Bigger & Stronger Delts

The key to building and strengthening your delts is to treat your shoulders better.

Your shoulders can move within a huge range of motion, and they’re more likely to get injured than other areas because there are so many different movement patterns that can occur. If you don’t take preventive measures, it can set you back with injuries and the time off you’ll have to take.

When you focus solely on hypertrophy (muscle growth) without any consideration for the stabilizing muscles, you careen down a path to instability, asymmetry and eventually injury. The more muscle you pack on your frame and the more weight you can lift, the more you need these vital stabilizers. Neglecting these smaller muscles is akin to framing a house before you pour the foundation: One stiff wind and your entire project will fold.

To get started on that foundation, you have to perform some exercises that initially will seem rather foreign. Unless you’re an advanced lifter, you’ve likely never done any direct shoulder-stability work, so be prepared for things to be a tad awkward at first.

When your results start to improve with these movements, however, so will your ability to execute every other shoulder exercise — along with your chest and back moves. Your size and strength will increase rapidly as a direct result of your improved coordination and newfound capacity for staying pain- and injury-free.

THE WORKOUT

EXERCISE	SETS	REPS
Scapular Wall Slide	3	15
Scapular Push-Up	3	15
Standing Dumbbell Alternating Arnold Press	3	12
Staggered-Stance Lateral Raise	3	12
Dumbbell Squat/Clean Press	3	12

HOW TO DO IT

Perform the full workout above twice a week, on shoulder day in your training split. The stabilization exercises, however, can be performed more frequently. For example, work them in at the beginning of your chest and back workouts to enhance your range of motion, increase joint stability and strengthen weak areas in your shoulders’ stabilizing muscles. To increase the degree of difficulty, superset the stabilization exercises, then tri-set the three conventional dumbbell moves.

Arm-strengthening Dumbbell Workout

The key to a strong, sleeve-filling upper body is nailing the perfect way to target each muscle, from hands to shoulders. Perform this circuit, trying not to rest between each exercise. After finishing the last exercise, recover for no more than 1 minute before repeating.

Concentration curl

Start by sitting with your knees a little wider than shoulder-width and   your feet flat. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand and rest the back of your arm against your inner right thigh. Curl the dumbbell up towards your shoulder; make sure your upper body is motionless. Do 8-12  reps, then switch sides.

Tricep Extensions

Sit up straight and grab a dumbbell with both hands. Raise it above your head so it's vertical and in line with your spine. Brace your core and lower the weight behind your head until your forearms touch your biceps; then press back up to the start, keeping your upper arms stationary. Perform 8-12 reps.

Wrist curl

Sit with your knees 2ft apart and feet flat. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms up, and lean forwards so your forearms rest on your thighs and wrists hang over your knees. Using your wrists only, curl the weights up as high as possible. Now rotate to a palms-down position and bend your wrists up. Do 12-15 each way.

Hammer curl

Sitting on the edge of a bench, hold a dumbbell in each hand, letting your arms hang by your sides. Keep your back straight and curl the weights up until your thumbs are near your shoulders. Squeeze, then lower. Now rotate your wrists so your palms face backwards and curl again. Do 8-12 reps, alternating grips.

Cross-shoulder extension

Lie back on an incline bench and hold a light dumbbell over your head in your left hand, palms facing in. Support the arm with your right hand. Bend your left arm to lower the weight to your right shoulder; don't bend your wrists. Raise it back up. Do 12 reps, then switch arms.

Standing scaption

Stand holding light dumbbells by your thighs with your palms facing each other. Keep your arms straight, then slowly raise them in front of you at eye level and point to the 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock positions. Slowly lower back down again. Do 8-12 reps to cap off your arm muscle.