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.

The time-saving weight-free workout

Get fitter with no gym time. This circuit uses only your bodyweight to work your body from head to toe. Do each exercise for 20sec on, 10 sec off, then repeat eight times. Rest for 1min between circuits.

Push plank

Muscles worked: arms, shoulders, core

Kneel with your forearms on the floor, then drive forwards, bending

your elbows and raising your forearms. Finish in the position shown. Return.

Torso rotation

Muscles worked: core, hips

Crouch with your palms on the floor. Twist your hips, taking your knees to either side. You'll carve a core more stable than a banker's income.

Box press-up

Muscles worked: arms, chest

Kneel, place your hands on a box and perfrom a press-up. This works your whole upper body – plus the Ikea crate storing your spare linen.

Spider rock

Muscles worked: core

Sit on the floor and grab your shins. Rock back, then return to the start. Bringing your torso into your legs. The tension chisels out your abs.

The table

Muscles worked: glutes, back

Sit on the floor, legs bent, arms straight and fingers facing forwards. Drive your hips up to add strength to your glutes and back. Lower again.

Lunge

Muscles worked: legs, glutes

Stand with your arms bent then step forwards. Lower until your knee is bent to 90 degrees. Repeat with the other leg for explosive power.

Get constantly evolving workout and nutrition plans personalised for your specific needs and training goals.

The Rock’s Workout Playlist

From Muscle & Fitnes

Eminem – Till I Collapse 

Living Colour – Cult of Personality

Tupac – Ghost

Metallica – Enter Sandman

Jay-Z – Moment of Clarity

Public Enemy – Can’t Truss It

Hank Williams Jr. – A Country Boy Can Survive

Trick Daddy – Where U From

Tupac – Hell 4 A Hustler

Godsmack – I Stand Alone

The Rock, Dwayne Johnson’s Workout Routine And Diet

Monday, Wednesday, Friday Dwayne Johnson, The Rock, used this workout routine while trying to trim down from 14 to 7% bodyfat for some of his Hollywood movie roles. He trained six days per week, resting on day seven.

• Chest, back, biceps, calves: 5 sets, 15-20 reps, 30 second rest periods
• Cardio: 5 minute warm-up, 12 minutes high intensity, 5 minute cool down

Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday

• Quads, hamstrings, shoulders, triceps: 5 sets, 15-20 reps, 30 second rest periods
• Cardio: 5 minute warm-up, 12 minutes high intensity, 5 minute cool down

The Rock Dwayne Johnson Sample Cutting Diet

• Meal 1: 10 scrambled egg whites, 3 servings cream of rice or 1 cup oatmeal, 3 rice cakes, 24oz water
• Meal 2: 6oz skinless grilled chicken breast, 1 cup grits, 6oz yams, 1 cup of steamed asparagus, 24oz water
• Meal 3: 6oz tuna, 1 cup brown rice, 1 sliced cucumber, 24oz water
• Meal 4: 6oz perch fillet, 1 cup barley, 6oz baked potato, 1 cup steamed green beans, 24oz water
• Meal 5: 6oz pork tenderloin, 1 cup brown rice, 6oz sweet potato, 1 cup peas, 24oz water
• Meal 6: 10 scrambled egg whites, 3 servings cream of rice or 1 cup oatmeal, 24oz water

The Rock Dwayne Johnson Sample Muscle Building Diet

• Meal 1 – 10 oz cod, 2 whole eggs, 2 cups oatmeal
• Meal 2 – 8 oz cod, 12 oz sweet potato, 1 cup veggies
• Meal 3 – 8 oz chicken, 2 cups white rice, 1 cup veggies
• Meal 4 – 8 oz cod, 2 cups rice, 1 cup veggies, 1 tbsp fish oil
• Meal 5 – 8 oz steak, 12 oz baked potato, spinach salad
• Meal 6 – 10 oz cod, 2 cups rice, salad
• Meal 7 – 30 grams casein protein, 10 egg-white omelet, 1 cup veggies (onions, peppers, mushrooms), 1 tbsp omega-3 fish oil

The Rock, Dwayne Johnson, Muscle Building Workout Routine

This is a muscle building workout routine used by The Rock, Dwayne Johnson.

• Day 1 – Shoulders
• Day 2 – Back
• Day 3 – Legs
• Day 4 – Arms
• Day 5 – Chest

Day 1 – Shoulders

• Seated Military Press Machine – 3 sets x 21 reps
• Dumbbell Lateral Raise super set with Dumbbell Front Raise – 3 sets x 8 reps each
• Rear Delt Cable Raise – 5 sets x 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 reps
• Hammer Stength Shrug – 5 sets x 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 reps
• Four Way Neck Machine – 4 sets x 12 reps

Day 2 – Back

• Wide Grip Lat Pull Down – 5 sets x 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 reps
• Close Grip Lat Pull Down – 5 sets x 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 reps
• One Arm Seated Row Machine – 4 sets x 12 reps
• Back Extension – 4 sets x 15, 15, 12, 12 reps

Day 3 – Legs

• Leg Press – 4 sets x 25, 20, 18, 16 (Last set is drop set)
• Smith Machine Lunge – 4 sets x 8 reps per leg
• Lying Leg Curl – 4 sets x 12, 10, 8, 6 reps
• Standing Calf Raise – 6 sets x 16 reps (Last set is drop set)

Day 4 – Arms

• Alternating Dumbbell Curl – 5 sets x 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 reps
• Preacher Machine Curl – 6 sets x 12, 10, 8, 6, 21, 21 reps (*Last 2 sets are 21s)
• Cable Tricep Extension – 5 sets x 12, 10, 8, 6, 20 reps
• Overhead Cable Extension – 4 sets x 12, 10, 8, 20 reps
• One Arm Reverse Grip Tricep Extension – 2 sets x 15 reps

*21s are 7 uppwer half partial reps, 7 lower half partial reps and 7 full reps.

Day 5 – Chest

• Incline Dumbbell Press – 5 sets x 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 reps
• Dumbbell Bench Press – 5 sets x 12, 10, 8, 6, 4 reps
• Cable Crossover – 4 sets x 12 reps
• Push Ups – 4 sets x 15 reps (superset with crossovers)

Abs are performed twice a week – weighted Swiss ball crunches, 4 sets x 25 reps.