Now we will consider this the most important exercise for our deltoids, like standing dumbbell swings or lateral raises with dumbbells. This is a no-frills exercise that forces your shoulders to widen and also gives them a great rounded shape.
What is special about this exercise? In the articles where I told you how to train the rear deltoids, I mentioned a certain feature of exercises for the deltoids, namely, that exercises for this muscle group are divided into two types, those that use the front half of our deltoids, and those that use the back half or frontal. Our exercise belongs to the pulling group, which works the middle and back our deltas. Many fulfilling this exercise, hope to grow huge shoulders, but not many succeed because not everyone knows the correct technique for this exercise.
This exercise is isolated, that is, in swings or lifts, call it what you want, exclusively the shoulder joint is involved in the work, and the elbow at this time is in a fixed position and does not participate in the work. Many people know that if one joint is involved in the work, then the exercise is isolating, since it works a smaller number of secondary muscles. In our exercise, only the shoulder joint works. When we do lateral swings or lateral raises, we focus the bulk of the load exclusively on deltoid muscles Oh.
The advantage of such isolation is that you can work out a certain muscle group very well, while losing a minimum of effort. The downside is that such exercises are less powerful. If the exercise is less basic (strength), it uses fewer muscles, and accordingly, it is much less conducive to building muscle mass.
Poor and negative load on the shoulders occurs due to the fact that the technique of performing the exercise is disrupted. One of the most popular violations, not only in this exercise, is “cheating”. This violation of technique occurs when a person takes too much heavy weight and in order to do a certain number of repetitions, he begins to help in every possible way with his body to push the weight to the top point. Accordingly, when we help with the body, we include additional muscle groups, and the load does not target muscles decreases.
TECHNIQUES FOR PERFORMING THE EXERCISE “ARM RAITS WITH DUMBBELLS THROUGH THE SIDES”
1. Take dumbbells, feet shoulder-width apart. Bend your torso slightly forward, lower your shoulders down, thereby allowing you to stretch your trapezius. Bend your elbows slightly to reduce the breaking stress on your joints.
2. Inhale and then smoothly lift the dumbbells to the top point. You cannot raise your arms above shoulder level. If you do this, the trapezius muscles will also be involved in the work, but since the exercise is aimed at the deltoids, accordingly you need to make sure that it remains an exercise for the shoulders.
When you are almost at the top, you need to rotate your forearms so that your shoulders drop down a little and it is more difficult for you to raise your arms above shoulder level. In the starting position, the palms face each other; in the upper position, the palms face down.
3. As you exhale, gently lower the dumbbells into starting position. At the bottom point, I advise you not to lower the dumbbells completely, as this relaxes the muscles, and we need them to be constantly kept under tension so that the load is more effective.
TIPS ON EXERCISE TECHNIQUES
1. You need to soberly assess your capabilities. You should not take too much weight, because too much weight will lead to a violation of the technique, and therefore, either the exercise will not bring any benefit, or you will get injured. So evaluate yours correctly strength abilities and choose a weight with which you can maintain proper form and can do at least 10 repetitions.
2. Do not raise your arms above your shoulders, so as not to engage the trapezius muscles. shoulder girdle.
3. You need to make sure that your arms do not go forward, and that the dumbbell swings occur clearly to the sides.
4. When performing the exercise, your elbows should look back and not at the lowest point.
5. Keep your back straight and do not hunch over, so as not to create a breaking load on the spine.
Finally, I advise you to watch an interesting and very informative video from Denis Borisov, where he tells us in detail how to perform dumbbell swings to the sides while standing or raising your arms from the sides.
However, there is one differential feature - the seated press is safer and easier to perform, therefore it is considered universal for any level of training. For beginners with weak shoulder girdles and people who have problems with lumbar region, you need to opt for it.
Place the back of the bench in an upright position.
Take a dumbbell in both hands and take the correct position of your body on the bench: press the back of your head, bottom and top of your back to the back.
This option for pumping deltas will reduce the possibility of cheating, because the torso will be in a fixed position.
Swing dumbbells to the sides while standing
To develop medium bun deltoids, athletes include in their training program standing dumbbell swings performed from a standing position. This muscle group is the main one in this exercise. In addition, there is a load on both the trapezius and rear deltoids. The degree of difficulty of this exercise is average, but quite a lot of mistakes can be made in the technique of performing it.
Lifting dumbbells while standing sideways is considered one of the the best ways working out the middle part of the delta, but requires a clear understanding of the correct technique. The absence of mistakes when performing this exercise allows you to ensure that your shoulders become as wide as possible. The development of deltoid muscles is one of the highest priority areas in which athletes work when visiting gym. Powerful shoulders make the athlete’s figure as wide as possible from the side, emphasize the upper part of the arms, and allow others to tell others how serious the attitude of a bodybuilder with such powerful and developed shoulders is.
Some athletes prefer this to swings basic exercise, like an overhead press. It certainly brings certain benefits, since it is intended for training the shoulder girdle, but, being the main one, it does not have the same effect on the middle deltoids. The latter are worked out in the process of swinging dumbbells to the sides from a standing position, since this exercise works this part of the shoulders in isolation.
Inclusion in the program
Introducing this exercise into a program can be quite challenging task. There is an opinion that everything done with dumbbells should be done only after exercises with a barbell. This is true if the athlete can, in principle, do exercises with a barbell. When it comes to beginners or girls, it makes sense to leave only this movement in the program and improve the technique.
Lifts with support on the thigh, as well as on incline bench performed with lighter weights and in a stretched amplitude. This means that it makes sense to include them in the program towards the end of the program, that is, when the main biceps curl has already been done. You can combine a simple or pronated biceps curl with a dumbbell exercise.
The biceps are usually trained on the day when back rows are performed; this is rational from the point of view of obtaining maximum load on the target muscle group. If you do biceps on back day, just a couple of exercises are enough for it.
Those who want to train it on a separate day should perform 3-4 exercises to fully work the muscle. In both cases, 3-4 working approaches are performed.
