Max Out Your V-Taper by Developing Wide Delts

Many people want to have a V-taper upper body – the wide shoulders and lats that lead down to a small waist. Unfortunately, a lot of folks focus more on the abs and making the waist smaller. The downside to this strategy is that they aren’t doing enough to maximize the potential of their shoulder development.

Furthermore, the wider the shoulders look, the narrower the waist looks. Instead of beating yourself up if you made this mistake, focus on correcting the error by implementing this shoulder routine immediately performing this V-Taper workout routine every five to seven days will help you build those shoulders, which will go a long way in helping you achieve that “V” look you’re wanting.

Seated Lateral Raise

The biggest key to wide shoulders is the side delts. The bigger they are, the wider you’ll look from the front. That’s why you should train this area first. We have two exercises to start this workout with. The first is seated lateral raise with dumbbells. You should be seated when doing these so you’re less likely to use momentum that you could generate from standing.
Lift the weights up to your sides for a count of one, then lower them for a count of three. This not only helps prevent momentum from taking over, but the negatives will help you both get stronger and bigger. Three or four sets of 10-12 reps will work nicely here. Use lighter weights to start with and build up until your last set is the one you hit failure with. Rest for 60 seconds between sets.

Single Arm Cable Lateral Raise

The cables will help keep tension on the side delt from start to finish. Performing them one side at a time will help with isolation and concentration. Start with the weaker side first and use the same rep speed you did for the first exercise. Shoot for three sets of 12 reps with this one. Rest 60 seconds after you finish the second shoulder. If you’re training at home and don’t have a cable station, use a resistance band.

Bent-Over Rear Lateral Raise

You don’t want to look wide from the front, then turn to the side and disappear. That’s why you need to focus on width from that angle as well, which means going after the rear delts. The first movement for this is the bent-over lateral raise. You can do these seated or standing. When you bend over, your arms should be stretched toward the floor with your palms facing you. Lift the weights out to the side and squeeze the rear delts at the top. Lift to a count of one, and lower to a count of four on these. Three sets of 10 reps with 60 seconds of rest between sets, and you’re good.

Face Pull

The rear delts are also responsible for pulling into you, which is why a horizontal pulling movement would serve you well. Face pulls are awesome for this purpose, but many people do them wrong. You shouldn’t simply pull the rope attachment toward you and separate the handles. That is only half of the movement. The second half comes after the rope reaches your face. You should lift the ends of the rope up toward the sides of your head to get an extra contraction of the rear delts. Hold this position for a two-count, then slowly lower the rope to the starting position to a count of four. Three sets of 12 reps will be a big help for that area, which is so often neglected. As with the cable lateral raise, use a band if you don’t have access to a cable.

Seated Machine Press

You’ve probably been wondering when we were going to get to the front delts. Many athletes start with presses for strength purposes, which is great. However, if developing muscle is the goal, you should consider training the other two heads first. You might not be as strong on a press at the end of the workout as you would be at the beginning, but the results will make this worth it.
A Smith Machine or shoulder press machine will work well for this one. The key is using a full range of motion. That means lowering the handles below your chin, if possible, to stretch the delt, then pressing up to the top without locking out the triceps. That tension at the end of the rep is vital. Once again, slow and steady wins the race here on the negative. Three seconds at least to lower the weight, but you can press up as fast as you can for explosion and power. Go for three sets of 10 reps with standard weight. Then, go up as heavy as you can for ten reps on an extra set and do a drop set. When you reach failure on the heaviest weight, reduce it by 25-30% and keep going. This will be a great way to maximize the pump. If you don’t have access to a machine, use either a barbell or dumbbells.

Bonus – Traps

If you like training traps with shoulders, then feel free to take this superset for a spin. You will do barbell shrugs and dumbbell shrugs back-to-back for 20 reps each. Don’t worry about rep speed and cadence. Just don’t use bad form. Once you finish both exercises, rest for 30 seconds and go again. Three rounds of that, and you’re done for the day.

V-Taper Workout Routine:

A1: Seated Lateral Raise – 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps

B1: One Arm Cable Lateral Raise – 3 sets of 12 reps per side

C1: Bent-Over Rear Lateral Raise – 3 sets of 10 reps

D1: Face Pull – 3 sets of 12 reps

E1: Seated Machine Press – 3 sets of 10 reps. 1 drop set to failure two times.

F1: Barbell Shrug - 3 sets of 20 reps
F2: Dumbbell Shrug – 3 sets of 20 reps

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