# The truth with Eric Broser. Training articles



## Iron19 (Jan 18, 2008)

These are taken from MD's forums written by Eric Broser-Username: bodyfx2.

Found these an intresting read so i thought i would post them up for you guys on UKM.

I have in no way contributed to these articles.


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## Iron19 (Jan 18, 2008)

Bi-Laws

By Eric Broser
​
Sometimes I am completely fascinated with how badly the average gym-dweller desires to build big arms! Although I witness these guys training chest, back, shoulders, and legs with formidable intensity and passion, it seems to jump to another level when they are attacking the arms. I often hear more yelling during a set of barbell curls than a set of squats! Strange&#8230;but true.

In fact, to illustrate my point about just how driven most trainees are to one day flex a pair of 20-inchers, I will relate to you a small poll I recently took in the gym regarding this very subject. I asked a bunch of the more serious bodybuilders in my gym this question: If I were to magically give you six inches of muscle to add anywhere on your body, how would you distribute it?

The majority of those I polled allocated most of the "magic inches" I provided them with to their arms. A few of them mentioned their chest, but the overwhelming response was arms! A couple of guys even went so far as to reply, "I'd take the entire six inches and slap 3 on each bicep!" And of course one joker told me he'd put 1and ½ inches on each arm and the other three somewhere else I will not mention. Of course I had to break the news that the "body part" he was referring to was not actually a muscle, and that even if it were, three inches would still not be enough to make him bigger than my 10-year-old nephew. But once again, I digress.

The really interesting thing about my little poll was that most of the guys didn't even say I that they would add the inches to their arms, but more specifically, to their biceps. This of course prompted me to explain to them that the mass of the triceps actually contributes to overall arm size more than the biceps do, but they still held firm that they wanted bigger, freakier, higher, thicker biceps!!

Now, I am sure if I were to poll a group of competitive bodybuilders, who must be more concerned with the symmetry and proportion of their physique, the results would have been different. However, since the majority of serious lifters out there have no desire to step onstage, I guess I can entertain their desire for simply building massive, freaky biceps at the expense of perfect proportions! And that is exactly what this article is about&#8230;triggering new growth into those lagging biceps, using methods and techniques that perhaps you have never tried before. So if your biceps are not quite where you want them to be despite your most ferocious efforts in the gym, read on and maybe you will run across a bi-law that will get the job done for you!

*Bi-Law # 1: Bend 'em Back*

One of my favorite things to do in between sets in the gym is to observe other people's form while they train. I actually do this without even realizing it, which I guess is because training clients is all I did for about 13 straight years! Thus, I am always watching to see who is doing it right, and who is doing it wrong. Unfortunately, very few people use excellent form while they train.

When it comes to working the biceps, one of the things I often see is people initiating their curls using forearm flexor power rather the pure biceps power. Of course, by nature of their function, the forearm must be involved in every curling movement, but if you actually turn the beginning of the movement into a wrist curl you are taking away a lot of the stimulation that you are intending for your biceps. I have very often been told by trainees that when they train their biceps, that their forearms get the more intense pump. This is not a good thing if you are looking for bigger guns!

If this sounds like you, then what you should actually be doing during most curling movements is bending the wrist back throughout the set. By doing this you will effectively take the forearm flexors out of the movement, thus forcing the biceps to do almost all of the work. Yes, this will feel a little odd at first&#8230;and chances are your curling poundage will be lessoned somewhat, but trust me when I tell you that you will actually be hitting your biceps harder than ever before. Try using this method for at least one exercise during each biceps workout (I suggest a barbell movement) and I bet you will see improved results.