Does the seto-repetition scheme matter for losing weight or pumping up muscles? In the classical theory of bodybuilding, we are recommended to do 8-12 repetitions during the period of mass gain and more than 12 up to 20 during drying.
In fact, human muscles are made up of different types of fibers, and what suits one athlete may not be very promising for another. Therefore, athletes should concentrate on their own sensations and observe which biceps curl works best for them.
The technology for working out the biceps is to perform movements using the target muscle group as much as possible. You need to actively contract your biceps so as to achieve significant hypertrophy, but do not sway your whole body or throw the dumbbells to your shoulder. Cheating can be used by professionals when they have reached a plateau. For a beginner amateur this is too harsh a measure.
Strength or Volume
On the one hand, the shoulders must be strong. On the other hand, pumped up shoulders look very beautiful. Which is better – strength or volume – is a controversial question.
You also need to have a strong shoulder. To do some work overhead, to hold something for a long time, and the like. Only strength in this case is not enough.
Let's agree that the deltoids need to be developed from all sides - so that they are strong, voluminous, and hardy. To do this, we will perform the seated dumbbell press in different ways.
Strategies for Developing Endurance
Lifting dumbbells up sitting position is considered a more gentle exercise than, for example, military press, which you won’t be able to do every workout. Everything is simpler here - you can take light dumbbells and “get the blood pumping” every day.
The strategy for developing endurance will be as follows - dumbbell overhead presses are done several times a week in 5 sets of 25 times with a weight that does not cause you severe fatigue while working. For example, if in power mode you press 25 kg dumbbells, here you can take a weight of 15–16 kg. We work through the burning sensation.
Naturally, this scheme applies only to those who believe that their shoulders are not strong enough.
Developing the volume and strength of the deltoids
The seated dumbbell press is the second exercise after the military press that can increase the mass of the deltoids. To achieve strength and mass gains, we will perform this exercise once a week for 4 sets of 8 times. And you need to work until failure. Then you will achieve maximum effect.
Choosing weight is one of the main tasks. What weights to take: select dumbbells so that the bench press is very difficult for 7–8 reps, and you would not be able to do the ninth rep on your own. For girls this is not particularly relevant.
Vulnerability of the shoulders
Anyone who has injured the deltoid muscle at least once in their life knows why this can happen. Moreover, there are cases when a person has warmed up enough and smoothly approached the working weight (for example, in a bench press). And during one of the repetitions I felt pain.
The deltoids are not very well positioned. When moving, the tendons rub against the bones, gradually erasing their surface. This leads to inflammation of their membranes. Tears occur due to incorrect technique, poor warm-up and other violations. But the inflammation is due to such characteristics of the shoulders.
Standing dumbbell raises are also a relatively traumatic element of shoulder work. Therefore, technology is put at the forefront.
Another reason that the deltoids are most often injured is their overload.
When exercising in the gym, the deltas work during all barbell and dumbbell presses and fly-ups at all angles. Therefore, when you pump your chest, your shoulders work. You pump the triceps with the base - they do the same. You do push-ups or pull-ups - and then your shoulders come into play. In the first case, of course, more. When pulling up, the posterior deltoids are involved. In any case, spreading your hands on such days is not the best idea.
Lateral dumbbell raises
The dumbbell lateral raise exercise works well on the middle part of the deltoid muscles.
Lifting dumbbells through the sides: execution options
A video lesson on this exercise can be viewed in the “Deltoids: video lessons” section.
You can perform this exercise for the deltoid muscles in three variations.
Option one: standing, feet shoulder-width apart, dumbbells at your sides with your palms facing you.
As you exhale, raise the dumbbells up to your height level.
While inhaling, return to the starting position. This is the cleanest version.
The second option is to lift dumbbells with a slight bend back.
The dumbbells should be lifted as you exhale, maintaining an inclined back position.
The middle part of the muscle located closer to the front is worked out.
Of course, in this case the weight will be used much less than in the previous version.
This option can also be performed on an incline bench with different inclinations, starting from a right angle to a horizontal bench.
Dilutions on horizontal bench A bit similar to chest flyes, but while the chest exercise has your palms facing up, the deltoid exercise has your palms facing down.
Incline flyes at different angles give a greater effect, since the muscle is worked from different angles.
The third option is when the exercise is performed with a slight forward bend. If the stance is correct, the front disc of the dumbbell touches the front of the thigh.
The dumbbells should be lifted as you exhale, maintaining, if possible, the initial tilt of the torso forward.
Here the middle part of the muscle, which is located closer to the back, is worked out.
Lateral dumbbell raises: using cheating
Cheating is also possible in this exercise. This method is applicable in the third option. But if in the third option you stood with a slight tilt forward, then now the tilt should be such that the dumbbells are located in front of you, on straight, relaxed arms, with your palms facing each other, touching the part on the little finger side of the front of your thigh.
Simultaneously with straightening your back, giving this movement the first impulse to the movement of your shoulders, while exhaling, you raise your arms with dumbbells up through the sides, to the level of your height.
Lifting dumbbells through the sides using the cheating method is an exercise for experienced athletes, and if you are not one yet, take care of your back and shoulder joints. Here, too, work is done on holding the dumbbell raised up using the movement of the back.
For the correct development of the deltoid muscle and maintaining anthropometry, it is necessary to develop not only the middle part of the delta, but also the front part (exercise - raising dumbbells in front of you), and the back part of the delta (exercise - raising dumbbells in an inclined position).
Based on materials from: Athleticism.com.ua
Dumbbell press sitting or standing
Read how to properly pump your shoulders using dumbbell presses while sitting or standing. Technique for performing these exercises and videos.
Beautiful developed shoulders are the pride of men and the privilege of women. Representatives of both sexes simply need physical training if they want to have well-groomed shoulder girdles.
Standing and sitting dumbbell presses perfectly work out the deltoid muscle areas, making a significant contribution to “building” the body of your dreams.
