Who does not want a big, rounded shoulder that pops out, like your shirt is going to be ripped apart? The 3D shoulder, also known as boulder shoulder, is a common goal for many gym goers. A well-developed shoulder is not only for enhancing your looks, but it also enhances upper body strength, corrects body structure, builds functional fitness, and boosts confidence. In this article, we are going to learn which muscles the shoulder has, which exercises are a must to do, and what the nutrition and supplement protocol are for maximizing your shoulder muscle growth.
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Shoulder: Anatomy & Function
Before selecting exercises and performing different reps and sets, we must know the anatomy of the shoulder to make sure we are selecting exercises that fulfill our goals requirements.
The shoulders are made up of three primary muscles.
1. Anterior Deltoid (Front Delts): This muscle is situated at the front of the shoulder; the anterior deltoid is used for bringing the arm from the side of the body to above the head and bringing the arm towards the midline. This muscle is involved in all compound pushing movements like bench press and overhead press.
2. Medial/Lateral Deltoid (Side Delts): This muscle is situated on the outermost part of the shoulder and gives the 3D look to the shoulder and is used for moving the arm away from the midline of the body. This muscle is involved in movements like Egyptian raise and lateral raise.
3. Posterior Deltoid (Rear Delts): This muscle is situated at the back of the shoulder. The posterior deltoid is used in bringing the arm from the side of the body to behind the body, moving the arm away from the midline of the body to the side horizontally, and rotating the shoulder from the midline of the body to the side. This muscle is involved in pulling movements, stabilizing the shoulder, and maintaining upright posture.
It is very important to target all three delts for a boulder shoulder
Training For Boulder Shoulder
Training for a boulder shoulder must involve these movements in every session.
1. Overhead Press
The overhead press is a pressing shoulder exercise that involves front delt and side delt and in some variation rear delt is also involved. Some of the overhead press exercises are- Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press, Military Press, Arnold Press, Push Press etc.
2. Lateral Raises
Lateral raises are isolation exercises that target the side delt, the main muscle that gives the 3D roundness of the shoulder. While performing these exercises, make sure to control the motion and avoid using momentum. Some of the lateral raises are- Dumbbell Lateral Raise, Egyptian Raise, etc.
3. Rear Delt Fly
Rear delt fly is targeting the rear delt, building the back muscle of the shoulder that improves stability and posture. Some of the rear delt fly are: Bent Over Lateral Raise, Reverse Pec Deck Fly, Face Pulls etc.
4. Front Raises
Front raises are isolation exercises that target the front delt, building the front of the shoulders. While performing these exercises, make sure to control the motion and don’t swing the weights. Some of the front raises are: Dumbbell Front Raise, EZ Bar Front Raise, Rope Cable Front Raise etc.
Training Tips for Boulder Shoulder
1. Proper Warm-Up
Shoulders are extremely prone to injury. A proper warm-up that involves both dynamic stretches and activation exercises prepares the shoulder muscles and shoulder joints for intense lifting with little to no risk.
2. Mind to Muscle Connection
Think that your body has only that muscle you’re using in each rep of every exercise. The mind-to-muscle connection is extremely important for isolation exercises like lateral raises and rear delt fly, so that you avoid swinging the weight and maximize the result.
3. Frequency
Shoulders are a group of small muscles; they recover in 24-48 hours. Shoulders must be trained 2-3 times per week for maximum growth, but make sure to avoid overtraining by not going extremely heavy or doing very high amounts of reps in every exercise each time you train.
4. Progressive Overload
Progressive overload means moderately increasing the weight, increasing the reps, decreasing the rest period, increasing the training frequency, or combining some of these four in your workout session to continue maximizing the growth over time.
5. Training All Three Delts
Working all three delts will balance your shoulder and give the boulder shoulder look. Neglecting even one part will cause the shoulder to look bad in shape, also increasing the risk of injury.
Nutrition & Supplementation for Boulder Shoulder
Training is only one side of the coin for building boulder shoulders. Nutrition and Supplementation are equally important.
1. Protein
Shoulder muscle repair and growth require protein. One must consume 1.5 to 2.0 grams of protein per kg of their body weight per day. This can be achieved through a diet consisting of foods like chicken, eggs, soy chunks, and dairy. If someone is not able to consume adequate protein, they must include a high-quality whey protein like Apocalypse Whey or an ultra-filtered isolate whey protein like Iso-Natural Whey by Outlast Labz.
2. Caloric Surplus
For maximum muscle growth, one must consume more calories than he/she burns. Aim to consume 300-500 calories more than your maintenance calories. It will help your body to repair and build new muscle tissues. You can also add a high-quality creatine supplement, like Creatine Monohydrate, to increase your lift, resulting in bigger muscles.
3. Recovery
Recovery is the key to muscle growth. One must have a quality sleep of 8–9 hours per night for maximum muscle repair and growth. For recovery, one must include good-quality micronutrients in their diet or can consume a well-balanced, high-quality multivitamin like Multivitamin by Outlast Labz
Bottom Line
Boulder Shoulder requires a combination of proper nutrition, training, exercise selection, and technique. Incorporating all these, you can develop a broad, 3D-looking shoulder. Just stay patient and consistent with your plan, and with all that dedication, you’ll surely build a boulder shoulder.
