How to Get Huge Shoulders: Tips and Tricks!

Shoulders are one of the most aesthetic muscle groups out there, so it’s no surprise that wanting to get bigger, rounder delts is a common goal. In order to achieve this growth, you have to make sure that your programming matches your goals. Obviously, we all have different training protocols that take advantage of what works for us as individuals. With these 3 principles and techniques, your shoulders will transform from a weakness into a strength. Make sure you stay tuned until later in the article where we summarize our findings and provide you with a sample shoulder routine!

1. Do Shoulders First

Starting your split with shoulders or beginning your workouts with the hardest shoulder exercises is a sure fire way to give the delts some extra attention. If you are utilizing a push/pull/legs split, it may be easy to procrastinate off the shoulder portion of the workout in favor of extra chest-focused movements. By saving all of your shoulder work until the end, you are probably going to be burnt out already and less likely to give it your all. By the same token, if your shoulder day falls after a chest day, your shoulders may already be sore. The bottom line is if your shoulders are lacking, you have to take steps to make them a priority.

2. Progressive Overload

Progressive overload is one of the most universally accepted rules to increase hypertrophy and muscle growth. If you are choosing a series of smart movements to compliment your shoulder needs, you’re going to want to be improving on these lifts from week to week. Whether it comes from an increase of volume, weight, or form does not matter, as long as you are not staying stagnant with your progress.

3. Mind-Muscle Connection

When you’re looking to achieve maximum shoulder gains, you have to place a large focus on activating the correct muscle fibers during each movement. Particular cues like “pulling through your elbows” may help you feel your medial head (side delt) more and thereby activate more of the muscle you are looking for.

Learn How to Increase Your Mind-Muscle Connection Here!

4. Sample Workout

Below is a science-based example workout that begins with heavy compound movements and proceeds into more isolation work as it goes on.

· Dumbbell Shoulder Press 12,8,8,8,8

· Standing Side Laterals 4x12

· Upright Row 3x10

· Front Raise 3x15

· Rear Delt Row 4x8

· Reverse Pec Deck 5x12

· Shrugs 4x20