Broad and voluminous shoulders in men are one of the main advantages that others pay attention to. Elastic, slightly pumped shoulders in women make her look complete
Therefore this muscle group due attention must be paid to physical training people of both sexes.
During the exercise, the elbows transform their position from a position below the shoulders to a position above the head. Unlike using a barbell, when performing a bench press with dumbbells, the range of motion is maximized. The shoulder girdle in this mode of operation creates a good hormonal background for natural muscle building.
Features of the exercise
Below are a number of points to consider when incorporating the exercise into your training program:
Raising dumbbells to the sides (flying) is done with a precisely individually selected weight. If the weight is small, you will not get the effect. If it’s too big, your technique will suffer – you’ll bend your elbows even more to make the exercise easier.
If you raise your arms with dumbbells higher than parallel to the floor, the trapezius muscles are included in the work. Do this if you plan to train your trapezius.
If you swing your arms with your elbows down, the load will be distributed between the front and middle deltoids. As a result, you will not upgrade either one or the other.
If you swing your arms cheating, for example, from a jump, it won’t do any good either. Damage tendons faster.
Raising your arms is done while exhaling, and returning to the starting position while inhaling.
On the last repetition, you can linger at the top point for 5-10 seconds. This will strengthen your shoulders.
To check the exercise technique, do one approach while standing sideways to the mirror.
Pay attention to whether you are slouching. Is your lower back arched correctly?
For greater efficiency, you should not relax your muscles at the lowest point and lower the dumbbells onto your thighs
Keep them at some distance so that the deltoids do not rest during the exercise.
There is no wrist supination during abduction. Hands are fixed. Only the shoulders work. The hands are slightly lower than the elbows. This position will allow you to “pour the water out of the jugs” at the top point.
Raising dumbbells overhead from the sides
Description
This exercise specifically targets the middle bundles of the deltoid muscle. Its development will visually expand and raise the shoulders. Also, lifting dumbbells overhead from the sides will help highlight the middle deltoids. And that’s not all, by doing this exercise, you will significantly improve the mobility of the shoulder joint and strengthen the shoulder girdle as a whole.
This exercise must be performed by volleyball players, tennis players, swimmers and those involved in martial arts.
Exercise technique
Place your feet shoulder-width apart and straighten your torso. The arms should be slightly bent and fixed at the elbows until the end of the approach, the dumbbells lightly touch the hips, the palms should be turned towards the lateral surface of the thigh - this is the starting position. After inhaling and holding your breath, begin to raise your arms out to the sides (without extending them beyond the plane of your body), eventually they should end up above your head. When the dumbbells pass shoulder level, the arms should be slightly turned at the shoulder joint and at the top of the palms should be directed forward. If it becomes uncomfortable for you to continue the movement after your arms become parallel to the floor and the dumbbells begin to “get stuck,” turn your arms further - palms up. In this case, at the top point the palms will face each other.
You should not relax your lower back; the straight position of your torso should be fixed until the end of the set. You should lower your arms down smoothly while exhaling. You must control the dumbbells at every point in the movement. Do not bend your elbows - this is dangerous.
The pace of the exercise is moderate. The only exception is the bottom point, here you can make a slight acceleration to move the dumbbells from their place and start lifting.
Many athletes do not do this exercise, preferring to raise it from the sides to shoulder level (dumbbell fly). This is an unacceptable mistake, because by constantly doing the exercise only at half the amplitude, you overload the shoulder joint, make it stiff and, in addition, do not reduce the deltoids to the maximum.
The target muscles are the middle deltoids. They begin to work at the moment when the angle between the arm and the torso is equal to 30 degrees and reach the peak of their contraction when the arm is 45 degrees above the horizontal.
Use only those weights that will allow you to perform the exercise technically correctly and in full amplitude. Heavy dumbbells will force you to bend your elbows and/or reduce the range of motion, which will greatly reduce the load on your deltoids. Hold your breath while lifting the dumbbells. Do not exhale prematurely - this will cause the back muscles to relax and it will become much more difficult to complete the lift while keeping your back straight.
This exercise can also be done in a crossover, working with cables passing through the lower blocks. But this version of the exercise will not be as effective at all, because after the handles pass shoulder level, the load on the deltoids will drop significantly.
10 Best Dumbbell Exercises to Strengthen Your Triceps
Putting a dumbbell behind your head - at first glance, this exercise seems very simple, but it’s not! The movement itself (bend your elbows and lower/raise the weight) is simple. It is difficult to keep your elbows in one position. The movements will feel unnatural at first and your body will try to force you to move your elbows to relieve tension on your triceps. Keep your elbows in exactly the same position and all the tension will go to your triceps. This exercise can be performed even at home.
Bringing a dumbbell behind your head with one hand alternately is a one-handed alternative to the previous exercise. It isolates each arm, meaning it helps you focus on the muscles in one arm. The weight should be ½ that of the worker, but the muscles will be worked from a different angle. Such arm exercises with dumbbells for women are also possible, but the weights should be minimal at first.
“Crusher” - Be careful: if the technique is incorrect, the risk of injury is very high. You lower the dumbbell to your forehead, and if you don't have proper control over the weight, you might hit yourself in the head or face. But, once you manage to grasp the technique, you will find that it is one of the most effective exercises for strengthening the triceps. Isolating the muscles helps work both heads, which helps round and strengthen the backs of the arms.
Bent-over arm extensions - This isolation exercise is one of the best for toning your triceps if you do it correctly. The first instinct is to swing the dumbbells, but you should focus on keeping tight control of the movement. Another condition is to keep your elbow at your side and use ONLY the strength of the triceps muscle.
The seated French press is a slight modification of the basic dumbbell overhead exercise. You perform the same movement, but sit instead of stand. Supporting your back will provide support for your spine and shoulders, making it easier for you to lift heavy weights. The bench will also support your posture and reduce the risk of swaying.
