Come train with the legend Arnold Schwarzenegger - Training & Tips for the Central Delta

The shoulder is by a wide margin the most flexible joint we have. This puts it at risk of injury, of course, but it also allows us to use a wide range of exercises to achieve complete development of the deltoid muscles. So it's not clear to me why people only use basic versions of the suspension in their shoulder training.

Every time I go to the gym, I see guys doing one-arm pull-ups standing and sitting, standing on pulleys, and that's it. There are many other variations that you can incorporate into your workout to build the biggest and most detailed deltoid muscles possible. In this article, I'll introduce you to a few of my favorites.

One-handed seated pulley push-ups

This is no different than your traditional standing pulley press. However, in the standing position, you tend to use every possible muscle except the deltoid muscles to move the weight. Our goal is to isolate the middle head of the deltoid muscles, which this sit-up will help you with.

Sit on a bench or seat a few dozen inches in front of the bottom pulley. Sit sideways to it and keep your working hand on the opposite side of the bricks. Start with the handle in front of your waist (you may need to spread your legs slightly so they don't interfere with the movement), then pull it to the side until you have your arm at least parallel to the floor. Repeat the movement for several repetitions, switching arms.

Reverse overhead one-arm overhead press

You won't just see this variation. It targets the middle and rear deltoid muscles and also helps with the development of the upper traps. It used to be very popular with British bodybuilders.

The technique is the same as the regular deadlift, but there are two major differences:

1. You lift the one-handers from parallel to overhead.
2. Your palms and forearms are in a supinated position the whole time - this means your palms are facing outwards at the start of each rep, pointing towards the ceiling for most of the way up, and when they meet at the top they are facing each other.

You can do this exercise sitting or standing, just keep your elbows slightly bent the whole time.

Lying down

This has always been one of my favorite exercises because it does a great job of isolating the middle deltoid muscles (and a bit of the back as well) and allows for maximum tension in the muscles with a proper range of motion. Lie on one side on a slightly positively inclined bench with your head up, and take a light one-handed dumbbell in your free hand. Start with the weight hanging loosely towards the floor, arm across your body and elbow slightly bent. From here, clench the deltoid muscle, pulling the single arm straight up towards the ceiling until your arm is perpendicular to the floor. Repeat this for several reps, switching sides.

Incorporate these unconventional versions of the deadlift into your workout, and your shoulders will respond.

Sample workout

Here's how to incorporate the above versions of weightlifting into your existing shoulder workout.

* Alternate these two exercises each shoulder workout.
** In every other workout, replace the supine pull-up with a forward pull-up to focus on the rear deltoid muscles.

Source: www.flexonline.com
Author: Ar nold Schwarzenegger
Translated by Jaromír Uhlíř (Cha Cha)
Original Article Title: Arnold Schwarzenegger: Lateral Progress