# Tips for broadening shoulders?



## Target (Mar 19, 2014)

Been training a couple of years now but I have always had that problem of not having a wide frame. I'm not going to grow any significant bone size any more so what would you recommend to broaden up? Would you focus more on back or shoulders if you were to train something more frequently or anything else? I'd assume a smaller waist gives a better illusion


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## BetterThanYou (Oct 3, 2012)

it slowly increases, as u keep adding size to your lats and delts, you will look significantly wider, also adding size to your rear delts helps u look really thick, plus try giving your shoulders a separate day


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## Sub-Zero (May 2, 2011)

You need to work on building the medial/side head of the shoulder, this will help give your shoulder more of a "cap", which gives the illusion of a v-taper.

Concentrate on side lateral raise, use a weight you can use for good form and hold briefly at the top for a squeeze.


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## Prince Adam (Mar 17, 2012)

Heavy bench and press.


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## DC1 (May 5, 2014)

Bring up your lats, side and rear delts and keep waistline in check.


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## Muscle Supermkt (Nov 28, 2012)

Heavy overhead pressing, work on widening your wings, and as DC1 said - keep your waistline slim.


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## Big ape (May 5, 2011)

OHP / Side raises


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## MySuppCheck (Aug 3, 2014)

Deadlifts. Every time. They will help to "widen" your entire frame, being a whole body exercise. We never see "slim" framed guys deadlifting in our gym

Failing that - hold on to a piece of rope in each hand, tie them to a couple of mates car's either side, get them to drive in opposite directions and hope for the best. Instant width. And a lengthy stay in hospital


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## 2004mark (Oct 26, 2013)

As you said, your bone structure is set... so there is only so much you can do and are never going to be as wide as someone with longer clavicles.


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## Smitch (Dec 29, 2008)

Big ape said:


> OHP / Side raises


This.


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## Lazy G (Apr 15, 2014)

Target said:


> Been training a couple of years now but I have always had that problem of not having a wide frame. I'm not going to grow any significant bone size any more so what would you recommend to broaden up? Would you focus more on back or shoulders if you were to train something more frequently or anything else? I'd assume a smaller waist gives a better illusion


Not being funny mate but if thats you in AVI, you are already wide on the shoulders and surely would struggle to get bigger than that ?!


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## a.notherguy (Nov 17, 2008)

make lat raises the first exercise on push or shoulder day.

make face pull/rear delt flys the first exercise on back day.


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## Muscle Supermkt (Nov 28, 2012)

Whilst deadlifts are an amazing exercise, they can thicken the lower back and waist of some people quite dramatically. Not everyone, but some. Therefore, if you want to get the illusion of a small waste and very wide shoulders and lats, make sure you're not one of the people whereby deadlifts thicken your centre so much that it takes away from the illusion.


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## Big ape (May 5, 2011)

Muscle Supermkt said:


> Whilst deadlifts are an amazing exercise, they can thicken the lower back and waist of some people quite dramatically. Not everyone, but some. Therefore, if you want to get the illusion of a small waste and very wide shoulders and lats, make sure you're not one of the people whereby deadlifts thicken your centre so much that it takes away from the illusion.


thickens the waist?


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## UkWardy (Mar 30, 2014)

Big ape said:


> thickens the waist?


Assuming he means the abdominals and obliques?


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## Big ape (May 5, 2011)

UkWardy said:


> Assuming he means the abdominals and obliques?


Yeah assume so ...


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## Smitch (Dec 29, 2008)

Lazy G said:


> Not being funny mate but if thats you in AVI, you are already wide on the shoulders and surely would struggle to get bigger than that ?!


I'm assuming he means gaining mass on the side delts, not actual back width.


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## Boshlop (Apr 1, 2012)

**** tonne of time pretty much, they grow, and lower body fat helps too. if you have giant shoulders but they blend into your arms since you cant see the seperation they wont really look dominating


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## Muscle Supermkt (Nov 28, 2012)

Big ape said:


> Yeah assume so ...


Yep, huge thick abs is a tell tale sign - look at the abs on any decent strongman or powerlifters, then compare to a fitness type model / bodybuilder 

Edit: Granted, that is a long way off for the majority of people :laugh:


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## DC1 (May 5, 2014)

A few pros avoid deadlifts for fear of thickening the midsection. I believe Phil Heath is one of them.


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## Target (Mar 19, 2014)

Lazy G said:


> Not being funny mate but if thats you in AVI, you are already wide on the shoulders and surely would struggle to get bigger than that ?!


Was back when I was 250lbs :laugh: from the front you wouldn't think so. Sitting at 210 now though can't see it being the same


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## Target (Mar 19, 2014)

DC1 said:


> A few pros avoid deadlifts for fear of thickening the midsection. I believe Phil Heath is one of them.


Yeah Ed Nunn told me he takes them out of his routine before a contest and comes on stage with a 28 inch waist or something ridiculous


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## Barbell mafia (Jan 28, 2011)

barbell upright rows with wider that shoulder width grip supersetted with side laterals to failure


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## 3752 (Jan 7, 2005)

If you struggle for basic mass on your shoulders the last thing you want to do is specific training for individual heads of the delts, you need to master and build strength with the basics the compound multi head movements like OHP, DB press, Deadpress, clean and Press


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## Kristina (Apr 12, 2014)

Pscarb said:


> If you struggle for basic mass on your shoulders the last thing you want to do is specific training for individual heads of the delts, you need to master and build strength with the basics the compound multi head movements like OHP, DB press, Deadpress, clean and Press


This x 10000.


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## dtlv (Jul 24, 2009)

Just do a pressing movement and bent over laterals. IMO dumbbell presses are one of the best movements for front and side delts and more effective than isolating front and side delts.


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## Narcissus (Nov 18, 2012)

works hard on the head side, I'm happy using light weights for me and taking care of a lot of running, lateral raises in standing, sitting, cables, and rises to the Arnold lying sideways on bench


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## Ken Hutchinson (May 29, 2009)

I stopped doing seated db press, standing side lateral raises, bent over lateral raises, and standing db shrugs, and focused on standing over head barbell presses, while my strength improved my shoulder size decreased, i have just started back on my old routine, and my size is coming back, we are all different mate, and i would suggest that what ever you are doing, and not getting the results you want, change it


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## Emma-WHS (Sep 5, 2014)

Target said:


> Been training a couple of years now but I have always had that problem of not having a wide frame. I'm not going to grow any significant bone size any more so what would you recommend to broaden up? Would you focus more on back or shoulders if you were to train something more frequently or anything else? I'd assume a smaller waist gives a better illusion


Width illusion is down to improving upper lats and lateral delts. Up the frequency on them. A good one for lagging lateral delts is to pair them with an extra workout e.g. Quad workout. So lets say you do squats, pair seated lateral raise with them, then leg press and pair cable lateral raise, and so on. Hope this helps!


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## theBEAST2002 (Oct 16, 2011)

Seated Lateral Raises for volume

Cable Side Lateral for volume

Face Pulls for volume

Big squeeze and focus on the negative.


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