One-Arm Military Press - The "military press" is one of the most effective shoulder exercises. The overhead dumbbell raise works your shoulders, but did you know that your triceps do most of the work in the second half of the exercise. The triceps are responsible for lifting the weight from shoulder level to head level, after which most of the work is done by the shoulders. The one-arm military press will provide stress on the triceps and deltoids.
Technique: Hold dumbbells at shoulder level, in the correct position for a military press. Raise the weight only halfway, no higher than the top of your head. Lower and repeat.
Dumbbell extension (barbell) narrow grip) lying down - this great exercise for those who want to pump up their triceps with double strength! The fact that you are lying down means that ALL the tension is on the triceps and your shoulders are barely engaged. This is a simple movement, and very effective, the only requirement is to keep your elbows steady.
Dumbbell Abdominal Press - The dumbbell bench press works the chest and triceps, but this variation of this exercise focuses only on the triceps. Instead of lowering the weight to your chest, you lower it to your stomach. You can complete your chest day with several sets of this exercise.
Technique: Grab dumbbells and get into a bench press position (arms directly above your shoulders). Lower the weight towards your stomach, but don't touch it. Apply force, lift the dumbbells and return to the starting position.
The Tate Dumbbell Press is one of the best triceps isolation exercises! This is very similar to the lying dumbbell curl, but with one noticeable difference: instead of lowering the weights behind your head, you lower them towards your chest. The fact that your arms are turned inward means you'll be working your triceps from a completely different angle.
The very close grip dumbbell press is another great exercise to add to the end of your chest day! Use one heavy dumbbell. A close grip takes the pressure off the chest and places it directly on the triceps.
These muscle exercises are ideal for those who want to develop serious biceps and triceps. Incorporate them into any upper body workout and you'll see progress in no time.
Just remember: Focus on the larger muscle groups first (back, chest, and shoulders) and plan your arm workouts AFTER. This will ensure maximum economy of force without allowing you to tire too quickly. The above mentioned arm exercises with dumbbells for girls and men for biceps and triceps are the most effective in the world of fitness.
How better results, the longer you will look fit and athletic. Discipline, focus and determination are the keys to transforming your body and life.
Lifting dumbbells with one hand while lying on your side. What, why and why
Let's be honest :), if I ask you to name shoulder exercises, then most likely it will be the following - military press, seated dumbbell press, standing fly. Am I right? I think so. The catch is that we have sorted all of them out and it would seem that there is nothing more to consider. However, we always try to somehow surprise our muscles and therefore take into account unusual exercises, so it will be this time too, and lifting a dumbbell with one hand while lying on your side will serve as an example for us. I’m sure this is the first time you’ve heard about it and you’ve never done it before. Is it worth it? We will find out further in the text.
Muscle atlas
The exercise belongs to the class of isolating exercises with the type of pull (pull) force and has as its main goal the development of the middle beam of deltas.
The muscle ensemble includes the following units:
- targeted – lateral delta;
- synergists – posterior delta, supraspinatus, trapezius (bottom/middle), serratus anterior;
- stabilizers - wrist extensors, upper trapezius, levator scapula.
A complete muscle atlas looks like this.
Advantages
By performing the one-arm dumbbell lift exercise while lying on your side, you can expect to receive the following benefits:
- targeted, isolated work on the middle bundle of deltoid muscles;
- formation of relief;
- “toning” of the muscles without a significant increase in the muscle mass of the deltas (relevant for girls);
- the ability to perform with back problems;
- possibility of use as an “additive”;
- increasing stability of the entire shoulder joint.
Execution technique
Lifting a dumbbell with one hand while lying on your side is an exercise of average difficulty level. The step-by-step execution technique is as follows.
Go to a horizontal bench and lie on it sideways, leaning on your hand (for example, your left elbow). Take the dumbbell in your free hand with an overhand grip and extend it along the body. This is your starting position.
As you inhale, begin to raise your arm with the dumbbell vertically up to a position parallel to the floor (or slightly higher). At the top point of the trajectory, hold for 1-2 counts and additionally press middle delta. Return your hand to the IP position while exhaling. Repeat the specified number of times.
In the picture version, all this disgrace looks like this.
In motion (option lying on the floor) like this...
Variations
In addition to the classic version, there are several variations of the exercise, in particular:
- lying on the floor with your arms fully abducted;
- lying on a bench at an angle.
Secrets and subtleties
To get the most out of the exercise, follow these guidelines:
- do not raise your arm with the dumbbell too high; the best work on the middle beam is achieved when you raise your arm to parallel or slightly higher;
- lift the dumbbell only using the deltoid muscles;
- at the top point of the trajectory, hold for 1-2 counts and additionally squeeze the middle beam;
- do not use heavy dumbbells or cheating;
- breathing technique: inhale - lift the projectile up, exhale - lower the projectile down;
- numerical training parameters: number of approaches 3-4, repetitions 12-15.
We're done with the theoretical side, now let's look at some practical points.
Is the one-arm dumbbell lift while lying on your side an effective exercise for the deltoids?
We can judge the effectiveness of an exercise by the electrical activity of the muscles developed in it. Researchers from ACE Research (USA, 2015) found that the exercise for lifting a dumbbell with one arm while lying on your side, in terms of the effectiveness of the load on the middle delta, is comparable to abducting the arm to the side while standing at a crossover block. The EMG data is 70% versus 74%, which is very high. Thus, the advisability of including dumbbell delta raises with one hand while lying on your side in your training program is beyond doubt. The best option would be to introduce the exercise after basic movements and performing it in the range of 3-4 sets of 12-15 repetitions.
Actually, we’re done with the substantive part, let’s move on to...
Afterword
The latest technical note for 2016 was written and in it we talked about lifting a dumbbell with one hand while lying on your side. Don’t disdain this exercise and diversify your workouts with it and watch your “shoulders” sparkle in a new way.
Well, the official notes are over, and this Friday a surprise awaits you...
PS: Friends, what shoulder exercises are in your arsenal?
With respect and gratitude, Dmitry Protasov.
