The Ultimate Shoulder Workout: The Best Shoulder

Exercises for Big Delts

By Michael Matthews
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exercises and type of shoulder workouts to

get you there.
When it comes to upper body training, the shoulders are often undertrained. They naturally
tend to lag behind arm and chest development, and can remain very stubborn, refusing to

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change at all.
I know because I used to have this problem. But I dont anymore, and in this article, Im going to
share with you how I finally grew some shoulders I could be proud of.
If you follow my advice in this article, and eat properly, your shoulders will grow in both size
and strength.
So, lets first take a quick look at the anatomy of the shoulders so we understand what were
trying to achieve in our shoulder workouts.

Growing the Shoulder Muscles

Your shoulders are comprised of three major muscles known as deltoids, and heres how they
look:

Its very important to develop all three heads of this muscle group, because if one is lagging, it

will be painfully obvious.

In most cases, the medial and posterior deltoids need the most work because the anterior
deltoids do get trained to some degree in a good chest workout. The other two heads dont,
however.
Lets use my own physique as an example. First, check out the following picture taken about 4
years ago:

I didnt look horrible, but take a look at my left shoulder and how small it looks compared to the
middle of my arm (the middle of my bicep and triceps). Heres another shot from the same time

period that shows it even more:

As you can see, my arm and chest completely overpowered my shoulder. Keep in mind that
I was training shoulders at that timeI was doing a lot of sets as a part of a traditional
bodybuilder routine (a lot of isolation work, 10 12+ reps, Drop Sets, Super Sets, etc.).
Soon after I took these pictures, I began changing the way I trained and ate, and after about a
year of this new style of eating and training, I looked like this:

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Quite an improvement, of course (I was thrilled), but lets focus again on that left shoulder
because its still lagging. The medial head in particular lacked sizeit didnt protrude enough to
balance the size of my triceps.
I kept working at it, however, and heres a shot of me taken a few months ago:

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I still think my shoulders need a bit more work, but I think youll agree they have greatly
improved and are fairly proportional to my arms, chest, and back.
The progress youre seeing in the above pictures was achieved with shoulder workouts
based on the training advice that Im going to share with you in this article.

So lets get to how to best workout your shoulders

Shoulder Training 101

The two biggest mistakes most people make in their shoulder workouts are:
1. Focusing on the wrong shoulder exercises.
Many people focus too much on machine and isolation exercises, which are not the key to
building big, round delts.
2. Focusing on high-rep training.
This mistake will stunt the growth of any major muscle group in the body, but its
particularly detrimental when it comes to shoulder development.
These two points go against what a lot of people hear and assume about shoulder training.
Namely the assumption that because the deltoids are smaller muscles, they respond better to
high-rep training. This is false, and I explain why in my article on muscle hypertrophy (muscle
growth).
Many people also focus on the wrong shoulder exercisesusually isolation exercises that dont
permit enough progressive overload without risking injury. Well, like all major muscle groups
in the body, the reality is shoulders respond best to heavy, compound weightlifting.
But wait a minute, you might be thinking. INSERT SHREDDED FITNESS MODEL HERE does a
lot of high-rep isolation shoulder exercises in his shoulder workouts, and he has amazing
boulder shoulders What gives?
The answer is steroids. I know, that might sound cynical, but its true.
When someone is on enough drugs, achieving muscle growth is mind-numbingly simple: he sits
in the gym for a few hours every day doing rep after rep after rep, exercise after exercise, and
his muscles get bigger and bigger. In this case, focusing on high-rep training is actually a good
thing.

Furthermore, the shoulders (along with the upper arms, traps, and upper chest) are quite dense
in androgen receptors, which are special types of proteins in cells that respond to certain
hormones in the blood (including anabolic hormones like testosterone). Thats why these parts
of the bodythe shoulders, upper arms, traps, and upper chestgrow very quickly when guys
get on steroids, and can reach freaky levels of size.
That said, you can still build a great set of delts without drugs. It just takes time, and it takes the
right approach to shoulder training. And the right approach as a natural weightlifter is very
simple:
1. Focus on lifting heavy weights in your shoulder workouts.
If you want your shoulders to get big and strong, youll want to focus on the 4 6 or 5 7
rep range.
2. Focus on the shoulder exercises that safely allow for sufficient progressive overload.
Well talk more about this in a minute, but these are exercises like the Military Press,
various types of Dumbbell presses, the Dumbbell Side Lateral Raise, and more.
Training volume and frequency is also important. Like ideal rep ranges, optimal training
frequency is a hotly debated subject. The bottom line is it boils down to workout intensity and
volume.
The lighter the weights and fewer the sets per workout, the more often you can train the muscle
group. And, as a corollary, the heavier the weights and greater the sets per workout, the less
often you can train the muscle group.
Ive tried many different splits and frequency schemes, and what Ive found works best is in line
with an extensive review on the subject conducted by researchers at Goteborg University:
When training with the proper intensity (focusing on lifting heavy weights), optimal
frequency seems to be about 40 60 reps performed every 5 7 days.
This not only applies to the shoulders but to every other major muscle group as well. If youre

