UKC

Evening all,

Like many at this time of year, I am looking to shed some lbs.

Apart from being healthier I am also keen to try and make the old bod look a little better for me and my wife.

Looking at some of the gym monkeys I am not keen to become too muscular (my wife doesnt like this either) but I wouldnt mind putting on some muscle mass in some places. Overall I dont look too bad.

So, here's the qeuestion; there are two muscles which look good at the upper part of the shoulder/back which look good when a little inflated. I dont know what they are not how to exercise them. I think they may be the trapezius.

Any thoughs?

Richard

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers: Get some kettlebells and use them properly and that should see you right

Cheers
Dave

In reply to dave frost: Properly being?

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

Consider the 5/3/1 Program by Jim Wendler, if you have access to a good quality gym.

Also have a read of Why we Get Fat by Gary Taubes. An enlightening read for anyone wishing to shed the unwanted fat.

With regard to your query on the muscle in the upper part of the back, try Google images.

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:What about press ups?

In reply to Timmd: Wrong side of the body.

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

What about the anterior fibres of the deltoids?

In reply to riddle:

? Could be. They are the lumpy muscles at the top of the back, into the shoulder.

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

Shrugs, upright rows(barbell pulls from waist to chin) are good for the traps. Farmers carries are good too, just pick up very heavy dumbbells for time. Walk with them if you want.

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

Trapizus, posterior fibres of the deltoid, supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor or teres major...

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

set of roman rings. pullups, dips, reverse pushups, regular pushups.

grab a broom handle and a light KB to keep your range of motion good.

In reply to Sebastian Fontleroy:

upright rows are also often murder for any one with RC issues

In reply to lost1977:

They probably have RC issues because they don't have balanced shoulders. Weak rear delts an example.

In reply to Sebastian Fontleroy:

most climbers do have pretty unbalanced shoulders (reason you always hear the same injuries)

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers: there are loads of good (and some bad) workout videos on YouTube. I would advise building up to it slowly and not doing what i did a few years ago and watching the '300 workout' then doing it without building up to it and then not being able to walk/drive/eat/sleep etc for a week.

In reply to lost1977:

The rest of my fitness regime is to do lots of compound movements either at home in the form of push ups, incline push up and at the gym seated row/lat pull down, leg press/squats, bench press and shoulder presses of various types and dead lifts. This will be interspersed with arms when i have the time as they will be taken care of with the compounds.

In between weights I am running (12k last night in about 65 mins which I want to reduce) and doing other cardio work at the gym such as rowing, steps, cross trainer and when the paths are unfrozen and less lethal, cross country and road running, plus climbing and at least one good hill walk is planned per month this year.

My aim is not to try and impersonate Lou Ferrigno but to lean myself up a bit and get fit and if i end up looking a bit better in the mirror as a by-product then that's just a bonus, not the aim in itself.

Slightly contradictory is the shoulder thing. I think good traps look good so if i can add these into a regime without thinking too much about them then all the better.

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:

the problem isnt the routine as such. the shoulder has quite a few movements and muscles which control these. everyday life and the things we do have a tendency to make some stronger and some weak and lazy (body will often compensate with other muscles to perform a movement). its these imbalances which often are root cause of injuries

In reply to TheDrunkenBakers:


Lugging full square cube style water carriers about last week seemed to make mine ache afterwards.