The gym is your playground. Use everything it has to offer—free weights, machines, cables—to build size, strength, and balanced symmetry. Excluding any one piece of equipment as “nonfunctional” is being close-minded to all the benefits that can be reaped from doing an exercise you’ve never tried or haven’t done in years.
The following delt workout is nearly as diverse as the shoulder joint itself. It utilizes three distinct pieces of equipment—a barbell, a pec deck, and a cable station—to develop strength, hypertrophy, and a healthy dose of detail-oriented isolation work. There’s something here for every deltoid head (middle, anterior, posterior), and the exercise variety will keep even the most ADHD-challenged person from getting bored. But, hey, if the Smith machine isn’t “functional” enough for you, go ahead and let someone else build bigger shoulders on it.
While you perform your overhead press, be mindful of your core to minimize undue strain on the lower back. Keep your abs tight throughout and your chest facing straight ahead, not angled upward.
The upright row doesn’t get enough credit. It recruits your deltoids and traps for a compound movement that delivers a lot of muscle-building benefits. Load this baby up and don’t be afraid to use a little body English to move more weight.
