Recognizing that the delt is comprised of front, medial, and rear heads it is important to keep tabs on what is going on there for proper shape and balance. Awhile back I thought my rear delts were lagging. (Poor neglected rear delts thread) BUT after dropping some bodyfat percentages in Septmember I find that my rear delts actually look pretty good. I just lack the overall size that I want. I was just wondering if ya'll could post up your shoulder routines so I can maybe adopt one of your routines to throw into the mix once in awhile when I feel like I am stagnating.

Here's what I did yesterday with hubby.

Pyramid style
dumbell presses

seated lateral raises

Reverse flyes on machine supersetted with rear delt rows.

upright rows

I do alot of sets sometimes as many as 6 for the compound movements. Plus, training with a guy that walks around with bowling balls, I am no stranger to negatives and forced reps.

ok...just read Warlobo's EMG thread...that's a big help.

How is your trap development?

I got a good one for ya ..get triangle shrug bar (hopefully your gym has one)

Pack on 40 % more weight than you normally do. Then explosively pull the weight up and hold lower it for a 4 second negative.

The main focus of this exercise is the negative so get the weight up any way you can but remember to slowly and evenly lower it using 4 to 8 seconds to do so.

Ript, you got pics posted?

IG

Dont go heavy for the raises. You want to get some blood into the muscle and give it a little bit of a workout. Pre"exhaust" not pre"annihalate". It also works as a good warm-up so you dont need to work your way up too much on the presses.
I had a killer shoulder day tuesday...

side raises (dumbells): 25x15x15x15
front raises (dumbell): 20x15x15x15
rear raises (dumbell): 20x18x15x15

then I jumped into dumbell presses which work the medial, but incorporate the front.
I do one lighter set to just get the joints into the movement, then do the work sets.

dumbell press: 80's x12x12x10
then work sets
dumbell press: 100's x10x10x6

then I like to do another press behind the neck to involve the rear delts more. Either free, hammer strength, or sometimes on the smith machine.

smith machine behind the neck presses:
180x10x8x8

then I'll do heavy side raises and front raises (usually dumbell with 50's, one hand at a time). I dont do rear raises with shoulders because I do back the next day and want them fresh. I'll do rear raises with back.

As far as traps go, trying something different than shrugs usually does the trick.
For me, trap growth didnt really start till I started doing powercleans and clean and jerk. Give it a try!

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It takes two to lie, Marge. One to lie and one to believe it.

Monster I must admit you give solid advice (though I don't always agree with it)

And even more paramount is you really make me laugh..and your suttleness about it borders on the artistic.

May our paths cross some day.

IG

Now, onto the shoulders thing.

I have FINALLY grown a set, however, I still need medial delts, front delts nice, rear delts, solid ....FUCKING INSANELY HUGE traps...and I haven't worked them in over A YEAR - go figure! IG said that it has to do with being "slope-shouldered" (genetic)...fucking YEAY, I'm a girl and I got bigger traps then my hubby - oh well, what's a girl to do?

I agree w/the pre-exhausting thing.

I guess I just gotta keep plugging away.