In his prime, Gunter Schlierkamp was known for his flashing smile, almost 300-pound contest physique and full round muscles. He is one of a handful of pros to place ahead of Ronnie Coleman since Coleman began his chain of dominance in 1998. Although the big German last competed at the 2006 Olympia, he was a fan favorite for his entire IFBB career.
Here are some of Gunter’s shoulder-training tips and a delt routine that combines isolation techniques with power training.
TIP ONE: Heavy compound movements spread muscle involvement over the shoulder girdle, while high-rep isolation exercises pinpoint the individual delt heads.
TIP TWO: This workout should be followed once a week, as the first bodypart trained in the session.
TIP THREE: Do two warm-up sets before the first two exercises and an additional warm-up before the hammer raises.
TIP FOUR: All the sets are pyramided with increasing weight and decreasing reps.
TIP FIVE: Using a bench to brace yourself will allow more concentrated power to be applied.This can be accomplished by bracing the body against the seatback of an upright bench for lateral raises, upright rows and hammer raises.
TIP SIX: To maintain focus on the medial delts while doing the raises, keep palms facing downward. Use a slight break in the elbows and bias them slightly forward.
TIP SEVEN: Doing the seated military presses in a Smith machine will allow more power without arching the back or using the front delts too much. Use a grip just outside shoulder width and lower the bar until it almost touches the pecs, just in front of your chin.
TIP EIGHT: By facing the seatback for upright rows (like for the lateral raises), you can lift heavier and focus on the medial and rear delts without using your back. Use a wide grip.
TIP NINE: Since front raises can pitch the body forward, bracing the body forward against a seatback for the front hammer raises is effective. It allows both dumbbells to be raised simultaneously with greater control and stability. Using a hammer grip with palms facing each other places stress on the front delt heads.
TIP TEN: Laterals can be braced facedown on an incline bench, but they are also effective for isolating the rear delts while standing and bent over at the hips. The bent-over position serves to keep the center of gravity low and will minimize the body from moving back and forth during the laterals.
TIP ELEVEN: Unless you are a very experienced bodybuilder, deltoid size should be your priority before deltoid shape.
TIP TWELVE: Don’t jerk the weight. The best way to avoid this is to use heavy enough weight that you can “command” your delt muscles to involve themselves in the movement. Watch videos of other Pro Bodybuilders Training their shoulders. FLEX
TIP SEVEN:
