How To Get Bigger Shoulders

Building bigger shoulders is a sought after goal for many weight lifters (at least those of the male population). When developed and conditioned enough the this muscle group resembles a pair bronze pumpkins that greatly contribute to the desirable V-shaped torso, signifying dominance and masculinity. Furthermore, wide and muscular shoulders give the impression of a trimmer waistline and are considered one of the most attractive bodyparts in the eyes of women. Prior to designing a new weight lifting routine or implementing one of the many available shoulder routines, some attention must be directed toward functionality of the muscle. The anatomy of the shoulder is somewhat complex and consists of the rotator cuff, a group of 4 small muscles underneath the upper arm, as well as the anterior (front), medial (middle), and posterior (rear) deltoid heads, the 3 larger muscles that give the shoulders their overall shape. The rotator cuff muscles and tendons connect the humerus (upper arm bone) to the scapula (shoulder blade) and are responsible for much of the stabilization required to perform weight lifting and everyday tasks. A torn rotator cuff can make an upper body workout every difficult by causing pain and impairment during movement of the arm. Each of the 3 deltoid heads contract to move the arm in different directions relative to the body. The anterior head moves the arm out to front of the body, the medial head is involved in side movement, and the posterior head contracts to cause arm movements from front to rear of the torso. A key component to building bigger shoulders is directing equal attention toward all three deltoid heads to achieve a balanced look from all angles.
Knowing the basic anatomy of the shoulder makes it much easier to choose the most appropriate weight lifting exercises for an effective routine. The barbell or dumbbell shoulder press is the ultimate mass builder for all 3 deltoid muscles, although most emphasis is placed on the anterior head. Avoid performing shoulder presses behind the neck if using a barbell as doing so can place undue stress on the rotator cuff. Front, lateral, and bent-over lateral dumbbell shoulder raises target each of the 3 heads (anterior, medial, and posterior respectively) individually and are great for developing separation between these muscles. Front raises can be changed from an isolation to a compound exercise by using a barbell, working both anterior heads together. Wide grip upright rows are a very effective movement for isolating the medial heads from the remainder of the shoulder muscles (the trapezius and biceps are also heavily involved) with much more weight than used for lateral raises. Another effective mass building exercise for the medial deltoids are lateral raises performed on a machine because the range of motion is locked and both shoulders move together. The posterior heads are brought into play significantly during almost every upper back exercises and therefore do not required a lot of direct work for development (a good number of shoulder routines actually group these muscles as part of the upper back and exclude them from the workout). Proper form is the most effective method of strengthening the rotator cuffs and specialized exercises should be avoided altogether (read this article).

Anterior Deltoid Emphasis

• Barbell or dumbbell shoulder press 2-3x6-10
• Dumbbell lateral raises 2-3x10-15
• Dumbbell bent-over lateral raises 2-3x10-15
• Barbell front raises 2-3x8-12

Medial Deltoid Emphasis

• Dumbbell lateral raises 2-3x10-15
• Machine lateral raises or wide grip upright rows 2-3x8-12
• Barbell or dumbbell shoulder press 2-3x6-10
• Bent-over lateral raises 2-3x10-15

Note:  The most effective mass building exercises for posterior deltoids are upper back movements (rows and pull ups). Bent-over lateral raises can easily be included in an upper back routine and can be replaced with dumbbell front raises for both shoulder routines above.

Muscle And Fitness Magazine Review

Almost everyone at all dedicated to weight lifting has at least glanced through the pages of Muscle And Fitness Magazine. Each issue is packed with weight lifting routines, nutritional advice, supplement and equipment reviews, and even some focus on lifestyle issues (such as fashion, grooming, and sex). In addition, there is a good amount of professional bodybuilding contest coverage as well as interviews with bodybuilders and celebrities. Muscle And Fitness is the most popular of all bodybuilding magazines and is geared for both men and women of all levels of weight lifting experience.
Every article in Muscle And Fitness Magazine is very detailed and descriptive with lots of accompanying pictures for further assistance to readers. Everyone can learn at least one new way to improve their weight lifting routine because a great deal of emphasis is placed on proper execution as well as little tweaks and variations of free weight exercises. Another topic covered to some extent in every issue is human anatomy and how to choose the appropriate exercises and equipment for development of specific muscle groups. However, as with the majority of bodybuilding magazines, it is advised to place more focus more on the written content and use the photos for further clarification (the insane amount of weight lifted and occasional omission of barbell collars can sometimes mislead beginners). Whether a beginner to weight lifting or an advanced lifter in search of new ways to improve a routine,  there is something for everyone.
Muscle And Fitness is not as hardcore of a bodybuilding magazine as Flex and therefore contains fewer interviews with professional bodybuilders and less contest coverage (although both topics are covered to a fairly large extent). Also the workout routines are not quite as intense as those featured in Flex or Muscular Development, making it a potentially more appealing magazine choice for beginners and intermediate weight lifters. Unfortunately there are two downsides that deserve to be mentioned. First of all, Muscle And Fitness is the most promotional of all bodybuilding magazines and contains a very large number of multi-page supplement and equipment advertisements, sometimes even disquised as weight lifting articles. Secondly, the majority of photos are of very muscular men and women, unlike the majority of lifters in search of fitness information. Despite these flaws, the information and articles contained in every monthly issue is beneficial for creating or modifying a routine.

