June 18 - Shoulders + Arms

Goal / main win: bigger-looking shoulders + arms. Prioritize clean side-delt volume, rear-delt/trap shelf, then triceps/biceps pump. Do not ego-lift presses if shoulder feels sketchy.

Rules today

• Press strong but controlled: stop 1 rep before ugly form.
• Side delts: slow reps, slight lean, no swinging. This is the “look wider” work.
• Arms: full stretch + squeeze. If elbows complain, lower weight and keep the motion smooth.
• Improvement from last time: front raises are deprioritized because front delts already get plenty from pressing/chest. Put that effort into rear delts + arms.

Warm-up

• 5 min easy cardio or brisk walk.
• 2 light rounds: band/cable external rotations × 12, very light lateral raises × 12, scap push-ups × 10.
• 1–2 ramp-up sets before dumbbell shoulder press.

Dumbbell Shoulder Press

Visual: Free Exercise DB close match — dumbbell shoulder press.

!320

How: neutral-ish grip, ribs down, controlled lower, press slightly back over shoulders. Target: rebuild from last time. Aim 30–35s for clean 8–10s before chasing 40s again. Progress goal: once all working sets hit 10 clean reps, add weight next time.

Lateral Cable Raises

Visual: Free Exercise DB close match — seated cable lateral raise. Same side-delt motion; your standing setup is fine.

!320

How: cable slightly behind body, slight lean away, lead with elbow, stop around shoulder height. Target: 3 sets of 12–15 if possible. This is a priority lift today. Progress goal: beat last time by getting more reps at 20 before moving back to 25.

Face Pulls

Visual: Free Exercise DB close match — face pull.

!320

How: pull to forehead/eyes, elbows high, rotate hands back, squeeze rear delts/traps for 1 sec. Target: 12–15 controlled reps. Don’t turn it into a heavy row. Progress goal: match or beat 70 × 10 with cleaner form.

Rear Delt Fly / Reverse Pec Deck ❌

Visual: Free Exercise DB close match — cable rear delt fly. If using reverse pec deck, copy the same elbow path.

!320

Why added: better for looking wider/thicker from the back than front raises. Rear delts need direct volume. How: chest supported if possible, slight bend in elbows, pull out/back, pause at the rear. Target: 12–20 reps, light enough to feel rear delts not traps.

Rope Triceps Pushdown ❌

Visual: Free Exercise DB closest match — cable incline pushdown. Use it for elbow path/lockout, even if your cable angle is more vertical.

!320

Why added: easier to load consistently than skipped overhead extensions, good arm-size payoff. How: elbows pinned, split rope at bottom, hard squeeze, slow return. Target: 10–15 reps.

Overhead Rope Triceps Extension

Visual: Free Exercise DB close match — cable rope overhead triceps extension.

!320

How: only do these if elbows/shoulders feel good. Let triceps stretch, then extend without flaring hard. Target: 10–15 reps. If it feels annoying, skip and do another pushdown set.

Rope Curls

Visual: Free Exercise DB close match — cable hammer curls with rope attachment.

!320

How: elbows slightly forward, curl with control, squeeze at top, slow lower. Target: beat last time by getting 60 for more clean reps or all sets at 50–60 for 10–12.

Dumbbell Hammer Curl ❌

Visual: Free Exercise DB close match — hammer curls.

!320

Why added: brachialis/forearms make arms look thicker from the front and side. How: neutral grip, no swing, full lower. Target: 8–12 reps.

Front Weighted Raise ❌

Skipped today. Pressing already hits front delts; use recovery/energy for side delts, rear delts, and arms instead.

Single Arm Cable Pull Down ❌

Skipped today. Good movement, but it belongs more on Back day. Shoulder + Arms needs direct delts/triceps/biceps today.

May 22 - Shoulders + Arms