Delta exercises: basic, isolation and training program * Crossfit

As planned by nature, men should have harmonious V-shaped figures. Delta exercises will help build broad shoulders. The article describes the most effective movements for working out this muscle group. The load on the shoulders can be given both with free weights and in the simulator. The best options will also help girls - a tightened shoulder girdle for the fairer sex looks very attractive.

Delta Anatomy

The deltoid muscle is not a solid array, but a group consisting of three bundles:

anterior (clavicular part);
middle (acromial part);
back (spinous part).

The frontal zone is involved in most exercises and is the easiest to pump up. The side beams are responsible for the width of the shoulders - they need to be given special attention. The dorsal region is visible when viewed from the side - ignoring it, you will not get perfect ball deltas.

Delta pumping recommendations

There is no universal deltoid exercise. Basic exercises involve several beams, but separate zones are still in priority. Therefore, the training program should include a variety of movements for all three beams.

It is extremely rare that this muscle group develops evenly. As a rule, some beams lag behind - most often these are the back and middle, since they are either forgotten about, or they do the exercises incorrectly, or they do not do enough work, concentrating on the presses alone. Over time, you can focus on precisely these beams, starting the day of the shoulders not with the bench press, but with swings on the back and middle deltas. But at the initial stage, you need to lean on the base, while not forgetting to pay attention to each beam. For beginners, two or three movements are quite enough. Experienced athletes use 2-4 basic and 2-4 isolation exercises.

The recommended number of approaches per movement is 3-5, the number of repetitions is 8-15. It is recommended to train shoulders once a week. Only with specialization in experienced athletes, deltas can be divided into two or three days in beams.

Pay special attention to warm up. The shoulders are complex and easily injured. It makes sense to put shoulder movements in the program after training large muscle groups of the body. This will prepare the deltas for stress and reduce the risk of injury.

Stop exercising immediately if you experience pain in your joints and ligaments. It is best to consult a specialist in such cases. Ignoring the problem, you run the risk of falling out of pumping the body for several months.

Delta exercises

Exercises for pumping deltas are divided into basic ones, in which several joints are involved at once, and insulating ones, which give a load to individual areas and one joint. Even at the very start, you should not give up isolation - such movements will have a positive effect on the result as a whole and will allow this muscle group to develop evenly.

Front beam exercises

All pressing movements on the shoulders should be referred to as basic on the front beam. In many of them, the middle part works, but the emphasis is still on the front part.

Bench press standing and sitting from the chest

A basic movement that should be performed by both beginners and experienced athletes.

Technique for performing the exercise while standing:

Place the barbell on racks at shoulder level.
Approach the apparatus and remove it from the racks, taking a straight grip slightly wider than your shoulders (so that your forearms are strictly perpendicular to the floor) and placing the barbell on your upper chest.
Take a step back, stand straight, legs slightly wider than shoulders and slightly bent at the knees - this is the starting position (PI). The back cannot be flexed during the entire approach! If you arch your back, lose weight.
Smoothly, without jerking and using your legs, squeeze the bar up. At the same time, the elbows are slightly bent at the top point - this will help to avoid injuries to the elbow joint.
Smoothly return the projectile to the PI, you can not touch the chest with the barbell, but immediately start the next repetition.
Return the barbell to the racks.

This is the most common option. But some athletes take the barbell on the chest not from the racks, but from the floor with a jerk. To do this, you need to have experience and the appropriate technique. In addition, the majority in this variant lose a certain percentage of the projectile weight.

The exercise can be performed while sitting, the technique will be similar, but in this case the load on the spine increases, but the deltas work worse, since the pectoral muscles begin to turn on.

A variation of the latter is the sit press in the Smith. In this case, the trajectory of movement is set by the simulator, which reduces the number of activated stabilizing muscles. However, this variation can help focus specifically on pumping the deltas, excluding the pectoral muscles and triceps, since here you do not need to pay much attention to the balance and stabilization of the projectile. Try all the options and choose the one that feels the best on your shoulders.

Press the bar from behind the head

This exercise can also be performed while standing, sitting and in the Smith position. The movement is traumatic, therefore it requires some preparation - both fundamental (good stretching, strong ligaments) and local (thorough warm-up).

Not recommended for beginners and amateurs in general - it is better to leave this option to professionals.

The technique of execution is also similar to the bench press, only the apparatus is behind the head, respectively, in the starting position we take the barbell as in classic squats. The weight here will be slightly less, since it is more difficult to control the projectile, and the movement is non-physiological for the shoulder joints. Be careful when lowering yourself so as not to hit your head. Also, do not lower the barbell too low - it is enough to the lower edge of the ears.

