Suggested Shoulder Exercises

[FNP90 New Member Find all posts View Profile Close FNP90]

Hi guys,

I have asked a couple of stupid questions and everyone has been awesome on here as far as answering them, all-the-while not calling me a troll or an dumbass. Thanks a lot for that.

This question, however, may get the "read the stickies" response, since it seems like this should be information that is readily available. If it is, and I am indeed a dumbass for missing it, then I apologize for taking up anyone's time.

Here goes:

I have read the "suggested exercises" sticky for shoulders - and they seem slightly limited. I am currently doing Smith presses, Barbell (Military) Presses, and DB Presses. Just today, I lost Smith presses, since I didn't progress at all in them for 2 cycles now.

So the question: Are there any other suggested shoulder exercises that you expert DC'ers do? Please note that I do not have any kind of Hammer Strength machines at my gym (just some really old, crappy linear machines that are probably almost exactly like doing them on the Smith), and I really can't do BTN presses due to pain and/or bad shoulder conformation.

I have done upright rows in the past. Not sure if you guys consider them an ideal DC exercise or not.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[0001Delta Heavyweight Member Find all posts View Profile Close 0001Delta]

I'm not a DC expert, but here's some help for ya.

Before I draft any blast I consult a list I compiled with several exercises and variations that I can do with the equipment availiable in my gym. This helps you know what you can replace with what in case you stall.

You also don't need to switch out the exercise, you can instead switch the rep-range you're hitting. If you are stalling on a 12-20RP you can try a 15-30RP or something like 11-15RP to go heavier.


Anyway, I don't know what equipment you have at your gym but here's some suggestions:

- Standing Behind the Neck Press ( to the back of your head and not lower )
- Seated Behind the Neck Press
- Smythe Seated and Standing Behind the neck press
- Standing Bradford press
- Seated Bradford Press
- Neutral Grip DB Press
- High Incline Bench
- High Incline Smythe Bench
- Arnold Press
- Cuban Press
- All DB Press variations
- Push Press
- Clean and Press
- Face-the-seat Machine Press ( This can be do on any kind of traditional shoulder machine with a cable)
- V-squat press
- V-squat viking press

Some unconventional stuff you can try out but progress will be slower:

- Wide-grip upright rows
- Upright rows
- Skip Laterals
- Smythe upright rows with whatever grip you prefer.


Again, I'm not a DC expert.

[FNP90 New Member Find all posts View Profile Close FNP90]

I'm not a DC expert, but here's some help for ya.

Before I draft any blast I consult a list I compiled with several exercises and variations that I can do with the equipment availiable in my gym. This helps you know what you can replace with what in case you stall.

You also don't need to switch out the exercise, you can instead switch the rep-range you're hitting. If you are stalling on a 12-20RP you can try a 15-30RP or something like 11-15RP to go heavier.


Anyway, I don't know what equipment you have at your gym but here's some suggestions:

- Standing Behind the Neck Press ( to the back of your head and not lower )
- Seated Behind the Neck Press
- Smythe Seated and Standing Behind the neck press
- Standing Bradford press
- Seated Bradford Press
- Neutral Grip DB Press
- High Incline Bench
- High Incline Smythe Bench
- Arnold Press
- Cuban Press
- All DB Press variations
- Push Press
- Clean and Press
- Face-the-seat Machine Press ( This can be do on any kind of traditional shoulder machine with a cable)
- V-squat press
- V-squat viking press

Some unconventional stuff you can try out but progress will be slower:

- Wide-grip upright rows
- Upright rows
- Skip Laterals
- Smythe upright rows with whatever grip you prefer.


Again, I'm not a DC expert.

Thanks very much, Delta. That's a lot better list than I would have been able to compile in a week. I agree that I should have a list of "backup" exercises available - and I do for most body-parts, but I guess I was procrastinating on the Shoulders list, because I couldn't figure out the best ex's to do for DC.

Thanks also for the idea about changing up the rep range - I've been trying to hit 15-19 RP reps and have been stuck at 14 for three tries now - I probably should have switched it up earlier, considering I wasn't even in the rep range, anyway.

I'm not even sure what a couple of those ex's are (like Bradford press) - I'll have to google it.

[moco IM Moderator/Intense Muscle Competitor Find all posts View Profile Close moco]

Since my chest exercises are almost always pressing movements, I like to incorporate some non-presses for shoulders.

Upright rows
Lateral raises (DB and machine)

I also once incorporated this into a blast:
- Turn around on the lateral raise machine so that your back is against the pad
- Rotate your arms so that your palms and inside of elbow are facing out
- Raise your arms all the way up overhead, focusing on contracting your front delts
- Slowly control it on the way back down

I was able to progress on this for a while

Also, although I said that I like to incorporate non-pressing movements I just mean that I don't want all 3 of my shoulder exercises to be presses.