Barbell row to the chin
Basic exercise for working the deltoid muscles, mainly the middle fascicle. The trapezius muscles are also involved.
Stand up straight. The shell is below. The grip is straight. The distance between the hands is approximately two fists.
- As you exhale, raise the barbell to your chin.
- Hold the projectile in the upper position.
- As you inhale, return the bar to its starting position.
- Elbows should always be spread out to the sides and raised vertically.
- Keep your back and neck straight, chin horizontal.
- The bar of the bar should rise exactly to the chin, that is, above the shoulders.
- The weight of the barbell should not be an obstacle to proper exercise technique.
Seven mistakes when performing dumbbell swings to the sides
Knowing these important points will allow you to master the correct technique and work the middle deltoid muscles in isolation.
Flexion of the elbow joints during movement
This is a fairly common mistake, which can be avoided if you create a small angle in the elbow joint in advance. It should be approximately 10-15 degrees. It must be saved until the end of the set being performed. At the point of maximum contraction, the angle is kept in the same way as at the very beginning.
Contraction and activation of the elbows balances the triceps. This deprives standing arm swings with dumbbells of their status. isolated exercise. It ceases to serve the purpose for which it was included in the training process.
The dumbbells should not move in a completely straight line, but go in an arc. If the exercise is not done in front of a mirror, you can ask a partner or gym mate to check the correct execution technique.
Dumbbell lowered too low
To develop the middle deltoid muscles to the maximum, tension must be maintained throughout the entire approach. When the dumbbell in its extreme position is lowered to its maximum, being in front of the hips, the tension exerted on the deltoids drops to zero. To solve this problem, the range of motion is reduced by keeping weights at a distance of 10-20 cm from the body.
ABOUT making the right choice“distance” is evidenced by a more difficult process of lifting dumbbells, when the load falls on the middle bundles. The main thing is to choose the right weight. If it is too heavy, the likelihood of injury increases many times over.
All attention should be focused on technique. When it is fully mastered, increasing the weight lifted will take place without any problems.
Throwing elbows in different directions
Disorderly and chaotic dumping is the most common mistake, which is allowed by novice athletes. The elbows in the swing are a kind of pointers, always located higher.
Missing the moment of correct movement of the deltas significantly slows down the process of development of the middle fascicles. To prevent this from happening, progress is rapid and of high quality, elbows should always play the role of pointers.
Limitation of hands in the top position
Most athletes limit themselves to raising their arms to shoulder height when performing swings. This position is not maximum, since the middle fascicles of the deltoid muscle can go higher. Increasing the height by another 45 degrees allows you to achieve maximum tension, which has a significant impact on the growth of the shoulder girdle. In addition, this movement gives impetus to the development of the upper trapezius.
There are some important points, which should be taken into account. Athletes experiencing painful sensations Those who have injuries or problems with the shoulder should first consult a doctor, and only then make a decision as to whether it is permissible to do this exercise with maximum load or not.
"T" position and locking
IN gym Quite often you can see how some athletes perform this exercise in such a way that in the upper position a semblance of the letter “T” is formed. This method leads to maximum stress on the elbow joints, as it negatively affects health.
Lift more weight by decreasing the bend angle
This is a misconception that many bodybuilders hold. The smaller the bend, the higher the weight lifted. However, given the main goal that the athlete pursues when performing swings, one should think about what is more important - technique or an illusory sense of one’s own strength. As the angle decreases, it certainly becomes easier to lift weights, including maximum weights.
A bodybuilder may think that lifting heavy weights makes him stronger, but this is not entirely true. The more time you spend building muscle, the better the training. Therefore, you should always remember that technique is much more important than just a feeling of your own strength without a significant increase in the volume and width of the middle delta beam.
This exercise should not be called a dumbbell lift rather than a swing.
Some call swings “flying” or “lifting”, and the middle beams “outer deltas,” which is absolutely incorrect. This, of course, does not have any effect on the performance technique, but it hurts the ears of experienced athletes and indicates ignorance or a frivolous attitude towards bodybuilding. You should not distort or call the exercise in your own way.
From: bodybuilding.com
Standing dumbbell press technique
Before directly starting the dumbbell press itself, it is imperative to carry out general stretching for all muscle groups of the upper shoulder girdle and pay special attention to warming up the rotator cuff muscles. You can also do a couple of warm-up sets of pressing with very light weights.
Hold a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip.
Straighten your back, leaving a slight arch in the lower back, straighten your chest, and pull your shoulders back. Place your feet shoulder-width apart, with your feet slightly turned outward.
Tighten your abs and spine and keep your torso motionless throughout the entire set. The work will be performed using the strength of the shoulder muscles.
Starting position: place dumbbells at shoulder level (hands slightly wider than shoulders), palms turned outward. The forearms are parallel to each other.
The head is fixed, the gaze is directed straight ahead.
Take a deep breath and, holding your breath, begin to press the dumbbells in a straight line upward (towards the ceiling) until your arms are completely straightened. elbow joints.
At the top of the movement, the projectiles must touch each other. The conditional line connecting the two dumbbells will pass through the head. Holding for a second in the upper phase will allow you to feel the maximum tension of the muscles being worked.
Saddle exhale and smoothly return to the starting position along the same trajectory of movement. Without stopping or relaxing, begin the upward movement again.
Do the planned number of repetitions.
How to do a dumbbell press correctly
Find a free bench, take with you 2 dumbbells of 2–10 kg each (light option for girls). It is advisable to rotate the bench so that when you sit on one side of it, you are facing the mirror
This is very important when doing dumbbell overhead presses.
If you plan to lift heavy weights, you can use a bench with a backrest. Sit on the edge of the bench, place your feet slightly to the sides for a more stable position.
Take dumbbells in both hands, spread your elbows to the sides. Your palms should be positioned as if you were holding the barbell with them. If you look at you from the side, your elbows will move strictly along the vertical axis (OY) during the exercise:
- Sit up straight with your lower back bent slightly forward. The shoulder blades are brought together, the shoulders are straightened.
