The Two Secrets For Getting Massive Cannonball Shoulders

Introduction:

Having big cannonball shoulders not only increase your width but also increase your V-taper, which is always a bonus, you can never have too much of a V-taper. Having big shoulders as some people call them is the cherry on top of your physique if you know what I mean. Also, not to mention big cannonball shoulders are a sign of masculinity. So stand back and watch and learn while I show you the secret to getting big cannonball shoulders.

Tip One: Train Your Rear Delts:

In order to have big massive shoulders you must train your rear delts. People that go in the gym and do a bunch of different varieties of shoulder presses will only have big overpowered front delts and weak under-powered rear delts.

I know, I know, they are a very hard and small muscle group to train but they are the secret for having big shoulders. My advice to you for training rear them would be to try every exercise out there. See what works for you and what doesn't then finally get to training them. My other piece of advice would be too really contract them as hard as possible and to hold the static movement of the rep for as long as possible. Doing this will give you very good growth on the weak part of everyone's shoulders and you will get the huge cannonball shoulders that you have always dreamed off.

Tip Two: Behind The Back Shoulder Press:

Now this is an exercise I don't normally and usually see people doing in the gym. Perhaps that is why they have weak shoulders or it could be a variety of causes. Enough of that, anyways, doing behind the back shoulder presses will hit your shoulders from a different angle. An angle that your body is not used to, hence your body will re-compensate for this stress and your shoulders will grow quite nicely.

Now, you can do this with a variety of styles. You can do it standing or sitting down on a bench with a barbell or on the smith machines. I prefer to do mine on the smith machine while sitting down on the bench because it is much safer to go to complete failure and the risk of injury is much less than doing it with the barbell.

Conclusion:

Now, that you know the secret formula for getting massive shoulders, you should go and take action. So what are you waiting for? Let's get big shoulders!


Check out my my website for the latest no rubbish advice on bodybuilding http://nobullshitbodybuilding.wordpress.com. Also check out my Squidoo profile here too http://www.squidoo.com/lensmasters/petaraki95. Thank you.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Petar_Aki/1816534

How to Build Big Shoulders Without Going to the Gym

The average skinny guy or hardgainer will often ask "how to build big shoulders", since massive shoulders can really fill out your physique, give your body the classic V-shape, and finally let you wear those tight-fitting "muscle tops" without your pointy bony shoulders poking through.

While weight training is the most complete way of how to build big shoulders, there are some great exercises that you can do at home or anywhere that you have a little space.

Push-Ups

This classic upper body exercise is still probably the greatest there is and can be done pretty much anywhere...all you'll need is a floor! :)

The humble push-up will help you to build big shoulders, and big pecs and triceps.

However, most folks approach the push-up completely wrong, don't see results and then give up. The real power of the push-up is in small incremental increases over time. Like this you'll be able to see massive improvements, muscle gains, and find yourself knocking down incredible numbers of push-ups every day.

Start with a number that you find almost impossible to finish. It could be 10 or it could be 100, the number is really irrelevant, just as long as you are pushing yourself to failure.

Then increase the number incrementally every week or so. If you started on 10, then increase it to 15. Let another week go by, then increase it to 20, and so on and so forth.

After 12 months you will be doing over 260 push ups per day - and believe me, you'll have big shoulders.

Use incline push ups (with your feet raised on a bench or something) to build the front of your shoulders and your upper chest.

Chin-Ups

Get yourself a chin up bar and put it up in a doorway at your house. The bar will only cost you a few bucks, but is sure to help you in your quest of how to build big wide shoulders, and dramatically increase the width of your back like crazy.

Start by performing wide-grip overhand chin ups, pulling your chest towards the bar - do as many as you can. Again use the same approach as above for push ups, by starting small and building over time.

The key with chin ups is to do full reps without cheating...it is the full range of motion that will be the most beneficial to build big shoulders and lats (the wing shaped muscles on your back).

As a variation, instead of pulling your chest to the bar, perform behind-the-neck chin ups where you touch the back of your neck to the bar.


Why not try these tips for more info on how to build big shoulders How To Build Big Shoulders.

