Work out shoulders

[nanorz]

My friends told me that my shoulder should be wider. After looking at the mirrors and wondering, I decided to do something about it. I am 5'11" and around 155lbs. My upper body is skinny but my legs are pretty strong (probably from inline skating ever since I was small). After going to my college gym last semester, I was overwhelmed by the equipments and variations of exercises I can use. For upper body, I mostly did dumbell exercises: bicep curl, flat bench flies, chest dip, pullups, lateral raises, and occasional benching.

I haven't go to the gym for about more than a month now (worked out most of the last semester), I want to actually make a routine that I am confident to go with. I don't want a body like a body builder, but I don't want people to say I am skinny. Do you think I should keep doing what I did? Any suggestion on upper and core area workout (I think I have an idea on what to do with the legs). Do you need a picture for reference?

 

[joekerr31]

i have shoulders like a f*cking gorilla.

 

[Killer Six Pac]

A picture couldn't hurt. Your workout covers everything except shoulders, try doing some military presses.

Get a long bar or two dumbells and sit down so your 90 degrees and pretty much lift them up and down. Inhaling as you come down and exhaling as you go up.

 

[WesCottII]

DAY 1(eg. Monday)
Squats 2 x 5
Squats or Leg Press 1 x 15 (lighter weight)
Good Mornings or Stiff Leg Deadlifts or Sumo Leg Press 2 x 10-15
Glute Ham Raise or Pullthroughs or Hyperextension 2 x 8
Calf Raises 2 x 10

DAY 2(eg. Wednesday)
Incline Press 2 x 5
Dumbbell Press (Flat/Decline) or Dips 2 x 8-10
Shoulder Press 2 x 8-12
Tricep Exercise 2 x 10-15

DAY 3(eg. Friday)
Deadlifts 2 x 5
Row or Chinup/Pulldown 2 x 8
Bicep Curl 2 x 8-10
Forearm Exercise 2 x 10-15

Do that.

 

[lordson]

that is a horrible workout in general

and theres only one shoulder exercise in there

do some military presses, and shoulder presses, and some upright rows, and bent-over dumbell flys

the wider you go with the presses, the harder it is and you'll really feel it

 

[Quagmire911]

DAY 1(eg. Monday)
Squats 2 x 5
Squats or Leg Press 1 x 15 (lighter weight)
Good Mornings or Stiff Leg Deadlifts or Sumo Leg Press 2 x 10-15
Glute Ham Raise or Pullthroughs or Hyperextension 2 x 8
Calf Raises 2 x 10

DAY 2(eg. Wednesday)
Incline Press 2 x 5
Dumbbell Press (Flat/Decline) or Dips 2 x 8-10
Shoulder Press 2 x 8-12
Tricep Exercise 2 x 10-15

DAY 3(eg. Friday)
Deadlifts 2 x 5
Row or Chinup/Pulldown 2 x 8
Bicep Curl 2 x 8-10
Forearm Exercise 2 x 10-15

Do that.

I agree, this is what you should be doing.

There is absolutely no need to be doing 5 different exercises for shoulders and to be hitting them from every angle. The heavy compounds coupled with adding 20-30 pounds of muscle will be sufficient for some good progress. Overtraining will more than likely lead to regression.

Lordson don't speak about a subject on which you are clearly ignorant. The guy that wrote that routine was 240lbs and had a 600+ deadlift, yet here you are at 143lbs saying that it is "a horrible workout in general". Where is the logic, I ask you?

 

[WesCottII]

well, I didn't have time to give an in-depth answer before, but Quagmire cleared it up.

I havn't done a "focused" shoulder session for months, but ever since my deads and bench have gone up, my shoulders have got bigger and stronger. Why? because they have to, in order to shift the increased weight.


I might have better strength genetics, but I'm a hell of alot stronger than my friend who does 73 different shoulder presses/raises/flys/curls/isolations/compounds.

 

[Mad Manic]

Military Press or Seated Dumbell OH Press for the front, Lateral Raises for the side and Bent Over Raises for the rear delts.

MM

 

[Sir Juanalot]

http://www.exrx.net/Lists/ExList/ShouldWt.html

Try some of those, that website is really good for finding how to work a particular muscle group.

