LIFT
CROSSHAIRS
BY BRYAN HAYCOCK
TAKE A SIDE
A LATERAL MOVE IS JUST WHAT YOU NEED TO GET WIDE.
for isolating the side delt is
lateral dumbbell raises. This is
performed starting with the arms
extended (but not straight) down
at your sides. Keeping your arms
extended, raise the dumbbells
directly out to the sides, palms
facing down, until at or just below
shoulder level (the body forming
a T). Then keeping arms stiff,
lower the dumbbells back to the
starting position, stopping just
short of straight down in order
to keep tension on the muscle.
It’s a good practice to raise
the dumbbells with the pinkie up.
This forces the arm to stay
internally rotated, keeping the
load on the side delt rather
than the front delt. If you find
yourself wanting to bend your
arms and raise the dumbbells
above shoulder level, lighten
it up, straighten out the arms,
and keep your pinkies up.
ALTERNATIVE
Machine side-delt raise.
FORM AND FUNCTION
The medial delt arises from the
superior surface of the acromion
process and inserts at the
deltoid tuberosity of humerus.
The medial delt laterally abducts
the upper arm.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST
differences between the
bodybuilding legends of the
1970s and ’80s compared with
today’s is the relative size of the
delts. You cannot be successful
in modern competitive body-
building without large delts.
There may be more leeway in
classic physique classes, but
for straight-up bodybuilding,
shoulders must be prioritized
to develop the “look” of a
21st-century bodybuilder. The
shoulders are composed of
three distinct heads: the front
(anterior), side (medial), and rear
(posterior). The best exercise
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FLEX | JANUARY ’18