Friday, December 26, 2008

Weight Lifting Programs, How to Train Your Shoulders

By Ricardo d Argence

Developing the shoulders is an important aspect of bodybuilding. In addition to looking amazing when doing a double back bicep pose, they make you look terrific when standing. If you develop your side deltoids in proportion to the biceps, the arms and biceps look large and well defined.

The shoulder region includes the posterior, medial, and anterior deltoid muscles. If you are including the whole shoulder girdle, then the rotator cuff muscles as well as the upper trapezius are included.

The deep muscles of the rotator cuff attach different sections of the thoracic area to different parts of the humerus. Upper trapezius muscles are the muscles that run from the back of the neck; extend to the medial deltoid, then downward to intersect with the middle trapezius. Toward the back of the shoulder, you will find the posterior deltoid muscle, beneath the lower region of the upper trapezius. The outer part of the shoulder is a where the medial deltoid lies, with the anterior deltoid muscle being visible outside of the pectoral muscles.

When lifting the arm, each shoulder performs a different, and specific, function. The anterior deltoid is responsible for bringing the arm forward, inward and for rotating the arm. The medial deltoid allows the arm to move away from the side. When the arm goes back the posterior deltoid will come into play. When the scapula is moved upward toward the ears, like shrugging your shoulders, the upper trapezius muscle does the job. Finally, the rotator cuff muscles secure the arm as it moves and permit its rotation.

To build up the shoulder muscles, exercises such as the military press, Arnold press, lateral raises (bent-over, lying, or standard), and neck/behind-the neck presses, should be performed. Rowing in an upright position as well as while bent over will facilitate building the shoulder area to dramatic size.

The secret to forming huge shoulders is to comprehend the way the shoulder operates and maintain its health. You should do everything possible to avoid injury so you do not hinder your progress in the gym. One of the most common injuries is to the rotator cuff muscles. The rotator cuff is made up of muscles which are not exactly large and strong. So that you don't get injured try doing some band work with your shoulder workout.

In order to reduce the risk of injury double check that you're using the proper weights. You should be able to have control of the weight through the entire movement. If you can't do a complete set of repetitions, or you have to adjust the position of the weight, then you need to lower the weight. Using too much weight puts too much stress on the shoulder and is likely to cause injury. The success to this is all in you using the proper technique using the full range of motion, prior to increasing the weight.

Even if developing your shoulders muscles can be a very difficult task, you'll see that results are really worth the effort. Experimentation and determination is important, since everybody's body will develop at a different rate. - 16752

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