Cable-accessed delts: body shop: this all-cable shoulder routine will improve your V-taper. We think that's a good thing

Men's Fitness, Sept, 2003 by Michael Berg

Cable. Without it, you'd be stuck watching brain-destroying network fare like American Idol. There'd be no ESPN ticker, and you'd be relegated to getting sports scores from some Chris Berman wannabe on the local news who spends more time brushing his hairpiece than he does brushing up on stats. And worst of all? No Shield, baby.

Now cable can also benefit you in the gym. This kind of cable may not come with a remote control or a couch, but it can speed up your shoulder workout, allowing you to get your workout done in less time than it takes Chiklis to beat a false confession out of a bad guy. And because it provides continuous tension throughout the range of motion, cable will nail muscle fibers that have gotten short shrift in the past.

A pulley cable station, a few types of handles and 20 minutes are all you need to get your best-ever set of delts, giving you that manly look that causes whiplash when you saunter by your boss's sexy assistant.

THE DRILL

Exercise #1 To begin, you'll attach a short bar (for wrist comfort, use one that rotates in a sleeve) to the lower pulley for standing upright rows. A lot of people mistakenly think this exercise is all about traps. Sure, it works that meaty upper-back muscle, but it is also an incredible shoulder strengthener--a great change of pace for guys who've pounded their shoulder complex with years of too-heavy presses. Pyramid up the weight each set, going as heavy as you can without compromising form.

Exercise #2 This movement doesn't even require a handle change. You'll lie down faceup in front of the stack, grasp the bar with both hands, and rep out on front raises.

Exercise #3 Next, stand up and switch out the bar for a D-handle before doing one-arm lateral raises. Often you'll see this done with the cable to the front, but keeping the cable behind you allows for a slightly different feel for the mid or medial delt.

Exercise #4 Rear delts are your finisher. This time, set up the D-handles on the lower pulleys, grab the opposite handles, bend forward at the waist, and cross your arms to begin the rep. Two sets here and you can take your sweet delt pump and go home.

If you're new to training, cut the prescribed sets in half. Rest 40 to 45 seconds between each set, and no more than a minute between each exercise.

EXERCISES

1. UPRIGHT ROW (anterior, medial and posterior delts) Grasp a short bar attached to the low pulley with an overhand grip (1a). Leading with your elbows, bring the bar up toward your chin, keeping the bar close to your body (1b). At the top, your delts should be fully flexed and your elbows should be pointed upward. Reverse the motion, bringing the bar back down until your arms are extended.

2. LYING FRONT RAISE (front or anterior delt) Lie flat on the floor with your feet anchored against the cable apparatus on each side of the weight stack; the cable should come up between your legs. Grasp the short bar at your hips with an overhand grip (2a). Keeping your elbows straight but not locked, lift the bar up in an arc to a point where your arms are perpendicular to the floor (2b). Hold the contraction in your front delts for a one-count, then slowly lower back to the starting position and repeat.

3. BEHIND-THE-BACK ONE-ARM LATERAL RAISE (middle or medial delt) Standing sideways next to a cable stack, grasp the handle and take a step forward so the cable runs behind you without rubbing against your body (3a). Keeping your body erect and your shoulders pulled back, raise your outside arm in an arc, just as you would for a traditional dumbbell lateral raise (3b). Keep your elbow bent slightly and locked in this position throughout. When your arm reaches parallel to the floor, squeeze your delt, slowly return to the staking position and repeat.

4. REVERSE CABLE CROSSOVER (rear or posterior delt) Stand in the center of a cable pulley apparatus and take hold of the handles (the left pulley in your right hand and the right pulley in your left hand) so your hands cross in front of you. Now bend forward at the waist (4a). Keeping your elbows slightly bent throughout, squeeze your rear delts to pull your arms out and back until your upper body forms a lowercase "t" (4b). Slowly return to the staking position and repeat.

WORKOUT BOX

EXERCISE          SETS        REPS

Upright row        4     15 *, 12, 10, 8
Lying front
  raise            2           10
Behind the-back
  one-arm
  lateral raise    2           10
Reverse cable
  crossover        2           10

* Do light and easy warm-up before the first set.

BENEFITS OF CABLES

* Provide continuous tension on the working muscle, thus working it harder.

* Allow for peak-contraction effect at the top of each rep, digging for muscle fibers that have not been fully contracted.

* Make it easier to do negatives, which enlist muscle fibers that lead to greater strength.

* Offer greater protection to shoulder girdle than free weights.

* Minimize reliance on momentum to start reps.

CABLE Q&A

MARK CASSELMAN, M.S., C.S.C.S., GIVES YOU THE CABLE 411.