*Bi-Law # 2: Keep Your Chin Up*

No, I am not here to give you a pat on the back and tell you that having puny biceps is perfectly ok (although it really is&#8230;if you like sharing your girlfriend's shirts!!). When I mention your "chin" I am not talking about the one on your face, but the kind you should be doing in the gym if you want to literally pummel those biceps into growth! Close grip, underhand chins are one of the most effective biceps exercises you can do, but yet, so few trainees ever use them. Yes, they also work the back musculature, but within the construct of a biceps program, you will almost entirely feel them in your screaming biceps! I recommend using CG chins in one of two ways. Either perform them as the last exercise in your biceps routine, so that the bi's are already pre-exhausted. Or, use them as the second exercise in a biceps superset (preacher curls followed by CG chins are an amazing combo!).

When doing CG chins you must make sure you are using proper form to get the most out of them. I recommend a grip spaced no wider than 6 inches apart. Begin the movement at a dead hang, with your arms completely straight. At the peak of the concentric portion of the rep, your chin should rise just above the bar (no half-reps please) as you squeeze your bi's hard. Try to lower yourself very slowly, taking up to 4-6 seconds to get to the bottom position.

When you get to the point that you can get 10-12 repetitions with your bodyweight, add some extra resistance with a belt designed to hold plates and/or a dumbbell around your waist. Once you are doing clean reps with 50 extra lbs attached to you, I promise your biceps will have all the mass you could ever want!

*Bi Law # 3: Twice is Nice*

It is very much in vogue these days to only train each body part once per week, and with good reason&#8230;it works. However, when looking for some extra growth in a particular muscle, it can be very effective to hit that muscle twice per week for a period of time. This is something that works quite well with the biceps, because they tend to recover from workouts very efficiently.

The keys to making a two-days-per-week biceps prioritization program effective are as follows: 1) Make sure there are at least three days in between workouts, and 2) Do two different types of workouts each week.

Here is a split that you might use when incorporating two biceps workouts per week:

Monday: Chest/Biceps

Tuesday: Quads/Hams

Thursday: Lats/Traps

Friday: Shoulder/Biceps/Triceps

If using this, or a similar workout scheme, I would suggest you make Monday your "main" biceps day, wherein you would utilize about 1/3 higher volume of sets to train them than on Friday. Also, it can be very effective to use heavier weights and lower reps in one workout, and lighter weights and higher reps in the next. Another way I like to vary the two biceps training days is to use all barbell movements the first day, and all dumbbell movements the next. However, this is something you can experiment with, as long as there are some meaningful variations between the two workouts.

*Bi Law # 4: Grow in Slow-Mo *

Whenever I watch the average gym-rat training his biceps, I often see more "swinging" during a single set than in an entire day at a children's playground! Yes, I know it's fun to lift a ton of weight to impress your friends, fellow gym-rats, or the girl with the boobs as big as you want your biceps to be, but all of that cheating is only cheating you! Using momentum, leaning back, and lifting your elbows while you curl is NOT a training technique, but a train-wreck. If you desire to fill out your shirt sleeves a little better, than it's time to clean up your form and slow things down.

It has been my observation that most guys do their curls with a tempo of 1/0/1/0. If you are not familiar with this method of expressing lifting speed, this simply means that the eccentric (negative) portion of the lift is completed in one second; there is no pause at the bottom; the concentric (positive) portion of the lift is completed in one second; there is no pause at the top. Thus, at this tempo, each repetition takes approximately two seconds to complete, and since most sets are anywhere from 6-10 reps, this means that time under tension (TUT) will only be between 12 and 20 seconds. This is not optimum for those looking to affect hypertrophy in a muscle. Studies have shown that the optimal TUT for gains in muscle size is between 40-70 seconds per set. Hmmm, think it's time to go into slow-mo?

My suggestion to anyone seeking more size on them bi's is a repetition tempo of 3/1/21. Using this lifting speed will bring the length of each repetition to seven seconds, which translates to a TUT of 42-70 seconds for sets between 6 and 12 reps. Perfect!

Will this force you to drop your curling poundage considerably? Yes. But will you really care when your biceps are so big you cannot touch your fingers to your shoulder? Didn't think so.