an advanced weightlifter (3+ years of proper training under your belt), you can probably push
this up to the 70 80 rep range, but any more than that and you will be risking overtraining.
Alright, lets now look at the best shoulder exercises for muscle growth.

The Best Shoulder Exercises

My list of favorite shoulder exercises is pretty short and simple. These are the exercises Ive
used to dramatically improve my own shoulders, and that will do the same for yours.

1. Seated or Standing Military Press

Barbell pressing is the most effective way to build your shoulders because although it focuses
on the anterior head, it also involves the other two, and it allows you to push heavy weight
without risking injury.
I prefer the Seated Military Press because the standing variation requires quite a bit of balance
and lower back stability to perform, and as I squat and deadlift heavy every week, I dont feel I
need any more lower back training.
Heres how to properly do the Seated Military Press:

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The key point here is Im bringing the weight down to my chest in a controlled manner. Dont
stop at 90 degrees for fear of your shouldersso long as you keep your elbows under the bar
and resist the urge to flare them out, youll be fine.
Heres how to do the Standing Military Press correctly:

2. Seated Dumbbell Press

The dumbbell variant of the press is also a great exercise for building overall strength and size.
Heres how its done:

3. Arnold Press
The Arnold Press is a variation of the traditional Dumbbell Press, and uses an increased range
of motion to further overload the anterior deltoid. Heres how to do it:

4. Dumbbell Front Raise

The Dumbbell Front Raise is an effective exercise for targeting the anterior deltoid. Between
this and the presses, you dont need anything else for this front head of the muscle group. Heres
how to do it:

5. Side Lateral Dumbbell Raise

The Side Lateral Dumbbell Raise is the most effective exercise for building the medial (middle)
deltoid. This head is usually underdeveloped when compared to the anterior because people
tend to focus on chest and shoulder pressing.
Heres how to do it:

As your shoulders get stronger, youll find it harder to maintain proper form when trying to lift
both dumbbells simultaneously. An effective way to get around this without cheating is to do a
hanging variant of the exercise:

6. Rear Dumbbell Raise

The posterior (rear) deltoid is the smallest and weakest of the three heads, but still needs some
love if you want to have a three-dimensional shoulder that doesnt fall flat in the back.
The Rear Dumbbell Raise is a simple and effective exercise for building this posterior head.
Heres how to do it:

You can also do a standing variation of this exercise:

7. Rear Lateral Barbell Row

The Rear Delt Barbell Row is another great exercise for targeting the posterior deltoids. Heres
how to do it:

RememberProgression is the Key to Muscle Growth

Thats it on the exercises.
The key, however, isnt just doing the above exercises. Its progressing on them. That is, increasing
the amount of weight you can push over time.
If you dont get stronger, you wont get bigger. But if you do work on building your strength on
these exercises, and you eat enough food to grow, your shoulders will get bigger and stronger.

The Ultimate Shoulder Workout

A good shoulder workout trains all three heads of the muscle, and focuses on heavy weights.
Just like any other muscle group, shoulders can benefit from higher rep work, but you have to
emphasize the heavy weightlifting if you want them to grow.
While I go over everything you need to program your own leg workouts in Big g er Leaner
Strong er and Thinner Leaner Strong er (and provide you with an entire years worth of
workouts that can, when combined with proper nutrition, help you put on 20 25 pounds of
muscle in your first year of weightlifting),
I want to leave
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workout
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What I want you to do over the next 8 weeks is perform the following shoulder workout once
every 5 7 days:
Seated or Standing Military Press: Warm up and 3 sets of 4 6 reps
Dumbbell Side Lateral : 3 sets of 4 6 reps or 6 8 reps if you cant maintain proper
form with 4 6

