How to Get Wider Shoulders (FAST!!)

Summary

In this Athlean-X video, Jeff Cavaliere discusses effective strategies for building wider shoulders. He emphasizes the importance of targeting the middle deltoid for width and suggests varying the load in side lateral raises. Jeff demonstrates how to perform the exercise with both light weights for high repetitions and metabolic overload, and heavy weights to recruit type 2 muscle fibers and control eccentric movements. He encourages viewers to incorporate both light and heavy weight training into their routines for optimal shoulder development.

Takeaways

• 💪 Building wider shoulders is easier than you might think and involves changing the load on the same exercise.
• 🏋️‍♂️ To build shoulder width, it's not just the middle delt that contributes, but also the front and rear deltoids.
• 🎯 A complete shoulder program targeting all deltoids is the best approach, but focusing on the middle head can be more efficient.
• 🤔 The side lateral raise is the key exercise for targeting the middle deltoid, and it should be performed in two ways: light and heavy.
• 🔄 Varying the load in your training, whether it's currently light or heavy, can lead to better shoulder development.
• 🌟 Light weights emphasize muscle recruitment and metabolic overload, aiming for higher repetitions and more metabolic damage in the shoulders.
• 🏋️‍♀️ Using lighter weights (e.g., 10-15 pounds) helps to isolate the middle deltoid and prevent the traps from initiating the lift.
• 🔥 Techniques like one-and-a-half reps can increase the burn and metabolic stress on the shoulders without relying on momentum.
• 🏁 Heavy weights (e.g., 45 pounds) are used for compensatory acceleration to recruit type 2 muscle fibers, leading to hypertrophy and growth.
• 👍 A controlled eccentric on the way down with heavy weights provides a unique stimulus for muscle growth not common in shoulder training.
• 🔄 Even lighter weights can be used after heavy sets to take advantage of the metabolic buildup and maintain control for slow, deliberate reps.
• 📚 Complete muscular development, including for the shoulders, requires a mix of both heavy and light weights for varied training stimuli.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is how to build wider shoulders using specific exercises and weight variations.

Why is it important to target the middle head of the deltoid when trying to widen shoulders?

Targeting the middle head of the deltoid is important because it contributes to shoulder width, along with the front and rear delts, making a complete shoulder program the best approach for overall development.

What exercise is recommended for building the middle head of the deltoid?

The side lateral raise is recommended for building the middle head of the deltoid.

How should the side lateral raise be performed with light weights?

With light weights, the focus should be on muscle recruitment of the appropriate muscle and metabolic overloading, aiming for higher repetitions and more metabolic damage in the shoulder.

What is the purpose of performing the side lateral raise with heavy weights?

Performing the side lateral raise with heavy weights helps to recruit type 2 muscle fibers for hypertrophy and growth, and provides a controlled eccentric on the way down, which is beneficial for muscle development.

What is the recommended weight for the heavy side lateral raise in the video?

The recommended weight for the heavy side lateral raise in the video is 45 pounds, which is three times the lighter weight used for the metabolic overload.

What technique is mentioned to enhance the metabolic overload during the light weight side lateral raise?

The one-and-a-half rep technique is mentioned, where you come down only halfway and then go back up again, with no momentum and full control by the middle deltoid.

What are the benefits of accelerating heavy weights during the side lateral raise?

Accelerating heavy weights helps to recruit type 2 muscle fibers, which is beneficial for muscle hypertrophy and growth, and also provides a controlled eccentric stress on the mid deltoid.

How can varying the load in the same exercise impact shoulder development?

Varying the load in the same exercise can have substantially different impacts and results, allowing for both metabolic overload and the recruitment of type 2 muscle fibers, leading to more effective shoulder growth and widening.

What is the recommendation for individuals who want to maximize their shoulder development?

The recommendation is to incorporate both heavy and light weight training into their routine, focusing more on what they are currently doing less of, to ensure a mix of both weight variations for optimal muscle development.

Where can viewers find step-by-step programs that incorporate the discussed training principles?

Viewers can find step-by-step programs at athleanx.com, which include heavy-light eccentric metabolic stimuli for growth.

Outlines

00:00

💪 Building Wider Shoulders: Light and Heavy Side Lateral Raises

Jeff Cavaliere from Athlean-X explains how to build wider shoulders by using both light and heavy side lateral raises. He emphasizes that while the middle delt is crucial for shoulder width, both the front and rear delts contribute to overall shoulder development. Jeff explains the benefits of light weights, focusing on muscle recruitment and metabolic overload through higher repetitions. He then transitions to the benefits of heavy weights, highlighting the recruitment of type 2 muscle fibers and controlled eccentric movements, crucial for maximum shoulder development. Jeff demonstrates proper form for both light and heavy lateral raises, stressing the importance of varying the load for complete shoulder growth.

