would you say that vertical pressing is sufficient to build all three heads, or are isolation on medial/rear also needed? reason being that i just feel really awkward w/standing and bent flies... when i use light weights/strict form, i don't feel any overload and w/heavier weights, my form is just crap and i can't even tell if i'm improving on those exercises week to week. if vertical pressing alone isn't enough, are there any other exercises besides flies that you could recommend to hit the rear/middle heads? thanks!

Vertical pressing does hit all heads. Especially with dumbbells, when the range of motion can shift the emphasis. There are other opportunities to include shoulders - for example, when you do proper biceps curls (i.e. elbows back, no movement on the upper arm) your deltoids are actually stabilizing the upper arm. If you wanted to, say, involve some anterior delts on a biceps you could cheat your upper arms and allow the elbows to swing up, as an example.

The Arnold press is also great for hitting all heads.

Jeremy

would you say that vertical pressing is sufficient to build all three heads, or are isolation on medial/rear also needed? reason being that i just feel really awkward w/standing and bent flies... when i use light weights/strict form, i don't feel any overload and w/heavier weights, my form is just crap and i can't even tell if i'm improving on those exercises week to week. if vertical pressing alone isn't enough, are there any other exercises besides flies that you could recommend to hit the rear/middle heads? thanks!

Vertical pressing does hit all heads. Especially with dumbbells, when the range of motion can shift the emphasis. There are other opportunities to include shoulders - for example, when you do proper biceps curls (i.e. elbows back, no movement on the upper arm) your deltoids are actually stabilizing the upper arm. If you wanted to, say, involve some anterior delts on a biceps you could cheat your upper arms and allow the elbows to swing up, as an example.

The Arnold press is also great for hitting all heads.

Jeremy

thanks for the reply jeremy. currently, i'm using arnold presses, but i guess my worry is that since they target anterior head, i would develop some kind of imbalance favoring that head? would you say that just using arnold presses is sufficient for development of balanced shoulders?

Great reply Jeremy.

You could press,and do wide-grip upright rows for the side head,and face-pulls for the reear delt.

On the uprights,go with a moderate weight,slightly wider than shoulder grip,and pull to mid-chest height only.

Face-Pulls are a good rear delt move........face aone side of a crossover unit with a rope attatched to the top pulley,pull to face,getting elbows well back,and repeart in strict form.