Rear Dumbbell Raise: 3 sets of 4 6 reps or 6 8 reps if you cant maintain proper
form with 4 6

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Optional (if you feel like you have some juice left): Dumbbell Front Raise: 3 sets of 4
6 reps or 6 8 reps if you cant maintain proper form with 4 6
Thats itjust 9 12 heavy sets for your entire workout. If youre an advanced lifter, or you feel
you have more in you at the end of the workout, you can do the final 3 sets, but dont do more
than that or you will likely wind up overtrained at some point.
Once you hit the top of your rep range for one set, you move up in weight. For instance, if
push out 6 reps on your first set of the Military Press, you add 5 pounds to each side of the bar
for your next set and work with that weight until you can press it for 6 reps, and so forth.
Rest 2 3 minutes in between each set. This will give your muscles enough time to fully
recoup their strength so you can give maximum effort each set.
I guarantee you that if you combine that shoulder workout with a proper nutrition plan, you
will be very happy with how your shoulders respond.
This type of training is the core of my Bigger Leaner Stronger and Thinner Leaner
Stronger programs, and Ive received hundreds and hundreds emails from readers ecstatic that
they were finally breaking through 1+ year plateaus with ease, gaining strength and size every
week.

Whats your take on this type of shoulder workout?

Have anything else youd like to share? Let me know
in the comments below!

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Want more ultimate workouts? Check out the

following:
The Ultimate Arms Workout
The Ultimate Back Workout
The Ultimate Chest Workout
The Ultimate Legs Workout

How to get lean and build serious muscle and strength, faster than you
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Depending on how you eat, train, and rest, building muscle and losing fat can be incredibly
easy or incredibly hard. Unfortunately, most people make many different mistakes that
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women: they lay out EVERYTHING you need to know about diet and training to build
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Im Mike Matthews and Ive been training for nearly a decade

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1888

2 months ago

Hi mike I read bigger leaner stronger and it helped me to solve a lot of my

problems(I had read far too many different opinions and just confused myself) one
thing I'm still curious about is slow twitch and fast twitch muscles, can u tell me
anything in your strait to the point way! Many thanks
10

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1888

1888 2 months ago

Thanks for the quick reply, very helpful article

1

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Michael Matthews

Mod

1888 2 months ago

Thanks! Yeah check this out:

http://www.muscleforlife.com/g...
Reply Share

Texan

7 months ago

I'm very happy with the weight I'm pressing on the seated dumbbell military press
(60 LB dumbells). But getting the dumbells up to a pressing position is a huge
problem. Any tips?
4

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Chris

Texan 5 months ago

Something I've tried that works, but you need to watch your balance - you
can perform a half clean-and-press while standing in order to get the
dumbbells to "rest" on your shoulders. Then, carefully, step back into a
sitting position on an upright bench.
1

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Michael Matthews

Mod

Chris 5 months ago

Michael Matthews

Chris 5 months ago

Mod

Yes, that's workable.

Reply Share

Michael Matthews

Texan 7 months ago

Mod

Yeah it's a pain. You have to start with them on your knees and kick them
one at a time into position.
1

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Pasquale L Nocito Jr

Michael Matthews 7 months ago

I find that having a patner for shoulder can really give you an
advantage. especially if you have weak wrists or you don't want to
put you shoulders in an awkward position on the way up... You burn
a crapload of energy if you straining on getting them up. A simple
write or elbow spot can save you world of energy and potential
energy. Right MIke?
1

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Michael Matthews

Mod

Pasquale L Nocito Jr

7 months ago

Definitely!
Reply Share

Mark

7 months ago

Mike, thanks for the instructional videos. I picked up a few tips to make my
shoulder exercises more effective. BTW, YOU should be in those videos and
showing the proper form (and get the credit!). :)
4

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Michael Matthews

Mod

Mark 7 months ago

Great, I'm glad you liked it! I know, I need to do instructional vids!
2

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Luke

Michael Matthews 7 months ago

I think that would be great. Based on your writing I think that

something I could link to a lot of the younger guys around my gym

that could use some walkthroughs especially since lots end up
using the often suspect or slightly lacking methods of the hiss
master himself scott herman.
1

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Michael Matthews

Mod

Luke 7 months ago

Yeah it's on the list. It will be a little bit of a project as I will

want them to be nice, but I will be able to dedicate time to it
after I've finished up some writing projects. Should be
another couple of months.
Hiss master, lmfao.
1
kris

Reply Share

3 months ago

Alright mate what order would I perform each dayshoulders arms back legs
chest?
3

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Michael Matthews

Mod

kris 3 months ago

I do this:
Chest
Back
Shoulders
Arms
Legs
Weak Point Day (currently a little extra shoulders and lats)
Reply Share

Guest

Michael Matthews 3 months ago

Unless I misread, you're saying you work out each muscle group
one day a week?
2

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Michael Matthews

Mod

Guest 3 months ago

That's correct. My shoulders and lats are 2 x though.

