We all want great shoulders, for looks, for performance, for injury prevention.  Taking that in mind, research has found that the deltoid does not respond well (for growth) to heavy loads.  On average, the delt consists of mostly slow-twitch muscle fibers, meaning they will respond better (for growth) to higher rep sets.

Now, this is individualized for each individual and for their particular goals.  But even for power/strength athletes or those with higher fast-twitch distribution, utilizing lower loads will also decrease cumulative stress on the joint.  BUT…this also does not give you an excuse to go all “soft” on shoulder day. 

Ultimately, building both size and strength in the shoulders requires placing an emphasis on both progressive overload as well as creating metabolic stress.  Tapping into metabolic stress in the deltoids has been shown to be the most effective way to improve performance, looks, and injury prevention. 

Here are a few keys that Team Flex Wheeler coaches have come up with:

• Keep rep ranges in the 15-20+ range to get that “pump.”
• Increase your overall volume with more sets, typically 6+ per movement.
• Use a controlled 2010 tempo.
• Decrease rest periods to less than 60 seconds to force your body to recover quickly.