*Bi-Law # 5: Go Angling*

Drop the fishing pole, get off the boat, and take off the funny looking hat with all those lures attached, because that is not what I mean by angling! Think about your biceps workouts and tell me if you tend to pretty much do the same exercises over and over. Barbell curls, preacher curls, seated dumbbell curls, concentration curls, etc. Now, if you biceps are growing just fine, then it is obvious that they are still thriving with those same exercises. However, if your biceps growth is moving as fast as a turtle carrying Oprah on it's back, then angling may be just what you need (bro, I told you, drop the fishing pole!).

What I am referring to when I mention angling is basically changing your lines of pull, body positioning, and/or planes of motion in order to stimulate your biceps in ways they are not used to. Varying angles will change motor recruitment patterns, wake up the central nervous system, and even allow you to preferably recruit either the inner or outer biceps head to a greater degree if you so choose. All good stuff!

Here are some ways to use the concept of angling in your biceps workout:

-Instead of curling off the angled side of a preacher bench, curl off of the vertical side.

-Instead of doing seated dumbbell curls, try incline dumbbell curls. If you already do these, try going for a steeper angle.

-When doing dumbbell curls of any kind try grabbing them either by the inside or outside plates rather than in the middle. This alone will change how it affects the biceps.

-When using a barbell, vary your grip from wide to narrow.

-When using dumbbells try either curling across your body, or turn the palms out and curls away from your body.

-Try sitting at an upper pulley cable station and curling a straight bar back behind your head.

-Try lying down at a seated cable row station and doing curls while flat on your back.

So if your greatest desire is a pair of massive guns hanging from your shoulders then I hope you will give these Bi-Laws a try. They have worked for dozens before you, allowing them to reach the land of biceps bliss, and they can do that for you as well. Do what you've always done, and get what you've always gotten&#8230;make a change and those tiny biceps will soon be long forgotten!

Ok, now I want all of you to go ahead and *Keep Your Chin Up* and *Bend 'em Back*, even when *Angling,* preferably in *Slo-Mo*, while remembering that *Twice is Nice*. Get my drift?


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## Iron19 (Jan 18, 2008)

*POSITIONING FOR PECS*
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Although I pride myself on having a balanced and even physique, I would still have to say that my pecs are my "standout" body part. In the offseason, I generally wear a size 54 jacket, and only a 34 pant. My jacket size is mostly due to the mass and thickness of my chest more than anything else (which makes me wonder what size jacket Ronnie Coleman or Marcus Ruhl must wear...WOW). Whenever people see me with my shirt off, the majority of questions and comments I get are in regards to my pecs. "How much do you bench? How do you find shirts? Wow, your chest is bigger than my wife's...and she has implants!!" But I digress...

The interesting thing about the fact that my chest is now my best body part is that when I started training, it was probably my worst! While I only weighed a paltry 125 lbs at a height of 5'11" the first time I touched a barbell, you could still see at least some muscular development in my arms, shoulders, and back. However, my chest was literally flat! I looked like an ironing board with nipples!

So, how did I get my chest to go from minuscule to massive...tiny to titanic... pathetic to powerful? Did I have a special, secret exercise taught to me by aliens from the planet Schwarzeneggeron? Nope. I just did the basics like bench presses, incline presses, flyes, dips, and pullovers. Did I have access to an experimental protein powder developed by Eastern Bloc scientists that caused site specific protein synthesis in the fast twitch fibers of the pectorals? Nope. I just used the same old whey, casein, and egg powders like everyone else.

"Great Eric...enough with the comedy. Just tell us your secret!"

Ok, it's all about "positioning" my iron-addicted friends! "Positioning? What the heck are you talking about now?" Let me illustrate my point by telling you about a friend I used to train with years ago. Every time we would go through an intense chest workout, doing the same exact exercises, sets, and reps, he would tell me that his shoulders and triceps got a tremendous pump, but that his chest felt like it had hardly been worked. Within the next day or two he would again complain that he was sore as could be in his anterior delts and inner triceps, but felt nothing in his pecs. For me it was the exact opposite! My chest always got incredibly pumped and sore from training it, while my shoulders and triceps seemed barely touched.

