Blocks against dumbbells or pumping up the rear delta without synthol!

Hi all! So our current topic: Blocks versus dumbbells or pumping up the rear delta without synthol! But first, let's look at the anatomy... The rear delta is a rather conventional concept. As you know, the shoulder muscles are divided into the deltoid muscles (in fact, we call them shoulders) and the trapezius muscle (some textbooks classify it as a back muscle). So, the delta is conventionally divided into three beams: middle, back and front. We know all this and would immediately like to note that according to the results of electroneuromyographic studies, at least seven to eight groups of fibers can be seen in it, which function independently of each other.

Incredible, but true: the three heads of the deltoid muscle are a rather arbitrary and unscientific concept. That is why no one has yet managed to pump up the delta exclusively with swings alone. Moreover, I know many bodybuilders who have achieved enormous development of the middle and anterior deltas solely due to bench presses from the chest while sitting or standing, or alternating from behind the head and again from the chest. True, the weights on the bar exceeded 100 kg (and the technique was up to par). But, alas, you can’t pump up the back of the deltas with bench presses. All this is not because the delta is divided into three beams. The fact is that the deltoid muscle has not only three functions, but more. And it is precisely these functions that determine the local development of muscles. However, we must understand that the delta either grows entirely or does not grow at all. That is why it is impossible to swing its back part without increasing its other parts (middle and front). Well, maybe it will work out just a little bit. As a rule, in athletes either the entire delta is well developed, or the entire delta is at least a little behind.

However, what should we do with the rear deltoid? It is unlikely that you will be able to pump it up with bent over rows (exercises for the back) (unless of course you are genetically gifted). In deadlifts, most of the load is taken by the muscles of the lower back, lats, etc. As for bent over swings, everything here is not as ideal as I would like to think. The fact is that there is no basic exercise for the rear deltoid. When swinging in an inclined position, the load on the delta is only indirect. It is for this reason that few people manage to build an impressive rear delta without using synthol. Is there a way out? Of course there is. These are block devices.

When working on a cable machine, the counter force is largely directed to the side, and not down, like the gravitational force in the dumbbell swing exercise. The conclusion is the following: the total amount of the load vector changes direction and acts strictly on the deltoid muscles, rather than when using dumbbells. In this version of the arm raise, it is impossible for the rear delts to rest at the bottom point of the trajectory, because the working weight simply pulls them to the sides until it touches the block. It is the constancy of tension that is the stimulus for muscle growth.

1. The rope handle clings to the upper block of the simulator.
2. We grab the rope handle with both hands and take a step back.
3. Raise your elbows up to shoulder level.
4. We perform elbow pulls, first back and then to the sides, concentrating on contracting the rear deltoids.
5. We pull only the rear delts and try not to include the biceps in the work.
6. In order not to connect the trapezoid, you need to not pull your shoulder blades together and especially not pull your head back.
7. If the weight carries you forward, you just need to get down on one knee or rest your foot.

Summarize. The delta, despite the difficulty of understanding its functionality, remains a fairly simple muscle to understand. You can pump up all three deltoids (don’t forget that this is only a conditional division) both in one workout, and divide their pumping on different days. The front and middle deltas are best worked on seated presses (from behind the head, or from behind the chin with arms spread out in a cross). The rear delta is best worked on a block with finishing moves in an inclined position. For the middle and front parts of the deltas (if the weight of the presses has already reached one hundred kilograms), it is enough to do the wiring, as we have already written about above.