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It all starts at the shoulders. Your muscle appeal starts from the top of your body. Broad, solid shoulders define the rest of your physique. Paying careful attention to shoulders in your training routine forms the classic V-shape look.
Here is the scoop on your shoulder muscle group.
- The basic function of the shoulder is to rotate and lift the arm.
- The deltoid is a large, three headed, and thick, triangular muscle which
originates from the clavicle and the scapula at the rear of the shoulder and
extends down to its insertion in the upper arm.
- The anterior or front deltoid lifts the arm to the front; the medial or side deltoid lifts the arm to the side; the posterior or the rear deltoid lifts the arm to the rear.
- The basic function of the trapezius is to lift the entire shoulder girdle,
draw the scapula up, down, and to either side, and help turn the head.
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Training:
Deltoid Training
There are two basic kinds of exercises for the shoulders, Laterals and
Presses.
A. Laterals involve lifting your extended arm upward in a wide arc. In
order to work all three heads, you need to do Laterals to the front, to the
side, and to the rear. When you do Laterals, you do not involve any other
muscle groups. You have to completely isolate the various heads of the
deltoids. Because you are isolating the deltoids, you cannot lift as much
weight as with pressing movements.
B. In Shoulder Presses, you begin with your arms bent, the weight about
shoulder height, and lift the barbell or dumbbells straight up over your
head. Because you are straightening your arms as well as lifting upward,
Presses involve both the deltoids and the triceps. You can vary the stress
on your shoulders to direct it toward the different deltoid heads by doing
different kinds of Presses, i.e., to the front or the rear, using barbell,
dumbbells, or various machines.
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