Over the years that we trained together my chest continued to grow and grow, while his chest never changed much. However, his shoulders and triceps were developing quite nicely. The strange thing about my friend's pec-dilemma was that he trained with great focus and concentration; used very tight and strict form; and progressed very regularly in terms of weight lifted in each of his chest exercises. He and I eventually chalked it up his lousy pecs to genetics. We felt that he simply did not have the genetic capacity to build a thick, massive chest.

Then one day, just for the fun of it, the two of us decided to videotape a chest training session when we were both nearing a competition we were preparing for. That day we did bench presses, incline dumbbell presses, flat flyes, and cable crossovers. We did a pretty complete job of taping all of the exercises from a variety of angles and heights. Later on, when we were watching the tape I began to notice something interesting in the way he was performing each of his exercises...something I never really caught onto before while acting as his spotter. On every movement, as he reached the top of the rep, his shoulders were ending up much higher than his pecs. This was making his chest basically concave at the point of contraction. In addition, he was also locking out very hard at the top...but you could see that he was not really locking out the rep by flexing his pecs, but his tris. However, when I examined my own form, I could see that my ribcage remained high throughout each set, while my shoulders stayed down, pressed into the bench.

My friend was effectively turning each of his pec exercises into shoulder and triceps exercises, while I was optimally stressing the chest with each movement. This is what I am talking about when I mention the word "positioning" in regard to chest training. As soon as I pointed out these "form flaws" to my friend he immediately set out to correct it. During his first chest workout using improved body positioning, he could feel a pump and burn in his chest like never before. He also started getting sore in his pecs, which is something he really never experienced. Within a few months his chest started taking on new fullness and shape, and began to quickly match up to his excellent delts and arms.

I urge any of you out there that feel your pecs to be lagging behind to have someone with a good eye examine your form on all of your chest movements. Every day that I am at the gym I see dozens of people with the same form flaws that my friend used to have. What people need to realize is that building a big chest is not as simple as lying on a bench...unracking a bar...and pushing it from point A to point B. No! Each chest exercise, whether it be a bench press, incline press, dip, flye, or crossover requires the exercise to begin before ever even moving the weight!

Here's how to start properly POSITIONING FOR PECS:

1-lay down on the bench and set your feet firmly on the floor

2-arch your lower back slightly

3-raise your ribcage up high

4-squeeze your scapulae together

5-pull your shoulders downward and push them into the bench

*These same principles apply to dips, crossovers, and seated press and flye machines as well, with the exception of rule one (although the feet should always firmly be planted).

Now you are in position to achieve maximum pectoral recruitment with far less delt and triceps interference. The key, however, is to keep your body in this position throughout the set. It is not enough to start this way and then slowly break back into bad habits as the set progresses. You must learn to "lock"your body in this position and stay there!

Trust me when I tell you that if you are not used to performing your chest exercises this manner, it will feel awfully strange at first, and you will probably not be able to use the same weights as you normally do. However, with time, you will get used to POSITIONING FOR PECS, and it will become second nature, like driving a car. Also, you will eventually work up to the same poundage as you were using previously. The greatest reward will be the new growth you will quickly begin to see in your chest!

Apply POSITIONING FOR PECS to the chest routines listed below, but don't be too upset if that tux hanging in your closet never sees the light of day again!

Upper Pec Pounder:

-Incline Dumbbell Press...3 x 6-8

-Smith Bench Press to Neck...3 x 8-12

-Superset: Incline Flye and Dumbbell Pullover...2 x 8-10 each

Middle Pec Madness:

-Narrow Grip Bench Press...3 x 6-8

-Narrow Grip Smith Incline Press...3 x 8-12

-Superset: Flat Cable Flye and Pec Deck...2 x 8-10 each

Lower Pec Pumper:

-Decline Bench Press...3 x 6-8

-Decline Flye...3 x 8-12

-Superset: Cable Crossover and Dips...2 x 8-10 each


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## Iron19 (Jan 18, 2008)

*JOE W-I-D-E-R*

by Eric Broser
​
If you are not in the mood to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe perhaps its best that you stop reading this article now! If you are perfectly content with the fact that your girlfriend can still borrow one of your shirts, than just put this mag down now and slowly back away. However, if you've always dreamed of seeing XXL in the label of all your shirts or can't stand the fact that you never get stuck in a doorway, than read on my friend, cause just ahead lies the cure to your "narrow" condition!

