How to Prevent Overtraining Shoulders in Bodybuilding

The shoulder muscles, which are comprised of the anterior, lateral, and posterior deltoids, are one of the easiest groups of muscles to over-train. The three heads of the deltoid muscle group are relatively small, but together, cover a large area of the human anatomy.Most men envy the look of “cannonball” deltoids on bodybuilders and wish to emulate the look on their own body. So much, in fact, that they over-train and over-stimulate the deltoid muscles to the point of negative result. Maybe you have stressed and stimulated a single deltoid muscle so much in one workout session that you can barely raise your arm the next morning. If so, you may tend to over-train your shoulder muscles. The good news is that by following four simple steps, you can prevent over-training and overcome your shoulder mass building obstacles.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Gym membership or home gym

Don't Overtrain Your Shoulder Muscles

1. Learn about the shoulder muscles. The anterior (front), lateral (middle), and posterior (rear) deltoids make up the human shoulder. It is important that you understand which part of the shoulder you stimulate when you perform a particular exercise. Do side dumbbell raises stimulate the anterior or lateral deltoid? Ask yourself questions such as those when you craft your shoulder routine.

2. Now that you have learned a little something about shoulder anatomy, think about where your shoulder workout falls into your weekly routine. Maybe you work your chest to fatigue on Monday and then follow that with a shoulder workout on Tuesday. Unfortunately, that order forces your shoulders into fatigue two days in a row. Remember, your shoulders get heavily stimulated with your chest workout, so give them some rest before you target them specifically.

3. Stick to the basics. Compound exercises such as the barbell military press add depth to your shoulder workout. How many shoulder exercises do you perform per workout? If the number is in excess of four, you can add the military press into your routine and, by doing so, cut down the amount of sets your perform. The standing barbell military press stresses each of the three deltoid heads. It is also one of the best strength building and power increasing exercises you can perform for your shoulders. Add it to your routine and watch your time spent in the gym, as well as the amount of sets you perform, decrease.

4. Build off the compound exercise. Use isolation movements such as front and side dumbbell raises sparingly. If done correctly, your shoulder workout will include a standing barbell military press, side dumbbell raises, and a posterior deltoid exercise such as resistance band rear flies. You have gone from performing five (or more) sets to performing three sets for your shoulder workout, and, in doing so, drastically reduced the chance of over-training the deltoid muscles.

Tips & Warnings

• Rotator cuff strength plays an important role in the development of the three deltoid heads. Simple stretches designed specifically for the rotator cuffs can make a large impact in your shoulder development. Remember, a weak rotator cuff can be the difference between “cannonball” deltoid muscles and almost non-existent shoulders.
• If you strain your deltoid muscles or feel any sharp pain in your rotator cuffs, discontinue your shoulder workout and consult with a physician immediately.

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