Josh Bryant has already given you workouts for maximum effectiveness and maximum efficiency for both back and chest training sessions. For his third video in the 30-minute workout series, Bryant shares a quick and effective shoulder workout that can be performed in any gym. This workout is based entirely on cluster training, which uses five-minute sets with 15 seconds of rest between sets. The cluster set approach enables you to spend only five minutes on a piece of equipment and then move on, making it ideal for fast-paced workouts in any facility. Using this unique approach you can complete a large amount of work in a short timeframe.
1. Lateral Raises on Machine
This first exercise targets the side delts, which many lifters—including Tyrus Hughes, demonstrating in the video—need to bring up the most. Following the Weider muscle priority principle, you hit the most important parts first. Instead of building ego by focusing on heavy presses, this focuses on building the part of the shoulder that needs growth most. With the cluster set approach, perform six reps, rest 15 seconds, and repeat for five total minutes.
2. Rear Delt Flys
The approach to this exercise is nearly identical to the lateral raises: use a machine, perform six reps, rest for 15 seconds, and repeat for five total minutes. The idea here is to continue using the muscle priority principle mentioned earlier and to fatigue the muscles that are most important to bring up.
3. Hammer Strength Overhead Presses
Starting with this exercise would allow most lifters to press a lot of weight, but by pre-fatiguing and using the cluster set approach, the weight is greatly reduced and the focusing is on building the medial delt. Identically to the previous exercise, this is performed for six reps, followed by 15 seconds of rest, for five non-stop minutes.
4. Partial Rear Delt Flys
For this exercise, the focus must be on keeping your arms straight and moving only within the range of motion that keeps the tension on the delts. It is acceptable to use the momentum, but because of the shortened range of motion you want to increase the number of reps so that time under tension remains high. For this reason, increase reps to 10, rest for 15 seconds, and repeat for five minutes straight.
By the minute:
- (0:35) Lateral raises on machine
- (1:32) Rear delt flys
- (1:50) Hammer Strength overhead presses
- (2:55) Partial rear delt flys