 

[I-tallionStallion]

Lordson don't speak about a subject on which you are clearly ignorant. The guy that wrote that routine was 240lbs and had a 600+ deadlift, yet here you are at 143lbs saying that it is "a horrible workout in general". Where is the logic, I ask you?

hahahahha OUCH! lol

nanorz - were you happy with your shoulders before your friends became jerks and decided to insult you? At least that sounds like what they were doing lol

And somethin i notice about guys who weigh 155 lbs or lower is that they always tell me - 'Jeez i don't want to look like a body builder'...well let me tell you, you have too choices - muscle or blob? You choose. The day you are comfortable looking in the mirror is the day you stop trying to get bigger. Feel free if you become ripped to eat twinkies and pave your way into a nice blob texture of Bf around 14% - but honestly it takes a couple years for a 155 lb guy to get to a 230 lb musclehead.

And the work out given to you in here by Quag, is gold.

 

[Quagmire911]

And the work out given to you in here by Quag, is gold.

By WesCott

 

[WesCottII]

By WesCott

Oh hey, no credit, that workout is WA's (I believe, correct me if wrong), alls I did was be a copy and paste monkey.

 

[Quagmire911]

Oh hey, no credit, that workout is WA's (I believe, correct me if wrong), alls I did was be a copy and paste monkey.

You are correct.

You get the credit for copying and pasting though, is what I meant

 

[lordson]

all i saw was the guy wanted a shoulder workout but that suggested workout had only one shoulder exercise in it

 

[Quagmire911]

all i saw was the guy wanted a shoulder workout but that suggested workout had only one shoulder exercise in it

That is not how it works in this game.

 

[nanorz]

So i just came back from the gym following the DAY1 schedule.
I did everything except

Good Mornings or Stiff Leg Deadlifts or Sumo Leg Press 2 x 10-15
Glute Ham Raise or Pullthroughs or Hyperextension 2 x 8

Wasn't really sure how to do those and a little embarrased to try it in front of all the veterans...

 

[Quagmire911]

So i just came back from the gym following the DAY1 schedule.
I did everything except

Good Mornings or Stiff Leg Deadlifts or Sumo Leg Press 2 x 10-15
Glute Ham Raise or Pullthroughs or Hyperextension 2 x 8

Wasn't really sure how to do those and a little embarrased to try it in front of all the veterans...

You must do those exercises as well.

Good mornings: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRuJdQDvlOE

GHR: http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Hamstrings/BBGluteHamRaise.html

Hyperextension: http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/ErectorSpinae/WtHyperextension.html

Sumo leg press is just a leg press but with a really wide stance. Remember you are only choosing one from each list. Look on exrx for stiff legs and look on elitefts.com for pullthroughs.

Hope this helps. Start a log on here if you can.

 

[nanorz]

thank you for the input 911, I will do Hyperextension and Sumo Leg Press next Monday.

For DAY 2, it is

Incline Press 2 x 5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhBWdN0H6LY

Dips 2 x 8-10
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGCiheRqoFU

Shoulder Press 2 x 8-12
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrVsE3hblUc

Tricep Exercise 2 x 10-15
Not sure what to do...

Any tips on forms like locking elbow while doing doing dips? And any suggestion on Tricep Exercises?

 

[WesCottII]

Any tips on forms like locking elbow while doing doing dips? And any suggestion on Tricep Exercises?

Yes. Don't lock the elbows. Back straight, trunk still, the only thing that should move is the upper arm, as it raises you up and down (i'm talking dips on bars here)

Two common (and effective) triceps exercises are Skull crushers, and CGBP (close grip bench press). Personally I prefer the skulls, but both are very good. I'll find vids later (or someone will), because I have to run.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?MainMuscle=Triceps

(both should be on there somewhere)

P.s: To others, do you feel that should have some sort of flat bench?

EDIT: The skull crusher is called Lying Triceps Press on there.

 

[mrRuckus]

that is a horrible workout in general

and theres only one shoulder exercise in there

All benches and dips hit the shoulders too. Especially incline. And really i just don't see how the shoulders wouldn't be involved in deadlifts too.

In my lifting history, i've rarely done direct shoulder lifts. And they sure aren't having a problem keeping up.

Iron Addict does have me do lat raises though. He says most people laugh about that as a lift but that so many exercises hit the shoulders anyway that he just uses them to "finish the muscle off." And i'm actually doing the press (aka military press but the MP is really a strict form of the press that people rarely do) now but really that only gets cycled in as an exercise for about a month out of 4 or 5. I don't remember the last time I've done db shoulder presses. A year ago? I have no doubt all the benching and incline bb/db is doing just fine for my shoulders.