The should is a very complex joint. Instead of being firmly placed in a tight ball-and-socket like the hips, the humerus of the upper arm is held in place in a cavity in the scapula by a complex network of muscles and tendons. This allows the shoulders to move very freely. So, although you may have a number of shoulder machines to choose from at your gym, it's important to work your shoulders with free weights in order to develop balanced strength throughout your full range of motion.
Barbell Shoulder Press
In "The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding," eight-time Mr. Olympia Arnold Schwarzenegger describes the barbell shoulder press as the basic mass builder of the shoulders. You can perform them seated or standing. Seated will allow you to move more weight, while standing will turn the barbell shoulder press into a full-body exercise.
Hold a barbell on your pectorals just below your clavicles. Press the weight straight overhead, being careful not to hyperextend your back in an attempt to better involve your strong upper pectorals. Lower the barbell back down to the starting position. If your shoulders are very flexible, you can bring the barbell to the back of your neck instead of your clavicles. This better isolates the deltoids from the pectorals, but it can also cause shoulder injury. Perform in sets of eight to 12 reps.
Dumbbell Raises
Dumbbell raises isolate the shoulders, since the elbow-joint maintains a constant position throughout the exercise. The freedom of movement that dumbbells allow gives you the ability to work your shoulders in many different directions. This is important because most compound exercises don't work the front, middle and rear deltoid heads equally. Raise both dumbbells to the front with a palms-in, hammer grip to isolate the front deltoid. Raise them out to the side with a palms-in grip to work all three heads, but with particular emphasis on the middle. Lean forward and lift out to the sides with your palms-in to target the rear deltoid heads. "Strength Training Anatomy" explains that in all positions, lifting the dumbbells beyond parallel will strongly activate the trapezius muscles. Perform in sets of 10 to 15 reps.
Upright Row
The upright row relies on the versatility of the shoulder joint. While the shoulders push when you do exercises such as the bench press and shoulder press, they pull when you do the upright row. To perform an upright row, hold a barbell at your waist with your palms facing back. Pull the weight up without swaying your back. Lower the weight back down. The "Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding" explains how to target different parts of your shoulders with the upright row. Use a wide grip to emphasize the deltoids. Use a narrow grip to emphasize the traps. Pull the bar to the mid-pectorals for the deltoids, or as high as you can without rotating your arms for the traps. Perform in sets of eight to 12 reps.
Shrugs
The shrug fully isolates the trapezius muscles. It's important to work the traps hard because their muscle fiber is incredibly tough from supporting the weight of your arms all day long. They also contribute to your physique by building your shoulders up as your deltoids build them out. To perform shrugs, hold a barbell at your waist. Shrug your shoulders up as hard as you can. Don't use so much weight that your shoulders barely move; get a good range of motion. Hold the shrug at the top, then release back down. Perform shrugs on a Smith machine will allow you to lean back from the bar a bit, which is usually more comfortable. Perform in sets of 10 to 20 reps.
References
- "The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding"; Arnold Schwarzenegger; 1998
- "Strength Training Anatomy 3rd Ed."; Frederic Delavier; 2010
- "Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding"; Robert Kennedy; 2008
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