Friday, December 26, 2008

Weekly Bodybuilding Workouts, Shoulders

By Ricardo d Argence

Shoulder development is very important when you are bodybuilding. A double back bicep pose not only makes you look great while doing it, but it also make you look wonderful while standing erect. If you develop your side deltoids in proportion to the biceps, the arms and biceps look large and well defined.

The shoulder area consists of the muscles of the posterior, medial and anterior deltoid. The rotator cuff muscles and the upper trapezius are included in the whole shoulder girdle.

To the back, side, or front of the humerus, the deep rotator cuff muscles connect several parts of the thoracic region. 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. Going further back on the shoulder, below the lower portion of the upper trapezius, is the posterior deltoid muscle. The outer section of the shoulder is the location of the medial deltoid, while the anterior deltoid muscle is apparent on the exterior of the pectoral muscles.

Either of your shoulders has an individual function when the arm is lifted. The arm is brought forwards, inwards, or rotated by the anterior deltoid. The medial deltoid allows the arm to move away from the side. When the arm is moved back or rotated outwards, the posterior deltoid comes 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 provide stability to the arm when it is moving and allows the arm to rotate.

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 key to building massive shoulders is to understand how the shoulder works and keeping it healthy. Nothing will halt your progress faster than an injury in the gym, so clearly injury should be avoided. One of the most common injuries is to the rotator cuff muscles. The muscles that make up the rotator cuff are not large strong muscles. In order to prevent any injuries try incorporating some band work into your shoulder workout.

To minimize injuries be sure that you are using the right amount of weight. You should be able to have control of the weight through the entire movement. If you find that you can only do partial reps or you need to shift the weight around, then the weight is too heavy. Using too much weight puts too much stress on the shoulder and is likely to cause injury. Be sure that you can maintain the proper technique and use the full range of motion before increasing the weight.

Although building up shoulder muscles takes a bit of effort, bodybuilders concur that the result justifies the work involved. Because each body grows at its own rate, research and patience are vital. - 16004

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