Shadowing Practice: Top 3 Shoulder Exercises For 3D Delts - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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In this video, I'm showing you my top three shoulder exercises for round 3D delts.
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One exercise each for the front, side, and rear heads.
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And for some extra scientific credibility, I'm bringing in exercise scientist Dr. Mike Isretel, who's gonna share his top three as well.
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Up first, front delts.
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Now, a very common mistake here is actually giving the front
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delts too much volume since they already get a lot of stimulation from any chest work in your program.
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three times the side delt size as non lifters.
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So they often are overemphasized.
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Would you agree with that?
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Like side and rear are more important from a bodybuilding standpoint?
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I take that even more to an extreme perspective.
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I agree with that so much.
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I go overboard and I say rear delt training is overrated as well.
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If you're training your back properly, your rear delts should be very well developed.
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You can just pour a lot of volume into the side delts.
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And also visually, if you ever see someone who has big shoulders and you look at them, you're like, oh, those delts are really big.
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Almost in every case, it's the side delts that are actually very big.
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And the rear delts of course construct the rest of it the front delts matter
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but it's side belts that really counts
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so i think side belt training should be 70 to 90 percent of delt training wow
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so while the side delts are clearly the most important the other two heads still complete the 3d look
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so let's start with the anterior
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or front head my number one exercise here is a machine shoulder press
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and that's simply because being seated increases stability
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which will ensure virtually all the tension is being directed to the shoulders where you want it
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and secondly most people can dropping the weight or breaking technique.
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And I like this Panada machine in particular, because it allows for a huge range of motion and a big stretch on the front delts and the bottom.
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So one thing I noticed training with Mike on his channel as well,
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he really, really emphasizes controlled technique and a deep stretch and also in the stretch position
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He tends to do a lot of pausing, which can be very humbling in terms of the amount of weight that you use.
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So that's something I actually don't typically do.
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I'm a little bit more of like a constant tension guy most of the time.
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So that's been really cool.
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I feel like I'll continue implementing some of that in my training.
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Oh, and another thing I like about this machine is that it's unilateral, meaning each shoulder is forced to work individually, which can be great for fixing any left to right shoulder imbalances.
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That feels really good.
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Doesn't it?
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Yeah.
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See?
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Yeah.
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A panada.
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Is that okay to say?
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10 reps, and of course any decent shoulder press machine will get the job done.
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And if you don't have access to one, you can get a very similar effect with a seated dumbbell shoulder press, which is also unilateral and forces each shoulder to work individually.
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Okay, so Dr. Mike's number one pick for the front delts is an easy bar front raise, and he gave two reasons why.
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One of the reasons is that it gives a ton of motion to the front delts, a huge range of motion there, and also because it is an isolation exercise.
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And it's pretty rare to see for front belts.
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Most people choose a compound press, which is cool and all, but if your ticep volume is where it is, if your pecs are sore, if your shoulder joints are upset with you because you've been doing a lot of pressing.
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Maybe the overhead press is not in the cards.
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If I wanted the maximum effect of something like this, I would actually do it on a free -motion machine, so that I could move my hand behind the plane of my body and get a huge stretch to the front belt.
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But a lot of people don't have access to a machine like that, and this is a fine alternative exercise.
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It's a similar thing.
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So the cues here is that you want to keep your chest up.
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cave your chest, you're not stretching your frontels as much what you want to
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do is essentially it's like a curl except you never bend your elbows.
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So it just comes up all the way.
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Nice and high and then you milk the eccentric, and it's going to be hardest here.
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all the way down, chest up at the bottom.
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Goodbye, front belts.
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Do you think it's dangerous to go beyond this point here?
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I think there's never been a reason to suspect that if you know anatomy.
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Things that are causing joint pain tend to be not so great for the joints.
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But if you can do this without any joint pain, I mean listen, if there is something from a cupboard you want that's up there, Or you're like, "Well, I would get it,
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but I don't want to be crippled for life." That's not the case.
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I think it's totally fine.
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And Mike explained that for these, he uses relatively higher reps in the 10 -20 range, with a more explosive positive and a slow and controlled 4 -5 second negative,
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especially maintaining control at the midpoint where tension is the highest.
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Finish resisting.
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Oh, wow.
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Very nice.
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Doesn't take a lot.
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Man, I'll say this: if people are cutting out this part, they're missing out on a lot.
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I would say the most effective part of this movement, generally there are some nuances here, is from 45 degrees to 135 degrees, ear to ear.
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So I can't lie, this is like the craziest front L pump I think I've had.
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Possibly ever.
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Okay, so with front delts out of the way, we're hitting the most important head for 3D delts: the side delts.
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So I'm gonna let you go first for side delts.
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What would be your number one?
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There are many number ones.
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You're my number one.
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What's the number one number one?
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Well, an exercise that I think is really top tier is what I call the super -ROM lateral, super -Ranger motion lateral.
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Exactly like a lateral race, just keep going.
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Okay.
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And at any point do I do this or this?
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No, just normal?
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Okay.
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So for me this feels natural to kind of thumbs up it a little bit.
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Sure.
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Is that okay?
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Thumbs up it as little as possible on the way up.