The two bodyparts that are truly responsible for the "width" of the physique are the lats and delts. When these bodyparts are fully developed the physique takes on a look that screams BODYBUILDER... both in and out of clothing. You simply cannot hide WIDTH! A pair of broad shoulders and tapered lats lend an aesthetic appeal to the physique like no other bodyparts and have you stand out in a crowd no matter which direction you are facing. In addition, width up top creates the illusion of a smaller, tighter waist, and thicker, more sweeping quads. This "look" is what made bodybuilders such as Flex Wheeler, Lee Haney, Francis Benfatto, and Paul Dillett look all the more "dramatic" up on stage, and broadening your knowledge on the subject of width can do the same for you!

Ok, enough chit chat. Its time to start adding some Xs to the L on those teeshirts...

*Be The Wing Man*

One of the most impressive aspects of the bodybuilder's physique is the infamous "V" taper. You know, the type of shape that makes it look possible to jump of a cliff, spread you lats, and do a little hang gliding. Think about the physiques of our past three Mr. Olympias...Lee Haney, Dorian Yates, and Ronnie Coleman. They all shared one thing in common...backs so wide that each lat had its own zip code! Problem is, truly wide lats are a rare commodity indeed and although I see dozens of trainees toiling away in the gym doing set after set on the lat pulldown machine, sometimes with the whole weight stack, so few are challenging the width of a single doorway. So where does the problem lie? Well, as I see it, there are several...

- WRONG EXERCISES: Although the lat pulldown is a wonderful back movement that certainly has its place, it can not replace the true back builders like chins, pullups, bent rows, seated pully rows, T-bar rows, dumbell rows, and deadlifts. Those that do not make these exercises the FOUNDATION of their back routine are not only narrow minded, but will always be narrow period!

-POOR FORM: This is perhaps the most prevalent problem in faulty back training and the number one reason, in my opinion, that spectacular back development is so rare. Usually one or all of the following mistakes are made by most when training back...1) *Too much weight is used*. While this may stroke the ego, it causes all kinds of jerking, swinging, and over stimulation of the biceps and brachialis. Unfortunately little to no lat recruitment occurs and thus, zero growth to the target muscle, 2) *Failure to "set the body" correctly during the movement.* In order to fully stimulate the muscles of the back responsible for width you must keep your chest out, shoulders back, and a slight arch in your lower back...and you must keep this position throughout the movement. When you begin to pull the weight, immediately begin tightening your lats. When you hit full contraction, bring the shoulder blades together and squeeze forcefully, 3) *Not using a thumbless grip.* By bringing your thumb to the same side of the bar as the rest of your fingers you will effectively take some of the forearm flexors and biceps out of each lat exercise. Reinforce your grip with lifting straps if you must.

-LACK OF ANGLES AND GRIP VARIATIONS: The back is a very complex group of muscles and for full development you must assault it from unique positions and angles as well as utilize the effects that different grips provide. Too many people stick to the same exercises, with the same hand spacing, same body positioning, and often use "overlapping" exercises that are simply hitting the muscles the exact same way over and over. I believe that each back workout should use variations on three angles of pull as well as three distinct grip options. You should include one exercise in which you pull vertically (pulldowns, pullups), one in which you pull horizontally (seated pully rows, seated machine rows, Hammer rows), and one in which you pull from the floor in a "bent" position (bent barbell rows, T-bar rows, dumbell rows, spider rows). In addition, perform one exercise with an underhand grip, one with an overhand grip, and one with a parallel grip. Each of these grips will affect the back musculature differently and cause a change in recruitment patterns. And remember, you can create further variation by changing the width of any of these grips from workout to workout or even set to set. The back is truly a "thinking man's" bodypart!

