[Week 31] - What are the best exercises for cannonball shoulders?

**Trick D** · 01-12-2006, 10:04 PM

From Darrem Charles to Kevin Levrone to Ronnie, shoulders are a big part of anyone's total body development. But what is the best way to train them?

My answer:

I have bad shoulders from years of sports (baseball in particular) and anytime I train them hard, I normally have major problems with them. I do strip sets of Rear Delt raises and strip sets of lateral raises to bring up my shoulders.

Presses seem to hurt my shoulders the most, but I am going to attempt to start doing them again soon.

**Peaked_18** · 01-12-2006, 10:17 PM

To get cannonball delts, it's not just about what exercises to do. Nutrition for recovery reasons, and consistency to repeatedly build up the muscle.

Stick to presses, of any form. Use raises of any kind. Do some heavy back exercises, and some light rotator cuff work. 3-4 exercises for 3-4 sets of 10-15 reps seems to work best.

Richo · 01-15-2006, 03:38 AM

to obtain the famous cannonball shoulders, i believe standing barbell pressing (to the front), seated machine overhead presses, lateral raises and dumbbell overhead presses.

the presses you go heavy to add the extra mass, whilst the lateral raises help build the middle delts to make them seem wider

A_N_91 · 01-15-2006, 04:35 AM

For huge shoulder mass, I would go heavy with Shoulder and Military Presses in the 3-7 rep range. Some Upright Rows if you can handle them are good in the 8-15 rep range. And also, doing 1-5 reps of push presses are awesome and really kill my shoulders.

A_N_91

~~2Ripped4U~~ · 01-15-2006, 08:55 PM

For me its more high volume. My delts haven't responded good to much else. I usually stick with presses, being I only have barbells and dumbells, and raises. I usually go with 2-3 exercises with 6-9 sets.As Jeff said its not just training, but nutrition too. Training breaks the muscle, but you need nutrition to build it and repair it.

v10hanz · 01-22-2006, 08:15 AM

I like to do military presses.

I found recently that doing them on the smith machine really helps isolate them and allows me to focus more on lifting the weight vs. trying to control wobble. I have heard mixed reviews about doing them to the rear of the skull, but I feel this really isolates them well. If you have shoulder probs then I recommend doing it to the front.

I'm mixed on the smith machine though, as I feel doing dumbells allows for greater overall development... so we'll see if I stick with this one or go back to dumbells or just alternate

I also think doing rear delt fly's as well as front delt cable raises really helps too. The rear delt is hard to work for me, so I keep working on this one.

**Trick D** · 01-22-2006, 08:00 PM

rear delt flys kick ass man!

**davtown** · 01-22-2006, 08:39 PM

Different types of raises (front raises, side raises, etc.), not "heavy", but with really strict form. Zero swinging, concentrate on using your delts the entire time. Extremely controlled motion the entire time.

Try doing raises with a 2-3 second positive & a 4-5 second negative in the 12-14 rep range (don't forget to breath!!) If you come back and tell me didn't feel these burn, then you're lying

**Trick D** · 01-22-2006, 09:35 PM

I'm glad you take your shoulders seriously Dav, good strict form too

**davtown** · 01-22-2006, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trick D

I'm glad you take your shoulders seriously Dav, good strict form too

Thanks

With compound movements, proper form is definitely still important for A) gains, and B) to prevent injury since it's easy to go too heavy and hurt yourself if you're not careful with compound movements.

BUT, with isolation movements such as shoulder raises, super strict form is just THAT much more important for the exercise to do its purpose.

**Grunt76** · 01-24-2006, 04:27 PM

I feel that delts are particularly dense muscles, third only to calves and forearms. By experimentation, I have found that my delts, forearms and calves all respond to the same kind of training, and that is very different from all other more-vascularized, less-dense muscles.

By which I mean, consistent TUT. Heavy weights don't do anything for my delts, nor for the other 2 muscle groups, but pauseless, 45-to-60 second TUT does marvels. Oh, and I'm a huge fan of upright rowing. When playing with form and grip width, I'm sure almost anyone can find a way to do them that's somewhat comfortable, and NO OTHER EXERCISE taxes all three heads of the delts simultaneously like the upright row.

101101 · 01-29-2006, 01:54 AM

I work out in the basement now - just can't stand the gym - and I'm too tall to do standing presses now

Refuge · 01-31-2006, 12:26 AM

Some of my favorite delt workouts include:
- Seated Front Military Presses
a) with a narrow grip with elbows forward to isolate the anterior deltoid and the clavicular head of the pecs.
b) with a wide grip with elbows out to side to isolate the anterior and middle delts.
- Seated Dumbell Side Laterals = mainly middle head of delts.
- Bent-Over Lateral Raises = main focus on the posterior deltoid.
- And the classic Barbell Upright row.