What Are The Best Shoes For Weight Training?

It is important to choose the right pair of shoes for weight lifting for optimal results. Many lifters pay little or no attention to their choice of footwear which is a mistake. The wrong shoes can potentially reduce the amount of weight used or even invite injury when performing heavy compound exercises such as squats and deadlifts. It is worth learning some basic knowledge about the three main categories of footwear commonly used at the gym:  running shoes, cross trainers, and weight lifting shoes.

Running Shoes
Footwear designed for running or jogging is the worst possible choice in shoes for weight lifting. Running shoes are very flexible around the toe and heel with almost no lateral support as they are meant to be comfortable during repetitive forward movement. In addition, the high amount of cushioning under the heels and lack of flatness of the soles drastically reduces overall body stability which is required for heavy lifting (an extreme version of this is to imagine performing squats while standing on a balancing board). More often than not, it is better to workout in socks or bare feet than to use running shoes.

Cross Trainers
Cross trainers are a much better choice for weight training than running shoes. This type of footwear is designed for performance in a wide variety of activities from sprinting to sports and is often an acceptable choice for beginners or intermediates. Although cross trainers have some flexibility and cushioning the amount is less than that of running shoes and more lateral stability is offered. One downside, despite the many positive qualities, is the soles are typically not flat which will result in some power dissipation throughout heavy lifts (although not as much as with running shoes).

Weight Lifting Shoes
It is very beneficial for an advanced lifter to invest in footwear specifically designed for strength training. Weight lifting shoes have very flat and sturdy soles as well as excellent lateral stability, allowing maximum poundage to be lifted with good stability. Making the change often results in an immediate increase of weight used for heavy squats, deadlifts, and other movements because almost no power is dissipated. If money is a concern, a cheaper solution is footwear with a similarily flat sole such as Converse Chuck Taylors.

How To Get A Bigger Back

There is no single weight lifting exercise for total building of the back. Being one of the largest and most complex muscle groups of the human body; the back is involved throughout many movements, both in weight lifting and while performing everyday tasks. Therefore it makes sense to use a variety of different exercises when designing a weight lifting routine for complete development.
The first and most important step in creating a routine is to understand the functionality of both the upper and lower back. The upper back is roughly the same size as the chest and shoulders combined and contributes significantly to the overall appearance of both muscle groups. Developing this area has perhaps the most drastic effect on the upper body as it frames in the chest and pushes out the shoulders to create the desired V-shaped torso. Unlike other muscle groups, the upper back can grow both in thickness and width with exercises that involve pulling weight toward the body either horizontally or vertically relative to the body. Horizontal movements build thickness while vertical movements build width. The lower back is one of the strongest areas of the entire body and acts as a stabilizer during any exercise that involves bending over such as squats, deadlifts, and bent-over barbell rows. Both portions of the back must be developed to ensure a balanced and functional physique.
Armed with this knowledge, the next step is to learn the most effective weight lifting exercises for each portion of the back. Upper back thickness is developed with free weight, machine, and cable rowing exercises; the ultimate mass builder being bent-over barbell or dumbbell rows. Width is built with pull ups and machine or cable lat pull downs. Since the pull up is the the primary mass builder, consider using a weight belt to attach a plate or two if this exercise becomes easy. Deadlifts are by far the most effective exercise more lower back development and second only to the squats in terms of building overall muscle mass. Since it is a power exercise, the best rep range for the deadlift is 4-6 with as much weight as can be lifted with good form. Ensure that these mass builders are included fore each area and use machines, cables, and finishing exercises as icing on the cake.
Each portion of the back can be trained separately or together in a single workout. The advantage of splitting up this large muscle group is more concentrated attention can be placed individually on thickness, width, and lower back developement. In addition, each targetted routine is easily paired with other bodyparts. Upper back exercises pair very well with a chest and shoulder routine (thickness complements chest and width complements shoulders) while almost all lower back movements involve the hamstrings. Training the entire back will involve doing fewer exercises for each area (5 exercises total is often plenty) but is effective as long as pull ups, deadlifts, and bent-over barbell or dumbbell rows are included.