Ever wondered why you struggle to gain muscle mass and build big shoulders? It's probably because you're making one of these 4 mistakes How To Gain Muscle Mass.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/John_Wheeler/139027

Building Muscle - The Best Shoulders Workout

Shoulders are a smaller muscle group with 3 heads, so the best shoulders workout has to hit all 3 together and separately. To hit the front deltoids, side delts and rear delts with an eye to building muscle, this workout will include 4 sets each of 5 exercises, done as a superset followed by a triple set. It's important to use proper form and weights light enough to ensure you focus on your shoulders and involve your chest and arm muscles as little as possible.

This workout can be done in your local commercial gym or just as easily in your home gym. Start by setting up your bench so that your back is supported about 10 or 15 degrees short of vertical - you want to be leaning back just slightly. Place the bench just in front of your rack so the bar is easy to lift out when seated.

Start with a light warmup set or two of seated overhead press - use just the bar or load it lightly. Remember the idea is to avoid pre-exhausting the muscles but rather just to fill the area with blood and work the shoulders just enough to warm them up. Be sure to use a full range of motion so they get a mild stretch as well.

Step One: Shoulders Superset

This best shoulders workout starts with a superset of seated overhead presses and upright rows. If your shoulder mobility allows it, do your overhead presses behind your head, but if not then bring the bar down in front. The idea to using behind-the-neck presses is to avoid involving the chest in your lift, but it will still work nicely for your shoulders if you need to bring the bar down in front. Have your training partner or spotter stand just behind you to ensure you don't go too far back at the top of the lift and to help you re-rack the weight if necessary.

When you finish your set, immediately stand up and do a set of upright rows with that same weight. Only raise your arms until your elbows are level with your shoulders to avoid impinging your rotator cuff - your grip should be wide enough that your arms are bent at a 90-degree angle once your upper arms are parallel to your shoulders.

Most weightlifters will find they're stronger on the upright rows than the overhead press, so you'll find you can do a few more reps on those. Start your superset with a lighter weight that allows you to do 12 reps of the press and 15 reps of the rows, then over the 4 sets increase the weight slightly each set, ending with a final set of 8 presses and 12 rows. Be sure to maintain strict form throughout to avoid injury, and use a cadence of 1 second to lift and 3 seconds to lower the weight on both exercises. Limit your rest between sets to 30 to 45 seconds, then after your last set rest for 3 or 4 minutes before moving on to the triple set - remember to hydrate during the break!

Step Two: Shoulders Triple Set

Now that you've recovered from the two big compound shoulder exercises it's time to isolate the 3 heads and hit the rear, side and front delts individually with a shoulders triple set. Grab a pair of dumbbells you can handle easily and start with rear delt flyes. Lean forward about 15 degrees from the waist - if you're not sure how far to lean, look to your side in the mirror and see how far to lean forward to engage your rear delts when lifting your arms to shoulder height. Bend your elbow just slightly and then lock your arms in that position, raising them to the outside to shoulder height and then returning them back down in front of you. Don't worry about lifting the weights to shoulder height - your delts are only involved in moving your upper arms, so just focus on getting your elbows up to that height.

Immediately following your rear delt flyes, stand up almost straight, leaning forward just enough to allow the dumbbells to hang freely in front of your body. Keeping that slight bend in your elbows raise your arms to either side, again until your upper arm is in line with your shoulders. Lower them back down slowly and under control, then repeat until you've finished your reps for this set.

Again without taking a break, start into your front raises. Maintain the slight bend in your elbows and start with your palms facing your thighs, then raise the dumbbells out in front of you to shoulder height and back down again. You can do both arms at once or alternate one then the other based on your own preference. By this point in the triple set your energy will be flagging but don't let your form slip - avoid the temptation to lean back and swing the weights up, keeping to a controlled raise and descent.

Each cycle through the 3 exercises is one set, and after each set take about a 60-second break before starting the next set. Start with light dumbbells you can maintain strict form with for 12 reps of each exercise on the first set then increase the weight slightly each set, doing your 4 sets with 12, 10, 8 and 6 reps. Try to maintain a cadence of 1 second up, 1 second hold at the top, 3-4 seconds lowering the weight and no rest at the bottom of each rep for all 3 exercises.