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Okay.
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But try to keep your pinkies up, but if you run into stuff where it feels weird, you can thumbs up naturally.
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Doesn't feel weird.
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So you like this better?
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Yes.
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Okay.
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Because then it activates the side delt.
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Yeah.
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Yeah, for sure.
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And let me just explain that very briefly.
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If I thumb up it, you can see that the resistance path is in line with the front delt fibers.
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If I do this, Now the resistance is in line with the side delt fibers.
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If you feel pain doing this, then consider going thumbs up.
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It might be better.
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- Sure.
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- But in my case, this feels great.
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- Great, I love it.
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- So why not?
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Mike recommends doing these for moderate to higher reps in the 10 to 20 range, and once again, really emphasizes good control on the negative on each and every rep.
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Alright, so my number one side delt exercise is a cross body cable Y -raise.
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Most people when they do lateral raises go directly out to the side.
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There's nothing wrong with that.
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The main reason I like these is the stretch you get here.
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If you were going to stretch your side delt, you wouldn't just hold it here.
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You're not getting a ton of stretch here.
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If you pull it across your body, now you have more stretch on the Also, most people think of the shoulders as having three distinct heads, the front, side, and rear,
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but anatomy research shows there are more like seven deltoid compartments, each having unique muscle fibers that fan out in slightly different directions.
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So hitting the delts from slightly different angles is more likely to make sure that all the fibers get hit evenly.
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And here's how I do that.
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I'm positioned my torso so that I feel that stretch come in on my side delt, and then I'll sweep the weight out. In back?
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Almost as if drawing and flicking a sword.
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So we feel the nice stretch. And then we're...
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out and back.
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Beautiful control Jeff, that's awesome.
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Oh, okay.
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Nice.
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Next, let's take a look at our top two exercises for the posterior head.
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Mike's number one pick here is a Super Rom reverse cable fly.
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I've actually never done them the way he coaches them, so I picked up on some really great cues.
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A couple of really important cues here.
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First, you want to go past your hand connection.
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Yep, just like that.
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People say, "Well, wouldn't that create asymmetries?" Totally.
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But you just, every other set, What you're gonna do is you're gonna switch your hands which one goes up the bottom.
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And a big thing is you want generally to keep your elbows locked out
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so that you can make sure it's all real delts.
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You will not be able to use as much load that way, but minimizing the load while maximizing muscle involvement is a really good thing.
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And here's a big one for the back jump.
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Go ahead and pull all the way back.
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Yes!
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And here, we get a peak contraction to the muscle.
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You can feel the burn accumulating while you do it.
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And then slowly peel that muscle out on the way back.
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So it's a really good thing to really crunch at the top.
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it won't cost you a ton of reps because it's easy there, but you'll connect to that rear delt.
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Typically I would stop about here probably.
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But now I'm going to here?
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Yeah.
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And that extra bit Yeah makes it way harder.
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Here's the best part.
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They actually start to accumulate metabolites.
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They hurt more and more in that position.
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You take that pain, and you go, okay, I know exactly where my rear adults are, because they hurt there, and I slowly arc out and it's madness
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and I hate it and then stretches like crazy and then the whole thing starts again.
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That's right.
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And my top pick for the rear delts is the reverse pec deck and honestly, Dr. Mike gave me the single best cue I've ever heard for this exercise.
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Here the cue will massively reduce how much you're lifting, but will hit that target muscle better.
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For a good real delt training, you want to reach forward really far.
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Also, you'll notice it pre -stretches the rear delts.
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You're not pulling.
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You're arcing out to try to paintbrush as far of a distance as you possibly can.
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Punch forward.
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Yes.
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And then sweep out.
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Paintbrush out as much as you can.
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It's like if you imagine that there is like you're standing on top of a pile of money
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and there's a camera measuring, you get to keep all of the money you do this with your hands.
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Yes!
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Let's go.
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And I'm just gonna show my last two reps here
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and notice that at no point do I allow myself to pull my arms in.
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I'm sweeping my arms out and painting as much of the floor as I can on each and every rep.
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And then as if another, as if you're gonna do another one.
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One thing since I've been training with Mike a little bit
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that I've heard you say quite a bit is as if you're gonna do another.
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I really like that cue because it forces you to be intentional with that last negative.
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Do it as if you're gonna do another one so you're controlling, controlling, controlling pause, Now you're done.
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And then let go.
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And that last negative
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may be one of the most muscle growth promoting portions of any rep you will ever do in any set.
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So why skip that?
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A lot of guys go all the way up and then go, "Ugh !" And it's like, "Oh, you went so so good !" So close. So close. So close.
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There are tons of off -camera analogies to make,
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but I know you run a nice wholesome channel and I will just shut up. Who are you?
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Are you the powered by ice cream fella?
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That's me, you're an old fan.
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Again, you don't have to go hard or anything like that, but just just so we have some b -roll.
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then I have to go home.
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- 'Cause like you're kind of, You're kind of locked into something.
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Just do what the machine says.
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Yeah, yeah, yeah.
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I used to do a lot of standing barbell overhead pressing.
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Yeah, I know.
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And I got to a...
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I follow you.
