Gabe’s back from the DEAD with a fresh victim!
Gabe’s back in full swing, kickin’ ass and taking numbers. This time, it’s Thomas’ turn to get put to the test. This hour-long shoulder workout is full of drop sets, high reps, heavy weight, and pure will to finish the set! The full workout is below the video.
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Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Warm up is critical. What you didn’t see in the video were two warm up sets that were done with lighter weight.
Make sure you get to at least a 90 degree bend in the elbows and be sure to soft lock at the top. Locking your arms out will release the tension on the shoulders, which is NOT what we want to do. Also, pay careful attention to the video and how Gabe pushed the weight upwards similar to a barbell. He avoids bringing the weights together and touching them. Rather, he pushes the dumbbells straight upwards.
| Exercise | Set | DS | SS | Reps | Rest time (min) |
| Dumbbell shoulder press | 1 | — | — | 20 | 2 |
| 2 | — | — | 16-18 | 2 | |
| 3 | — | — | 12 | 2 | |
| 4a | — | — | 8-10 | None | |
| 4b | — | — | 12 or failure | None | |
| 4c | — | — | 12 or failure | 2 |
Dumbbell Lateral Raises
In this part of the shoulder workout, we’re doing these seated to avoid cheating the reps by bouncing with our legs. Get as many strict reps as possible and then, as you begin to fail, it’s OK to get a small amount of swing to finish the set.
| Exercise | Set | DS | SS | Reps | Rest time (min) |
| Dumbbell lateral raises | 1 | — | — | 20 | 2 |
| 2 | — | — | 20 | 2 | |
| 3 | — | — | 15 | 2 | |
| 4a | — | — | 12 | None | |
| 4b | — | — | 12 or failure | None | |
| 4c | — | — | 12 or failure | 2 |
Wide Grip Upright Rows
Hand placement on this exercise is critical to focus on the side delts. In the video, you can see how Gabe discusses placing his hands on the outside of the index lines. Also, on the final set, Gabe slows it down and uses about a 2-second negative motion for each rep.
| Exercise | Set | DS | SS | Reps | Rest time (min) |
| Wide grip barbell upright rows | 1 | — | — | 20 | 2 |
| 2 | — | — | 20 | 2 | |
| 3 | — | — | 15 | 2 | |
| (negative focused) | 4 | — | — | 8-10 | 2 |
Simultaneous Front Raises
Raise both arms simultaneously until you fatigue:
Then switch to single arm raises to finish the set:
For this shoulder workout, we’re going to start each set by raising both arms at the same time. When you start fatiguing and can’t get the full range of motion anymore, then switch to single arm raises. Keep a slight bend in your knees and avoid bouncing with your legs to get the weight up. Also, the last set will be a drop set so there’s no rest when you finish the reps for set 4a. You’ll grab a lighter weight and jump right into set 4b.
| Exercise | Set | DS | SS | Reps | Rest time (min) |
| Simultaneous front raises | 1 | — | — | 20 | 2 |
| 2 | — | — | 20 | 2 | |
| 3 | — | — | 15 | 2 | |
| 4a | Yes | — | 10-12 | None | |
| 4b | Yes | — | 16 or failure | 2 |
Rear Delt Reapers
Face pulls – position 1:
Face pulls – position 2:
Straight arm pulldowns
Overhead face pulls with overhand grip – position 1:
Overhead face pulls with overhand grip – position 2:
Straight from our 1,000 rep shoulder workout, rear delt reapers are a triple set starting with face pulls, then moving to straight arm pulldowns, then finally to overhand grip face pulls and pulling over your head.
| Exercise | Set | DS | SS | Reps | Rest time (min) |
| Rear delt reapers | 1 | — | — | 15/15/15 | 2 |
| 2 | — | — | 12/12/12 | 2 | |
| 3 | — | — | 12/12/12 | 2 |
Machine Lateral Raises Super Set with Machine Shoulder Press
Finishing off this monster shoulder workout is a super set with some high reps. If you don’t have either of these machines, just substitute with any machine you have with similar motions. You can even use cables for the raises, if need be.
| Exercise | Set | DS | SS | Reps | Rest time (min) |
| Machine Lateral Raises Super Set with Machine Shoulder Press | 1 | — | Yes | 20/20 | 1 |
| 2 | — | — | 20/20 | 1 |
Bonus Tips
One of Gabe’s favorite ways to ensure that he’s using the targeted muscle group and really focusing on the contraction, is to have a workout partner tap the muscle he’s trying to use. In the photo below, you can see how Gabe is gently tapping on the lateral head of the deltoid as Thomas is doing upright rows. This triggers a mind-muscle connection and allows the person to focus more on contracting that specific muscle group.
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Access to EVERY Body Spartan Program! 14-DAY FREE TRIAL- Get full access to our all of our amazing programs
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- 10 & 12 week programs
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- Full workouts
- Triphase, polymorphic, and contest prep style training
- Body composition tracker
