Tip: The Raise & Hold For Big Shoulders

The growth begins when the burn kicks in! Try this scorching superset for better delts.

For gains in shoulder size, you gotta train for a pump. A massive burn usually does more for shoulder development than hoisting massive weights. Achieving the best shoulder pumps occur when you increase time under tension because a contracted muscle restricts blood flow.

But since we can't effectively wrap our shoulders to perform blood flow restriction (occlusion) training sets, maximizing time under tension is the next best option. You can do this in a number of ways including drop sets, extended sets, supersets, etc.

One of my favorite supersets places the delts under tension for over a minute. Check it out:


Do 15 reps of lateral raises with perfect form, immediately followed by a static hold with a barbell for 45 seconds. Do this superset for 4 rounds and your delts will blow up!

Mark Dugdale is an IFBB pro bodybuilder and Mr. Olympia competitor. Mark has 22 years of experience on stage and a passion for brutal workouts. He has also produced five documentaries, participated in seminars with prison inmates, and was granted one of the last recorded interviews with Joe Weider. Follow Mark Dugdale on Twitter