Upper Back Thickness

• Bent-over barbell or dumbbell rows 2-3x6-8
• Any machine or cable row 2-3x8-10
• Bent-over lateral dumbbell or cable raises 2x10-15
  

Upper Back Width

• Pull ups 2-3x6-8 (use a weight belt to pull up a plate or two if needed)
• Any machine or cable pull down 2-3x8-10
• Dumbbell or cable pull over 2x10-15
  

Lower Back

• Deadlifts 2-3x4-6
• Hyper extensions 2x10-15
  

Total Back 

• Pull ups 2-3x6-8
• Deadlifts 2-3x4-6
• Bent-over barbell or dumbbell rows 2-3x6-8
• Any two back exercises 2x10-15 (focus on areas that are underdeveloped)
  

Understanding Human Anatomy For An Effective Weight Lifting Routine

Creating a weight lifting routine can sometimes be a very difficult and time consuming task. It is almost impossible to isolate and train a single muscle group by itself and therefore some consideration must be directed toward organizing 3 or 4 day a week workout programs that allow optimal muscle recovery time (5 days a week or more is often excessive). Compound free weight exercises are the bread and butter of any effective routine and are required for proper development of the larger muscle groups such as quads, back, and chest. But also keep in mind that compound movements recruit both the primary muscle group trained as well as additional groups for assistance and/or stabilization. These secondary muscles can easily become exhausted if trained again without sufficient rest. For example, squats are primarily a quad exercise but also involve the calves, hamstrings, lower back and glutes to assist in executing the movement as well as the upper back, traps, and abs to stabilize the entire body while supporting a heavy barbell. Therefore the hamstrings and lower back must be fully recovered after a quad session before a dedicated workout to avoid the possibility of over training either. It is obvious that basic knowledge of human anatomy is essential for constructing an effective weight lifting routine.

Lower Body
Quads should either be trained with only one or two small muscle groups or on a separate day altogether. This is because squats intensely work almost the entire body, resulting in muscles that get tired fast when combined with additional quad movements such as leg presses and hack squats. An important rule of thumb to keep in mind is the hamstrings and lower back must be recovered (not sore or over trained) prior to training quads.
Lower back can either be paired with upper back and/or hamstrings. This is because the most effective exercise for lower back development is the deadlift, a movement that highly involves both. Deadlifts are almost as intense as squats (most of the same muscle groups are used) and will cause muscles to get tired fast when combined with heavy upper back movements such as bent-over rows or weighted pull-ups. Hence, the lower back is most effectively trained when both the hamstrings and upper back are sufficiently recovered.
Calves and abs recover fast enough and can usually be trained at the end of any workout (upper or lower body). It is important to keep in mind that both muscle groups can be over trained and should not be trained more than twice a week.

Upper Body
The upper body is composed of two major muscle group categories:  pushing and pulling both horizontally and vertically in relation to the body. Pushing muscles are used to perform exercises that move the weight away from the body and include chest, shoulders, and triceps. Pulling muscles are used to perform exercises that move the weight toward the body and include upper back and biceps. Horizontal movements develop torso thickness while vertical movements develop torso width. There are a wide variety of upper body weight lifting routines available and some trial and error may be required to find the right one.
Chest is the primary horizontal pushing muscle group and is best developed with bench press movements. Because the shoulders and triceps are highly involved in the bench press it makes sense for both to be recovered prior to training chest. Shoulders are the primary vertical pushing muscles and are best developed with overhead pressing movements. The triceps must be recovered for overhead presses but the chest is not involved much at all and therefore its recovery level is irrelevant when training shoulders. The upper back is the primary muscle group for both horizontal and vertical pulling movements. Rowing movements develop thickness in this area while pullups and pulldowns develop width. Almost all upper back exercises highly involve the biceps and many rowing exercises require lower back strength for stability and therfore both muscle groups should be recovered beforehand.
When creating a weight lifting routine, pushing and pulling as well as upper and lower body muscle groups can be trained together in the same workout. Forearms and neck are much like calves and abs in the sense that they can be trained at the end of any workout but can also be over trained if worked more than twice a week. These 2 areas are often neglected because they get a lot of work from heavy gripping exercises used for both upper and lower body development.