- Take dumbbells from the floor, spread your arms with them as described above. The dumbbells should be at shoulder level. This is the starting position.
- Raise the dumbbells up as you exhale, you can touch them to each other (don’t hit them too hard, you still don’t need to damage the gym property).
- Lower the dumbbells to ear level or slightly below. This is where the nuance - when you lower the weight below the back of your head - comes into play. upper part trapezoids. If you want to use it, lower the dumbbells as far as possible. If you are pumping up the deltoids ( great option for girls) – the dumbbell should not be lowered below the back of the head.
- Do 15 warm-up reps.
- Further, if the weight is large (25–40 kg), you can use an athletic belt.
Ask for a trainer or more experienced athlete watch you - it is important that the dumbbell overhead press is performed correctly. https://www.youtube.com/embed/0JCIaYefb14
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Standing dumbbell swings are an exercise for the deltoid muscles, mainly for their middle bundle.
Technically the exercise is very difficult. It is important to feel the contraction of the target muscles and be able to turn off the auxiliary ones and coordinate the work of your body.
The arm should be fixed at the elbow joint throughout the entire set. Then the movement will be observed only in the shoulders, and the load will not go to the auxiliary muscles.
Do not use heavy weights, as this will lead to involuntary jerky movements, and the dumbbells will swing and throw.
The elbows should not rise above the level of the shoulders, otherwise the load from the middle bunch of deltas will go to the trapezius muscles. Therefore, the shoulders should be as low as possible in any amplitude.
Starting position
- Place the dumbbells in front of you.
- Turn your palms towards each other.
- The body is slightly tilted forward.
- Make a slight arch in your lower back.
- Bend your knees slightly.
- Bend your elbows and lock them until the entire set is completed.
- Drop your shoulders.
Raising dumbbells through the sides while standing: performing the exercise
- As you exhale, from the lowest point, raise the dumbbells.
- The movement of the elbows is to the sides and up. At the point when your elbows reach your shoulder line, hold for a few seconds.
- Then slowly lower the dumbbells down in front of you.
- At the lowest point, without touching the dumbbells and without pausing, immediately begin lifting the apparatus. This way the target muscles will not lose load.
No matter how they call this movement. Standing flyes, standing dumbbell abductions, standing forearms flyes, forearm abductions, standing dumbbell swings. For simplicity, we will designate it as a “standing mid-delt raise,” but it is anatomically correct to call it a lateral abduction. The number of techniques performed by athletes is even more varied. Some argue that you need to contrive to raise your shoulders and move the dumbbells in an arc. Others - under no circumstances should you lift the dumbbell above your elbow. Still others allow cheating, while others are strictly against it. Still others generally believe that the movement causes nerves to be pinched by the shoulder joint, and therefore should not be practiced. There are a lot of options, in fact, in fitness we need to master the simplest one, and not try to include “extra” muscles like trapezius during work.
In fact, dumbbell flyes are rarely a cause of injury unless the technique is truly horrendous. Some athletes may throw weights toward their heads, raise their arms too high, swing aggressively, and rotate their arms backward at the shoulders during the movement. They run a serious risk, but not of muscle tears, as is commonly believed, but of sprained ligaments and subsequent inflammatory processes.
The problem with shoulders is that they are loaded not only in sports, but also in everyday life. We sit a lot, raising our shoulders and overstraining our trapezius, we carry bags on one shoulder for a long time, stretching one half of the body and involuntarily shortening the other, and we often do sharp lifts of our arms without warming up. This leads to overload of the joints.
Let's say a person has never trained. He comes to the gym and starts doing a bench press, a machine press, sitting, standing, and a couple more presses, but this time with dumbbells. All of them work the deltoids and involve the joint. It is enough to overwork and make an awkward movement and you can get a tear or sprain. Ironically, injury occurs on the last exercise most often, and it's not just any heavy bench press, but a standing isolation dumbbell swing or a cable arm raise. The reason here is not the movement itself, but the overload of the joint.
For beginners, it is not recommended to do more than 2-3 bench press exercises in one workout. If there are too many exercises, it is better to leave abductions or swings for a light session, and not do them when the body has already received sufficient load. Ideally, the workout should include 1 heavy press, 1 assisted press, and 1 bench or standing abduction. Only then will the volume be adequate.
Anatomical features are also of great importance. If the trapezius is overdeveloped, the athlete will not be able to perform the movement using the shoulders alone. This must be taken into account when choosing weights and start literally with 2-3 kg.
Injuries are often accompanied by inflammation, which is not localized but spreads throughout the muscle bundle. They often affect the nerves, which increases the pain. Shoulder injuries should be diagnosed by a doctor. Home treatment based on guesswork will not lead to anything good.
Some of them have already been mentioned. Shoulders “suffer” usually due to excessive physical fitness athlete's diligence. Simply put, everyone wants to pump them up faster because they give the figure an athletic look and therefore turn training any part of the body into “shoulders.” This is not rational and leads to injury. A beginning athlete should not train his shoulders on the same day as his chest and back.
There are two basic rules for creating a split for beginners:
- If you are performing a standing or seated press on shoulder training day, it does not need to be attached to your chest or back. Do shoulders with legs like the old school athletes and stay healthy;
- If there is no bench press in the workout, but only abductions and lifting, then perform shoulder training on the day of light bench press along with triceps work
Training shoulders with the back only makes sense if there is really nowhere else to put them, all the presses in the workout are heavy, the legs are also heavy, and the back is performed according to the “injury pumping” principle. But this is not typical in fitness. It's more of a powerlifter's approach.
Important: if a beginner is not yet doing splits, abductions can replace the bench press in some cases. For example, when during training the classic bench press with a barbell was taught, and the front deltoids were already overloaded.
