Hey guys just wanted to start off by saying ive been lifting pretty constantly over the last 2-2.5 months and have increased weight in everybody part and exercise at a pretty decent rate... Which im sure is due to "newbie gains" but still...Anyhow the only muscle group that doesnt seem to be improving are my shoulders...like ive been stuck at the same weight for the last 3-4 weeks

Here is my split for shoulders:

BB Press
DB Press
Side Lateral Raises
Reverse Fly's

For each exercise i perform a pyramid of 4 sets usually 12,10,8,6 rep ranges...

Well for better understanding i will post my weights (mind you they are pretty low lol) but hopefully this will help me get better advice

BB Press (reps X weight in lbs/side on the bar)
12 X 25 (warm up)
8 X 30
6 X 35
6 X 35

DB Press (reps X weight/DB)
10 X 45
8 X 50
8 X 50
6 X 50
i tried going to 55's on my last set but i only got like 3-4 reps so i dropped back to 50's

Lat raises (reps X weight/DB)
12 X 15
12 X 15
12 X 15
12 X 15
and i was using 20lb DB for the last set but i cant even get like 6 reps so i figured i wasnt strong enough to move up in weight

Reverse Fly's
Same as DB lat raises in rep/weight ratios

At this has been pretty constant as far as the rep scheme and weights for like the last 3-4 weeks. Ive tried to do the first 2 sets of BB and DB presses with my warm up weight and then go heavy the last two sets and ive also tried going heavy on each set (which was probably wrong but i just wanted to see if it would help for my next workout)

Anyways any help would be appreciated becuase it gets very frusturating when all the other bodyparts are remaining constant in weight or more often are actually moving up in weight but my #### shoulders are just stuck at these weights!!

So do you have an idea for getting through this? should i lower the weights for a week and focus on getting SOLID reps (meaning the last rep or 2 for the presses i have a spotter to help with that last little push) or what?

Thank you for any help you can provide

My shoulders exploded after this workout a couple weeks ago, there was a noticable mass difference. Make sure you get a good amount of protein 30 minutes before your work-out, immediately after, and optionally a lesser amount before bed.

I warmed-up well with about 75% of what I used to overhead press. Then I went to safe failure each time and ended up with:

DB Overhead Press: 12x40, 10x40, 3x40
DB Lateral Raises: 8x20, 5x25, 6x20, 3x25
DB Side Laterals: 4x25, 4x25
DB Elbow-Out One-Arm Rows: 10x40, 8x40

I had an elaborate O/L/R, O/L/R + 5 scheme so that I wouldn't include any weight numbers, but it was unreadable. Basically, I did not pyramid and only maxed out on the lateral and side rises.

I think you may be overtraining by doing pyramid sets for each deltoid head.

Keep in mind, what works for me may not work for you.

Things that I would do:
1) Shuffle up your workout. Add new exercises
2) Stop worrying about reps and just increase the weight even if the reps decrease.


New exercises: upright rows, arnold presses
Changes to your workout: Mix in negatives on the last sets

I am just shooting from the hip on this one, but hopefully you get the idea.

Your shoulders are not very big muscles so moving up in weight should take more time than say your chest.

On your db press try using the 55's on your third set instead of your forth set. You are wearing yourself out too early to do a large forth set.

From the looks of it you have made some progress since you first started. Actually if you have only been working out for 2.5 months then you are making really good progress. 50lbs per db isnt that bad for a press.


Good luck

When you say BB press, are you referring to Military Press? I have found this to be the best shoulder exercise for me.

Jason

New exercises: upright rows, arnold presses


I stopped doing upright rows for fear of hurting my rotator cuff.

Does anyone have the description and/or pics of how to do Arnold presses?

I stopped doing upright rows for fear of hurting my rotator cuff.

Does anyone have the description and/or pics of how to do Arnold presses? Yeah, upright rows are bad news, unless you're extremely careful not to raise your elbows too high (and then you might as well be doing shrugs with real weight). There are so many better shoulder exercises out there that don't put you at such a risk for injury.

Here is a grainy video of the Arnold press (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidAnterior/DBArnoldPress.html) . It's just a DB press in where start with your palms facing you, and rotate them 180 degrees as you raise the weight; then reverse it on the way down.

Another Arnold Press Site: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Arnold+Dumbbell+Press

ive been told the arnold press will hurt your rotator cuffs as well, be careful. additionally, ensure you do your BB presses in the front, not behind the neck, to avoid impinging nerves in your neck!

I would lower the amount of sets to 3 at most. 1 warmup, and 2 normal. Stop pryamiding for a few weeks, shoulders already get lots of work from all your other exercises, so just do only 2 good sets (after warmup) of 80% or so weight, or better even, go 90% and shorten your range of motion to the strongest range if possible. Just for a few weeks.

And remember, give them time to recover. Do some leg work the next couple days, give your shoulders a break.

My favorite shoulder exercise is also the overhead press, do them in front of your head, not behind, so you can use more weight.

-niko

I LOVE the arnold press personally. Almost never leave it out of my shoulder workouts.

Just change it up every couple weeks and try increasing the weight by set or by week.

I would lower the amount of sets to 3 at most. 1 warmup, and 2 normal. Stop pryamiding for a few weeks, shoulders already get lots of work from all your other exercises, so just do only 2 good sets (after warmup) of 80% or so weight, or better even, go 90% and shorten your range of motion to the strongest range if possible. Just for a few weeks.

And remember, give them time to recover. Do some leg work the next couple days, give your shoulders a break.

My favorite shoulder exercise is also the overhead press, do them in front of your head, not behind, so you can use more weight.

-niko Good post.

[QUOTE=Danny Noonan]Yeah, upright rows are bad news, unless you're extremely careful not to raise your elbows too high (and then you might as well be doing shrugs with real weight). There are so many better shoulder exercises out there that don't put you at such a risk for injury.

The problem arises not with raising the elbows too high it is in not keeping the elbows to the front. This paragraph is from an article that Vince Gironda wrote in how to do upright rows the correct way. This is not an excercise you max-ot with, use lighter weight and do 8 sets of 8 and I will tell you I think they are great. When you say "shrugs with real weight" you are working the traps not the lateral head of the shoulder. Remember the Deltoids have 3 heads, the lateral head is only 1/3 the size of the whole deltoid so don't expect to lift as heavy of weight as you do when doing a press.

From the link posted below:

"DELTOIDS—This is the next body part in line to produce the cosmetic look we wish to achieve. The lateral head of the deltoid is the portion of this three-headed muscle, which gives the maximum-width look we are striving for. Presses of any kind develop the thickness or front deltoid, not the width of the delts. The posterior (rear) delt also contributes to thickness only of the delts. You can work these strands at a later date to round out the deltoid, but not at this stage.

Upright Rowing Motion. This exercise develops the deltoids faster than any exercise I know. The width of the grip is shoulders-width—any narrower grip causes the trapezius to be brought into play and will develop them and not the deltoids. The bar is across the upper thighs at the start and the elbows are not locked out, they are pointed outwards. As the bar is pulled up, pull it away from the body (about 10-inches). When you reach the height of the mid-pectoral, the elbows stop at the height of the top of your head—the elbows are also forward, not out to the sides. At this position, the upper arms should be in the same position as the lateral raise with dumbbells. Actually, this exercise is a duplicate of the lateral raise. However, it is superior to the lateral raise for deltoid development."

Link: http://www.graphicmuscle.com/Vince_Gironda.html