Shoulders

kaji

I have average shoulders, they're not particulary wide. Is it possible to get wider shoulder through weight training? And how much is it possible to increase their width by, for an average person?

Degsy

The trick to making your shoulders look wider is adding muscle onto them,particularly the sides.Personally i find shoulders grow quickly and are very satisfying to train.A few good shoulder excercises are here:
http://www.muscletech.com/TRAINING/SHOULDER_TRAINING/Shoulder_Training_Bodybuilding.shtml

mack1

It most certainly is possible - and as Degsy said they grow quickly too.
Do some lateral raises with heavy weights and you'll be buying new shirts in no time!

Dragan

It will be important to look at your whole training plan and to train effectively and cleverly. Simple things like shoulder pressing and raises will add size to shoulders but other things like chest day will also involve shoulders. Pressing will involve triceps which will effect other training days and doing big compound lifts will rob or aid recovery of weaker muscle groups depending on how you work them.

My shoulders were a CONSTANT problem for me for a long time until I cracked how to make them grow for ME! I normally try and take advice from people who had a weak bodypart but have built it up to an impressive level! I would never really take advice from me about training back…..my back has always been big and strong and it grows easily but with shoulders I can help you crack the problem.

If you want to add good shoulder mass then target your shoulders as a specific goal for 12 weeks. I don't know if you train already but you might want to rejig your program to look something like this. I found working the below helped me out a lot.

Day 1 :
Shoulder ( Press ), Chest and Triceps

This day alternate each week as to whether you start with chest or shoulders. Don’t be fooled, heavy chest pressing will involve your shoulders a lot and pre-exhausting them before working them directly can add a lot to growth! Do 2 exercise of 3 sets each for chest and shoulders, basing them around pressing movements with barbells and dumbells. At the end do 3 sets for triceps as they will already be pre-exhausted from all that pressing.

Day 2 : Back and Biceps

Compound movements like rows, chins and deadlifts will add good mass and follow up with 3 tough sets for biceps.

Day 3 : Legs and Shoulders Raises

Do legs first, hitting heavy leg pressing and squats, followed by work for calves and hams. Follow up with 2 sets each of front, rear and side raises ( do sides first ).

Eat well and sleep well throughout and I guarantee the specifically targeted volume for you shoulders will have them stretching your shirt.

Mickk

Eh shoulder width doesn't really come from shoulders, it comes from lats.
Think about it, how much bigger would your shoulders have to get to get an extra half inch of width on each one? A half inch steak wrapped right around your shoulder is a massive amount of growth, but to put on 1-2 inches of width on each lat would be quite average gains and very achievable.

Transform

Totally agree - chins chins and then weighted chins for better looking shoulders

arybvtcw0eolkf

Dunno, for me when I want to concentrate on shoulder's and other area's (coming into the summer months ) I concentrate on those body parts with isolation exercises and diet. I also find drop sets work particularly well on my shoulders.

I don't know how Chin's are going to increase shoulder size to any great extent. The only time I incorporate shoulders into my back routine is when I do my rear delts on back day, I never do them on shoulder day.

I've looked through my HD for any clear shots of my shoulders and could only really find these here..

(Hiya Transform, I don't use this forum here much but good to see you around.)

Reyman

Your shoulders look pretty good to me.
How about those calves ? Some work needed maybe?

arybvtcw0eolkf

Reyman wrote:

Your shoulders look pretty good to me.
How about those calves ? Some work needed maybe?

Thanks, but I don't need big calves so I don't concentrate on making them grow.

Also at 6'2'' I'm lucky if I get any muscle gain showing in most area's.

But really, most of my weight training is done for martial arts and not body building. But as I'm not a hard gainer if I decide to go down the road of bodybuilding adding inches to my calves won't be a problem.

Thanks all the same, but I think your confusing me with the original poster!.

Transform

Hey Mairt looking good and great to know you are staying in excellent shape.

Chins will add width to the upper body which makes your shoulders look bigger but any pressing exercises and rear delt work will bring it up even more.

However, if the original poster is a 16-22year old guy who does not do leg work or is not currently benching or pressing his own body weight then this does not matter - as he/she needs to get those going.

After all i have NEVER seen a guy deadlift 140kg or bench 100kg who did not have a big chest and shoulders