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Cannonball Shoulders

Lizard King

Lizard King

Administrator
Staff Member
Sep 9, 2010
14,534
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What are your best routines to really round out the shoulders for that cannonball look?
I wouldn't say my shoulders are small by any means and I've topped off at seats overhead presses at ~360lbs so no strength issue. My traps are so f'ing big that I feel I lose that rounded standout look on the shoulders and want to bring them up and round them off.
Currently doing side raises 3 - 6 sets
front raises 3 - 6 sets
Haven't done rear raises in a while
 
C

C T J

Crossfit VIP
Jan 24, 2013
2,483
741
I gained a lot of size on my shoulders this past year doing a ton of

lateral raises 6 sets of 10-15
front raises 6 sets of 10-15
bb upright rows(6 sets 10-15 reps
bb/db seated shoulder press 6 sets 5-10 reps
reverse peck deck 6 sets 10-15 reps
 
SAD

SAD

TID Board Of Directors
Feb 3, 2011
3,673
2,293
I've always felt like my shoulder size couldn't keep up with my traps/back, and I couldn't figure out for the longest time how to make them pop for that round full look. Like you said, strength wasn't an issue for me either, and my wife would use two hands to massage them so they were big, but didn't have that look that I wanted in a t-shirt.

In the last few years though, as my bodyfat stays lower than it used to, I've noticed that just that alone helped them pop as I guess I'd been storing some fat around the tricep/shoulder that softened it up and made me lose the "ball" look. I've also noticed them really start popping more recently as well from all the rowing and hand bike I've been doing. The hand/arm bike (used to only see them in rehab centers and whatnot but now many gyms have one or two) is great if you have shoulder/elbow/wrist pain and want to get a full arm workout without impact or heavy lifting, etc. Been using both the rower and the arm bike 3-4 days a week, nothing crazy as far as distance/time, and the improvements to my back/shoulders/arms are noticeable over the last 3 months.

The arm-bike has also been helping the tendonitis issues I'd been having in my biceps/elbow.
 
R

rawdeal

TID Board Of Directors
Nov 29, 2013
4,314
3,476
How are you guys doing Front Raises? I saw Ronnie doing them on youtube with either a BB or an EZ Curl bar, can't remember which. I am currently doing them with a db. I tried using 2 dbs and alternating arms each rep, but that introduced too much body swing, so I now still alternate arms, but just one arm holding one db at a time till I've done however many reps I chose. Makes it a lot easier to be strict, but it does double the time it occupies in the rest of the workout.

Another variable is the grip; I hold the db like a hammer curl for biceps, but you could hold the db like you would for reverse curls for biceps.
 
SAD

SAD

TID Board Of Directors
Feb 3, 2011
3,673
2,293
How are you guys doing Front Raises? I saw Ronnie doing them on youtube with either a BB or an EZ Curl bar, can't remember which. I am currently doing them with a db. I tried using 2 dbs and alternating arms each rep, but that introduced too much body swing, so I now still alternate arms, but just one arm holding one db at a time till I've done however many reps I chose. Makes it a lot easier to be strict, but it does double the time it occupies in the rest of the workout.

Another variable is the grip; I hold the db like a hammer curl for biceps, but you could hold the db like you would for reverse curls for biceps.


I get too much, and I think this is the technical term, "shoulder crunch and pinch and ouchy" when I do front raises, ESPECIALLY with pronated grip. I have issues for sure that I'm pushing off, so in the meantime, I don't do them. Glad I could help. ;)
 
Lizard King

Lizard King

Administrator
Staff Member
Sep 9, 2010
14,534
7,974
How are you guys doing Front Raises? I saw Ronnie doing them on youtube with either a BB or an EZ Curl bar, can't remember which. I am currently doing them with a db. I tried using 2 dbs and alternating arms each rep, but that introduced too much body swing, so I now still alternate arms, but just one arm holding one db at a time till I've done however many reps I chose. Makes it a lot easier to be strict, but it does double the time it occupies in the rest of the workout.

Another variable is the grip; I hold the db like a hammer curl for biceps, but you could hold the db like you would for reverse curls for biceps.
When in the gym I would use the rope/cable combo, felt this took the most pressure off my elbows. Home I use the EZ curl bar or if I want to bang a bunch out, just grab a 45 plate and use that for raises, helps with grip too. The 2 db's I have the same issue with the swing and just don't like the overall feeling.
 
R

rawdeal

TID Board Of Directors
Nov 29, 2013
4,314
3,476
I get too much, and I think this is the technical term, "shoulder crunch and pinch and ouchy" when I do front raises, ESPECIALLY with pronated grip. I have issues for sure that I'm pushing off, so in the meantime, I don't do them. Glad I could help. ;)

"Shouldersure Hurtus" is the technical term, if that's important. I don't get actual pain, but I do get that crunch sensation at a certain point of the rep in all shoulder work. Never been sure if I'm hearing the crunch or actually feeling something going on inside akin to bone-on-bone gears crunching. Either way, that is how I define my ROM for a given exercise. Don't touch the chest on Benches, stop about 3" high. Forward Raises stop at 90* ... Lateral Raises stop around 45* Not ideal, but us older gents gain mental flexibility as we lose all the rest of that shit.
 
Lizard King

Lizard King

Administrator
Staff Member
Sep 9, 2010
14,534
7,974
I gained a lot of size on my shoulders this past year doing a ton of

lateral raises 6 sets of 10-15
front raises 6 sets of 10-15
bb upright rows(6 sets 10-15 reps
bb/db seated shoulder press 6 sets 5-10 reps
reverse peck deck 6 sets 10-15 reps
Don't have a peck deck but I used to do these laying chest first on the incline bench with db's. It's an odd movement compared to the peck deck, but hits about the same.
 
S

searay

VIP Member
Dec 20, 2017
853
721
Seated db presses with the back rest not straight up but set back 1 notch. I used to get told my delts look cannon balls all the time when i was able to do these.
 
creekrat

creekrat

MuscleHead
Sep 9, 2012
267
142
For fronts I’ve been hitting incline, 30 degrees or less, ez curl. Keeps tension throughout. For sides I’ve been doing behind the back side cable raises. Rears i use reverse pec deck and bent over rear raises.

I’ve made some solid progress with those lifts in the routine
 
O

onedieselboy

VIP Member
Jan 18, 2012
87
27
I was taught early (late 90'S) by an IFBB known for his deltas to do seated Dumbbells with slight incline. Also, begin your workout schedule with shoulders as starting day.
 
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