury. Sure, some people can do them for their entire life without getting injured, just like some people smoke their entire life and live for 90 years.

Besides, BTN pulldowns are not as effective as regular pulldowns...what's the first thing you do when you do BTN pulldowns? Lower the weight...it works the same muscles, just in a more awkward position.

 

[silverwex]

Just on shoulder excercises:

I was on the skinnyguy programme for a while also and the only excercises I performed for shoulders were/are:

Military Press (in front)
Side Rises (sometimes)
Shrugs

Yesterday on my tri/shoulder day I performed upright rows (this is when you have the barbell hanging by your waist with a narrow overhand grip - pull the bar up towords your chin and let it down slowly) - the upright rows have really hit my shoulders and today theyre quite sore. Try it.