BODYBUILDING SERIES: Building Your Shoulder Muscles
April 14, 2009 by Tisha Tolar
Filed under Bodybuilding
Building Your Shoulder Muscles is the main topic; however, we will focus on the Lower Body as well as the additional aspects of all-over body building.
The shoulder muscle, also called the deltoid, is a difficult muscle to build but a well-defined deltoid can really enhance 
the overall look of the body. Developing the shoulder muscle does require correct movement and training in order to provide optimum results. You need to work in the proper order and use the correct form at all time.
The deltoid is made up of three heads: posterior, anterior, and lateral. There are several exercises that can be done to increase strength and mass development which we will discover here.
Developing the Overall Shoulder Region
In order to work the entire deltoid, use the shoulder press exercise. Press from the front instead of the back. Lift heavy weights along with the natural alignment of the body to help reduce injuries. Using motions like behind the neck pressing is one such unnatural movement that can cause damage if the weight is too heavy.
Other Exercises for Shoulder Development
Lateral Raises
To enhance to symmetry of your shoulders, use lateral raises as the second training step. To perform the exercise, hold a dumbbell in each hand and then elevate until both dumbbells are parallel to the floor, being careful to not to lift to high.
Front Raises
To add size to the anterior head of the deltoid, use front raise exercises. Using a shoulder-width grip and solid body alignment, bring the weight bar from the lowered position and hang it in front of your legs. Then raise the bar parallel to the floor straight out in front of you.
Bent-Over Lateral Raises
To add size to the back of your shoulders, bend over at your hips and grasp a moderate weight dumbbell in each hand. Keeping your upper body parallel to the floor and slowly bring each dumbbell up to your side, being careful to not elevate the dumbbells passed your body in parallel form. Work on contracting and squeezing your shoulder blades together, keeping tension throughout the exercises.
These deltoid exercises can also be performed on a machine. To get the best results and the most enhanced shoulders, keep training regularly and increase the weight during the shoulder press with each session. You will begin to see progress on your routines as well as the intended results of stronger, more well-defined deltoids.
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