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Thank you for joining me in the gym and welcome to the Fitness Forum. Here you will find a step by step detailed guide focused on a select muscle group for the next 30 days. This month, we will focus on the shoulder muscles and the video in this section will be footage that I have personally shot and am using to correspond with the information below; I hope you find it useful.
Shoulders (Traps / Deltoids)
Shoulders are a complex network of joints, bones, nerves and muscles which help support and protect the upper back and neck, which also provides flexibility to the arms. The shoulders are made up of different muscles which include: the Anterior Deltoid (front), Lateral Deltoid (side), Posterior Deltoid (rear), and Supraspinatus (rotator cuff).
The Deltoid is a three-headed muscle which caps the shoulders. All three Deltoid heads join the humerus.
The Anterior Deltoid is the most active while doing exercises like the bench press. The Lateral Deltoid is the most active during lateral movements and the Posterior Deltoid while doing exercises for the back. The main function of the Deltoid is to move the arm away from the body.
The trapezius muscle is a large muscle located on the upper back, the shoulders and the back of the neck. It is responsible for movements of the shoulder blade including shrugging your shoulders, pulling your shoulders back and rotating your shoulder blades in order to turn your arm. It also contributes to movement of the neck and head and plays a role in the breathing process.
The muscle is divided into three areas, the upper fibers, the middle fibers and the lower fibers. Each area contributes to different actions and requires different motions to strengthen. The upper portion can be developed by elevating the shoulders through exercises such as shoulder shrugs and upright rows. The middle fibers are developed by drawing the shoulder blades together; rowing exercises and dead lifts work this area. The lower fibers are strengthened by pulling the shoulders downward while keeping the arms stiff.
For optimal results, it is highly recommended that various shoulder exercises be performed so the muscles are as symmetrical as possible.
Working Out:
As a warm-up, I often perform 3 sets of 20 handstand pushups. This one exercise in itself works the Anterior and Lateral Deltoids, as well as the triceps and upper traps.
The pushup is performed while the body is positioned in a handstand. Whereas a regular pushup requires you to lift only around 60% of your body weight and focuses the load on your pecs, the handstand pushup increases the load on your deltoids, traps and triceps to nearly 100% of your body weight.
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