The 5 DON'Ts of Delts

Emily Gremillion
Mar 25, 2015
2 min read

Dear Body Buds,

Below are the top 5 DON'Ts of training your deltoids (called delts for short, or otherwise known as your shoulder muscle):

Don’t underemphasize rear delts!

If these are your weak spot, START with them! Rear delts can can be hard to work because they are not the easiest muscle to contract, isolate or “feel.” Posterior delts tend to get too little emphasis. Really focus, use lighter weight, and time under tension until you are able to make that mind muscle connection.

Don’t overemphasize front delts:

All delt heads do not work equally, the anterior carries the majority of the weight. Front delts are the primary movers during overhead presses, and also are secondary movers when you workout your chest, and triceps. Don’t train chest and shoulders on consecutive days; instead, have at least three days between them.

To get the coveted shoulder cap, really focus on the medial delt. The middle delts (medial head) don’t get a lot of stress put on them during other workouts so you can and should go hard, and hit them from several different angles!

Don’t go too fast!

When doing side laterals and front raises, I often see people going too heavy and using too much momentum! The three delt heads are all small, you need to make sure you are isolating them and not using the assistance from other muscles.

Don’t use improper form!

The shoulder is susceptible to injury because of its ball and socket joints. Throughout each set focus on what head you are trying to hit, “work the muscle, not the weight.” (Greg Merritt)

While getting to failure on an exercise, don’t cheat or use momentum, instead do drop sets, or use a rest-pause technique.

Don’t’ do the same exercises each week!

While barbells and dumbells are, in my opinion, the most effective tools, you still need to change it up! Try doing a different press, using a different grip, or use more cables or machines.

Now go kill it!!

Love your bud,