05:01

📢 Engage and Stay Updated with Athlean-X

Jeff encourages viewers to engage with the content by leaving comments and suggesting topics for future videos. He invites viewers to subscribe to the channel and turn on notifications to stay updated with new videos. Jeff also promotes Athlean-X programs, which incorporate various training stimuli, including heavy and light weights, eccentric movements, and metabolic conditioning, for comprehensive muscle growth. He signs off, promising to return with more content in a few days.

Keywords

💡Shoulders

In the context of this video, 'shoulders' refers to the anatomy of the upper body, specifically the muscles that make up the shoulder joint and surrounding area. The video's main theme is focused on how to build wider shoulders, which is a common goal in bodybuilding and fitness to enhance the appearance of the upper body. The script mentions that building shoulder width involves more than just the middle deltoid muscle but also the front and rear deltoids.

💡Middle Delt

The 'middle delt' refers to the middle head of the deltoid muscle, which is one of the three heads of the deltoid muscle. It is crucial for shoulder width and is a primary focus in the video. The script emphasizes that targeting this muscle through specific exercises like lateral raises can lead to increased shoulder development.

💡Lateral Raise

A 'lateral raise' is a common exercise in strength training that targets the deltoid muscles, particularly the middle head. The script discusses performing lateral raises in two different ways: with light weights for higher repetitions and with heavy weights for different benefits. This exercise is central to the video's theme of building wider shoulders.

💡Load

In the context of the video, 'load' refers to the weight used in an exercise. The script suggests that changing the load (i.e., the weight) of the same exercise can lead to different muscle development outcomes. This concept is key to the video's message about varying the intensity of workouts to achieve maximum shoulder growth.

💡Muscle Recruitment

'Muscle recruitment' is the process of activating muscle fibers to perform a movement. The video emphasizes the importance of proper muscle recruitment, particularly of the deltoid muscles, during lateral raises. This is crucial for effectively targeting the muscles and avoiding reliance on other muscles, such as the traps.

💡Metabolic Overload

Metabolic overload involves increasing the metabolic demand on muscles through high repetitions and lighter weights. The script mentions using this technique in lateral raises to build up metabolic damage in the shoulders, which can lead to muscle growth. This is part of the strategy for developing wider shoulders.

💡Type 2 Muscle Fibers

Type 2 muscle fibers are fast-twitch fibers that are responsible for powerful and explosive movements. The video discusses how using heavy weights in exercises like lateral raises can help recruit these fibers, which is beneficial for muscle hypertrophy and growth, contributing to wider shoulders.

💡Eccentric

An 'eccentric' movement in exercise refers to the lowering phase of a lift, where the muscle lengthens under tension. The script highlights the importance of a controlled eccentric phase in heavy lateral raises, which can help stress the middle deltoid and promote muscle growth.

💡Athletic Stance

An 'athletic stance' is a wide stance with feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent, used in various exercises for stability. The video mentions using this stance when performing heavy lateral raises to provide a stable base and maximize the effectiveness of the exercise.

💡Hypertrophy

Hypertrophy is the increase in muscle fiber size, which results in increased muscle mass. The video's main goal is to promote hypertrophy in the shoulder muscles, particularly the deltoids, through a combination of light and heavy weight training and different rep ranges.

💡Programs

In the video, 'programs' refer to structured workout routines designed to achieve specific fitness goals. The script mentions that the website athleanx.com offers programs that incorporate various training stimuli, such as heavy-light, eccentric, and metabolic, to promote complete shoulder development.

Highlights

Jeff Cavaliere from Athlean-X discusses building wider shoulders, suggesting it's easier than commonly thought.

To build shoulder width, it's important to target not just the middle deltoid, but also the front and rear deltoids.

A complete shoulder program is recommended for overall development, but focusing on the middle head can yield more noticeable results.

Side lateral raises are the key exercise for targeting the middle deltoid, with variations in load to maximize development.

Lifting both light and heavy weights is crucial for shoulder development, as it targets different muscle fibers and responses.

Light weights with high repetitions can lead to metabolic overload, promoting muscle growth through increased metabolic damage.

Proper form is emphasized for light weight side lateral raises, focusing on muscle recruitment and avoiding trap engagement.

A one-and-a-half rep technique is introduced to increase the burn and metabolic stress on the middle deltoid.

Heavy weights in side lateral raises can recruit type 2 muscle fibers, leading to hypertrophy and growth.

Controlled eccentric movement on the way down with heavy weights is highlighted as a benefit for muscle development.

An athletic stance is recommended for heavy weight side lateral raises to control the acceleration and deceleration of the weight.

The importance of varying the load in the same exercise for different impacts and results is emphasized.

The video suggests that whatever weight variation you are currently doing less of is what you should focus on more.

Athlean-X provides programs that incorporate heavy-light eccentric and metabolic training for comprehensive muscle growth.

The video concludes by encouraging viewers to try the suggested techniques and subscribe for more fitness content.

Jeff Cavaliere invites viewers to leave comments for further topics they would like to see covered in future videos.

The video ends with a reminder to subscribe and turn on notifications to stay updated with Athlean-X's new releases.

Transcripts

what's up guys jeff cavaliere

athleanx.com today we're going to talk

about how to build wider shoulders I'm

gonna tell you right now it's a lot

easier than you might have thought it is

and it only requires that you're be

willing to change up the load on the

same exercise you see you can do a side

lateral raise we know to target that

middle head of the del which by the way

as a quick aside anatomically when we're

looking to build that width it isn't

just the middle delt that contributes

there we can see that the front delt

actually provides some overlap here as

does the rear delt so a complete

shoulder program is going to be the best

way to do this but if you want to focus

your efforts here and get more bang for

your buck that middle head is what you

should be tackling the exercise we're

talking about is a side lateral raise

and I'm talking about doing it two ways

a light and a head and of course the

mechanics on the exercise are going to

change but if you want to build maximum

shoulder development you need to lift

both light and heavy it's one of these

situations where people think well Jeff

is recommended light weights before it

doesn't mean exclusively light and jeff

has also recommended heavy weight

training before but it's not exclusively

heavy as a matter of fact whatever

you're doing less of right now is

probably where you should be varying

more of your efforts but even then both

of these should be part of your arsenal

let me show you the differences in how

you want to perform them though and why

because that's where all the benefits

come from if I do light my main focus

should be and yours should be this

muscle recruitment of the appropriate

muscle and a metabolic overloading your

training meaning really trying to build

up higher repetitions more metabolic

damage here in the shoulder and we could

do that by first performing it like this

the first move when we do this lateral

raise is right here in the muscle we're

trying to target we're trying to recruit

the delt to do the work not allowing the

traps to start shrugging your arm up to

initiate the lift so it means lighter

weights I've got 15 pounds here

sometimes I use 10 and I'm trying to

initiate right here as you can see right

there in that mid del okay if I initiate

there the rest of the course of the

upward lift here is all going to be

handled by that

mid don't lie and I come back down slow

I want to make sure all the effort is

being focused and directed right here

and again I come up I try to keep the

tension on the delt as much as possible

I'm not looking to rest or give it any

time off as a matter of fact one of the

techniques I've talked about is a

one-and-a-half rep come down only half

way go back up again there's no momentum

at play here everything is under the

control of the middle delt doing all the

work with the idea of being to get to

the point where it's burning and you

keep going until you cannot tolerate the

burn even a single second more that's a

metabolic overload that's the purpose of

that we go and we switch to the heavy

dumbbells we have a couple other

benefits here that can't be overlooked

again if you want maximum shoulder

development it needs to be part of your

training this is a cheat lateral and the

benefit here is twofold number one we

have the opportunity to accelerate a

heavy weight compensatory acceleration

of heavier weights it's one of the best

ways to recruit type 2 muscle fibers and

any muscle you train when it comes to

the shoulders they tend to respond very

quickly in the form of more hypertrophy

and growth the second benefit we get is

a controlled eccentric on the way down

which is something we don't often get

with shoulder training because of the

nature of the lifts that we do they

don't really place a really eccentric

stress on the mid dealt this exercise

does so we load up with something

substantially heavier this is 45 pounds

three times that weight this we get into

an athletic stance arm in front of our

body here we're gonna load up accelerate

the weight up under control still when

we get to the top try to freeze it and

then each centrically control on the way

down it's still going to come down in a

quick pace but we're eccentric we

fighting that so it's here up and down

up

Oh every time I'm trying to accelerate

up and down one more okay another option

you have going even lighter right after

that take advantage of that metabolic

buildup and then just try to control a

few really nice slow control rest at the

end of that

the idea is guys complete shoulder

development complete muscular

development really have any muscle

requires a mix of both heavier and

lighter weights the interesting thing

here is the same exercise there's gonna

be incredibly effective at hitting this

area you're trying to grow and widen but

varying the load has to substantially

different impacts and results you need

to figure out how to do both as I said

in the beginning

whatever you're doing less of right now

is what you should be very more of your

focus towards guys I hope you found the

video helpful if you haven't already

make sure you try this if you haven't

done so guys make sure you leave a

comment let me know what else you want

me to cover what other things can I try

to help you with with these videos I'll

do my best to do that for you if you

have already done so could subscribe and

turn your notifications so you never

miss a new video when we put one out and

if you're looking for programs where

nothing gets overlooked heavy-light

eccentric metabolic all the stimuli for

growth we build them into all of our

programs they're all available over at

athleanx.com step-by-step way

all right guys be back here again in

just a couple days see ya

[Music]

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