Tips To Build Boulder Shoulders
If you think about it, all the aesthetically appealing physiques have one thing in common – they have big and round shoulders. Boulder shoulders are the foundation of a solid V-Taper.
Bodybuilding is a game of illusions and having big and round shoulders can make your waistline look smaller. Apart from all the aesthetics, every woman wants a man who can lift her on his shoulders, and this should be enough motivation to get you working on your delts.
Learn How Your Training Affects Your Muscles
Most people don’t understand how the exercises they perform affect their muscles. If your goal is to build size and strength you should focus on compound lifts. On the other hand, performing isolation exercises improves muscular conditioning.
Since we’re talking about building shoulder size, strength, and conditioning, you’ll be following a workout program that maintains a balance between the compound and isolation exercises.
Re-Structure Your Training
You can’t take a one training program fits all approach if you want to build boulder shoulders. You need to break down your shoulders into smaller muscle groups and train them as per your weaknesses.
If you have weaker rear delts, you should train them at the beginning of your workouts hitting them first with compound and then isolation lifts. Arriving at the perfect training split will take a lot of trial and error on your part.
Club Your Shoulder Work With Other Muscle Groups
If you have weaker shoulders, you should consider training them at the end of other muscle group workouts. Make sure you have at least a couple of days rest before training your shoulders again. Think of these kinds of workouts as accessory work for your delts.
Shoulders are one muscle group that can fit perfectly with your other muscle workouts. As an example, you can train your traps and rear delts when you’re working your back. Exercises like the shoulder presses can be performed as supersets with incline chest presses.
Make Compound Lifts Your Go-To
Shoulders are recruited in almost every exercise you perform. You have to be trying hard to keep them out of action. If you want your shoulders to bulge ASAP, you should perform compound exercises as often as you can in every workout.
So, the next time you have an option between wrist curls and farmer’s walk, you know what to choose. Making these small (but hard) adjustments will pay you big dividends in the long run.
Use Advanced Training Principles
You can’t expect to see major changes in your physique if you’re following a vanilla training program. You need to do better than performing 5 exercises with 3 sets of 8-12 reps in your workouts.
Advanced training principles like drop sets, supersets, intraset stretching, BFR training, etc. are your best bet at shocking your muscles into growing. You can also tweak your rep scheme – the time taken to lift and lower weights – to add a new dimension to your results.
Just Lifting Weights Isn’t Going To Cut It
Most people overlook the variety factor when it comes to their workouts. Bodybuilding exercises aren’t the place to practice monogamy. Take your gains to the next level by incorporating bodyweight exercises like handstands, handstand pushups, and resistance band work.
While strength, size, and conditioning are important, they shouldn’t come at the price of flexibility, endurance, and mobility. Always be on the lookout to try new things to keep your muscles guessing.
Who do you think has the best shoulders in the bodybuilding world? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
*Header image courtesy of Envato Elements.