Hi mates..
As the title above, I've been lately obsessed with delts due to these reasons..
1. My delts are the worse developed part right now
2. I have poor M2M with my delts..

Purpose of this thread is for me to gain some input on some of the most effective delts training program or the whole shoulder for that matter.

Here's my shoulder training
Lat raise - 15/12/8
Arnold Press - 15/12/8/8 (supersets with above)

Upright row - 15/12/8/8/12/15

Alt front raise - 15/12/8
Reverse fly - 15/12/8/8 (supersets with above)

I end with as many military presses I can churn out.


Sifus please advice...i'm frustrated...

What was the weight u used?

Lat raise - 7.5/10/12.5
Arn Press - 10/12.5/15/15/12.5/10
pright row - 15/17.5/20/20/17.5/15
Alt front raise - 7.5/7.5/10
Reverse fly - 5/5/7.5/7.5

in Kgs

What's your weight? how long have you been training the delts? How's your form?

Height - 180
Weight - 78
Training delts for a year, Weight training for total of 3 years without knowing shit i was doing till i stumbled upon the likes of regulars here.
i wouldn't say i have a 100% form considering i have poor MM for delts. i do keep a strict ROM.

what delts routine do you do?

more presses please...

compound first. i'd do heavy m press/ohp first, then high reps of isolation.

if you talking about width you should do raise first then only go for press
presses often target your anterior delts more especially when you have a slope shoulders like me ,press doesnt really work the medial head

wider grip when doing presses but not too wide else it might hurts,it target the mid head more .
search charless glass raise .
wide grip upright row is great

and train them with high volume

I've made the best improvements as of yet when I lowered volume and increased training frequency to twice a week on a legs/push/pull/rest split. I dare say it's the more optimal thing to do for a natural trainee.

On push days I'd do OHPs and lateral raises, plus the delts get worked from the chest exercises. On pull days I'd hit the rear delts with either reverse flyes or face pulls and they'll also get stimulated from any rowing movements.

I agree with Dan, been following his training template (thanks Dan!) for a few weeks now and my delts are responding well.

This. I definitely agree with this. Some of you use way too much volume in delt work. WAY too much. I think some of you are trying to make up in volume for the lack of intensity you produce in the gym. It's overkill.

Rear delts get hit with back work. Front delts get hit with chest work. The main thing needed is lateral raises as few exercises hit the lateral head directly.

Now i've never looked at it that way. my 5 day split segregates shoulders alone.

@Dan&DL
When you say front delts get hit during chest, it gets me worried. The only chest workout i feel that hits my delts are incline bp..
does Flat BP, or flyes hit delts? if yes then i've been doing it wrong.

Then again, on the contrary, when i screw my weekly routine and have chest day right after shoulders, i SUFFER....

hmmm...
thanks guys...new light has been shed..

Yeah? Try doing some db shoulder press after flat bench. The pump you feel isn't a good indicator.

But imo in regards to the routine I would prefer an ohp movement at the start. Moderately heavy 6ish reps straight sets.

Followed by etc raises and such until tech failure and do a couple more reps or so with horrendous form lol.

I find a seated clean and jerk movement with dbs very very good at the end. 2 sets and I'm burnt out. 10kg dbs. 10 reps per set

But seriously, mikehuan's post has merit. I would go hard and heavy on a compound press, high reppers on isolation. Watch the volume.

How can someone, who has been weight training for 3 years, be using weights like these?

Too many supersets, cut down the volume, and focus on heavy weights with movement. Your current routine has too much volume in it for now. Your body is used to it already.

Swap to a 4-6 weeks of heavy pressing movements esp. OHP <--- (First exercise to start your shoulder day and it is a bloody great compound exercise). Try to go heavy as possible and do maybe 5x5 or 3x5

@DL/Mike/Dan
Good stuff guys...i'll swap volumes for poundage and see how it goes..

@YakAttack
Check your eyes. 3 years of lifting without knowing what the hell i was doing.
Ask my intensity and rests between sets before being cynical.


@Darshan
Thanks man. Appreciate ur advice. Hope to see results with the volume lowering. I do my compounds and have gone through 5x5s.

I feel that far too many people are concerned with poundages. Chasing numbers are good. Chasing numbers at the expense of form, bad.

Try some wide grip upright row, elbow never above shoulder , comfirm you can get some nice mid delt gain.