Fix your Delt Raises with these 3 quick tips

Today, we will go over delt raises, some common problems with them, and how to fix them. 

The delt is composed of three anterior, lateral, and posterior muscles, and we tend to refer to and train them in the Front, Side, and Rear planes.

Fix your Delt Raises with these 3 quick tips

(Sometimes, you’ll hear people refer to the seven delts. Studies have shown that there are seven neuromuscular segments to the deltoid muscle. Three of these lie in the anterior head of the deltoid, one in the anatomical middle head, and three in the anatomical posterior head of the deltoid.)

 

So when you have your chest facing the floor and hands out to the side, you’re training the rear delts. Standing upright with your hands to the sides, you’ll be targeting the side plane. Finally, the anterior or ‘front’ delt is doing most of the work with your hands forward.

 

There are three common errors we see when doing delt raises. 

 

  1. Raising the weight too high. We often see people lift the load far above their shoulders. This will cause you to lean back and shift the focus away from the delts to larger muscles in the chest and back. 

  2. Using too much weight. Excessive load can cause a similar lean back and shift focus away from the delts.

  3. Tipping the dumbbells back. If you find your thumbs are higher than the rest of your hands, you’re most likely shifting the focus away from the delts. Regardless of which delt you are targeting, always try to have the thumb side of your hand tipping down 5° or so. A cue I use a lot is ‘pouring the milk.’ That targets whichever delt complex you are working on nicely.

 

Finally, don’t be afraid to try other implements besides dumbbells when doing delt raises. As long as your position and intent are correct, you’ll do well. 

 

Please have a look at the video and hit me up with any questions at joe@crossfitmass.com