| For most guys, the biceps are the undisputed king of | | | | exercise from a standing or seated position. Again, I |
| muscle! But what good is a king without a crown? If | | | | recommend that you do your military presses in a |
| you want GUNS that get respect at the beach and on | | | | chair with lower back support to avoid arching or |
| the street, you've got to crown them with cannon ball | | | | hyperextension of your spine. The seated position also |
| deltoid development! For big, muscular shoulders that'll | | | | helps to stabilize your torso so you won't jerk the |
| produce personal pride and physical power, keep | | | | weight upward and cheat on technique. As with all |
| reading because I've got the 10 best beginning | | | | overhead lifting, go slow, master your training technique |
| exercises for you right here. | | | | and the rear military press will add mass, power and |
| 1. Seated Front Military Press | | | | symmetry to the middle portion of your shoulders. |
| Your shoulders consist mainly of 2 muscle groups, the | | | | 6. Dumbbell Lateral Raises |
| trapezius and the deltoids. The trapezius or "traps" are | | | | Nothing beats dumbbell lateral raises for targeting the |
| the two large triangular shaped muscles that run | | | | medial head of your delts. And this is another shoulder |
| across each shoulder from the back of your neck. | | | | exercise that provides great results without using |
| Your deltoids or "delts" are the thick, triangular shaped | | | | excessively heavy weight. With your arms at your |
| muscles that cover your shoulder joints at the top of | | | | sides, grasp a dumbbell in each hand. Slowly raise your |
| each arm. The deltoids consist of 3 sections known as | | | | arms outward and upward until the dumbbells reach |
| the anterior, medial and posterior heads. For balanced | | | | shoulder height in a position that parallels the floor. |
| deltoid development, you must train each section | | | | Return to the starting position. To work the medial |
| equally. | | | | delts from every possible angle, vary your workouts |
| The front military press is a great starter exercise for | | | | by doing some sets with your hands at your sides, |
| building the anterior or front section of your delts. You | | | | some sets with your hands slightly in front of your |
| can perform this exercise from a standing or seated | | | | thighs, and some sets with your hands behind your |
| position. For beginners, I recommend the seated | | | | hips. This exercise is great for adding the shoulder girth |
| position, preferably in a chair that has low back support | | | | necessary to beef up your V taper. |
| to prevent arching or hyperextension of your spine. | | | | 7. Single Arm Cable Lateral Raises |
| With proper technique, this basic military press will add | | | | This exercise is a good substitute for dumbbell lateral |
| thickness and power to the front of your shoulders. As | | | | raises for variety or when dumbbells may not be |
| you advance in your training, you should eventually | | | | available to you. Except for the fact that you |
| graduate from this exercise to the dumbbell shoulder | | | | alternately train each shoulder, the mechanics of this |
| press. | | | | exercise are basically the same as with the dumbbell |
| 2. Barbell Front Raises | | | | version. With your arm at your side, simply grasp a low |
| This exercise is great for building shape and | | | | cable handle and slowly raise your arm outward and |
| endurance in your anterior delts. Since barbell front | | | | upward until the handle reaches shoulder height in a |
| raises put tremendous resistance on the front of your | | | | position that parallels the floor. Return to the starting |
| shoulders, you should not attempt to do this exercise | | | | position. For maximum effectiveness, you should vary |
| with heavy weight. Moderate poundage with strict | | | | your workouts by starting some sets with your hand |
| technique (i.e., no bouncing or jerking the weight with | | | | at your side, some sets with your hand in front of your |
| your body) is sufficient to add strength and shape to | | | | thighs, and some sets with your hand behind your hips. |
| your anterior delts. For variety, you can also do this | | | | 8. Seated Two-Armed Dumbbell Rows |
| exercise with a straight bar attachment to a low cable | | | | Unless you focus on training your rear delts, it's easy |
| apparatus. | | | | to forget about them and end up with unbalanced |
| Whether you use a barbell or low cable machine, you | | | | shoulder development. This happened to me years |
| must stand with your arms straight as you raise the | | | | ago when I was still more or less in my infancy when it |
| bar forward from the front of your thighs to a position | | | | came to serious bodybuilding. At the time I was living |
| parallel to the floor at about shoulder height. To put | | | | and training in Montreal at "Winston's Gym," a |
| secondary resistance on your rear delts and traps, | | | | bodybuilding powerhouse then owned by Canadian |
| raise the bar slightly above shoulder height. It won't | | | | bodybuilding great, Winston Roberts. So one day I |
| take long to feel the burn from this exercise, but the | | | | asked Winston what I should do to build mass into my |
| payoff in deltoid development is well worth it. | | | | rear delts. |
| 3. Seated Reverse Dumbbell Press | | | | Without hesitation he told me to sit on the edge of a |
| The reverse dumbbell press, aka the "Arnold Press" is | | | | flat bench, grab a dumbbell in each hand, lean forward |
| another terrific shoulder builder for your anterior delts. | | | | to about 45 degrees and pull the dumbbells toward my |
| When done properly, this exercise also puts | | | | torso as though to touch my elbows behind my back. |
| concentrated resistance on the upper portion of your | | | | Wow, did this work! My rear delts responded almost |
| traps. You can do the reverse dumbbell press with | | | | immediately to this new workout, and the "Seated |
| both arms pressing the weights simultaneously or by | | | | Two-Armed Dumbbell Row" was born! To make sure |
| alternating each arm. In either event, I suggest that you | | | | that you fully develop each section of your deltoids, |
| do this exercise in a seated position with good back | | | | you've got to include this rear delt builder in your |
| support to avoid injury. | | | | shoulder workouts. |
| To do this exercise, hold 2 dumbbells at shoulder height | | | | 9. Bent-Over Lateral Raises |
| with your palms facing you. Keep your back straight | | | | This exercise also isolates the posterior deltoid area |
| and don't bounce or jerk your body as you slowly | | | | for full, symmetrical shoulder development. Stand with |
| press the dumbbells overhead. As you press the | | | | your feet about shoulder width apart and your knees |
| weight upward, rotate your wrists so that your hands | | | | slightly bent. Bend forward at the waist but keep your |
| face forward at the top of each lift. Return the | | | | back straight and your head facing forward. Grasp a |
| dumbbells to the starting position as you lower them | | | | dumbbell in each hand with your elbows bent slightly |
| after each rep. If you've never done this exercise | | | | and raise your arms outward and upward until the |
| before, start with weight that you can easily balance | | | | weight reaches shoulder height. Return to the starting |
| and control and progress to heavier poundage when | | | | position. For variety or if dumbbells aren't available, you |
| you've mastered your training technique. Take my | | | | can also do this exercise with a low cable machine. |
| word, the results will be awesome! | | | | 10. Upright Rows |
| 4. Dumbbell Front Raises | | | | Finally, one of my all time favorite shoulder shapers, the |
| Like barbell front raises, the dumbbell version of this | | | | upright row builds the entire deltoid area and I love the |
| exercise puts extreme resistance on the front of your | | | | secondary biceps pump I get whenever I do this |
| shoulders. In addition to building the anterior deltoids, | | | | exercise. Just grab a barbell with an overhand and |
| front dumbbell raises put secondary but significant | | | | slightly wider than shoulder width grip. If you're using a |
| stress on the medial deltoid head. The mechanics of | | | | cambered or EZ Curl Bar, use the wide grip hand |
| this exercise are basically the same as with barbell | | | | position. Raise your arms and pull the bar upward until it |
| front raises. You must stand with your arms straight | | | | nearly touches your chin. To put more resistance on |
| as you raise the dumbbells forward from the front of | | | | your traps, try pulling your elbows up a little beyond |
| your thighs to a position parallel to the floor at about | | | | shoulder height as you complete each rep. Return to |
| shoulder height. Again, due to the extreme level of | | | | the starting position. I'm continually amazed at how |
| training resistance that front raises produce, you should | | | | seldom I see anyone doing this exercise. But you've |
| not attempt to do this exercise with heavy weight. | | | | got to do upright rows if you're serious about building |
| Moderate poundage with strict form will give you great | | | | big, muscular shoulders. |
| results. | | | | Well, that's it - my Top 10 list of shoulder-building |
| 5. Behind-The-Neck-Military Press | | | | exercises for beginning bodybuilders. Try them, have |
| The "behind-the-neck" or rear military press is a solid | | | | fun with them, and make sure that you use safe |
| mass builder for the medial deltoid or middle shoulder | | | | amounts of weight and proper training technique with |
| area. Like the front military press, you can perform this | | | | every exercise. |