lateral

Kettlebell swings are a staple in many training programs, known for their ability to enhance athleticism, develop the posterior chain, and improve endurance and strength. While the traditional Russian kettlebell (KB) swing remains a popular choice, incorporating multiple kettlebell swing...

Some lifters write off exercises as ineffective because they don’t see the benefits or could be doing them better. Lateral raises fall into both categories because let’s be honest they maybe performing lateral raise mistakes. You all know that to get popping delts and bolder shoulders, a heavy...

GET YOKED: BUILD A THICK NECK Sure, building your big muscle groups will make you bigger overall. But it takes a long time to get there. By contrast, if you build a thick neck, it'll quickly change your whole look. The same is true for traps and forearms. These are the "power look" muscles. When...

SHOULDER TRAINING: A FORGOTTEN ART? Shoulder training used to be one of the cornerstones of any man's training program. There was a time when developing wide and full deltoids was such a priority that many men actually spent more time training that complex muscle group than any other! Old-time...

The incline lateral raise is an isolation exercise for the side or lateral head of the delt. Lie sideways on an incline bench with a dumbbell. When performing the movement, don't let the dumbbell touch your body at the bottom. Keep the tension constant. Many people bring the dumbbell up too...

Impressively rounded delts impart a dominant aesthetic. And you only get this look with significant hypertrophy of all parts of the muscle. If your progress has stalled despite progressive overload, consider landmine loading. Why? Because of the semi-constrained bar path, variable resistance...

Think of this as the garage lifter's lateral raise machine: LANDMINE LATERAL RAISE Start by orienting your body slightly inward, toward the barbell, with the business end aiming at the hip joint of your outside leg. The constrained path of the bar provides some guidance through the...

HOW TO TELL IF YOURS NEED TO GROWTH The medial (side) delts can be stubborn. Stand in front of a mirror and square up to it. Are your shoulders rounded on the sides, almost like a ball cut in half? Or are they shaped more like a 90-degree angle? If they're more like the latter, that's a sign...

Big shoulders are the foundation of a V-tapered body and, when you’re lean, give you the ultimate aesthetic physique. These supersets will get you pumped without beating the snot out of your joints. Superset 1: Alternating Overhead Press + Face Pull Exercise Sets Reps Rest A1. Alternating...

To make the lateral raise effective at recruiting the delts (and not just the traps) first focus on pushing the dumbbells AWAY, not on lifting them up. Try to bring the dumbbells as far to your sides as possible. They should only go up as a result of you pushing sideways. This minimizes trap...

Here’s something most of us can agree on: Lunges are awful. No matter the type of lunges you are doing side lunge, reverse lunge, forward lunge. Very few people jump for joy when it’s time to do lunges —even less are able to jump afterward because of the exercise’s brutality. Like downing...

GET YOKED: BUILD A THICK NECK Sure, building your big muscle groups will make you bigger overall. But it takes a long time to get there. By contrast, if you build a thick neck, it'll quickly change your whole look. The same is true for traps and forearms. These are the "power look" muscles. When...

Do you need to raise your shoulders? Are your hands sweaty? Is your back grumbling about all of your shoulder twisting and pulling? If this is the case, it may be time for a shoulder exercise. Your shoulders are natural and auxiliary upper-body complex muscles that support your arms, back, and...

The Challenge: How fast can you complete the 7-round descending pyramid? Film yourself and post your time. Exercises to be complete in each round: Dumbbell Bicep Curl Dumbbell Side Raise Dumbbell Row Dumbbell Kickback Resistance Band Bicep Curl Resistance Band Side Raise Resistance Band Band...

Our bodies are three-dimensional (3-D) movement machines, yet some gymgoers don’t tap into the potential of our 3-D movement. But what is 3-D movement and what does this have to do with lateral exercises? Let gets nerdy for a hot minute. The human body has three planes of motion: the sagittal...

Compound pulling and pushing movements like overhead presses and rowing variations are essential when you want big, strong, and muscular delts. These moves will add size and strength to your delts so that you can look great in those form-fitting shirts. But these compound moves predominantly...

Confidently going sleeveless isn’t just about the arms. The shoulders have to look right too. Big and round delts complete the look that all athletes and fitness minded people desire. That’s why Frank Sepe and Don Saladino offered this high-volume session for your next shoulder day. Lateral...

You need to feel it. Guys get wrapped up in these half-assed rows and shrugs, and if there is any body part where people use momentum more than muscle power, it's back! Let's first talk about the mistakes that are the most common. Then we will shed some light on good back techniques that are...

Make your dumbbell lateral raises safer and more effective. The dumbbell lateral raise is a favorite exercise for building strong, muscular shoulders, but this simple move can have serious consequences if you perform it incorrectly. Dr. Jim Stoppani explains how to properly perform dumbbell...

QUESTION Coach Merlin, I have read in articles and seen in videos that you generally recommend training most muscle groups once per week, except in the case of a lagging area, where you suggest one full workout and one “mini” workout. Can you provide an example of how you might set this up if...