It seems like every day someone is asking me "What can you bench?" I never had a problem answering this question. As a lifetime drug-free lifter, I weigh 215 pounds and have bench pressed 415 lbs. in competition. Not bad, but I won't be satisfied until I hit the 500 lb. CLUB!

Though I'm a descent bencher, I don't feel that this is my strongest lift. Why can't someone ask me what I can Behind the Neck Press (BNP)? As of last month, my one rep max (1RM) in the BNP is 310 lbs. As a result of pressing this kind of weight over head, my shoulders have become pretty thick.

For those who want thick, massive shoulders, try this hardcore approach:

          BNP                         CYCLE (2-5 REPS)
          REAR DB FLYES               2 x 8-15 
          LATERAL RAISES              2 x 8-15
          BARBELL FRONT RAISE         2 x 8-15

Just like most other body parts, I train shoulders hard only once a week. Obviously, I stick to the basics. Like the bench press, I follow a periodization cycle (refer to my bench press article) to constantly increase my 1, 2, 3, and 5 rep maxes. My last BNP cycle went like this:

              WK 1                 245 X 5 X 3
              WK 2                 250 X 5 X 3
              WK 3                 260 X 3 X 3
              WK 4                 265 X 3 X 3
              WK 5                 275 X 2 X 3
              WK 6                 285 X 2 X 3

I give myself adequate rest in between sets (usually 3-5 minutes) and perform each rep explosively! That is, I descend the bar slow to the base of my neck, then explode upward as if I were trying to throw the bar through the ceiling! After 3 heavy sets, I will usually do one more set with a weight that I can handle for 10-15 reps.

At the end of my 6 week cycle, my shoulders have usually had it with the heavy stuff. Any more than 6 weeks in a row of heavy over head lifting and I usually get injured. At this point, I lower the weight to around 60%-70% of my 1 RM and do 2 sets for as many reps as possible (somewhere in the 10-15 range). I'll do this for 2-3 weeks then go back to heavy sets of 5 reps.

After the BNP's, I perform 2 sets of rear DB flyes, 2 sets of lateral raises, then 2 sets of barbell front raises. I do these exercises in order of priority. What I mean by this is that my rear delts are the weakest of the three delt heads (anterior, medial, and posterior); therefore, I train them first. Next, I work the lateral head of my delts to make my shoulders wider. My anterior delts are extremely developed from all the heavy benching I do. the only reason I add these to my shoulder workout is because stronger front delts will help you bench more (remember...the 500 lb. club!). Again, I work these exercises in order of priority and you should too.

If you want big shoulders remember...you've got to hit the overhead lifts hard! Train shoulders hard using the BNP just as you would use the Bench Press to train your chest. Throw in some flye movements and watch your shoulders grow!

Any question? E-mail me at sqbppc@aol.com

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