Shoulder Spreading Exercises | Shoulder training 🆙

By the healthiergang writer , certified personal trainer and athlete ().

Shoulder exercises

If you are looking for shoulder widening exercises this is the place. The shoulder area is made up of a complex set of muscles: deltoid, a three-dimensional muscle that splits into

front
media
back
infraspinatus
supraspinatus
subscapularis
small round
large round;

the muscle-tendon apparatus formed by:

supraspinatus
infraspinatus
subscapularis
teres minor then helps to form the rotator cuff (important for stabilizing the shoulder during movement).

The whole articulated muscular apparatus of the shoulder essentially concentrates its work on its three fundamental movements, that of adduction, abduction (approaching and moving away of the arms from the axis of the body) and rotation. Today the topic of our discussion will be aimed at a series of workouts that aim at its complete hypertrophy.

First of all, we must keep in mind a very important factor regarding this group: the shoulder muscles must be trained judiciously and correctly because of the importance they play in the movement of the part.

The shoulders are often neglected to the advantage of training, in particular, of the pectorals and biceps (muscle groups that attract the most frequenters, especially beginners, of the weight room).

Neglecting the complete training can, however, in the long run, lead to obvious imperfections, such as excessive forward protrusion of the shoulders (shoulders placed in front, which "pull" forward), a recessed and shrunken chest and its consequent postural problems, also a series of injuries especially to the rotator cuff, risking to compromise all the stability of the shoulder.

Remember, don't forget your legs either, (just the exercise bike is not enough!), The same goes for these too; in the strengthening of a muscle group, all the other groups, even non-auxiliary ones, must be strengthened, the body must develop in a healthy and harmonious way to the benefit of aesthetics, certainly, but above all of good health.

1. Shoulder training

Having said that, let's remember a few more things that can help us in training:

1. The shoulder muscles that are mainly trained, i.e. the deltoids, being divided into three sections, anterior, medial and posterior, can also be trained in different sessions, as, individually, they are involved as auxiliary muscles during the training of other muscle groups.

So you can "fatigue" earlier one day by training the lats (with tractions and rowing you will "warm up" the posterior deltoid), another day by training the pectorals (with the various stretches or crosses you will "tire" the anterior deltoid), while the lateral ones can be preparatory to training on the day dedicated to biceps and triceps.

2. The shoulder muscles are mainly made up of red muscle fibers, ie those with high resistance, while the dorsal, pectoral and quadriceps muscles are mainly made up of white or intermediate muscle fibers, therefore mostly of high explosiveness and power.

What does this mean? That, in general, the shoulder muscles could be trained several times in a week, while the other muscle groups need more recovery times due to the different constitution of a part of their fibers.

It is true, however, that, unlike the other groups (more powerful and which can be loaded with intense workouts and then make them recover in more time) to avoid further damage and injuries (often one of the reasons given by those who train little shoulders is precisely the fear of damage to the rotator cuff, for example), my advice is not to overload the work on the shoulders, but rather to increase the volume of the repetitions.

2. Exercises To Spread Shoulders

As I have already said, there are several variations in training to make the shoulders work, and each one feels free to consider what he deems most appropriate to the case.

However, it is always a good idea, especially for those who are approaching specific workouts for muscle groups for the first time, to be followed by expert trainers in order not to run into mistakes that could cause serious injuries to the joint apparatus of the entire shoulder.

1. Military Press with Dumbbells

One of the most popular exercises for widening the shoulders is the dumbbell military press. From a standing position with the back in a position of strength and the knees slightly flexed, hold two dumbbells with a prone or neutral grip (recommended), elbows flexed and wrists straight, then bring the dumbbells towards the top of the sternum. Raise the dumbbells to the sides of the head by extending the elbows and exhaling during the concentric movement.

The thrust ends just before the arms are perpendicular to the floor. Inhale as you return to the starting position. Important: do not extend your knees and never arch your back (knee extension is allowed with the term cheating, but only to maintain balance in case of need).

It can also be performed seated on a bench with a 90 ° backrest. The barbell variant is also very effective but more complex as, in the movement of the lifting with the bar that necessarily must pass in front of the face, it could force you to an unnatural arching of the back.

The shoulder muscles involved in this exercise are the lateral and anterior deltoids, as well as the adjacent coracobrachialis, lower and intermediate bundles of the trapezius.

Shoulder Spreading Exercises | Shoulder training

2. Arnold Press

One of the best exercises for widening the shoulders is called the arnold press. On a 90 ° bench, seated, grab the dumbbells with supine grip (palms facing the body) and bring them closer to the sternum. With fluid movement from this position, raise your arms extending them over your head and spreading your elbows, palms now facing outward. Return the dumbbells and palms to the starting position and repeat.

The exercise works the entire muscle group of the deltoid, in particular the anterior one, in addition to the upper pectoral in the initial phase of the movement, and the triceps

Shoulder Spreading Exercises | Shoulder training

3. Lateral Raises

Another of the most important exercises to widen the shoulders are the lateral raises. Standing, back in the position of strength, knees slightly bent and feet equal to or a little wider than the shoulders, grasp the dumbbells, hold them at the sides and, with the elbows slightly bent, raise the arms flexing the shoulders until the shoulders are parallel to the floor.

Important: Do not flex your elbows too much so as not to shift the workload excessively to the front. In this exercise, the lateral deltoid, the supraspinatus, the anterior deltoid and the coracobrachialis work mainly (in addition to the upper pectoral fascia and the brachial biceps).

Never "hyperextend" your back and do not help yourself with momentum with your legs, the only part involved in the movement is that of the shoulder; the wrists must also always be straight. They can be performed with the help of dumbbells or an elastic band.

Shoulder Spreading Exercises | Shoulder training

4. Rear Raises on Incline Bench

One of our favorite shoulder-widening exercises! Back raises on an inclined bench: astride a bench that you have previously tilted at 45 °, grab two dumbbells and with your palms facing each other.

Perform lateral raises, elbows slightly flexed, until the arms are slightly above the height of the back. Return to the starting position, always remembering to exhale at the concentric moment of the exercise and to inhale in the starting position.

In this exercise you will involve the posterior deltoid, the often most overlooked portion of the entire muscle group, so it is an extremely training exercise and highly recommended in your routines.

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How to widen your shoulders?

The shoulders can be widened through some targeted exercises. There are multiple variations in training to work your shoulders effectively. However, it is always a good idea, especially for those who are approaching specific workouts for muscle groups for the first time, to be followed by expert trainers to avoid making mistakes that could cause serious injuries to the joint apparatus of the entire shoulder.

How to train the shoulders?

The shoulders can be trained in a targeted way through a few exercises. In a shoulder training routine, the shoulder muscles that are mainly trained, i.e. the deltoids, being divided into three sections, anterior, medial and posterior, can also be trained in different sessions, as, individually, they are involved as muscles auxiliaries during training of other muscle groups.

How many times a week do we need to train the shoulders?

The shoulder muscles could be trained several times in a week. This is because the shoulder muscles are mainly made up of red muscle fibers, i.e. those with high resistance, while the dorsal, pectoral and quadriceps muscles are mainly made up of white or intermediate muscle fibers, therefore mostly of high explosiveness and power.