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1888

2 months ago

Hi mike good article, but I'm still a little curious. Is it an advantage or even possible
to work the fast twitch and slow twitch muscles? Are they seperate fibres, ordo
they become either fast or slow twitch dependingon how you work them? Thanks
in advance, I'm aware this question might sound dumb
2

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Michael Matthews

Mod

1888 2 months ago

Thanks! Good question. Check this out:

http://www.muscleforlife.com/g...
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Scott

2 months ago

Mike
Thank you for all the helpful advice. I am fairly new to lifting weights, so articles like
these are helpful. I have a few quick questions for you if you don't mind. I
understand that basic 4-6 rep concept, which is what I do. Hypothetically, say you
do an exercise and are able to do 6 reps on first set, but only 4 reps on the 2nd
and 3rd set - is this still getting a good workout? And the next time I lift that body
part, do I start at the weight I was able to do 6 at, or the one I did 4 at?
Finally, you don't mention anything about cardio, is it mandatory for building
size/muscle?
Thanks much!
2

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Michael Matthews

Mod

Scott 2 months ago

Thanks! Yup, that's the way to go. Hit 6, move up in weight, you'll get 4,

work with that until 6, etc.

Cardio actually can help:
http://www.muscleforlife.com/c...
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Travis

7 months ago

I love your articles and appreciate the no-BS way you go about everything. Very
nice to see in the fitness industry. I have ordered your book and should be getting
it soon but just had a quick question for you because Im not sure if your book will
address it.
I have heard (also backed up by a few studies) that if you only train one body part
once a week (5-7 day) like you suggest that it is almost to long to wait in between
training that muscle group, and waiting that long could cause muscle loss from no
training. And on top of that, waiting that long will greatly inhibit any gains because
of the long wait period. Do you completely disagree with that? Im guessing you do,
Im just curios why? vs apposed to maybe each muscle group twice a week?
One other question I have is do you think it is necessary to have a workout split
equally between horizontal push/vertical push and horizontal pull/vertical pull types
of exercises during each workout session to maximize gains?
Im sorry If you discuss these things in your book, and once again thanks for all the
great articles and advice.
2

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Michael Matthews

Mod

Travis 7 months ago

Thanks Travis! I really appreciate it.

Like ideal rep ranges, optimal training frequency is a hotly debated
subject. The bottom line is it boils down to workout intensity and volume.
The lighter the weights and fewer the sets, the more often you can train
the muscle group.
In the case of BLS, you hit your muscles hard, with about 50-60 reps per

In the case of BLS, you hit your muscles hard, with about 50-60 reps per
workout, with all reps recruiting maximum muscle fibers (due to the load).
The reality is unless you have superhuman recovery, you just wont be
able to do these workouts more than once per 5 days. Once per 7 days is
probably a LITTLE more rest than some people need, but I think its better
to err on that side than the side of overtraining.
The bottom line is EVERYONE that follows the program makes rapid
strength and size gains. Even long-time lifters.
No, you don't have to split horizontal and vertical push/pull movements.
Some people get WAY too fancy with things.
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Travis

Michael Matthews 7 months ago

Thanks for the quick reply I really appreciate it!

Im looking forward to reading the book in the next few days!
1

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Michael Matthews

Mod

Travis 7 months ago

My pleasure! Let me know how it goes!

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Einstein

6 days ago

the first video is a rowing video not a seated press

1

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Michael Matthews

Mod

Einstein 3 days ago

Huh? It's me doing a Seated Military Press?

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Sean Hynes

a month ago

The Arnold Press video in this article recommends it for warm-up.

