The workout you need to do if you want bigger, stronger shoulders

It’ll make you better at pullups, too

It’s often said that the shoulders are the lynchpin of the upper body. The shoulder is a very hypermobile ball and socket joint that needs to be hit from many angles and directions for structural balance and injury prevention.

That’s why I always incorporate shoulder complexes like the one outlined below to start and/or end my upper body training sessions. It’s a perfect supplement to any of the upper-body workouts in my newest fitness program with Men’s Health, METASHRED EXTREME.

The Colossal Shoulders Complex

Do each move for 30 seconds with no rest between moves:1. Seated bent-over lower-trap Y raise2. Seated bent-over overhand-grip reverse fly3. Seated lateral raise4. Seated front raise5. Seated modified upright row6. Seated Cuban pressThat’s 1 round. Do 3 to 5 rounds, resting 1 minute between rounds.This is 3 minutes of straight shoulder work, so be ready for a serious muscle burn, baby!

In terms of weight selection, as with all complexes, you need to select a weight that allows you to execute the move you are weakest at. In the case of this complex, that will be exercise #1 or #2.And go lighter than normal to get better results, especially in the beginning!

This complex is all about detailing those delts and building superior stamina for your smaller postural and stabilizer muscles in the shoulder girdle. Most guys will get crushed with a light pair of 8- to 12-pound dumbbells, especially if they use a straighter-arm position and less momentum on the single-joint moves like raises and reverse flys.Beyond sculpting a set of superhero shoulders, complexes like this will also give you the structural integrity you need to push and pull weights (and your bodyweight) like a boss. In particular, this will really help trainees who struggle with pullups.

For more metabolic bodybuilding routines like this, check out METASHRED EXTREME from Men’s Health. It’s designed to shred body fat and maximize muscle growth at the same time!