01-15-2006, 03:38 AM	#3
Richo IMPC Contestant Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Australia Posts: 491 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 12	to obtain the famous cannonball shoulders, i believe standing barbell pressing (to the front), seated machine overhead presses, lateral raises and dumbbell overhead presses. the presses you go heavy to add the extra mass, whilst the lateral raises help build the middle delts to make them seem wider __________________ Richo's Road to Track & Field Journal Thread http://www.ironmass.com/forums/worko...ack-field.html ----------------------------------------------------- Stats Age - 18 Weight - 50kg 1RM Benchpress - 42.25kg 1RM Barbell Row - 45kg 50m Time - 8secs Standing Long Jump - 2.20m -----------------------------------------------------

01-22-2006, 08:39 PM	#8
davtown OM NOM NOM NOM Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: San Francisco Posts: 2,278 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 127	Different types of raises (front raises, side raises, etc.), not "heavy", but with really strict form. Zero swinging, concentrate on using your delts the entire time. Extremely controlled motion the entire time. Try doing raises with a 2-3 second positive & a 4-5 second negative in the 12-14 rep range (don't forget to breath!!) If you come back and tell me didn't feel these burn, then you're lying __________________ **MY TRAINING LOG** current/goal D: 330/380 S: 270/300 B: 235/260

01-31-2006, 12:26 AM	#13
Refuge IMPC Contestant Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Strappin on the gloves for a comeback... Posts: 393 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 7	Some of my favorite delt workouts include: - Seated Front Military Presses a) with a narrow grip with elbows forward to isolate the anterior deltoid and the clavicular head of the pecs. b) with a wide grip with elbows out to side to isolate the anterior and middle delts. - Seated Dumbell Side Laterals = mainly middle head of delts. - Bent-Over Lateral Raises = main focus on the posterior deltoid. - And the classic Barbell Upright row. __________________ “I am one, I walk alone. Follow me. "Journey Towards Refuge" "Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength." Arnold Schwarzenegger "FOR PHYSICAL TRAINING IS OF SOME VALUE, BUT GODLINESS HAS VALUE FOR ALL THINGS" (1 Timothy 4:8)

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01-12-2006, 10:17 PM	#2
Peaked_18 a la commode Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 4,297 Recipes: 2 Rep Power: 96	To get cannonball delts, it's not just about what exercises to do. Nutrition for recovery reasons, and consistency to repeatedly build up the muscle. Stick to presses, of any form. Use raises of any kind. Do some heavy back exercises, and some light rotator cuff work. 3-4 exercises for 3-4 sets of 10-15 reps seems to work best.

01-15-2006, 04:35 AM	#4
A_N_91 Pro Stature Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 849 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 11	For huge shoulder mass, I would go heavy with Shoulder and Military Presses in the 3-7 rep range. Some Upright Rows if you can handle them are good in the 8-15 rep range. And also, doing 1-5 reps of push presses are awesome and really kill my shoulders. A_N_91

01-15-2006, 08:55 PM	#5
~~2Ripped4U~~ Banned Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: NY Posts: 1,463 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 0	For me its more high volume. My delts haven't responded good to much else. I usually stick with presses, being I only have barbells and dumbells, and raises. I usually go with 2-3 exercises with 6-9 sets.As Jeff said its not just training, but nutrition too. Training breaks the muscle, but you need nutrition to build it and repair it.

01-22-2006, 08:15 AM	#6
v10hanz Amateur Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 25 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 0	I like to do military presses. I found recently that doing them on the smith machine really helps isolate them and allows me to focus more on lifting the weight vs. trying to control wobble. I have heard mixed reviews about doing them to the rear of the skull, but I feel this really isolates them well. If you have shoulder probs then I recommend doing it to the front. I'm mixed on the smith machine though, as I feel doing dumbells allows for greater overall development... so we'll see if I stick with this one or go back to dumbells or just alternate I also think doing rear delt fly's as well as front delt cable raises really helps too. The rear delt is hard to work for me, so I keep working on this one.

01-29-2006, 01:54 AM	#12
101101 Herr Apfelstrudel Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 20 Recipes: 0 Rep Power: 0	I work out in the basement now - just can't stand the gym - and I'm too tall to do standing presses now