Dumbbell bench press standing and sitting

One of the best shoulder exercises. Most often, the movement is performed while sitting, in the case of dumbbells this is the best option:

IP - sitting on a bench with a vertical back (or located at an angle close to 90 degrees), arms with dumbbells are spread apart and bent at the elbows, the shells touch the deltas, the palms "look" out.
As you exhale, squeeze the dumbbells up in a wide arc. You do not need to touch them at the top point. The elbows should be under the hands, not going forward. Do not bend your back to avoid increased stress on the intervertebral discs. At the top, the elbows should remain slightly bent. Also try to hold the dumbbells so that your pinky fingers are higher than the rest of your fingers.
As you inhale, slowly return your hands to the PI.

The technique is similar for the standing press, but this option is rarely seen in gyms.

Another variation of this movement is a dumbbell (or kettlebell) press with one hand. When you have already reached serious weights, when you press two heavy dumbbells, your back can somehow sag. To avoid this, you can reduce the load by alternating one-handed presses. This can be done while sitting or standing. Also, with this embodiment, the trapezius muscles are less involved in the work.

Arnold press

A version of the press with dumbbells, in which the position of the hands changes during the movement. In the starting position, the palms are facing the face, and in the final position, outward. At the same time, the elbows are directed forward at the start. The rest of the Arnold bench press technique is similar to the previous exercise.

The main difference is that the Arnold press uses more medium beams than in the standard case.

Seated Press

This movement is most similar to a dumbbell press, but here the trajectory is strictly limited by the design of the simulator. The exercise is basic, but should be done after the barbell or dumbbell press. Another option is to perform as a warm-up with light weights before a heavy bench press.

Rises (swings) in front of you

This is the first isolated delta exercise in this review. It is done standing, with small weights. It can be performed with dumbbells (alternately and two at once), a barbell, in the lower block or a crossover (similarly, with two hands at once and one at a time).

Technique for performing with two dumbbells at the same time:

IP - standing, feet shoulder-width apart, hands with dumbbells down and located in front of the hips, straight grip.
Without jerking or inertia, raise your arms in front of you, fixing them for a moment at shoulder level. It is not necessary to lift higher - the load from the deltas goes to the trapezoid.
Slowly return your hands to the PI.

In the case of execution with a barbell, one dumbbell or on a block, the technique is exactly the same.

Alternating swings are also popular. In this case, it is easier to focus on one side. In addition, asynchronous lifts allow you to work with more serious weights. However, do not forget that no need to swing the body and throw dumbbells using inertia.

Alternating swings can also be performed in a crossover:

Exercises for medium beams

Here the emphasis is on the medial area.

Chin pull (pull)

Basic exercise, performed while standing. The most commonly used barbell, however, options with dumbbells, as well as on the lower block / crossover and even in Smith are acceptable.

The traditional version is a vertical stand and emphasis on medium beams. To do this, the grip should be wide - wider than the shoulders. A narrow arm stance puts more stress on the trapezoid and front deltas.

Technics:

IP - standing, lowered hands with a straight wide grip hold the bar in front of the hips.
With the efforts of the middle bundles of deltas, lift the bar to the level of the collarbones or lower, the level depends on the grip - the wider it is, the lower the bar will be. The elbows at the top point are just above the shoulders.
Return your hands to the PI under control.

Like the press behind the head, this exercise is traumatic... Therefore, the movements are smooth, and the weight of the projectile is relatively small. It is much more useful in this case to give preference to the multi-rep style - 12-15 repetitions.

Breeding (swing) to the sides

Isolated movement. The best execution is slow and technical. Although more often in the halls you can see performance in a power format - with cheating and throwing dumbbells upward by swinging the body. Leave the last option to the professionals, for more effective shoulder pumping, this exercise should be done with light weight, without cheating and in the amount of 12-15 repetitions.

Standing swing technique:

IP - standing straight, you do not need to lean forward. Hands with dumbbells are lowered down and located on the sides, and not in front of the hips, the grip is neutral. You can bend them slightly at the elbows.
Slowly spread your arms out to the sides. At the top point, at which the hands are at shoulder level, the palms are turned so that the little finger is on top - this maximizes the load on the middle beams.
Return your hands to the PI. You do not need to rest below and touch the hips with the shells - immediately start a new repetition.

Similarly, this exercise is performed while sitting. In this case, cheating is more difficult, which in this case is a plus.

Swings can be done in a crossover, using the lower handles (either with one hand alternately, or with two at once). With this performance, the amplitude of movement increases (at the bottom point you can move the handle a little further), and the muscles are in tension throughout the entire approach.