This movement has only a few technical features. They are aimed at ensuring that the load does not shift to the anterior and posterior bundles of the deltoid muscles. The front bundles raise the arms, the rear bundles pull them back. It’s simple - you don’t need to allow a swing with a clear emphasis on bringing the shoulder blades together and swinging forward with the dumbbells swinging in front of the chest. Options with shifting accents and cheating are loved by bodybuilding professionals for only one reason. These people train for years, sometimes decades. It’s difficult to “pierce” their muscles with anything and surprise them. That’s why they use methods that seem strange to the average person.
Important: This exercise is rarely performed first in a shoulder girdle workout, but almost always requires joint warm-up. If you have already done standing and bench presses, you just need to perform a few rotations in the shoulder joint, moving your arm back. Those who have not done this require a full warm-up, with light presses with a bodybar, abductions with rubber or without weights.
How to perform the movement:
- Stand directly in front of the mirror so that you can see your movements;
- Take dumbbells in your hands with minimal weight, but such that you can feel it;
- Move your forearm to the side, along an arcuate path, raising your elbow to the side, but not higher than your shoulder;
- Elbows slightly bent;
- The dumbbells in the hands turn in the same direction as the movement;
- When we extend our arms to the sides, the little finger is at the top, thumb– below, this causes the dumbbells to turn;
- Lifting and lowering are performed smoothly and slowly, without cheating the body and additional unnecessary movements
In normal mode, the movement is performed for 10-12 repetitions. But there are also special cases. For example, a person has very responsive slow muscle fibers and he requires multiple repetitions or statics, that is, holding the dumbbells at the top point. Or an option with a relatively low-repetition regime is possible, if the opposite is true. Here it is important to observe yourself and do what the body responds to.
Important: the exercise should not be performed using inertial force in any of the options. If you need to push your legs, jump, or move your body, the weight is too heavy and needs to be reduced.
The one-arm abduction is an option for those who struggle with muscle imbalances or suffer from cheating. You need to grab a vertical support with your free hand and stand, transferring your weight to the center of the arch of both feet. Then the arm is moved to the side, completely repeating the technique of the main exercise.
Although the goal is to overcome imbalances, the movement is performed on both sides for the same number of repetitions.
It is necessary to avoid excessive bending to the side to avoid pinching the nerve and not to provoke an inflammatory process.
Features of movement
Below are the features of the exercise:
- This is a muscle-isolating movement; you don’t need to take huge dumbbells and try to push them up as best you can;
- The weight is selected individually, strictly so that it is possible to lift it by contracting the middle fascicle of the deltoid, and not by including the trapezius and muscles of the body and legs in the work;
- If cheating cannot be eliminated at all, you need to do the movement in the “sitting on a bench” position with your back pressed against the back;
- No opportunity to develop equipment? Try stretching the rubber shock absorber to the side along the trajectory of the dumbbell abduction. Take the lightest one. The tape will teach you to turn off the trapezius muscles.
The list of mistakes made by beginners and professionals is almost the same:
- The desire to pump up muscles as quickly as possible, and the choice of dumbbells that are too heavy, which will certainly interfere with performing the exercise correctly;
- Walking on your toes, rolling on your feet, changing the position of your legs;
- Performing the movement by tilting the body;
- Starting position with your back tilted back;
- Changing the trajectory of movement, throwing dumbbells to the head;
- Uneven rise on the right and left. If you have a curvature of the spine, perform the movement with one arm at a time;
- Bending in hip joint leaning forward;
- Changes in the angle of the hip joint as you get tired;
- Turning on extra muscles as you get tired
Shoulder swings are often performed as a drop set to create an extensive pump. This is only permissible if the athlete is experienced and can maintain the starting position throughout the exercise.
For those who work with cheating, we can recommend smooth leads on the lower block of the crossover. This will help eliminate unnecessary pushing and other movements and allow you to improve your technique almost instantly. The exercise must be performed regularly, then mastering it will not be a big problem.
Swing dumbbells to the sides while standing - execution technique
Bodybuilders have well-developed deltoid muscles. At the same time, many beginners cannot pump up powerful deltoids. This is due to some features of this muscle and its location.
What mistakes do beginners make when training deltoids? This question is complex. They don't always choose the most effective exercises on the shoulders. Presses - barbells or dumbbells - are considered a common and familiar exercise when training shoulders. There is also a special trainer for the deltoid muscle, but it is practically not found in training equipment.
Another opinion is that lateral raises of dumbbells seem more important for training the deltoids.
To find out what the best shoulder exercises are, you can compare the training programs of current athletes. But first you need to determine what is the difference between these exercises and what is common between them.
Presses
In this part of the article, not only options for performing bench presses while standing or sitting will be mentioned, but also the bench press on a horizontal bench. Why? Because in bench presses on a horizontal bench - especially with a wide wide grip - a significant part of the load falls on the anterior deltoid muscle. And when doing barbell presses on an incline bench, the front deltoids bear the MAIN (!) load. A smaller, but also very significant load falls on the front deltoid and when doing presses - on a horizontal or inclined bench - dumbbells.
For example, Alexey Shabunya developed phenomenal anterior deltoid muscles thanks to heavy barbell bench presses on a horizontal and inclined bench and was able to create massive deltoids.
With the vertical press everything is a little more complicated. Here the effect largely depends on correct selection and doing exercises. In addition, they are more traumatic. This can be especially true for the overhead press.
When performing the exercise from the chest, only the anterior bundle works, and as we remember, it already receives sufficient load. That leaves only overhead presses, but they are not recommended for people who have problems with shoulder joints. It is simply prohibited for athletes who feel the slightest discomfort in the shoulder joint.
About the barbell overhead press Dmitry Kononov
Dumbbell presses
Using exercises with dumbbells, you can work out the middle part of the delta quite well. For example, the “Arnold press,” the invention of which is attributed to the actor playing the role of the Terminator. But there are also nuances here: a significant part of the load in the vertical press takes on the triceps. And you will hardly be able to achieve the feeling of “pumping up” your muscles if you perform bench presses.
Side Raises
This type of exercise is used specifically for working out the middle beam. When performing it in an inclined position, the main load falls on the back of the delta. Unfortunately, people often perform this exercise incorrectly and the bulk of the load goes to the trapezius.
