Shoulder Muscles Workout – How to get wide, broad shoulders Part III

Hey Everyone, this is the third and final article in the 3-part series on the shoulder muscles workout, and how to get huge, broad shoulders.  In Part I we discussed the anterior deltoids (frontal shoulder muscle), and Part II discussed the medial deltoids (outer shoulder muscle).  In Part III we will be discussing the posterior deltoids, which are the shoulder muscles which are towards the rear of your shoulder.

This group can be tricky to implement into your shoulder muscles workout, mainly because there are so few exercises that isolate the muscle and give you that maximum pump.  However, don’t fret!  I will be showing you a few weight training exercises that you can try at the gym to really blast your posterior deltoids and get ripped in no time!

First, let’s try to understand the function of the posterior deltoid.  The main function of the muscle is to aid in your inner back muscles in “pulling” your arms and shoulder back.  This motion is used pretty often in everyday living, so you’ve probably been working your posterior deltoids without even knowing it!  But I know what you’re thinking, you want to find a way that you can really pump your posterior deltoids to give your back that thick, broad look.  Don’t worry, I won’t keep you waiting.  Here’s a few exercises for you try:

Rear Shoulder Raises : 

This exercise is the best for isolating your posterior deltoids.  If performed properly, you will really feel the burn and see results fairly quickly.

To begin , grab a light dumbell in each hand and sit sideways on a weight bench with your feet flat on the ground.  Now bend at your waist, so you are bending towards your feet, and try keeping your back as straight as possible.  To help keep your back straight, try looking straight forward with your chin up instead of looking down at your feet.  With your arms hanging down by your feet, slowly lift your arms out to your side, forming a “T”.  Try going back as far as you are comfortable with, and hold for one second.  Slowly lower your arms back down towards your feet and repeat.  Try to do about 8-10 reps of these per set.

Deltoid Extensions : 

This exercise is similar to the rear shoulder raises in motion, but instead of bending over, you are standing upright.  This weight training exercise is performed with a cable machine and maybe easier to control for some people.

To begin, set the cable machine to a light weight.  Stand next to the cable machine, and grab the low cable with your left hand.  While standing straight up, looking straight forward, and with your arm straight (don’t lock your elbow), bring the cable across your body in an arcing motion with your arm.  Bring your arm back as far as comfortable and squeeze your shoulder blades.  Slowly return your arm across the same arc to return to the starting position.  Repeat 8-10 times per set, and then switch to the right arm.

These are two examples of exercises you can use in your shoulder muscles workout to really target your posterior deltoids.  There are more weight training exercises out there that you can use to blast this particular muscle, and once you are familiar with the muscle and the motions to work it, you may even be able to come up with your own variations that work best for you.

Well, that wraps up the 3-part series on the shoulder muscles workout.  Hope you enjoyed reading, and be sure to check back often for more great exercises you can try throwing into your muscle building workouts.  Remember, keep things fresh, stay motivated, and get ripped!