A Great Shoulder Workout to Create the "Wide Shoulder" Look

To create the appearance of wide shoulders you must pick exercises in your shoulder workout that hit the right muscles. Your shoulder is made up of three muscles...the front deltoid, the side deltoid, and the rear deltoid. It is important to focus your shoulder workout mainly around the side deltoid if you want to create width.

What Exercises in Your Shoulder Workout Emphasize the Side Deltoid.

Include plenty of lateral raise variations in your shoulder workout, if you want to really isolate the side deltoids. Many people prefer to start their shoulder workout with shoulder presses, but I prefer to start my shoulder workout with lateral raises. When you start your shoulder workout with lateral raises you pre-fatigue your side deltoid muscles. When you hit the shoulder presses, you will completely blast the side deltoid muscles. When you perform any pressing movements attempt to keep your elbows to the side of your body. Don't allow your elbows to drift forward, as this will put the emphasis on the front deltoid muscles.

How Many Sets and Reps to Perform in Your Shoulder Workout.

Your shoulder workout will vary depending on your shoulder development. If you have small shoulders, then I would recommend a high volume approach to your shoulder workout. Muscle mass is increased by performing a high volume of work on a specific muscle group. If somebody has smaller shoulders, they should aim to get a pump in their shoulders during their shoulder workout. This is achieved by performing a higher number of reps and less rest in between sets. I would aim for 15-20 total sets for shoulders and stick to reps in the 8-12 range. For those with bigger shoulders I would perform about 1/2 of the volume of lifts during the shoulder workout. Aim for 8-10 total sets in your shoulder workout and 5-10 reps per set.

Cardio for Your Shoulder Workout?

Cardio is actually one of the most important part of a great shoulder workout. If you want that lean and angular look, then cardio will do that for you. The lifts in your shoulder workout will build width in the shoulders, but cardio will give you a smaller waist. Low body fat will emphasize the side delts even further. Cardio will actually put finishing touches on every body part. It is an important part of your shoulder workout and should be performed year round.

By Rusty Moore