While you can find plenty of ways to attack your delts. rest assured, most of us still end-up cribbing about how the routine is not exactly helping us pump our delts.
And although we recommend using a complete schedule as the backbone of your training efforts, it never really hurts to try some of these grab-bag programs to see what works best for you.
Benefit: Training with lighter weight in higher-than-normal rep-ranges exhausts your slow-twitch fibers through the first half of the set. In the later stage of the set, your fast-twitch muscle fibers come into play to pick up the slack, leaving you with a pervasive muscle pump and a surge in growth hormone.
How To: Pick a weight that you can handle for around 70 reps. Once you hit initial failure, rest for as many seconds as remaining reps. For example, if you fail at 70 reps, rest 30 seconds then continue. Repeat as many times as necessary to reach 100. For an extra burn, hold the 100th rep for up to 10 seconds.
Power Training
Benefit: Training explosively without going to failure can help you maximally recruit your growth-prone fast-twitch muscle fibers.
How To: Perform the positive portion of each rep as explosively as possible using a weight you can handle for about 20 normal-speed reps. Always go controlled on the negative.
Boxing Stamina
Benefit: Using this boxing-inspired shoulder circuit will result in increased shoulder stamina and detail.
How To: Using no more than 3-5 pounds, perform six, 30 second shoulder exercises in a row to make for a three-minute round. Always begin and finish with a brisk set of straight punches. The four exercises in between should be any combination of straight reps, or static holds of, lateral raises, front raises, rear delt raises, overhead presses and overhead punches. Keep the pace up to maximize fiber recruitment and calorie expenditure.
Benefit: Performing exercises one limb at a time allows you to snuff out muscular imbalances since your working limbs won’t have support from the non-working limbs. When training very heavy, you can also use your off-limb to spot your working limb, allowing you to safely train past failure. Over time, this allows you to become stronger overall.
How To: In this dumbbells-only workout, you’ll perform a giant set – several exercises performed in circuit-fashion – for each shoulder, completing all exercises and reps for your left before moving on to your right.
For each set, choose a weight that brings about positive muscle failure at each listed rep range.