-NOT USING PULLOVERS AND STIFF ARM PULLDOWNS: Before I regularly included these exercises in my back routine I had decent width in my lats. However, once I started hitting these movements hard and with decent weight, my lat width took off! Both of these exercises isolate the lats and teres muscles right where they tie into the armpit, and they do so without any bicep or forearm activation. This is very advantageous as they can be used to "pre-exhaust" the lats before rowing and pulldown exercises are performed, or, they can be used at the end of a back workout to get just a bit more out of those lats when the biceps are beginning to tire.

So now that you see that there's more to back widening than 10 sets on the pulldown machine, and your girlfriend is behind you stealing yet another of your favorite sweatshirts (hey, if it didn't fit her she wouldn't take it), I'm guessing that you're chomping at the bit to put what you have learned to good use. The following is a list of three distinct routines using the principles discussed above. Beginners and intermediates may wish to use each routine for 4-8 weeks before moving onto the next one, while more advanced lifters may enjoy switching back and forth among the three week to week.

WORKOUT # 1

1. Underhand grip pulldowns: 2-3 x 10-12 reps

2. Overhand grip barbell bent rows: 2-3 x 8-10 reps

3. V-grip seated pully rows: 2-3 x 6-8 reps

4. Cross bench dumbell pullovers: 2-3 x12-15 reps

5. Full deadlifts: 3 x 8, 6, 4 reps

WORKOUT # 2

1. Stiff arm pulldowns: 2-3 x 12-15 reps



2. Overhand grip pullups: 2-3 x 10-12 reps

3. Underhand grip seated pully rows: 2-3 x 8-10 reps

4. One arm dumbell rows: 2-3 x 6-8 reps

5. Rack deadlifts: 3 x 10, 8, 6 reps
​
WORKOUT # 3

1. Underhand grip T-bar rows: 2-3 x 6-8 reps

2. Wide overhand grip seated pully rows: 2-3 x 8-10 reps

3. V-grip pulldowns: 2-3 x 10-12 reps

4. Superset-Stiff arm pulldowns/Dumbell Pullovers: 1-2 x 8-10 reps each

5. Weighted hyperextensions: 3 x 12-15

*Sets do not include warmups

*Feel free to change exercise order

*Slightly less or more overall sets may be needed depending on experience

*Use varied rep ranges as listed in order to tax all muscle fiber types


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## Iron19 (Jan 18, 2008)

Theres alot to read lol and a few more to go up so I will leave the rest untill tommorow as to give people a chance to read if they wish to do so.


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## bigbob33 (Jan 19, 2009)

Looks like a good read


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## wes (May 28, 2006)

Some good tips. Reiterates the importance of tehnique and form.


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## Iron19 (Jan 18, 2008)

*J-O-E W-I-D-E-R*

*
**Delts: Get Wide On The Sides*

*
*

*
*In part one of JOE WIDER I discussed with you the ins and outs (or is it "rights to lefts?") of broadening your physique through the expansion of your "wing span," aka, lat width. In part two I am going to talk about the second major muscle group that is responsible for making some bodybuilders a nuisance at movie theaters and on airplanes world-WIDE...the deltoids.

Few things look as impressive on a bodybuilder than a set of wide, thick, round shoulders. There are tons of guys with big chests and arms, but nothing screams BODYBUILDER like having a pair of "cannonballs" hanging off of your clavicles, literally challenging the stitching of every shirt you own! Whether being viewed from the front or rear, on the stage or in the street, it is the shoulders that "set off" the physique.

