How to Build Cannonball Shoulders that Turn Heads

Have you ever been to the gym and seen someone with massive shoulders?  If the answer is yes, then you know what I'm talking about.  Just massive cannonballs, people with these kind of shoulder can't be missed or looked over.  They turn heads in every gym they go to.  Think about what it would feel like to have those round dense, sculpted shoulders.  Behind every set of shoulders like that is years of hardcore training.

Why your shoulders are small?  Most people have small shoulders because they train them incorrectly.  This is because, they follow outdated routines that are for guys with elite genetics.  What you need to do if you want to grow your shoulders is make them a priority.  Train them your first and last workout of the week.  In this article I will guide you down the right path.

Do you have a poverty overhead press?  Here's mine.  Overhead press

If you do that's a big reason why your shoulders are small and weak.  Here's what you need to do grow your shoulders.

1. Overhead press with a barbell 2 x per week

I can tell you from experience of going to the gym consistently for 5 straight years, most people don't do the standing overhead press.  In fact, if you don't call it the standing overhead press, they'll think you mean seated.  Look there's nothing wrong with the seated overhead press, it just doesn't build the same amount of muscle as the standing overhead press.

What you need to do is have one shoulder focused pressing workout, and the second overhead press day, would come during your push workout after bench press, as an accessory.

Shoulder workout A:

Standing overhead press:  3 x 6, 4, 3 reps

Seated smith machine behind the neck press: 3 x 8, 8, 6 reps

Seated dumbbell shoulder press:  3 x 6, 6, 4

Rear delt machine:  3 x 20-25 reps

This workout needs to be done early in the week since it will lay the foundation and set the tone for the rest of the week.  On workout A you will do the Standing overhead press power-lifting style.  I want you to lift as heavy as possible for the first exercise.  I want you guys to focus on moving weight here.  If you have to push press the last 1-2 reps that's okay with me.  After that the smith behind the neck is excellent at strengthening the standing overhead press.  I find that to be an effective accessory.  On the dumbbell presses I also want you to focus on moving as much weight as possible.  I have done these with 100 lbs in each hand.

On the rear delt machine, this is where you will do some"bodybuilding."

Go slow, take 3 seconds on the way down the eccentric and 1 on the way up.  Get 20-25 reps I don't care how much weight you guys use on this exercise.  The objective with this one is to get a great pump and feel your rear delts doing the work.  Lean back in order to minimize back involvement too.

This is where a lot of people make mistakes, they lean forward and take their rear delts out of the movement.  

The next workout will be workout B

Workout B:

Flat bench press: 3 x 6, 4, 2 reps

Incline bench press: 4 x 8 reps

Standing overhead press: 4 x 8 reps

Push press: 5 x 3 reps

Dip machine: 4 x 20 reps

Workout B is supposed to be your heavy bench press day.  Remember that bench presses also work your shoulders, so don't neglect the bench press during delt training.  It is important to remember that the bench press carries over to the overhead press and vice versa.  People think they have to dump one to get better at the other and that's not true.  I put the standing overhead press as the 3rd exercise here.  

During this workout I want you guys to go for volume, so pick a weight that you can get 10 reps with and do 4 x 8.  The push presses after that I want you to go for strength and power.  Push press allows you to use your hips and legs to get momentum on the lift.  Normally I despise momentum, in this case though the push press is a great exercise that also develops athleticism.  Which is something most people lack in today's gyms.

Most people in gyms are also incapable of doing a push press that's more than 135 lbs.  Then they wonder why their shoulders are so small.  Remember that you need to be able to overhead press your own body-weight, if you do that your shoulders will be better.

You might be wondering how come I didn't program lateral raises and front raises into this program.  The reason is because if your overhead press is less than 200 lbs, it sucks and it needs to be improved.  Too many people watch juice pumping bodybuilders do lateral raise after lateral raise and build big shoulders.  Of course it works for them.  Everything works for them.  Stop working out the way a pro bodybuilder does.

If you do this program as written and eat like a maniac for the next 60 days, you'll have a better pair of shoulders and a stronger overhead press.  Not to mention, you'll be turning heads and getting looks from women you never got before.  Keep training hard and heavy and don't let up on your goals. 

Action Steps:

How much do you want to bench?

How much do you want to overhead press?

What do you want your body to look like? 

Answer these and figure out what you want to look like.  It's important that you answer these because this is what will give you a purpose.  If you're directionless in the gym you will fail and you will be frustrated with your progress.