The look of solid, strong arms starts at the shoulders. The human eye is trained to start its critical gaze from the top of the body. Thus, broad solid shoulders and deltoid muscles will define the rest of your physique and further accentuate your arm development. The deltoid muscle defines the shoulder. 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.
Deltoid Development
Training the deltoid muscles:
The basic exercises for deltoids are variations of Lateral and Pressing movements.
Lateral exercises 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.
1. Standing or Seated Lateral Raises: To develop the outside head of the
deltoid, with some benefit to the rear head.
2. One-Arm Cross Cable Laterals: To work the outside head of the deltoid and
benefit the rear head in isolation.
3. One-Arm Side Cable Laterals: To isolate the side head of the deltoid. Helps
bring out definition in the shoulders and works the side and rear deltoid
heads together.
4. Reverse Overhead Dumbbell Laterals: To develop the front deltoids. Also,
helps to develop the traps.
5. Front Dumbbell Raises: To develop the front head of the deltoids. Helps to
create separation between the deltoid and the pectoral muscles.
6. Seated Bent-Over Dumbbell Laterals: To isolate and work the rear head of
the deltoids. Doing them seated allows you to do a stricter movement than
when standing.
7. Standing Bent-Over Dumbbell Laterals: To develop the rear deltoids. Bending
forward from the waist about 45 degrees.
8. Bent -Over Cable Laterals: To work the rear head of the deltoids. Helps you
to get a slightly longer range of motion with continuos resistance
throughout the movement.
Presses 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.
1. Shoulder Press with Dumbbells: To develop the front head of the deltoids. By
using dumbbells, you get tremendous range of motion.
2. Press behind the Neck: To train the front and side deltoids. Any pressing
movement also involves the triceps, as well.
3. Military Press: To train the front deltoids. When done from a seated
position the movement will be stricter than when standing.
4. Clean and Press: To train the front deltoids and build upper-body density
and power.
5. Smith Machine Presses: Doing presses on the machine helps you to do the
movements very strictly and allows you to let the weight come down much
slower, which gives you extra stretch in your front delts.