As you may already know, the deltoids are a three headed muscle with anterior (front), posterior (rear), and medial (side) portions. While it is extremely important to develop all three delt heads, it is the medial section that is mostly responsible for width. I don't believe that I have ever seen anyone actually overdevelop the medial delt head, as I have never heard anyone criticized for being "too wide." Some of the most exceptional physiques of our time are ones that show incredible side delt development. Think about men like Kevin Levrone, Paul Dillett, Gary Strydom, and Chris Cormier. As soon as these guys walk out on stage and turn to the front, the dramatic proportions of their physiques are immediately evident, and much of this has to do with the width of their shoulders. Just as I mentioned last month about wide lats, a pair of bowling ball delts will create the illusion of a smaller waist and more "sweeping" quads. If there is a downside to such "delt dimensions," it would be the need for taliored shirts and having to walk sideways through some doors...but you can handle that...right?

So, what is the secret to building the medial deltoid to "comic-like" proportions? Well, the "secret," if you want to call it that, lies in the correction of a few training mistakes and utilizing a "targeted" selection of exercises, done in a specific manner, that will selectively activate the side delt fibers. Before we move on to the actual shoulder widening routines, lets take a closer look at the most common mistakes being made in the gym by trainees seeking to "broaden their horizons."

- WRONG EXERCISES: When I sit back and watch most guys go through their shoulder routines, one thing I almost always notice is the inclusion of more than one overhead pressing exercise, AND, a front raise movement on top of that! Talk about inefficient shoulder training! While at least one pressing movement should be included in each delt workout, there is certainly no need for a second. Further, when the main goal is increasing the width of the delts, front raises become rather obsolete. When looking to get wider, your concern is primarily with the medial head of the deltoid and nothing targets this better than side lateral movements and wide grip upright rows. This is not to say that you should ignore the anterior and posterior heads, but when seeking to prioritize one muscle, or section of a muscle, you need to "choose your weapons wisely!"

-POOR FORM: Most of the time that I see really well developed deltoids in the gym I almost invariably notice that the trainee that owns them uses lighter weights and executes each movement with precision and through a full range of motion. Shoulder training does not require ego, but excellence. Let me go through each basic movement individually and describe the mistakes that are commonly made, and how to troubleshoot them...(1) Overhead Presses-When it come to any overhead pressing exercise, the most frequent mistake that I see involves an incomplete range of motion. In an effort to exercise their ego rather than their delts, many trainees will perform half reps on this exercise, bringing the dumbells or barbell only about halfway down before pressing it back to the top. Unfortunately, it is in the bottom half of the movement that most of the deltoid activation takes place. By only pushing through the top half, the triceps are getting the brunt of the workout. The solution here is to lighten the weight and make sure each rep is performed through an optimal range of motion, which in the case of presses, is from just above shoulder level to just below lockout. (2) Side Laterals-This is one of the most poorly performed exercises in all of bodybuilding. I see several mistakes made during this movement, with some people actually making them all at once. First is the use of weights so heavy that a swinging motion is employed in order to get the dumbells moving. While it is ok to cheat a bit at the end of a set, once perfect form becomes an impossibility, doing it from the outset is simply cheating yourself and your shoulders from a proper workout. Side laterals is not a power movement. Choose weights that allow you to "muscle" the weight up without swinging, heaving, or body english. If you lighten up and are still having trouble, do the exercise while seated. The next mistake that is often made is not keeping the palms down toward the floor throughout the movement. Turning the hand down just slightly at the top is perfectly fine, but turning it up, so that the thumb is higher than the pinky, will take stress off of the side delt and transfer it to the anterior delt. Some people do this because of lack of focus, while others are again going too heavy and therefore forcing the more powerful front delt to take over and get the dumbells to shoulder height. Concentrate and go lighter! One final error made while performing this exercise is actually raising the dumbell TOO HIGH at the top of the movement. By doing this you will increase the involvement of the trapezius, and more importantly, can impinge the highly delicate shoulder joint. Raise the dumbells to shoulder height...no higher. (3) Upright Rows-This can be a wonderful delt widener when performed correctly but unfortunately, it rarely is. The main error that is made with this exercise is failure to raise the elbows up higher than the hands at the top. Many people end up turning this movement into what appears as an awkwardly performed reverse curl. Another mistake I often witness is raising the bar far too high at the peak of the rep. Now, this is ok if you are targeting the trapezius, but we are looking to isolate the delts in this case. To solve these problems make sure that you focus on raising the elbows first (sometimes it helps to think of two strings attached to your elbows and imagine that someone is pulling on the strings from above allowing your elbows to rise first, while your hands simply follow underneath), and to relax the traps while bringing the bar no higher than shoulder height.

