Anyone know good compound exercises involving the deltoids?

[Pitfighter]

I like to work my whole body but I've been having a hard time doing compound exercises that involve the delts because the compounds I do that don't work the delts often tend to work the same muscles as compound muscles with the delts.

I used to do shoulder presses or deadlift shoulder presses but I don't want to over work my triceps or quads. When I do deadlifts I prefer combining it with shrugs anyways cause there's less of a weight differential than doing deadlift to shoulder press.
I'd do some clean and presses but I only have caste iron plates.

Right now I'm just doing lateral raises. Any suggestions?

[lukaz_]

Check this out:

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do;jsessionid=51FCB54E05CAF35FE4353CC822 73DED2.hydra?id=949684

CT talks about a techinique to emphasize more your pecs or triceps when benching by exerting pressure inward or outwards.....I don't know if it works with military presses but I would surely try it if I was working with a barbell atm....try doing military presses exerting pressure inside...I would also check the shoulder part of the article

Good luck on you training :D

[aml01_ph]

If you want a compund exercise that works the delts without working any part of your arms, you're out of luck. Working out your delts without tiring out your quads is easy, just remove any leg work from the delt exercise. As for not tiring out your triceps, its best to cycle your exercises so as not to overtax these muscles. For example, do not do any exercise that 'isolate' your tris if you have to do bench and shoulder presses in one session.

[iamraisen]

I like to work my whole body but I've been having a hard time doing compound exercises that involve the delts because the compounds I do that don't work the delts often tend to work the same muscles as compound muscles with the delts.

I used to do shoulder presses or deadlift shoulder presses but I don't want to over work my triceps or quads. When I do deadlifts I prefer combining it with shrugs anyways cause there's less of a weight differential than doing deadlift to shoulder press.
I'd do some clean and presses but I only have caste iron plates.

Right now I'm just doing lateral raises. Any suggestions?

yes. dont mix deadlifts with shrugs or shoulder presses.

do deadlifts
do shoulder press
heck, i dont care if you do shrugs too but for God's sake dont mix them together.

deadlifts and the shoulder press are both compound exercises already.

deadlift, military press, dip, chin, bench and squat

if you do there wont be a single muscle you arent working

[harhar]

If you can shrug the weight at the top of your deadlift, you may as well do full cleans or clean pulls with that weight. The difference between your deadlift and your shoulder press is supposed to be huge. I think I can dead more than 3 times my shoulder press.

[aml01_ph]

If you can shrug the weight at the top of your deadlift, you may as well do full cleans or clean pulls with that weight. The difference between your deadlift and your shoulder press is supposed to be huge. I think I can dead more than 3 times my shoulder press.

It IS bigger. The deadlift involves the muscles of the back, arms, and legs too. Since these muscle groups tend to be stronger than your arms and shoulders, it would make sense that you can move more weight with them.

[iamraisen]

. I think I can dead more than 3 times my shoulder press.

i can too- exactly 3x more. how strange :p

i have a fairly rubbish military press though (60kg)

[redsandpalm]

Kettlebell swings, or DB swings or plate swings or whatever if you don't have kettlebells. Squat right down at the lowest point, and burst up.

[TheMachine]

Any pressing movement works the shoulders

[pgm316]

yes. dont mix deadlifts with shrugs or shoulder presses.

do deadlifts
do shoulder press
heck, i dont care if you do shrugs too but for God's sake dont mix them together.

deadlifts and the shoulder press are both compound exercises already.

deadlift, military press, dip, chin, bench and squat

if you do there wont be a single muscle you arent working

So avoid doing shoulder press and deadlift on the same day?

Must admit I've done this a few times :D

[Incredible Bulk]

my shoulder day consists of:

military press
front raises
lateral raises

[Crimson_Stone]

To develop the delts, do your normal routine then add a few specific deltoid exercises. Or add a mid week routine just for shoulder development.

Personal Favorites In Order:
Military Press
Arnold Press (http://strengthtraining.asimba.com/fitness_info/exercise302.html)
Deltoid Flys
UpRight Rows
Front Raise
Lateral Raise

Do these with dumbells, 1-armed, and alternating techniques

[iamraisen]

So avoid doing shoulder press and deadlift on the same day?

Must admit I've done this a few times :D

someone said 'deadlift shoulder presses'

i have no idea what it is but it sounded like a singular hybrid movement.

of course there is no problem deadlifting and shoulder pressing on the same day :)

[Pitfighter]

someone said 'deadlift shoulder presses'

i have no idea what it is but it sounded like a singular hybrid movement.

of course there is no problem deadlifting and shoulder pressing on the same day :)

I was just referring to doing shoulder press sets in between deadlift sets. If you use the same barbell weight you usually do it by doing a box squat with the bar on your back and then push the barbell up into a shoulder press. It's designed to cut down on your workout time but I don't really like it even though I mentioned it. Cause box squats, or any squat for that matter, almost always can be done with more weight than shoulder presses.

