The Sunday News
Simon Gama
Basics for beginners
Exercises Sets Reps
1. Behind neck press 4 10
2. Dumbbell side lateral 4 10
3. Bent over dumbbell 4 10
4. Shrug 4 10
Although this routine was a good beginner’s shoulder workout for Drorit, it may be too intense for many novices. Drorit began training after extensive gymnastics experience so they already had above average shoulder strength and recovery ability. Most beginners may get better results by reducing the number of sets per exercise to 1-2, gradually increasing set volume with more experience.
Delts with Drorit
Drorit does the dumbbell press in various ways seated, standing one arm, alternates and the Arnold dumbbell press. She begins the movement with her arms in a straight line with her head and dumbbells at shoulder level. She presses the weight up until her arms are locked out, then slowly lowers the weight and repeats.
Seated front press
Drorit uses a medium grip, lowering the weight just below her chin. She then presses the weight directly up but doesn’t lock her elbows at the top. This has the double effect of preventing constant muscular tension in her delts.
Side lateral raise
After completing her press exercises which are compound movements affecting large muscle areas, Drorit narrows the focus to isolate individual deltoid heads. In the side lateral, she uses plates, dumbbells, cables or a machine. The constant rule is to always keep her palms facing down to fully isolate the lateral delt head. In this as with all her excises. Drorit uses a smooth exercise motion. She takes about 2 seconds to raise the weight and four seconds to lower it.
Rear delt machine
This hits the rear delt head. Seated Drorit faces the handle back until she feels a tight muscle construction in the rear delts.
She uses cables.
Dumbbell shrug
Drorit finishes off her shoulder workout with shrugs which develop the trapezius. She uses either a machine or dumbbell which allow greater range of motion. The key point is to let the traps lift the weight, not the arms. She envisions her arms as mere cables that attach to her traps. All muscle movement should originate in the traps.
Developing those delts
Exercise Sets Reps
Seated dumbbell press 4 10-12
Seated front press 4 10-12
Side lateral 4 10-12
Rear delt machine 4-5 10-12
Rumbbell shrug 4-5 10-12
My method is to use as heavy a weight as I can, but only heavy enough to manage through a rep. range of 8-10 per set.
n The writer, Simon Gama is fitness coach at Bodyworks Gym in Bulawayo.
