what do you do for shoulder day?

tim_mcf · 18-Oct-05, 01:45 PM

It's time for a shakeup in my routine - I have been working shoulders peripherally on back day, chest day, arm day - but I want to give them a day of their own and I'm looking for ideas. For those of you that devote a day specifically to shoulders, what do you do?

Dan C · 18-Oct-05, 02:44 PM

Overhead press.

Standing 99% of the time.

Sometimes uni-lateral using a single dumbbell/kettlebell.

Sometimes double using two dumbbells/kettlebells.

Sometimes using a bar, log, axle, sandbag or keg.

Though I typically don't devote an entire day or workout to just the shoulders, I'm more of a full-body type of guy.

18-Oct-05, 02:47 PM

Tim you know I am a bodyweight only fitness guy so my answer in non-conventional.

I've started doing handstand holds against the wall, and I am amazed at how these work my shoulders. If you are up to it, give them a try. Try 3 sets of holding to failure. Bonus: you are also working your core muscles.

**threenorns** · 18-Oct-05, 02:54 PM

i work them in with chest day now, but when i had a shoulder day, it was overhead military press, bent over rows, back flyes, upright rows, side lats, front raises.

face pulls would be good, but i've never done them.

tim_mcf · 18-Oct-05, 03:35 PM

[quote=threenorns]side lats[quote]

how do you do that?

And a face pull...am I correct in thinking that you stand at a high pulley and pull it towards your chin?

**threenorns** · 18-Oct-05, 04:00 PM

side lats - aka lateral lifts or whatever else it is: hold dumbbells with your arms bent about halfway to 90 degrees. stand with proper balance and positioning, then lift your elbows straight out to the sides without activating the elbow joints (ie, no straightening or bending your arms). make sure you keep your thumbs up, not your pinkies, to avoid irritating the A/C joint. in the mirror, the dumbbells will follow a semi-circular path from in front at your waist to outside the shoulders at the top of the move. don't fling them up - if you have to heave your chest or use your arms, the weight is too heavy.

here's face pulls: http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/exercise3/facepulls.htm

Dan C · 20-Oct-05, 02:50 PM

Handstands are really good too... handstand pushups and you're a stud! Don't know how much core you're working though.

Face pulls are another good one but that's kinda more for the upper back, they do however work your rotator cuffs and posterior delts to some degree. Either way, they're a great accessory movement for all kinds of pressing. Good for shoulder health as well.

**Todd** · 20-Oct-05, 03:56 PM

I do:

Either seated barbell or dumbbell presses for 2-3 sets
Standing dumbbell side lateral raises for 2 sets
Bent-over rear delt lateral raises for 2 sets

done.

mesomorph · 21-Oct-05, 12:19 AM

threenorns mate, tried to do shoulders straight after chest once but I was totally wasted after the first military press set!! If you're doing heavy chest, because front delts are involved my caution is that perhaps you may not do your w/o justice as you may not be able to work shoulders heavy enough. I now do shoulders on leg day.

Seated db press 3x8
Seated press on Smith - maximises tension through whole movement (tough) 2x8
Front-lateral-bent over db raises as a super set 3x8

make sure there is a break between chest day and shoulders

**threenorns** · 21-Oct-05, 12:29 AM

my shoulder workout is right after chest, yeah - but it's a light workout, not a heavy one. seems to be doing the trick so far - chest and back workouts are the real hard-hitters for my shoulders.

nate · 21-Oct-05, 03:48 AM

atm , on my day that works shoulders the most i do. High pulls, military press and shrugs

21-Oct-05, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nate

...High pulls...

Dynamite move for the side delts. As is the exercise threenorns described - but that sounded a great deal like dumbell upright rows.

Wolfnatas · 21-Oct-05, 08:45 AM

The only thing I can add to this thread is...

Pullups! Why not? They work.

tim_mcf · 21-Oct-05, 12:51 PM

Nate, what's a high pull?

The other day, based on advice from here and research on the internet, I did:

Arnold press, face pull (which didn't go too well - I kept falling over forwards), upright row, back fly, side delt circles, front raise, jaster shrug. Probably more than I needed. The side delt circles were VERY challenging, and the jaster shrug was a great finisher.

Dan C · 21-Oct-05, 01:19 PM

Far more than you needed.

I think it was Steve Reeves that said something like, "If you can press your bodyweight overhead for reps, what is the point in doing lateral raises?"