When the world is on your shoulders, you need time-saving workouts that will maximize your shoulder gains. Luckily, bodybuilder and coach Antwan Raarkus is to the rescue, and recently he shared a clever plan to help even the busiest guys achieve the bolder shoulder look.
“All you need is a bench and a set of dumbbells,” the IFBB pro and United States Air Force veteran explained, In an inspirational Instagram post. If you want to add some width to your upper body and help create that sacred triangle look, then focusing on the shoulders is the way to go, with larger shoulders creating the illusion of a narrower waist. what’s not to love?
Antwan Rucker’s 30-Minute Shoulder Workout
- Plate Front Raise: 4 sets x 12 to 15 reps
- Dumbbell lateral raise: 4 sets x 12 to 15 reps
- Dumbbell Incline Y-Raise: 4 sets x 12 to 15 reps
workout breakdown
For his first exercise, Rarkus picks up a weight plate and gets to work with a front lift. “Control the descent,” he advises, noting that the downside should not be extended to the waist as this will put too much stress on the shoulders. Front raises work the anterior (front), and lateral delts, and like most shoulder exercises, the arms, back, and core will also be engaged.
Second up is the dumbbell lateral raise. “Always lead with the elbows,” explains Rarchus. Be sure to add a small bend in the elbows, and using them to drive the movement will keep this exercise so shoulder dominant that the anterior, lateral, and posterior (rear) deltoids will all be taxed.
Rarchus approaches the bench to perform the third exercise, advising that you “stretch and reach” as you lower the dumbbells to the ground before making these Y-raises. This move will engage the muscles in the lower trapezius, helping to define the space between the shoulders on the back, in addition to the serratus anterior, which is a fan-shaped muscle below the shoulder and on the side of the chest.
With your shoulder session completed in just 3 moves and 30 minutes, Rarchus has no time for excuses. “Let’s stop the nonsense,” he told his 262,000 Instagram followers. “you have time.”
Yes sir!
To follow Antwan Raarkus on Instagram, Click here.
