Want bigger caps !!! Help ?

[buffchic69]

Hi Ladies.

Me & my husband just bought our first home, so things are a little crazy, but I hope everyone is well.

Anyway, the gym for now is out, and I've been training at home, we are moving out of state so I'll find a new gym elsewhere when were settled in, BUT -

like I said been training at home with barbells, ez-bar & dumbells. Any tips on capping the delts more ? Give me some kind of routine with sets, reps etc.
also, do you have to go real heavy on lateral raises to bring up the shoulder caps ? I'm stuck at 20 lbs but I do do them with perfect form, or so I'm told.

I'm going on what Sassy said to me once, side laterals should top out at 15-20 lbs ?

But I do my presses, shrugs, rows much heavier that my side laterals.


Some insight please ?


Thanks !!!!

 

[Daisy_Girl]

Presses, shrugs and rows SHOULD use much more weight than side laterals.

Side laterals are an ISOLATION move, meaning that they really focus in on ONE muscle group - side alterals. This is also why you do them last.

OH Presses and UR Rows are compound movements, meaning that they hit more than one muscle group. Using more muscles mean that you should lift heavier.

Shrugs aren't really a shoulder move - they are more for traps and upper back. Yes, the shoulders *may* do some work, but they are NOT the primary mover.

Uuslaly, 15-20lbs is more than enough for side laterals. I do not think Sassy would ever say that everyone should top out at that weight - she was probably using it as a guideline.

That said, I doubt you need to go above 20lbs either - that is a lot of weight moved. But i could be wrong. Your form might be good, but how is your speed? Are you doing it slowly or swinging? Even swinging a LITTLE can hinder gains.

I would focus on moving the weight slower and more concentrated. Or you can alternate - do one at a time. Or change from DB to an exercise band. Or change from DB to cables. I wouldn't reinvent the wheel, but maybe make a tweak.

 

[Sassy69]

What Daisy said.

Let's talk about what you are doing w/ a side lateral -- w/ your arms locked straight out to the sides & doing side laterals w/ weight - I stop at 15 lbs on those, and I'm talking reps on the order of 10-12. I can do lower sets of 20 but my tendonitis starts to flare.

A different way is stand upright. Hold your DBs in front of you, elbows forward but bent, and do the side laterals pulling from your elbows rather than your wrists like you woudl w/ the straight arm thing. Just like w/ straight arms, make sure you aren't hunching up your shoulders, leaning over etc. Shoulders back and pull from the elbows. I've done ranges of 8 x 8 w/ 10 lb, 4 x 25, 8 x 8 climbing up the rack and back down, etc. There isn't nearly the stress that higher weights can put on your elbows doing these and you are hitting your delts.

Another is upright DB rows. Instead of putting them in front & pulling up your body like u do w/ an EZ bar, hold them on the sides of your legs and pull up sort of into your arm pits.


I've done both of these as seperate exercises as well as in supersets / giant sets with front presses, rear presses (either free bar or Smith), etc.

 

[buffchic69]

Thanks Ladies. I'll try that.