Decline/Incline press

[Gareth83]

decline>flat>incline

you should be able to lift more on the decline

if you have access to a decline bench (which you do), i'd drop the flat bench altogether.

Also, in my opinion, shoulder work isn't exactly needed. They'll get hit with the presses, dips, chins, rows, deadlifts etc.

[kp1512]

Quote

decline>flat>incline

you should be able to lift more on the decline

if you have access to a decline bench (which you do), i'd drop the flat bench altogether.

Also, in my opinion, shoulder work isn't exactly needed. They'll get hit with the presses, dips, chins, rows, deadlifts etc.

You reckon?

[Gareth83]

Quote

Shoulder Training: The Final Word?

Q: Some coaches say there's no need for direct shoulder training because the delts are hit with other exercises. They say to do a few lateral raises and that's it. Others recommend full delt specialization workouts. What do you think?

A: I was one of the first to say that you don't really need direct shoulder work. I've been saying that for twenty years. But there are some exceptions, especially for cosmetic reasons.

If a guy has shoulders like pancakes, then I'd prescribe direct shoulder work. In fact, for bodybuilding purposes, it's fairly hard to get to the top without direct shoulder work.



The anterior and posterior deltoids usually do get enough work if you do chins, rows, bench press, dips, etc. But a lot of people neglect their back, so their posterior deltoids can be lacking.

What I find works best for shoulder hypertrophy is tri-sets. The shoulders have intermediate-type fibers. They respond best to multiple exercises with short rest intervals, eight to ten reps, varying the motor resistance. For example, here's a quick fix for lagging shoulders:

A1) Seated Lateral Raise, 6 to 8 reps
10 seconds rest



A2) Machine Lateral Raise, 10 to 12 reps
10 seconds rest



A3) Double Cable Lateral Raise (single pictured below), 15 to 20 reps
120 seconds rest, then start cycle over with A1



Now, the medial deltoid does seem to be the "missed" deltoid, but it's a myth that there are only three deltoids (posterior, medial, and anterior). French anatomists showed several years ago that there are actually seven portions of the deltoid you can selectively activate. That's why when you look at the sporting world, the best shoulder development is seen in gymnasts — they apply force at every angle you can think of!



Now, the shoulders actually recover very quickly. The delts are slow-twitch, so recovery can be fast. Frequency is important here. If you have a lack of shoulder development, you may need to train delts three days per week.

http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1754646

Poliquin

But in my experience I've found the best exercises for my shoulders have been chest presses, dips and rows.

Of course direct shoulder work has it's place but I'd rather work on other areas.

Saying that, the only direct shoulder work I have done in the last couple of years is military press. But I'm after a strong/functional/look