-LACK OF ANGLES AND VARIATIONS: When it comes to broadening the shoulders it is important to remember that you have a few basic movements to work with, but tons of variation within each movement. Too many people get stuck in a rut when training delts. This occurs either out of laziness or ignorance, but I assure you it can keep you from ever outgrowing that same shirt that has fit you since high school! Muscles are very adaptive and complex "creatures." If you do not at least occasionally seek to utilize different angles and exercise variations to force unique fiber recruitment patterns, you will not reach your "widest potential." Using the same foundation exercises above, here is a list of ways to vary each movement...(1) Overhead Presses-dumbell presses, single arm dumbell presses, Arnold dumbell presses, presses behind neck, military presses, smith presses, machine presses (various types). (2) Side Laterals-standing side laterals, seated side laterals, cable side laterals (starting with hand in front or behind back), incline side lateral (leaning in to an incline bench), machine side lateral (various types), bench lateral (leaning sideways into an incline bench). (3) Upright Rows-barbell upright rows, cable upright rows (with bar or rope), dumbell upright rows.

So now that we've covered the do's and don'ts, the why's and why not's, let's get into a few routines you can use to get so wide that your queen size mattress is forced to abdicate your bedroom to a king! Depending on how long you have been training, it may be best for you to stick with one routine for several weeks before moving onto the next. If you are more advanced or someone that thrives on change and variety, feel free to switch between two of the routines week to week, or even all three. Over time you may even want to mix and match in order to make your own unique boulder shoulder program.

WORKOUT # 1

1. Seated side lateral: 3 x 8-10 reps

2. Shoulder width grip cable upright row: 3 x 10-12 reps

3. Smith press behind the neck: 2 x 6-8 reps

WORKOUT # 2

1.Shoulder width grip barbell upright row: 3 x 8-10 reps

2. Twisting seated dumbell press: 3 x 6-8 reps

3. Single arm cable side lateral: 2 x 10-12 reps

WORKOUT # 3

1. Standing single arm dumbell press: 3 x 6-8 reps

2. Incline bench side lateral: 3 x 8-10 reps

3. Dumbell upright row: 2 x 10-12 reps

Note: During a delt-widening specialization program I suggest training the posterior head on back day.

A few of the exercises above may be unfamiliar to you so let me briefly go over the form involved with each one.

•Twisting seated dumbell press: Start with your palms turned in toward your head and your elbows pulled back so they are even with you ears (very important for medial delt activation). As you press overhead, twist your palms so that they face foward at the top. Do the eccentric portion in the reverse manner.

•Standing single arm dumbell press: Stand with your knees slightly bent and keep your core (abs and low back) nice and tight in order to stabilize your body. Brace the non working hand on a sturdy object. Press the dumbell with your elbow pulled back, in line with your ear.

•Incline bench side lateral: Lean forward onto an incline bench set at about 70 degrees. Then perform side laterals without your torso leaving the pad.

•Dumbell Upright Row: Start with the dumbells touching at the bottom. As you raise them up, separate them and pull your elbows out wide.

With the information above you should no longer have to "shoulder the burden" of being narrow ever again. Like with anything worth having in life, building a pair of "melon-sized" delts will not be easy. It will take gut busting, intense and consistent work to become truly W-I-D-E. But in the end, when the tailor's tape is too short to measure you shoulder to shoulder and buying "off the rack" is no longer an option, you KNOW you'll be smiling almost as wide as your shoulders now are, and it will all have been more than worth it!

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