Many exercisers, especially men, want well-developed chest and shoulder muscles. Muscular chest and shoulders, along with strong-looking arms, epitomize the masculine physical ideal and have long been associated with health and vitality--Michelangelo's statue of David being an excellent example. Your chest muscles, called your pectoralis major, and your shoulder muscles, called your deltoids, need to be exercised regularly if you want to build them up. Do two to three sets of eight to 12 repetitions when you perform these exercises.
Building Up Your Chest
Step 1
Perform incline dumbbell bench presses. Adjust your exercise bench to 30 degrees. Grasp a dumbbell in each hand and lie back. With bent arms, hold the dumbbells over your shoulders, outside of your armpits. Extend your arms and push the dumbbells out to arm's length, exhaling as you do so. Inhale and lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position. Continue for the desired number of repetitions.
Step 2
Perform barbell bench presses. Lie on your back on a flat exercise bench. Hold the bar at arm's length directly over your chest. Your hands should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Inhale, bend your elbows, and lower the bar down until it lightly touches your chest. Exhale and press the bar back to arm's length. Continue lowering and lifting the bar for the duration of your set.
Step 3
Perform parallel bar dips. Place your hands on the bars and step up on the footrests so that your arms are straight. Bend your legs so that your weight is supported on your arms only. Inhale, bend your elbows, and lower your shoulders down toward your hands. Stretch as far as is comfortable. Exhale, extend your arms and push back up into the starting position. Continue for the desired number of reps.
Building Up Your Shoulders
Step 1
Perform side lateral raises. With a dumbbell in each hand, stand with your feet hip-width apart and your arms down by your sides. Keeping your elbows slightly bent but rigid, raise your arms out to the side and up to shoulder level. Lower your arms back to your sides and repeat.
Step 2
Perform seated dumbbell shoulder presses. Put the backrest of your exercise bench in an upright position and sit down. With a dumbbell in each hand, raise your hands to shoulder level. Inhale and press the dumbbells above your head to arm's length. Exhale and lower the dumbbells back to the starting position. Continue lifting and lowering the dumbbells until your set is completed.
Step 3
Perform bent-over dumbbell raises. With a dumbbell in each hand, bend your knees slightly and bend over from your hips. Your upper body should be almost parallel to the ground and your arms hanging down from your shoulders. Keeping your upper body locked in position, lift your arms out to the sides until they form a T shape with your body. Slowly lower your arms back to the starting position and repeat for the duration of your set.
Tips and Warnings
- Use a weight that is light enough that you can perform six repetitions but heavy enough that you cannot perform more than 12. Try to increase your workout weights on a week-by-week basis to keep increasing your muscle size and strength. Train your shoulders once or twice a week but never on consecutive days.
- Working out with free weights can be hazardous, so always have a spotter on hand to help you in case you fail to lift a weight. This is particularly important for bench presses and shoulder presses where the weight could fall and hit you.
Things You'll Need
- Dumbbells
- Adjustable exercise bench
- Barbell
- Free weights
References
- "Dumbbell Training for Strength and Fitness"; Matt Brzycki and Fred Fornicola; 2006
- "The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding: The Bible of Bodybuilding"; Bill Dobbins and Arnold Schwarzenegger; 1999
- "Designing Resistance Training Programs"; Steven Fleck and William Kraemer; 2003
- "Anatomy of Exercise: A Trainer's Inside Guide to Your Workout"; Pat Manocchia; 2009
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