Shoulders...

[doug9119]

I have been lifting seriously for about 2 years now (5'9", 175lbs, 9%bf, havent juiced...yet ) and im having problems with my shoulders. Everything else is growing nicely except for them. Also when i am training shoulders, they make a "clicking" noise (cant be good). I am just wondering if anyone else has the same problem or what excersizes i can do to help them catch up to the rest of my body.

 

[Girth]

I have the same click, only in the right shoulder though. I used to pitch, and feel it's most likely related to that and not the weight training. You will most likely want to look into rotator cuff exercises though.

As for shoulders, I've garnered the most strength/size from a mix of hang or power cleans and military press.

 

[CyniQ]

I've got the click as well. Right shoulder, and left elbow. It's not painful so I just turn the stereo up so I can't hear it

 

[tonyton]

I have been lifting seriously for about 2 years now (5'9", 175lbs, 9%bf, havent juiced...yet ) and im having problems with my shoulders. Everything else is growing nicely except for them. Also when i am training shoulders, they make a "clicking" noise (cant be good). I am just wondering if anyone else has the same problem or what excersizes i can do to help them catch up to the rest of my body.

if it dont hurt, dont worry

 

[J DUB]

How much pulling work are you doing, i.e. pullups/downs, rows, etc? You need at least 1 pulling exercise for every pressing exercise.

As far as your shoulders, how much do you bench? Ever seen a guy who benches 405 (or maybe even 315) with small shoulders? This is a good hint on how to get big shoulders. I wouldn't even worry about doing military presses or any of that until you are benching at least 315.

At 175, the last thing you need to be doing is worrying about isolating a certain muscle group...you need to do big exercises like bench,squats, and pullups and/or rows 3x a week, like the 5x5 program.

 

[tonyton]

How much pulling work are you doing, i.e. pullups/downs, rows, etc? You need at least 1 pulling exercise for every pressing exercise.

As far as your shoulders, how much do you bench? Ever seen a guy who benches 405 (or maybe even 315) with small shoulders? This is a good hint on how to get big shoulders. I wouldn't even worry about doing military presses or any of that until you are benching at least 315.

At 175, the last thing you need to be doing is worrying about isolating a certain muscle group...you need to do big exercises like bench,squats, and pullups and/or rows 3x a week, like the 5x5 program.

word...I havnt done shoulders in a minute...and my joints are like bwolin balls nicca!!

 

[Grizzly]

How much pulling work are you doing, i.e. pullups/downs, rows, etc? You need at least 1 pulling exercise for every pressing exercise.

As far as your shoulders, how much do you bench? Ever seen a guy who benches 405 (or maybe even 315) with small shoulders? This is a good hint on how to get big shoulders. I wouldn't even worry about doing military presses or any of that until you are benching at least 315.

At 175, the last thing you need to be doing is worrying about isolating a certain muscle group...you need to do big exercises like bench,squats, and pullups and/or rows 3x a week, like the 5x5 program.

I'd probably do STANDING military presses right from the get go, but, other than that, the above advice is great.

 

[Who's Victor Martinez?]

I'd do all of the above and throw in havy db presses every now and then. Those heavy upper stabilizing muscles will help with the other lifts.

 

[J DUB]

I stay with my advice...get strong in the bench press (something like 5x5) and your shoulders will grow. No need for OH presses, front raises, or any of that.

If you must, though, I would go with a standing push press, kinda like what Grizz said but you use your legs too.

 

[Grizzly]

Push press is a great option! You don't think throwing weight OH is good for overall development?

 

[J DUB]

Yes, OH presses are great for training, but I am a firm believer in a minimalist approach to training. I try to eliminate all exercises that are not absolutely necessary, because if you can grow and get strong from doing bench press only, then why do any more?

IMO, his shoulders would certainly get much bigger as his bench poundages increase, but the more I think about it throwing in a push press would be a good idea. At 175, he needs total body development and just overall strength, and the push press is good for this. Although I no longer do them, the certainly helped build my strength foundation at an early age.

A good upper body program for him would involve bench press, push press, pullups/pulldowns, and DB/BB rows. The 5x5 for bench would be good, push press just 2-3x5, 5x5 pullups (add a rep whenever possible until 5x8-10), and rows at 3-5x5. What do you think?

 

[Madcow2]

Overhead work has largely fallen by the wayside in the past 30 years (IMO one of the primary reasons shoulder injuries are a lot more common to lifters these days) but one generally finds that if you can increase your best push-press or military all your other lifts will go up too. This is a pretty fundemental movement. Once you are squatting, pulling, and rowing you should be pressing overhead as well as straight forward. I'm very much of the minimalist school too but OH work is hugely beneficial for athletics, strength, and hypertrophy.

 

[J DUB]

It is quite funny how when your squat, bench, push press, or deadlift go up, all your other lifts increase as well.

If you told most people that squatting more would lead to one being able to Curl more they would look at you like you're crazy, but it is definitely true.

 

[Starkraven]

j dub, i agree with you. but what about medial head development? i quit OH presses and only let my chest workouts take care of my front delts (rear delts get hit good with deads and rows) but i do side laterals 45 degree angle after my chest workouts. i sure hope i can get them to grow.

 

[Who's Victor Martinez?]

j dub, i agree with you. but what about medial head development? i quit OH presses and only let my chest workouts take care of my front delts (rear delts get hit good with deads and rows) but i do side laterals 45 degree angle after my chest workouts. i sure hope i can get them to grow.

I think that's a good idea. I'm a big advocate of isloation movement as well (as well, for those who think they have to flame that opinion ). If you notice that a particular bodypart is laging after a while, focus on that som bitch. Then, if you notice you think you may be overtraining, then back off that muscle (or part of a muscle). Just read into your body. Do the core movements for a while and step back and take a look. Mix up those core movements with some isolation. See what happens.

 

[J DUB]

At the end, a couple sets of something like bent over lateral raises won't hurt anything but I wouldn't expect them to cause your shoulders to grow like benches and push press.

 

[Starkraven]

i dont think benching causes the medial head to grow which is why i do side laterals after benching.

 

[buck]

The vast majority of the guys I see in the gym do isolation movements. And when I see them a year later they look the same. While the guys that are doing the heavy compound movements show growth , go figure.

 

[Starkraven]

hey bro i hope you are not referring to me because all i do is compound movements. mon i squat only. wed i do dumbell benhcing, weighted dips (chest style) and i do side laterals after that with an exercise for triceps. on fridays i deadlift, bent row and alternate dumbell curl. thats my basic routine. its true, the vast majority do isolation and never change. that is not me.

 

[Girth]

(In my best unsarcastic voice): Stark - side laterals, tricep exercises (less dips), and alternate dumbell curls are isolation?