Many people look to places like Muscle & Fitness, FLEX, and M&F Hers to find athletes who have developed their bodies in a way that is similar to what they want to look like. Fortunately, there are several great champions and athletes that they can learn from and aspire to look like. The only issue is that is a lot of content to absorb and a lot of variety to choose from.
That’s the intention here — taking bits and pieces from the wide variety of workouts that many IFFB Pro League champions have shared with us, and create a workout for every bodypart. The goal for you should be to incorporate all of these workouts into your program so you can learn and apply what is being shared.
The first muscle group in this series will be on the shoulders. Because if you want to stand head and shoulders above the rest of the lineup onstage, show-stopping delts are a must.
Diaz turned pro at the 2017 NPC Team Universe. One key for her success is enjoying the workouts. This may be why her shoulders are so well-developed. “I will always love doing shoulders and glutes. You want round shoulders and bigger glutes for bikini, so those are my focus areas.
One exercise that is a go-to for her is upright rows. They target the side delts, rear delts, and even the traps in a secondary role. Training the rear delts first could be a great way to kick off a shoulder session.
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Chris Nicoll / M+F Magazine
Latorya Watts – Barbell Press and Self-Competition
The two-time Figure Olympia Champion had to have great shoulders to take the top title in her division. This may have been a reason why she opted for barbell presses, which allows both front delts of the shoulders to work together while moving a heavy object.
Another reason for her success that she shared with M&F Hers is that she is always pushing herself. “I compete with myself every day,” Watts states. “I’m always working toward becoming a better version of me.”
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@jenronfit/Instagram
Jennifer Ronzitti – Dumbbell Front to Lateral Raise
Jennifer Ronzitti – Dumbbell Front to Lateral Raise
Ronzitti has been competing on pro stages since 2016. To be an elite athlete in the IFBB Pro League for that long takes consistency and dedication. Her most recent victory came in Phoenix during the 2020 season. She makes the most out of her training by doing movements that target multiple areas, like the front and side delts.
Ronzitti raises the dumbbells to the front, then moves them to the side before lowering them back down. This is one rep. Your goal is to do the desired reps for the set.
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@ isapecini/Instagram
Elisa Pecini – Dumbbell Crucifix Hold and Variety
Finishing holds can really make a difference when you’re trying to develop a muscle group. The 2019 Bikini Olympia Champion focuses on her side delts to maximize width. Doing a crucifix hold with dumbbells to failure will maximize the density of this area.
They also say that variety is the spice of life. This could be why she trains her delts twice a week with different routines. Using different exercises to train the muscles in different ways can help maximize the potential for the area.
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Edgar Artiga
The Ultimate Female Physique Shoulder Workout
All four of these athletes are represented in this workout by one exercise. Together, you can take what they have found to be successful, and apply it to your own training. Perform all of these exercises with the corresponding sets and reps with about 60 seconds of rest between sets. Make sure to check back for future editions in this series because we will cover other muscle groups by other champions and elite athletes.