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A lot of straight...
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Oh, thanks.
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Is that guy actually Thor?
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We're on a desert island.
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with all these machines.
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We had to do a front delt exercise.
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What one do you pick?
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Highly equipped desert island.
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So if you're stopping from here to here, It's like what this whole other part there.
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It's like eating half a slice of pizza and throwing the other half away.
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That's a common comment.
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Won't it hit your junk on the way down?
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Like, yes, if you're wildly uncoordinated, and you deserve to have a junk destroyer.
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One more.
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Yeah, do one from the rear.
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- Oh, on the way down is the big one.
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OK, I'm going to get the sleeves up.
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Oh shit.
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Yeah, mine.
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Oh shit, you see that?
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I changed my mind.
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Slow, right away slow.
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Slow, and then slow.
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Slow, slow.
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flow.
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I want to give a big thank you to Mike.
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His channel is called Renaissance Periodization.
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He does all kinds of videos exactly like this.
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It's just really cool tips and cues and tweaks that I don't think you'll hear on any other channel.
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Also want to give a quick shout out to the gym, Pure Muscle and Fitness.
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They let us film here, they even turned the music down for us, so I really appreciate that.
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Thank you guys so much for watching.
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Don't forget to leave us a thumbs up if you enjoyed it
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and I'll see you guys all here in the next video.
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Thank you.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Top 3 Shoulder Exercises For 3D Delts”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: delt, rear, shoulder, exercise, stretch. This video has 231 sentences and 2444 words to shadow. The speech runs for 11:12. The speaker talks fast, about 218 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. 83% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| thumb noun | /ˈθʌm/ | The shortest and thickest digit of the hand that for humans has the most mobility and can be made to oppose (moved to touch) all of the other fingers. |
| lateral adjective | /ˈlætəɹəl/ | Situated on one side or other of the body or of an organ, especially in the region furthest from the median plane. |
| cue noun | /kju/ | An action or event that is a signal for somebody to do something. |
| fiber noun | /ˈfaɪ.bɚ/ | A single elongated piece of a given material, roughly round in cross-section, often twisted with other fibers to form thread. |
| sweep verb | /swiːp/ | To clean (a surface) by means of a stroking motion of a broom or brush. |
| accumulate verb | /əˈkjuːmjʊˌleɪt/ | To heap up in a mass; to pile up; to collect or bring together (either literally or figuratively), often gradually and without active intent. |
| paintbrush noun | /ˈpeɪntˌbɹʌʃ/ | A thin brush for applying paint. |
| panada noun | A dish made by boiling bread in water and combining the pulp with milk, stock, butter or sometimes egg yolks. | |
| unilateral adjective | /ˌjuːnɪˈlætərəl/ | Done by one side only. |
| emphasize verb | /ˈɛm.fə.saɪz/ | To stress, give emphasis or extra weight to (something). |
| elbow noun | /ˈɛlboʊ̯/ | The joint between the upper arm and the forearm. |
| individually adverb | /ˌɪndɪˈvɪd͡ʒ(u)əli/ | As individuals, separately, independently. |
| overhead noun | /ˈəʊvəˌhɛd/ | The expense of a business not directly assigned to goods or services provided. |
| anatomy noun | /əˈnætəmi/ | The science that deals with the form and structure of organic bodies; anatomical structure or organization. |
| pause noun | /pɔːz/ | A temporary stop or rest; an intermission of action; interruption; suspension; cessation. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| come up verb | To emerge or become known, especially unexpectedly. | |
| cut out verb | To refrain from (doing something, using something etc.), to stop or cease (doing something). | |
| go ahead verb | /ˌɡoʊ əˈhɛd/ | To proceed with; to begin. |
| go past verb | To elapse. (said of time) | |
| go up verb | To move upwards. | |
| locked out verb | Not locked in (focused), unfocused. | |
| pick up on verb | To notice, observe, learn, or understand, especially something otherwise overlooked. | |
| shut up | /ʃʌt ʌp/ | Stop talking (usually in the form of making annoying, irrelevant, or false comments, during a period of peace and quiet, or when one is not allowed to talk)… |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Would you agree with that?
- Do you think it's dangerous to go beyond this point here?
- What would be your number one?
- Are you the powered by ice cream fella?
- Won't it hit your junk on the way down?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | you've been doing · I've been training |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | are overemphasized · is overrated · being seated |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | someone who has · pausing, which can · individually, which can |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | I've actually never done · I've ever heard · I've heard |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 71 contractions and reduced forms, such as you're, I'm, gonna. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: paintbrush /ˈpeɪntˌbɹʌʃ/, contraction /kənˈtɹækʃ(ə)n/, stimulation /stɪm.jʊˈleɪ.ʃən/, intentional /ɪnˈtɛnʃənəl/, isolation /ˌaɪsəˈleɪʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: accumulate /əˈkjuːmjʊˌleɪt/, unilateral /ˌjuːnɪˈlætərəl/, individually /ˌɪndɪˈvɪd͡ʒ(u)əli/, anatomy /əˈnætəmi/, asymmetry /eɪˈsɪmɪtɹi/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like thumb, lateral, cue.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.