The shoulder muscles have been known for centuries as being the icon of strength; from ancient Greek wrestlers to bodybuilders today. The shoulders are where you get noticed. There is a common theme amongst bodybuilders today and in Western society that the chest is developed much more than the shoulders. I personally don't think that's a great look. I mean, who want to have big boobs if you're a man anyway!



The determination that it doesn't matter and that muscle in the chest is more important than the shoulders then you might not be interested in a more proportioned look to your upper body.

Increase the amount of exercises that you do for your shoulders to help your look be more proportioned and well balanced. The bench press is one exercise that will work on the shoulders and the chest in the same exercise, but it is primarily a chest exercise and should not be the only exercise that you do for this area. You will have to find exercises that are devoted to the work of the shoulder muscles.

Try the Military Press instead. Sometimes called the behind the neck press. It's the best comprehensive shoulder muscle exercise you will find and if you're looking for size, and strength you've got it all right here. It's similar to any other pressing exercise. You can use either dumbbells or a bar. Even the smith machine, but as stated in previous articles, you do not get the whole range of movement available and therefore do not develop the supporting muscles as easily. This can lead to injury so grab the free weights.

How it works:

1. Sit down on your bench.

2. Position the dumbbells on either side of the shoulders with the elbows positioned below the wrist.

3. Push that weight above your head until you reach a full arm extension, but do not lock your elbows

4. Lower the weight back down to your shoulders and then repeat.

The military press is not a difficult exercise to perform and should give you an increase in strength as well as the appearance of your muscles. When you use other exercises as well, you will have a well proportioned upper body. Having a well balanced group of exercises for your upper body is a great way to get the best results from your workout.

Use these tips for an even better workout of your shoulders.

You can perform the shoulder press standing up to give yourself some more stability during your workout. Start the workout by lifting the weight off the floor with a clean motion and bring it up to your shoulders. Do your shoulder presses and then bring the weight back to the floor. This is a more intensive version of the exercise and will increase the size of your shoulder muscles quickly. Cycle the exercises in a different way for eight weeks and change the exercises every eight weeks.

By the time you have returned to the shoulder press after your cycle, your upper body will be well muscled and strong. This will help you to perform the exercises with even greater strength on the next round of cycles.