My shoulders

[jrod]

No matter how I work them out or what I do , I never get sore. I get awesome pumps while working out but the following days, nothing. The only time I get sore muscles in the shoulder area is after incline bench press. Not on overhead press, or lateral raises or Cuban press, etc.
Any suggestions? I need to feel the soreness. It's a mental thing.

[Dawgpound_Hank]

Funny bcoz I was JUST going to post a thread about my shoulder workout & how they are really growing and they are sore as hell the next 2 days after. Here it is, no gimmicks or tricks, just very hard work on every workset - I leave nothing in the tank on worksets, that's the key, not only for shoulders, but every bdpt:

Smith overhead press OR barbell press behind neck (alternate each workout): 2 × 6-8

Db side laterals - 2 × 10-12, then 2 dropsets until on fire - usually around 15 reps each

Db front raises - same as side laterals

Bent over db laterals - same as side laterals

Rope face pulls - 2 x on fire - usually 20 reps per set

Barbell shrugs. - 2 x 12 - 20
Db shrugs - 2 x 15 - 20

That's it. All sets listed are worksets only. It looks very low volume, but give you an example with sets, reps & poundages so you can it's really rather conventional, it's just denoting worksets which is very important:

Press behind neck bb: bar x 30, 95 x 20, 135 x 15, 185 x 10, *225 x 8-10, *250 x 5-6

* = worksets, meaning don't have one more rep in the tank. All other sets are warmups/feel sets which are easy and not taxing the muscle. I do this gig on all exercises, BUT since the delts are already warmed up after presses, I do only one warmup on all lateral raises. Once I get to traps, I do warmups with 225 & 315, then 2 worksets with 405 & 455. No warm ups needed for db shrugs. I hit delts once ew. Try it out and holla, and main thing to remember is work HARD! Oh one more thing, on the heavy presses I will rest 3 mins between sets. Everything else only 60 seconds rest, and obviously no rest on drop sets. Good luck if you try it out.

[Dawgpound_Hank]

One tip on doing db side laterals effectively. I have seen numerous advanced trainers doing them wrong. When you pick the db's up, before you begin, you want to lean forward slightly and stay locked their throughout the entire set. Do NOT stand up straight as so many do. This helps target the side delt/cap more. As you lift the dbs out to the side, lead with your elbows, not your hands. Think almost like doing a very wide upright row. You also want to focus on keeping most of the weight on your pinky & ring finger as you lift the dbs, not on the first 2 fingers. Lastly, at the top, your hands should be in a position like you are pouring water from a pitcher and the pitcher is almost empty, with your hand twisted & pinky higher than your forefinger.

Do them like that even if you gotta lighten the weight from what you usually use. Bust ass on these right, and you will feel it and them caps will be growin'.

[jrod]

Alright bro! Money back guarantee?

[jrod]

Basically three lighter sets, slightly increasing and on the last two worksets you go heavy for less reps and go to failure.
Do you do dropsets after the last set? Dropsets are the same as burnouts, right?

[Dawgpound_Hank]

Basically three lighter sets, slightly increasing and on the last two worksets you go heavy for less reps and go to failure.
Do you do dropsets after the last set? Dropsets are the same as burnouts, right?

That's not 3 lighter sets on every exercise, just on that first compound, Mac Daddy, size building movement to prevent injury. Some guys may need more lighter sets, some less. All depends on how heavy one goes. If a guy is squatting 900, he will probably do more sets as he pyramids up, if a guy is squatting 135, it won't take as many lighter sets. Follow me? Main point is, don't blow your load on warmups, and after you are warmed up, BOOM, 2 bust ass sets to failure, or at least right near it.

And yes dropsets are essentially burnouts. I don't do them on every exercise. I wrote in detail what I do them on bro.

As far as only inclines making your delts sore, that's your front delts, not side delts. If you do side laterals correctly and really bust ass on them, those side delts will get sore trust me.

[Dakota]

I like to take the incline bench just below vertical, turn around and sit facing it. I put my forehead and chest right on the bench. It keeps you stationary while working the side delts and really seems to blast them as there is no swaying or swinging. It gives me a burn like no other.

[jrod]

I work shoulders next week. Will definitely do this.
Thanks for the advice DPH!

[water43]

Funny bcoz I was JUST going to post a thread about my shoulder workout & how they are really growing and they are sore as hell the next 2 days after. Here it is, no gimmicks or tricks, just very hard work on every workset - I leave nothing in the tank on worksets, that's the key, not only for shoulders, but every bdpt:

Smith overhead press OR barbell press behind neck (alternate each workout): 2 × 6-8

Db side laterals - 2 × 10-12, then 2 dropsets until on fire - usually around 15 reps each

Db front raises - same as side laterals

Bent over db laterals - same as side laterals

Rope face pulls - 2 x on fire - usually 20 reps per set

Barbell shrugs. - 2 x 12 - 20
Db shrugs - 2 x 15 - 20

That's it. All sets listed are worksets only. It looks very low volume, but give you an example with sets, reps & poundages so you can it's really rather conventional, it's just denoting worksets which is very important:

Press behind neck bb: bar x 30, 95 x 20, 135 x 15, 185 x 10, *225 x 8-10, *250 x 5-6

* = worksets, meaning don't have one more rep in the tank. All other sets are warmups/feel sets which are easy and not taxing the muscle. I do this gig on all exercises, BUT since the delts are already warmed up after presses, I do only one warmup on all lateral raises. Once I get to traps, I do warmups with 225 & 315, then 2 worksets with 405 & 455. No warm ups needed for db shrugs. I hit delts once ew. Try it out and holla, and main thing to remember is work HARD! Oh one more thing, on the heavy presses I will rest 3 mins between sets. Everything else only 60 seconds rest, and obviously no rest on drop sets. Good luck if you try it out.

thanks dawg , i'm gonna try this also my shoulders are slow to the party....lol so is there any order you would recommend warm preexuast first...I use a commercial equip seated shoulder press first for 4-6 sets18-10rep range....also on drop sets are you using cable w/ stack weight or just db's

[Glycomann]

Have a training partner take you well past failure for at least 1/2 the sets of your workout.

[Dawgpound_Hank]

thanks dawg , i'm gonna try this also my shoulders are slow to the party....lol so is there any order you would recommend warm preexuast first...I use a commercial equip seated shoulder press first for 4-6 sets18-10rep range....also on drop sets are you using cable w/ stack weight or just db's

I have always followed the old school mentality of doing the basic/compound movements first in a workout. These you can use the most weight on. I've never been an advocate of pre exhaust bcoz it dramatically reduces the weight you can use on the basics. However there is a place for pre exhaust, mainly working around injuries. In the workout I depicted above, drop sets utilize dumbells not cables. Regardless of what equipment you have at your disposal, main point isss - work hard & don't fall into the trap of doing countless sets which require you to pace yourself. Bust ass & go home, eat and grow.