5 MOVES FOR BETTER SHOULDERS - Printer Friendly

5 MOVES FOR BETTER SHOULDERS

Rising figure pro Jessica Paxson-Putnam uses this shoulder program to cut a prominent path on stage

By Mark Thorpe | Photos by Ian Logan

Shoulders are easy to overlook despite their rather prominent place on your physique. With so much of your time spent on bodyparts like abs, glutes and legs, finding the will to shape your shoulders can seem less important. But aside from adding width to your upper body, which in turns makes your hips look smaller (not a bad payoff), strong, well-formed delts can also help with your posture and provide stability and strength for many of the exercises you perform in the gym. To get wide in the best possible way, try Paxson-Putnam's shoulder workout.

THE ROUTINE

EXERCISE		        SETS 	        REPS
Seated Overhead Dumbbell Press 	3 1		10—12
Dumbbell Lateral Raise		3		10—12
Single-Plate Front Raise	3		10—12
Dumbbell Upright Row		3		10—12
Bent-Over Lateral Raise		3		10—12

1Jessica first performs two sets of 15 reps as a warm-up.

NOTE: Jessica uses slightly heavier weights for lower reps off-season; in this workout, she's using moderate weights for moderate reps. She trains shoulders on the fifth day of her training split, training legs the day before and arms the day after.

THE EXERCISES

Dumbbell Lateral Raise

TARGETS: Middle delts

START: Stand erect with a slight bend in your knees, your low back slightly arched, chest out and midsection tight. Hold a pair of dumbbells with a neutral grip outside your thighs, maintaining a slight bend in your elbows.

EXECUTION: Raise the dumbbells out to your sides in a wide arc, keeping your elbows high while maintaining the slightly bent elbow position. Raise the weights to just above shoulder level, turning your thumbs down at the top, then lower under control.

JESSICA'S TIP: "This isn't an easy move to perfect, so start out light to get the form down before attempting a more challenging weight. If you're still having trouble, practice the move on the machine version first."

ADVANCED TECHNIQUE: Try these one arm at a time, doing all reps for one side before switching arms. Don't rest between sets — just move from one arm to the next until all sets are complete.

Single-Plate Front Raise

TARGETS: Front delts

START: Stand erect in a shoulder-width stance with your chest out and shoulders back, knees slightly bent and low back arched. Hold a weight plate using a neutral grip, your arms extended.

EXECUTION: Raise the weight directly in front of you in a strong but controlled motion, keeping your arms as straight as possible. Lift until your arms are roughly parallel to the floor, then lower under control.

JESSICA'S TIP: "It's easy to cheat on this one with a little knee and hip extension. Limit the movement to the shoulder joints to minimize momentum and keep the focus on your front delts."

ADVANCED TECHNIQUE: Raise the plate until your arms are parallel to the floor, hold for a count, then raise it directly overhead. Lower the plate back to parallel and pause before raising it overhead once again. Repeat for reps.

Dumbbell Upright Row

TARGETS: Front and middle delts; trapezius secondarily

START: Stand erect with your chest out and shoulders back, holding a pair of dumbbells with an overhand grip in front of your thighs. To keep stress on the middle delts, hold the weights several inches apart.

EXECUTION: Raise the dumbbells straight up, keeping them very close to your body by pulling your elbows up and out to your sides. Raise the weights in a strong motion to about upper-chest level, then lower under control.

JESSICA'S TIP: "If this version is awkward, try using an EZ-bar and a wide grip."

ADVANCED TECHNIQUE: Combine the upright row with the overhead press. Do the row, pause with the weights at shoulder level, then rotate your wrists and press the dumbbells overhead. Lower them back to shoulder level, then return to the start and repeat.

Bent-Over Lateral Raise

TARGETS: Rear delts

START: Grasp a pair of dumbbells with a neutral, palms-in grip. With your feet together, bend at the waist about 45 degrees, keeping your back flat. Bend your knees and elbows slightly and position your hands near your knees.

EXECUTION: In a controlled motion, raise the weights out to your sides in a wide arc without bending or extending your elbows. Raise the weights until they're about even with your body, maintaining the bent-over position to reduce body swing, then hold the top position for a count before slowly reversing the motion back to the start.

JESSICA'S TIP: "To minimize neck strain, don't overarch your neck in an effort to keep your head up. Your head should be neutrally aligned with your body. Keep your gaze on the floor a couple of feet in front of you."

ADVANCED TECHNIQUE: After you complete your set, follow up with a set of short-range partials, in which you move your arms through about only the first one-third to half of the range of motion.

SNAPSHOT

Birthdate: March 7, 1983
Birthplace: Dayton, Ohio
Current Residence: Knoxville, Tennessee
Height: 5' 4 1⁄2"
Weight: 120 pounds contest; 130 pounds off-season
Family Status: Married to Peter
Career Highlights: 2006: New York Pro Figure, 1st; Figure Olympia, 11th. 2005: Junior Nationals C Class, 1st. 2004: NPC Collegiate Nationals Figure, 1st overall
To Contact: jessfit.com