Thread: shoulder exercises

I would do lateral raises also. Shoulder presses are mass builders, but lateral raises will also help shape the shoulder and also dumbell rows will hit the back of the shoulder nicely.

If you do military presses, be sure to do them standing. It's really a big difference from sitting down because it takes a lot out of your back to keep your body perfectly erect, plus it's better form in general. My brother used to do them sitting with about 80 total, and when he tried them standing he could hardly do a total of 40.

My shoulders developed within only a few months but I do a variety of exercises for them. They tend to be the most overlooked body part yet the first area that will give the appearance of great size and shape overall IMO. I do presses but also lat raises, front raises, bent lat raises and upright rows since I hit traps on the same day.

Originally Posted by shutupntra1n

They tend to be the most overlooked body part yet the first area that will give the appearance of great size and shape overall IMO.

Yes you are correct. I agree that you need to stand while doing them also. All of my workout buddies do them sitting down instead of standing up. I am the only one that does them standing up. When I had them to try and do them standing, they could only do about half of what they could do sitting down. I can still do more than them standing, than they can do sitting or standing.

I would suggest upright rows. Perhaps this program will allow for those? What program are you speaking of?

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Shoulder presses are mass builders, but lateral raises will also help shape the shoulder and also dumbell rows will hit the back of the shoulder nicely.

Cant shape your muscles guys, sorry, that is INCORRECT.

Stick with military press as your main exercise, with upright rows second and lat raises third.

If you do military presses, be sure to do them standing

Eh... no again. Standing Military Press puts a lot of stress on your back, while seated press allows you to better overload the shoulder girdle without hurting your back.

Originally Posted by camarosuper6

Eh... no again. Standing Military Press puts a lot of stress on your back, while seated press allows you to better overload the shoulder girdle without hurting your back.

I have seen this debate go both ways a lot of times. Some people say standing is worst, some people say seated is worst. I prefer standing when using a barbell, but I do them seated if I'm using dumbells.

Eh... no again. Standing Military Press puts a lot of stress on your back, while seated press allows you to better overload the shoulder girdle without hurting your back.

That is actually not correct. Once you take your hips out of the equation your lower back is much more compromised. By sitting your hips are no not going to be able to absorb force for you. I have seen in a few exercise phys. text books that the amount of pressure on your back when seated is 40% greater than when standing. The compression of the disks have no where to go. Where as if you are standing you are able to compenstate for that compression as your hips are now taking the pressure (which is what they are made to do). When you are seated your pelvis slightly tilts posteriorly, allowing the disks in the lumbar spin to be suceptable to protrusion or herniation, especially under great amounts of compression.

the routine i am doing now is kind of a made up one, I incorporated several philosophies into it to make up my own. It's hitting each body part twice per week with very low volume per session and pretty heavy weight, failure on last set. But it only calls for one shoulder exercise in each session, so I want to stick with the big basic ones, like military press and shoulder dumbbell press. It is actually been a great week for me trying the new routine. I don't want to bore anyone with specifics, but if anyone is curious I will post it. It is short and sweet, but then before you know it, you are hitting the body part again, and the beauty is you are not tired from the previous workout because a)you use a different exercise and b)2 sets will not ruin you for the week, and yes I do lift very heavy and intensely, I don't buy the HIT theory where you have to wait a week or more after only one set, and I also don't like the traditional theory where you do lots of sets and wait a week. I am kind of influenced by Doggcrapp's training and some HST, but I guess there also is some HIT in there as well, as I only do compound movements for the most part. Well, anyway, I will let everyone know if I get any positive results on it after a couple of weeks. So far so good though

oh and I prefer the sitting military press as well, if not for anything else other than it is easier to lift the weight off the rack than it is to pick it off the ground!


I usually do somewhere around 165-170 on the MP and there is no way in hell I am going to lift that off the floor and clean it into starting position, then do my set then clean it down to the ground...i mean if someone knows of an easier way to do this that I am missing, please let me know and I will try, but for now, it is seated MPs

just my 2 cents, but arnold press does wonders....adds mass, defines...and burns like hell...all good ingredients of a shoulder exercise!

Originally Posted by crazy_enough

just my 2 cents, but arnold press does wonders....adds mass, defines...and burns like hell...all good ingredients of a shoulder exercise!

I also throughly enjoy the Arnold press. Definitely one of my favorite shoulder exercises.

Originally Posted by rangers97

oh and I prefer the sitting military press as well, if not for anything else other than it is easier to lift the weight off the rack than it is to pick it off the ground!


I usually do somewhere around 165-170 on the MP and there is no way in hell I am going to lift that off the floor and clean it into starting position, then do my set then clean it down to the ground...i mean if someone knows of an easier way to do this that I am missing, please let me know and I will try, but for now, it is seated MPs

Well, all you have to do is stand in a squat rack. Place the barbell about shoulder height and have at it. It's really simple. Also, you don't have to reach behind your head to get the bar which could be hard on your shoulders without a spotter.

Originally Posted by jaybigboy34

Well, all you have to do is stand in a squat rack. Place the barbell about shoulder height and have at it. It's really simple. Also, you don't have to reach behind your head to get the bar which could be hard on your shoulders without a spotter.

interesting....never thought of that.....