Muscle Tips

Written by: Nelson Montana

You know how it is. You go into the gym on a regular basis and you give it all you’ve got. Whatever it takes to get the job done, you do. Most of the time it’s just the meat and potatoes exercises — Squats, Bench Presses, Curls — the old tried and true. They work. No need to bother with a foolproof formula. Or is there?

There’s no denying that basic compound exercises are all you need to build a solid foundation of muscle, but as any advanced trainee knows, any exercise, regardless of how well it has worked in the past, will start to grow stale and less effective. There comes a time when you need to mix things up. The only problem is, so many bodybuilders have a limited array of effective exercises to draw upon. And in the case of delt training, the limitations seem even more pronounced. Substituting seated presses for standing presses and lateral extensions with a machine in lieu of dumbells seems hardly like a change at all. Still, a little variety can be a nice alternative and stave off boredom. But what if it were possible to do something completely different — something so radical it not only adds inspiration to your workouts but provides an entirely new stimulus to your muscles. Well, now there is.

The following is a compilation of seven deltoid exercises which you’ve probably never seen. They may seem a little odd at first but after a set or two you’ll start to feel muscle fibers coming alive that you never knew you had! Get ready to shock your shoulders and see them swell up to melon-sized proportions.

Exercise #1: The Prone Reverse Raise:

The object of this exercise is to work the posterior deltoid/outer trapezius in a way that no other movement can.

*Lie face down on a bench high enough so that your arms can extend down to the sides without touching the floor. If no bench is available, you can do this exercise while standing and bent over, torso parallel to the floor.

*Holding a dumbell in each hand, palms facing forward, slowly and deliberately bring the arms up and back (not out to the side), alongside your body. Keep the arms straight throughout.

*Return the weight to the original position and repeat.

If you think about it, the direction of this movement isn’t executed by any other exercise. Expect to see detailed definition in the rear delts in no time!

Exercise # 2: Supine Cable Arcs:

* In this exercise you’ll be lying down on a bench at a cable station, facing the pulley.

*Using the connection at the bottom rung, take hold of a straight bar with both hands in an overhand grip while seated on the bench.

*Now lay back keeping the cable down by your hips.

*Using an upward, arc-like movement, raise the handle overhead and upwards until your arms are outstretched as far back as they’ll go.

Shoot for 12-15 reps with good form and expect a full blown pump in the anterior delts and traps.

Exercise # 3: The Lifting Press:

This one was a favorite of the old “York” gang, the original weightlifting champions from Pennsylvania. It seems lifting humongous weights wasn’t enough for these guys. They had to make life difficult for themselves now and then — just for fun. As you’ll see, this is a tough move requiring balance, coordination and a heap of functional strength.

*Lie on your back and in one hand, hold a dumbell overhead.

*Keeping the elbow locked, begin to stand up. (You read that right.)

*Attempt to keep the bell directly overhead at all times.

There aren’t any rules as to how this is done. Some guys sit up and then stand up while others prefer to go on their knees first. Any which way will stress the shoulders a’plenty.

Exercise #4: “W” Presses:

Careful with this one — it’s tougher than it sounds. Start with a moderate weight and build up the poundage slowly.

*Hold a pair of dumbells in the standard fashion as if you were going to do presses.

*Now as you raise the bells above your head, w-i-d-e-n your arms so that your hands are further out to the sides at the top of the movement, simulating the look of a “W”.

*Lower the weights down until your elbows are as low and close to the torso as possible.

*Repeat for at least 10 reps.

Exercise #5: Alternating Raise Swings:

*Hold a dumbell in each hand.

*With your left hand, raise the bell out to the side like a standard lateral raise, while simultaneously, raising your right arm up with the elbow bent at a 45 degree angle, twisting the arm so that the elbow is forward at the end of the movement and the dumbell is in front of your face.

*Return to the original position in a smooth rhythmic motion and repeat by switching the positions onto the opposing arm.

This movement can be done with a heavy weight for 6-8 reps or with a lighter weight for higher reps.

Exercise #6: The Swingbell Raise:

*Grab a heavy dumbell while it’s on the floor with both hands.

*Keeping the legs apart and slightly bent, raise the weight from the floor to above your head in one sweeping motion.

This exercise works great as a warm up, an aerobic activity, a strength lift, and a terrific front deltoid builder.

Exercise # 7: Lying Bent Arm Quarter Laterals:

*Lie down, sideways on a bench with a slight incline.

*Holding a heavy dumbell in your free hand, bend at the elbow.

*Now using just the shoulder muscles, raise the weight just a couple of inches so thatyour elbow and bell remain at the same height.

*Slowly and rhythmically lower it, but don’t let it come to a total rest.

*Keep the weight moving within this range of motion for as long as possible. Repeat with the other arm.

*If you can continue this exercise for more than 30 seconds, you may need to slap on more iron. If you can do it for less than 5 seconds, back off on the weight a bit.

There you have it. Seven sensational exercises that are guaranteed to mold mighty delts. They may be different, but they’re bound to work as well, if not better, than what you’re

doing now.

Drastic changes require drastic measures and these movements are sure to fit the bill. So dare to be different! Say goodbye to stalled shoulder growth. And send your delt training into overdrive!