It's all about setting up the correct hand movement during execution. Usually, when raising an arm over the side, a person instinctively raises his shoulder up, transferring part of the load from a small delta to a larger one. powerful trapezoids. Therefore, before starting to work with this exercise, you need to learn how to raise your arm without using your shoulder.
Also, doing lifts in the traditional way does not always give good results. Often, many people prefer options that involve raising the arms until they are vertical above the ground. This contributes to the development of just the middle part of the delta.
Another mistake that leads to more work of the triceps is heavy weight. The deltoid muscle is small and serious weight most of the load again falls on the more developed trapezius. To avoid this, you should not chase more weight.
You can also do arm raises alternately. Take a dumbbell in one hand, grab the support with the other, it will do wall bars. After which you deviate a little from the vertical and do the exercise.
This exercise can be done not only with dumbbells, but also with a lower block. In this case, you can do lifts from both the back and the front. At the same time, evenly developing all parts of the deltoid muscle.
Traction
There is another great exercise for developing the deltoids: rowing a dumbbell or barbell to the chin. At correct technique with its help you can achieve good results. But athletes most often use this exercise as an auxiliary exercise, without placing the main emphasis on it.
The main exercises used by professionals are still presses and raises. All shoulder training programs include them as the main ones.
Training programs
You can talk as much as you like about the advantages and disadvantages various exercises, but it is best to compare them in practice. To do this, you can turn to the training programs of famous bodybuilders.
He always uses the same exercises to train his deltoid muscles. Only sometimes changes the order of their execution, thus providing the necessary stress for muscle growth.
- Smith machine - front press, or behind the head, four sets (15,12,10,8)
- Lateral arm raises, performed while sitting, four sets (12,10,10,8)
- The same lifts, but incline, three sets (12,10,10)
- Reverse raises on the machine also three sets (12,10,10)
As already mentioned, the exercises are periodically swapped.
This athlete considers lateral dumbbell lifts to be the main ones, since only they make the deltoid muscles work as hard as possible and fill them with blood. In bench presses, there is no such “pumping”, and the triceps take on part of the load. Also, his trademark “trick” can be called work on the deltoid muscle in the super series. Having completed one exercise, he immediately moves on to another without rest. This helps her grow better.
This famous bodybuilder loads the deltoid muscles once a week along with the trapezius. According to him, this regime is most effective for increasing volume. The exercises are the same, they are designed for a medium bun. Sometimes he adds some more exercises, but the basis still remains three types of load.
- Smith machine overhead press, four sets (12,10,8,6)
- Standing lateral raises for dumbbells, five sets (15,15,12,10,8)
- Barbell row to the chin wide grip, three sets, ten repetitions
He does not do exercises specifically for the anterior bundle. But if it is necessary to work on them, Remizov does presses with a narrow grip over his head. In this case, the bar only goes down to the top of the head. To work with the rear delta, you can sit on a bench and lean forward until your chest touches your knees. In this position you need to perform lateral arm raises.
In his opinion, it is necessary to combine barbell presses and work with dumbbells. If you have to choose one of the exercises, the athlete recommends first deciding on the purpose of the training. Side raises with heavy dumbbells give a nice, round deltoids shape. At the same time, the barbell will help you gain weight quickly.
He believes that the training regimen and selection of exercises are always individual. And each person must choose his own set training exercises. Also, you should not chase large weights; it will be much better and more effective to choose the mass of the projectile based on your current state.
The renowned bodybuilder divides deltoid training into three parts. He pumps the front part along with the chest. Rear deltoid along with the back muscles. Alexey trains according to a three-day system and on the third day he has a rest, and on this day he pays attention to the middle beam.
When training the deltoid muscle, the athlete does not use barbell presses. After several attempts with the barbell, his collarbones began to hurt. He pumps up all the parts only by working with dumbbells.
In this case, he pays special attention to the middle part of the muscle. As already mentioned, Shabunya works on it only on a rest day, when there is no other load. The workout looks like this: Of the exercises designed to improve it, the athlete recognizes only lateral lifts; he calls other types of training insufficiently effective.
At the same time he does quite large number approaches (about fifteen). He starts with eight-kilogram dumbbells and does two sets. Then he moves on to ten kilos, and again does a couple of sets. Then, all the time, increasing the weight by two kilograms, the bodybuilder does a couple of approaches in each. With the maximum possible weight, he does four sets.
He also monitors the number of repetitions in the set. With light weights, Alexey does fifteen repetitions per set. With heavier, working dumbbells, he does tens in one go. At the same time, he claims that by training in this way you can pump up your delta quite well.
We draw conclusions: what are the best shoulder exercises to increase volume?
The opinions of only three athletes were given here. But no matter how much you interview bodybuilders, they will all come to more or less the same opinion about pumping the deltoid muscle.
As a basis training process you need to take up work with dumbbells. According to everyone famous athletes these are the most effective exercises. You can work not only standing, but also sitting. Also in an inclined position. This will help pump up your muscles. Do not forget such an exercise as the “Arnold press”.
The next most effective exercises are exercises with the lower block and special simulator for the deltoid muscle. Despite the lower effectiveness of these exercises, they can take their rightful place among basic training.
Barbell presses are best used as additional exercises. With their help you can diversify your workout. Giving your muscles stress helps them grow. It is important to remember that presses are very dangerous. This especially applies to exercises performed from behind the head.
When selecting exercises, take into account the characteristics of your body. If you feel pain or discomfort after performing the exercise. And this feeling is observed after every workout, change the exercise and don’t use it anymore.
One of the mistakes common among novice amateurs is speed dial weight of shells. As a result, the still fragile muscles, having received an exorbitant load, receive microtraumas. Such training ends very sadly.
Therefore, select the weight according to your strength. From working with prohibitive weights you faster mass you won't dial. At first, it is better to work with light weight, paying more attention correct execution exercises.