How to workout "back/shoulder muscles"

salami1212 · 26 Jul 2006 at 00:50

Ive decided, I need to tone up my back and arms lol.. Well, i know how to do arms. But im not sure how to do the "back/shoulder". How do you get them more toned and also, how do you get the whole back really more muscley?
Cheers

...

Styles · 26 Jul 2006 at 07:25

Pull-Ups, Bent Rows, Deadlifts, T-Bars, Good Mornings, One arm row... there's absoloutly loads for your back. My back workout is as follows:

Pull-Ups

Deadlifts
1 x 12 @
1 x 8 @
1 x 6 @
1 x 4 @

Bent Rows
1 x 10 @
2 x 8 @

T-Bars
1 x 10 @
2 x 8 @

Lat Pull Down
4 Sets to Failure

Shoulders you're looking at things like military press, dumbbell press, lateral raise, rear raise etc. A decent shoulder workout looks a little like this:

rear laterals 4 sets
side laterals 4 sets
shoulder press 4 sets
cable side laterals (light weight pump for 2 sets)
d/b press (again light weight pumping for 2 sets)

If you ever need any help with excersises head over to http://www.bodybuilding.com and check out their exercise section. You can select the muscle group and it will give you an explanation and example.

oddjob62 · 26 Jul 2006 at 08:08

Another good site is http://www.exrx.net/Exercise.html
Click on Exercise Body map then click on the bodypart you want to train

Hlebio · 26 Jul 2006 at 11:58

Also,

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.htm

and,

http://www.abcbodybuilding.com/slideshow.php?id=16&subId=37

daven1986 · 26 Jul 2006 at 13:57

wide grip overhand pull ups are pretty good.

Morba · 29 Jul 2006 at 00:24

S7yl3s said:
A decent shoulder workout looks a little like this:

rear laterals 4 sets
side laterals 4 sets
shoulder press 4 sets
cable side laterals (light weight pump for 2 sets)
d/b press (again light weight pumping for 2 sets)

.

rear and side lats before press? trying to pre exhaust or you always train isolation first?

for a good shoulder workout try:

standing barbell press (to chest or chin rather than back of neck)
seated dumbell press (bonus points for doing one arm at a time, makes it a little bit harder)
super set front raises / side laterals
cable bent over rear raises
shrugs / close grip upright rows

kinetic747 · 29 Jul 2006 at 11:59

All those mentioned already plus I think the cable rowing machine is pretty good. You can vary it by using different handle attachments.

oddjob62 · 29 Jul 2006 at 13:26

Morba said:
rear and side lats before press? trying to pre exhaust or you always train isolation first?

I have found that pre-exhaustion is good if hypertrophy is your goal and you have a lagging bodypart.

However if you are going for general strength, then pre-exhaustion of smaller muscle groups is often not the best idea, unless they are holding back the rest of the lift (eg weak triceps holding back your bench) Even then it should be done in moderation, and i would generally say to work the smaller muscles hard but after the compound lifts.

That is just what i've found, not saying there's any science behind it.

Morba · 29 Jul 2006 at 13:37

not sure on the science but its the trained way to do things, which makes sense. compound first, then isolation, unless wanting to pre-exhaust. cant think that i would want to pre exhaust too often tho!

oddjob62 · 29 Jul 2006 at 13:55

Morba said:
not sure on the science but its the trained way to do things, which makes sense. compound first, then isolation, unless wanting to pre-exhaust. cant think that i would want to pre exhaust too often tho!

As i said in my post, i agree you wouldn't want to do it often. It's more to bring up lagging bodyparts... i would say that unless you've been training for a couple of years, you could do with improving all body parts and so you're barely ever need to do it.