Also in many gyms you can find special simulators for lateral swings. Here the technique is slightly different - as a rule, you need to bend your arms at the elbows and rest them with the outside against the cushions of the simulator. In the future, the movement is the same - you need to spread your arms to the sides to shoulder level.

The last version of this exercise can be considered as side raises with one hand while sitting sideways on a bench. Both horizontal and inclined benches can be used. You need to lie on it sideways (if the bench is horizontal - substitute your elbow), take a dumbbell with a neutral grip in your free hand and raise it slightly above shoulder level (not to the vertical). You don't need to bend your arm. Try to feel exactly the middle bundle of deltoids.

Exercises for the back beams

Slope dilutions (swings)

The position of the body in this movement is practically parallel to the floor. Execution technique:

IP - standing in a bent over, arms with dumbbells down, neutral or straight grip, knees slightly bent.
Spread your arms to the sides, fixing them for a moment at the top point and trying to achieve maximum muscle contraction.
Slowly return your hands to the PI.

If you are uncomfortable doing the exercise while standing, you can similarly bend over from a sitting position or rest your forehead on a bench for balance.

There is another option for such layouts - lying on a bench face down. In this movement, the posterior bundles are even more isolated, since assistance with the legs and body is excluded. Here it is better to perform a movement with a straight grip and bent elbows so that the load does not go to the middle beam.

The exercise can also be performed in a crossover. Here the amplitude will be even slightly larger, since when you take the right handle in your left hand and vice versa, at the bottom point you will move your arms further, and the deltas will already be in tension.

Peck-Deck Reverse Dilutions

The exercise forms the back of the deltas and strengthens the rotator cuffs - this is a good option to prepare the shoulders for the press.

Technics:

Adjust the seat height and the position of the handles. The arms should be raised to shoulder height and parallel to the floor.
SP - the chest is pressed against the back of the simulator, the arms are held in front of them with a neutral grip on the handle. At the start, it is advisable to slightly spread your arms so that the load rises a little.
Spread your arms all the way (your elbows are behind your back), at the end point, achieving the ultimate contraction of the beams.
Take a short pause and return your hands to the PI.

Leads in the crossover

This exercise uses the top handles. There are two main options:

In the first, you take the opposite handles with your hands, raise your hands to just above your shoulders and spread them to the sides. Move slowly and with light weight, try not to bring your shoulder blades together.
© Makatserchyk - stock.adobe.com
The second embodiment involves a rope handle. Take it with both hands, step back a couple of steps from the crossover rack and pull the handle towards you, moving your elbows to the sides. An important point - in most cases, this exercise is performed with hands located in a plane parallel to the floor. A slightly different technique will help to achieve a better effect, in which the arms in the extreme position are in a position as if you are showing a double biceps from behind. This is detailed in the following video:

Training program

Consider how to pump deltas at home and in the gym.

Home workout program

Designed for one separate workout per week and dumbbell work:

Dumbbell exercise	Approaches	Repetitions
Seated Dumbbell Press	4	10-12
Swing in front of you	3	12-15
Dumbbell Rows to the Chin	4	12-15
Side dilution	3	12-15
Sideways tilting	5	12-15

Gym training program

The first complex is also designed for one workout per week, which will be sufficient for most visitors to the gym:

Exercise	Approaches	Repetitions
Bench press standing	4	10-12
Seated dumbbell press	3	10-12
Wide grip barbell pull	4	12-15
Sitting to the sides	3	12-15
Sideways tilting	3	12-15
Peck-Deck Leads	3	12-15

An option for more experienced athletes with lagging shoulders is to split the deltas into beams by day.

Day 1 - Back Thickness, Back Delta, Biceps:

Exercise	Approaches	Repetitions
Barbell Row to Belt	3	8-12
Horizontal pull on the block	3	10
Swing dumbbells in an incline	3	12-15
Reverse Dilutions in the Peck-Deck	3	12-15
Leads in a rope handle crossover	3	12-15
Dumbbell curls for biceps while sitting on an incline bench	3	10

Day 2 - chest, front delta, triceps:

Exercise	Approaches	Repetitions
Bench press	3	8-12
Dips on the uneven bars	3	10-12
Seated dumbbell press	3	10-12
Shoulder Press	3	12-15
Swing forward with dumbbells alternately	3	12-15
French bench press	3	12

Day 3 - back width, middle delta, traps:

Exercise	Approaches	Repetitions
Wide grip pull-ups	3	10-15
Narrow Reverse Grip Row	3	10
Wide grip barbell pull	3	12-15
Swing dumbbells to the sides while standing	3	12-15
Swing to the sides in a crossover with one hand	3	12-15
Dumbbell Shrugs	3	10-12