So some examples of a blast for me might look like this:

Behind-the-neck Smith Press
Upright Rows
Front Delt Lateral Raise Exercise (described above)

Or

Standing Overhead Press (strict)
Seated DB Laterals
Reg Park Press

[Odin New Member Find all posts View Profile Close Odin]

I think upright rows are a great shoulder exercise if you use a wider grip. You can really feel it in the middle delts

[v1hyp Intense Muscle Competitor Find all posts View Profile Close v1hyp]

I think upright rows are a great shoulder exercise if you use a wider grip. You can really feel it in the middle delts

Hit some Smith wide-grip uprights today and they felt pretty good. Nice pump to boot.

[Odin New Member Find all posts View Profile Close Odin]

Hit some Smith wide-grip uprights today and they felt pretty good. Nice pump to boot.

Lol there's something i'v never tried before. I'm cruising in a couple of weeks i'l give them a go see how it works out.

[Carlito Gambino Lightweight Member Find all posts View Profile Close Carlito Gambino]

Wide grip upright rows (google Charles Glass upright rows and you'll see what I mean)
Reg Park press

As for BTN presses hurting your shoulders, fix your mobility. Seriously. Most people that get pain from BTN presses are guys with jacked up shoulders.

1. Shoulder dislocates (broomstick stretch or whatever you wanna call them)
2. Foam and tennis/lacrosse ball rolling
3. This article has some good pointers: http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_...er_body_warmup
4. Youtube some of Dieselcrew shoulder rehab videos, they should be a big help

[FNP90 New Member Find all posts View Profile Close FNP90]

Wide grip upright rows (google Charles Glass upright rows and you'll see what I mean)
Reg Park press

As for BTN presses hurting your shoulders, fix your mobility. Seriously. Most people that get pain from BTN presses are guys with jacked up shoulders.

1. Shoulder dislocates (broomstick stretch or whatever you wanna call them)
2. Foam and tennis/lacrosse ball rolling
3. This article has some good pointers: http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_...er_body_warmup
4. Youtube some of Dieselcrew shoulder rehab videos, they should be a big help

Thanks very much for all the expert advise, guys.

My shoulder was pretty screwed-up last year, and is much better now (I did the broomstick-stretch-thing daily for about 2 months and it improved a lot - not sure if it helped or if it was just coincidence). I probably could do BTN presses at this point, but to be honest, I've heard too many bad things about them to even attempt it.

So, I guess my new question would be - are BTN that much of a benefit (more-so than regular to-the-chest military presses, I mean) to risk shoulder problems?

I don't know if I'm in the minority on here or not, but I would rather have a slightly smaller deltoid, if it meant being able to lift my arm over my head when I'm 60 years old.

[sammy91 New Member Find all posts View Profile Close sammy91]

advanced guys do high rep machine laterals as well... I would stick to variations of the press (seated / standing.. hammer strength, plate loaded etc)

[steel1970 Intense Muscle Competitor Find all posts View Profile Close steel1970]

advanced guys do high rep machine laterals as well... I would stick to variations of the press (seated / standing.. hammer strength, plate loaded etc)

Do NOT give advice in here...you are not qualified to do so, at all.....If you feel that you are, kindly post up your experience with DC Training....

[mark! Light-heavyweight Member Find all posts View Profile Close mark!]

advanced guys do high rep machine laterals as well... I would stick to variations of the press (seated / standing.. hammer strength, plate loaded etc)

Thin ice, you're on it. Stop posting.

[Sammich Moderator/Intense Muscle Competitive Powerlifter 275lb Raw Club Total 1625 Find all posts View Profile Close Sammich]

Hi guys,

I have asked a couple of stupid questions and everyone has been awesome on here as far as answering them, all-the-while not calling me a troll or an dumbass. Thanks a lot for that.

Clearly we have been dropping the ball.

Nevertheless, I always got good results from Hammer Strength machines, smith presses, and machine presses. I was always best on movements where you could really grind out reps and not worry about balance and stabilization so much. So for me, a good selection might be 2 machine-ish exercises and one stabilize-ish exercise (like a free DB or BB press).

[deadliftgoal500 New Member Find all posts View Profile Close deadliftgoal500]

Clearly we have been dropping the ball.

Nevertheless, I always got good results from Hammer Strength machines, smith presses, and machine presses. I was always best on movements where you could really grind out reps and not worry about balance and stabilization so much. So for me, a good selection might be 2 machine-ish exercises and one stabilize-ish exercise (like a free DB or BB press).

For me too i've noticed progression is alot easier when i don't have to worry about stabilizing the weight. I also do what you do (2 machine exercises plus one free weight.)

[FNP90 New Member Find all posts View Profile Close FNP90]

For me too i've noticed progression is alot easier when i don't have to worry about stabilizing the weight. I also do what you do (2 machine exercises plus one free weight.)

Thanks again for the advice everyone!

I think I am going to switch to doing these three deltoid ex's for my current blast:

1) Seated barbell military press
2) Upright Rows (not sure if I should use the Smith machine or free weights)
3) Still unsure about the third - have been doing DB presses, but I kind-of agree with a few of you that I might be doing too many presses (i.e. front deltoid work).

I am getting this DC thing....slowly....been doing volume work WAY too long...

Thanks!