I think I worded my question all wrong. Basically I wonder if there are any compound exercises for delts that don't involve the triceps and chest.

[redsandpalm]

Basically I wonder if there are any compound exercises for delts that don't involve any other muscles.Delt raises is about the closest you'll get to what you want. They're often considered an 'isolated' exercise but you'll just have to deal with the stigma.

[JKD_forever]

i really like BB upright rows...

[Incredible Bulk]

i really like BB upright rows...

they wreck the shoulders due to the angle you place your arms at during the top end of the motion :cry:

[NaughtyKnight]

Dont ever do BB upright rows. As taekwondoguy said, they wreck your shoulders to all buggery.

2 exercises you should do. Standing military press and lateral raises.

[Incredible Bulk]

ensure that your lifting the weight up and not swinging it up on the lateral raises though ;)

alot of people fall into this habit

[JKD_forever]

they wreck the shoulders due to the angle you place your arms at during the top end of the motion :cry:

yes they do, if you dont do them properly. I've been doing them whole my life and never ever had problems with it

[redsandpalm]

yes they do, if you dont do them properly. I've been doing them whole my life and never ever had problems with itI don't like them but in theory if you don't raise your elbows higher than your shoulders, or else move your elbows out forward at the top of the lift then you shouldn't impinge. Still not a fan though.

[TheCount]

Dont ever do BB upright rows. As taekwondoguy said, they wreck your shoulders to all buggery.

2 exercises you should do. Standing military press and lateral raises.

This boy has a point (for once)

[JKD_forever]

I don't like them but in theory if you don't raise your elbows higher than your shoulders, or else move your elbows out forward at the top of the lift then you shouldn't impinge. Still not a fan though.

you are correct, most ppl make a mistake of lifting elbows too high...

[PA2IL]

I do not have a full understanding of your overall workout, but instead of trying to isolate the delts have you tried to limit your tricep work instead. Do the military press as a shoulder/tricep exercise and remove one of your other tricep exercises.

[Pitfighter]

I do not have a full understanding of your overall workout, but instead of trying to isolate the delts have you tried to limit your tricep work instead. Do the military press as a shoulder/tricep exercise and remove one of your other tricep exercises.
I just started doing this about a week or two ago. Not really cause I wanted to decrease the bench press but because I hurt my wrists and couldn't do the bench press as much. But switching back and forth between military and benchpress and than supplementing them with chest flies on military press days and delt raises on bench days really seems to help my delts and chest more and keeps my triceps strong while I recover on my wrist.

[bushidoka]

Tri-lateral raises also work well.
Using dumbells or plates, let the weight hang, knees bent enough that the weight is slightly in front of you. Raise both at the same time directly in front of you to shoulder height, pause, spread your arms horizontally until they are in a straight line, pause, bring the weight back togather, pause, lower the weight. This is one rep.
Another good side raise is laying face down on an incline bench. These will kill ya lol.

[Crimson_Stone]

Personally I'm a fan of Upright Rows, however I prefer them in as dumbbell alternating or unilateral lift. Hell, for that matter I prefer all my DB exercises as uni's or alt's.

There's nothing wrong with combining shrugs with DLs as a variation. Alwyn Cosgrove even puts them in his new book.
I use them additionally as a supplement for high pulls. I DL the weight, then simultaneously come up off my heels and shrug.

You can do full body workouts without benching each time.
For Example
Day 1:
Squat
Bent-Over Row

Pullups
Lunges

Military Press
Tricep Extension

Stiff-Leg DLs
Bent-Over Deltoid Flys

Day 2:
Deadlifts
Dips

Chinups
Romanian DL + Bent-Over Row

Bench Press
BB Curls

Step Ups or Split Squats
Lateral Raises

[BoxBabaX]

If you are doing chins, push presses, dips, bench, rows and deads you are already stimulating your shoulders enough, the deltoids are stimulated in pretty much every lift that involves your arms. Direct delt work is not really necessary, what are your goals? The only type of direct delt work that alot of people would benefit from (apart from direct rotator cuff stimulus) is rear lateral raises, since many have an overly dominant anterior deltoid and could use some posterior work.

[NaughtyKnight]

The only type of direct delt work that alot of people would benefit from (apart from direct rotator cuff stimulus) is rear lateral raises, since many have an overly dominant anterior deltoid and could use some posterior work.

Agreed 100%.

[Incredible Bulk]

good call, people rarely train their rear delts...

i've made a habit of it and thats why i have the full globe effect, i can post a good example pic if there is a request.

its hard trying to focus on contracting the rear delts during exercise but once you have the 'groove' during the exercise, you can feel them work.

on bent laterals try not to swing the weight, and watch the hand positioning/rotation