By the end of the best shoulders workout you'll definitely feel the pump in all 3 heads and know that you've worked them fully. Avoid the tendency to speed up the reps so you can go heavier - remember that your goal is to build muscle so you want to maximize your volume, intensity and time-under-tension. Because the deltoids are relatively small muscles they heal fairly quickly with proper nutrition and rest, so this workout can be repeated two or three times per week on non-consecutive days. At first they may be a little sore the next day but that will fade as time goes on and as you grow your shoulder pumpkins you'll soon agree this is the best shoulders workout for building muscle!


D. Champigny is well known in the fitness world - he's a published fitness photographer, certified personal trainer, fitness author and publisher of the popular Getting Back In Shape Blog. For more help from Champigny, add him to your circles on Google+ today!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/D._Champigny/1221958

4 Traps Workouts For Crafting The Perfect Shoulders

Yes, it's easy to notice the guy with big arms, but huge traps are even more impressive. When it comes to building the upper body, the trapezius muscles are often neglected - even though they can make a HUGE difference to your overall physique.

The best workouts for your traps focus on sculpting the shape of these muscles, as well as packing on a good amount of size.

This combination of definition AND mass is a sure-fire winner, but it's important not to overdevelop the traps if your chest and shoulders are lacking. It's all about striking the right balance.

By the end of this article, you're going to have a clearer understanding on the best exercises that will transform your traps from scrawny to super-size. Read on to find out what my top 4 traps workouts are for Crafting The Perfect Shoulder muscles...

Is bigger really better?

Good traps aren't too bulky and have a good cut where they meet your shoulders. When combined with the lats, the traps should help to create a kite-like shape - the perfect balance of lean mass and definition that we talked about earlier.

Why definition is important

When looking at the back, you will want to see a good amount of definition from the bottom of the head to the outer shoulders, and the traps should extend to the middle of the back.

The top part of the traps - which is also the most visible - is often the hardest to develop. But if you're up for a challenge, I'll tell you how to do it...

Workouts for Bigger Traps

Say 'traps workout' to any bodybuilder, and they'll probably recommend doing lots of shrugs.

Yes,
these are effective exercises for building up this part of the body, but there are even better workouts that will really give you the mass and definition that you need.

If you're wanting to build 'tall' traps that have a slight hanging look, you're going to have to do more than shrugs.

Here are some of the best exercises you can do for taller, more defined traps.

1. The shrug (3 sets of 50 reps)

The classic shrug is pretty self-explanatory and once you've mastered it with proper form, you'll be good to go. Perform with a dumbbell, straight Olympic bar, trap bar, hex bar, or even cables - it's up to you.

It's not about how much weight you use but how you perform the exercise.

What's the correct weight to use, I hear you ask? It should be heavy enough for you to struggle on the 11th rep, and then you can use that last bit of strength to push out the 12th.

If you get to the 12th rep and could probably do a couple more, the weight you're using is too light.

2. Single arm dumbbell upright rows (3 sets)

Ever heard of the weight-to-rep concept? This is basically when you match the number of reps to your chosen amount of weight. For example, if you can use a 50 pound dumbbell, you'll do 50 reps with it.

Remember - start from the elbow and focus on your form - even when you get tired.

3. Low cable face pulls (3 sets)

Attach a rope to the bottom part of a vertical cable rack - you know, the ones that you can adjust yourself. Next, stand a couple of feet from the rope to position yourself properly.

This exercise can be tough, but it's definitely one that will sort out the men from the boys. Try not to pause at the top of each rep, and keep the movement steady.

4. Upright row (3 sets)

A great exercise for building traps - even if you've probably done it before. Just concentrate on pulling up - placing a slight pressure on the traps - and don't cheat by leaning backward or forward.

Customize your workout

The truth is this: the traps can be difficult to build so you'll need some patience. But you'll soon notice a difference if you continue with these exercises.

The best workouts for your traps focus on both size and definition, and although heavy weight is good, you'll get more out of it if you focus on form.

Complete the following 4 traps workouts:


4 sets of 5-8 reps of shrugs
4 sets of 5-8 reps of single arm dumbbell upright rows
4 sets of 5-8 reps of low cable face pulls
4 sets of 5-8 reps of upright rows



One last thing...

keep safe at all times, and don't overdo it! You'll soon build impressive traps that will make you stand out from the crowd. Good luck!


If you enjoyed this article, then I'm sure you will also enjoy my Shoulder and Arm Workout Routine

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Justin_P_Kavanagh/1515027