By Dr Clay Hyght
Like most young lads with aspirations to be buff, I naively thought pro bodybuilders had all the secrets to getting swole.
So, there I was, feverishly reading a shoulder training article written by one of the top pros at the time. One of the highpoints of the article was a superset for shoulders that he swore by. He'd go nonstop from dumbbell shoulder presses to lateral raises and then to front raises, all with the same set of dumbbells.
Now, although I was a greenstick at the time, I was savvy enough to notice that starting the superset by doing dumbbell presses with a weight light enough to allow you to do lateral and front raises would essentially be a waste of time. And I don't like to waste my training time and energy.
So, I reconstructed his messed up superset, putting the toughest exercise first and the easiest exercise last. I knew this would be better, but I still thought that if I stuck with the same set of dumbbells throughout, the dumbbell shoulder press would be too easy.
Off to the gym I went to put this new superset to the test.
"Holy crap!" was the first thing out of my mouth as I dropped the dumbbells from shoulder height after unsuccessfully trying to complete 15 reps of shoulder presses with those sissy-ass dumbbells. Though feeling like a pansy, I immediately knew I was on to something — and the Delt Triad was born.
The Delt Triad
Since then, the triad has been tested in the trenches for 15 years, and with great success. Clients love it because it's a perfect way to torch their delts in the shortest time possible. For that reason, it's perfect for days when you need to train shoulders but want to get in and out in a hurry.
More than the time efficiency benefit, people love it because the pump they get from the Delt Triad is insane! While a pump in and of itself doesn't necessarily mean results, more time under tension and a bit of fascial stretching damn sure doesn't hurt.
The Infamous Delt Triad
A1) Lateral raise
3 x 12-15
A2) Front raise
3 x 12-15
A3) Overhead dumbbell press
3 x 12-15
Rest about 90 seconds between each round (superset).
After doing a round of this triad, you'll notice that right after your shoulders stop feeling like they're on fire, you'll feel like all five liters of your blood is in your deltoids! But it doesn't stop there; you still have two more sets to go.
Don't worry; your effort won't be for naught. This triad works wonderfully for filling out your delts, making them nice and round. So, if you have visions of cannonball delts dancing around in your head, then you're in the right place — Santa has arrived.
In most instances, the ideal use of the Delt Triad is after you've done a compound movement with heavy weight and lower reps. Five sets of five reps of standing barbell shoulder presses would work perfectly. Then move on to the Delt Triad to finish off your delt workout with a good, fascia-stretching pump.
Cont'd ===>T NATION | The Delt Triad: Round Shoulders Fast
Like most young lads with aspirations to be buff, I naively thought pro bodybuilders had all the secrets to getting swole.
So, there I was, feverishly reading a shoulder training article written by one of the top pros at the time. One of the highpoints of the article was a superset for shoulders that he swore by. He'd go nonstop from dumbbell shoulder presses to lateral raises and then to front raises, all with the same set of dumbbells.
Now, although I was a greenstick at the time, I was savvy enough to notice that starting the superset by doing dumbbell presses with a weight light enough to allow you to do lateral and front raises would essentially be a waste of time. And I don't like to waste my training time and energy.
So, I reconstructed his messed up superset, putting the toughest exercise first and the easiest exercise last. I knew this would be better, but I still thought that if I stuck with the same set of dumbbells throughout, the dumbbell shoulder press would be too easy.
Off to the gym I went to put this new superset to the test.
"Holy crap!" was the first thing out of my mouth as I dropped the dumbbells from shoulder height after unsuccessfully trying to complete 15 reps of shoulder presses with those sissy-ass dumbbells. Though feeling like a pansy, I immediately knew I was on to something — and the Delt Triad was born.
The Delt Triad
Since then, the triad has been tested in the trenches for 15 years, and with great success. Clients love it because it's a perfect way to torch their delts in the shortest time possible. For that reason, it's perfect for days when you need to train shoulders but want to get in and out in a hurry.
More than the time efficiency benefit, people love it because the pump they get from the Delt Triad is insane! While a pump in and of itself doesn't necessarily mean results, more time under tension and a bit of fascial stretching damn sure doesn't hurt.
The Infamous Delt Triad
A1) Lateral raise
3 x 12-15
A2) Front raise
3 x 12-15
A3) Overhead dumbbell press
3 x 12-15
Rest about 90 seconds between each round (superset).
After doing a round of this triad, you'll notice that right after your shoulders stop feeling like they're on fire, you'll feel like all five liters of your blood is in your deltoids! But it doesn't stop there; you still have two more sets to go.
Don't worry; your effort won't be for naught. This triad works wonderfully for filling out your delts, making them nice and round. So, if you have visions of cannonball delts dancing around in your head, then you're in the right place — Santa has arrived.
In most instances, the ideal use of the Delt Triad is after you've done a compound movement with heavy weight and lower reps. Five sets of five reps of standing barbell shoulder presses would work perfectly. Then move on to the Delt Triad to finish off your delt workout with a good, fascia-stretching pump.
Cont'd ===>T NATION | The Delt Triad: Round Shoulders Fast