What are your thoughts on doing the Arnold Press a one of the main exercises
and going heavy? I like the Arnold Press and can get heavy on it. I'm thinking about

and going heavy? I like the Arnold Press and can get heavy on it. I'm thinking about
doing it instead of Military Press.
Thanks, Sean
1

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Michael Matthews

Sean Hynes 24 days ago

Mod

I've always gone heavy and liked it. I wouldn't say it's a replacement for the
mil press though.
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Asmar

a month ago

Hi Mike, great article, thanks for posting. I was curious about what meals you eat
regularly, could you say something about that?
1

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Michael Matthews

Asmar a month ago

Mod

Thanks! Here's an example of a meal plan of mine:

https://docs.google.com/a/musc...
Reply Share

Asmar

Michael Matthews a month ago

Thanks! It has helped building you a great body! I am going to try

some meals myself.
1

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Michael Matthews

Mod

Asmar a month ago

Great! Let me know how it goes!

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Renier

2 months ago

Have you ever tried the

Single-Arm Linear Jammer exercise? and If so, what do you think about it?, and
one more thing, do you still do your Weak Point Day? and if so what exercises do
you do on that day?(for example for shoulders and lats).

you do on that day?(for example for shoulders and lats).

What do you think about this split:
mond: chest
tuesday: back
wednesday: shoulders
thursday: arms
friday: legs
saturday: weak point day( shoulders and lats for me too)
sunday: rest
1

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Michael Matthews

Mod

Renier 2 months ago

No I haven't. I've never heard of it.

I don't do weak point training ATM because I'm cutting and it's too much for
the body but otherwise yes I would be.
Perfect on your setup.
1
John B

Reply Share

4 months ago

Mike, I noticed the people in the videos on this article do very strict form for lateral
and rear raises. I saw your shoulder workout and you use a little bit of momentum
for those exercises. Which way do you currently recommend?
1

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Michael Matthews

Mod

John B 4 months ago

Yeah it's kind of inevitable as you get heavier but I've been working on
really keeping my body as still as possible recently.
Reply Share

Rodrigo Quezada

4 months ago

Im not sure about one point. If I made 6 reps in the first set, for the second set I
should increase the weight in 10lbs and try to do 4-6 reps? That means that I
must be -2 at least from failure in the first set...
1

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Michael Matthews

Rodrigo Quezada 4 months ago

Mod

Yes. But you'll get 4 after the increase. You won't get 6.
Reply Share

Nad

4 months ago

Any advice on what kind of split I could use this with? I lift 4 days a week, M-W and
Friday. Cardio on Thursday and Saturday usually.
1

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Michael Matthews

Nad 4 months ago

Mod

Yeah I would do...

Chest & tris
Back & bis
Shoulders
Legs
Reply Share

Nad

Michael Matthews 4 months ago

OK that sounds doable! Thoughts on switching leg day with

Back/Bis day?
2

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Michael Matthews

Mod

Nad 4 months ago

You could but you might have trouble deadlifting...

Reply Share

Nad

Michael Matthews 4 months ago

Ok, gonna try your recommended split this week. Will see
how it goes!
1

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Michael Matthews

Great, thanks!

Mod

Nad 4 months ago

Great, thanks!
Reply Share

Chris

5 months ago

Hi Mike, great articles as always. I've been putting several of your ideas &
workouts into my routine and have been pleased :-) One question though, which
order do you recommend the muscle groups to be worked? I'm currently Chest on
Monday, Back on Tuesday, Legs on Wednesday, Arms on Thursday, and
Shoulders on Friday, resting on the weekend. Thanks for any advice, and keep up
the great work.
1

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Michael Matthews

Mod

Chris 5 months ago

Thanks Chris! I'm glad to hear it.

Good question. Here's what I do and like:
Chest
Back
Shoulders
Arms
Legs
Gives everything time to recovery before getting hammered again. :)
Hope this helps! Talk soon!
1
Julien

Reply Share

5 months ago

Since going to the gym I've noticed my posture change and not in a good way. My
shoulders have started to roll forward a bit. I'm guessing that this is due to a
muscle imbalance, therefore do you recommend I drop doing chest and shoulder
workouts and focus on back and rear delts to fix the posture issue. Thanks.
1

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Michael Matthews

Mod

Julien 5 months ago

Are you training your back as hard as your chest and shoulders?

Are you training your back as hard as your chest and shoulders?
Reply Share

Julien

Michael Matthews 5 months ago

That must be it, i've been guilty of focussing on the 'pretty muscle'
whilst neglecting other key areas.
1

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