Some thoughts and discussions from me.

shoulders

Did you know the shoulders are my least favorite muscle group to train? It goes back to an overuse injury I incurred in high school and college from playing volleyball. Day after day, hour after hour, I’d swing, serve, and spike the ball. Now my right should is a little wonky, and when I press my arms overhead, my scapulothoracic mobility is slim to none. I’m working on it.

Also, I’m also going to start playing volleyball again in October!!!! To say I’m excited would be an understatement.

Anyway, working the shoulders in the gym isn’t much fun for me. Luckily, I don’t program “shoulder day”  – or any single muscle group day – into my workout routine. I typically stick to overhead presses, bench press, and push ups to work the shoulders as far as strength is concerned. (I do several other exercises for mobility/flexibility.)

However, I recently read a study in one of my IDEA Journals identifying the top exercises for the delts, and thought I’d share the findings with you!

Before we get into the study, let’s talk really quickly about the three main muscles in the shoulders:

-Anterior delt: as the name would suggest, this consists of the muscles in the front of the shoulder

-Medial delt: the medial delt in in the middle of the three, or the muscle on top of the shoulder

-Posterior delt: this is the muscle on the back of the shoulder, also known as the rear delt. it often gets confused with part of the upper back

For the study, the researchers looked at 10 common shoulder exercises, and how much activation each exercise had in each section of the shoulder. You can read more about the study here.

Delts of Doom Workout: 5 Best Exercises for Sculpted Shoulders

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From the study, they found that the 5 exercises that best target the shoulders as follows:

DB Shoulder Press

This exercise produced the most muscle activation from the anterior deltoid. To perform: stand with dumbbells (I have 8 lb. balls…) in your hands with the arms at 90 degrees. Keeping your abs braced and shoulders anchored, press the weights up over head. Return slowly to start.

Front raise

The front raise also elicited most activation from the anterior delt. To perform: Stand with weights at your sides in a neutral grip. Lift the weights to shoulder height, and slowly lower.

45 Degree Incline Row

Activation: medial delt. To perform: Lie prone on a bench or ball, arms extended. Brace the abs, and pull the weights up, bringing the elbows out to the sides at 90 degree angles.

Seated Rear Delt Raise

Activation: posterior delts. To perform: start in a seated position with your back in a neutral position, leaning forward. Bring weights down to your side, and raise up, palms facing down, making sure to lead with the elbows.

Lateral Raise

This exercise produced most activation in the medial deltoid. To perform: stand with weights at your side in a neutral grip. Bring the weights out to the side with a slightly bent elbow. Lower slowly and repeat.

Also placing high on the docket was battling ropes, cable diagonal raise, and the push up!

I’m off to teach my indoor cycling and TRX classes. My mom’s taking my class today, so I made sure to put some extra love into the playlist! Red heart Have a great Tuesday, friends!

What’s your least favorite muscle group to train? Most favorite?