Albert K. Park

                      The other day I was reading in the latest Men's Health that when surveyed, women said that their favorite body parts on a man were in the following order:

4. Butt
5. Chest

                        This is good information to know guys but, what the surveyors and most women don't consider is how you get them to notice all this stuff if your not walking around in a t-shirt and shorts all the time. After all I live in Washington and it rains half the damn time. Our typical outfits include a pair of jeans and Rain jacket of some sort.

                          So how do you get women to notice you before you can shed your jacket and show off your guns and 6 pack?

                            How do you turn heads in a North Face Denali or your zip up hoodie?
Heres HOW.......................

The Theory:
             I have a friend who lifts weights a "little" but doesn't have big arms, calves, or even comes close to having a 6 pack. More of 3 pack. But when he puts on a jacket, it's like an optical illusion and appears to be a gym rat. Why? This skinny fu*ker has been genetically blessed with some broad ass shoulders and girls notice this. When he sheds the jacket and reveals himself in a t-shirt, the illusion is done but nonetheless, he gets some attention walking down the street. So there it is, big ass shoulders can be the X factor.

            You have to be able to show off what you got even underneath all your layers. After all, being bad ass doesn't just follow the seasons. We need to lose societies stereotype of only being in shape for summer time. Sometimes you need to be able to show what you got even underneath a suit, something I have to wear most days.

          So listen up Mofo's. Bad Ass Shoulders and Monster traps are going to be seen from 50 yards away from even underneath a suit and an overcoat. It's going to turn heads before you can shed the jacket to show them the goods. Think of it as, foreplay.


        How Do We Get These Bad Ass Shoulders


                        So try going heavy for 4-6 reps of 5-6 sets. If you have shoulder issues, try keeping the dumbbell in a neutral position with your palms facing your ears all the way through the movement.


Upgraded Variations
1.) Alternating Press: With alternating presses, you want to maintain one arm locked out until the other arm goes through the complete range of motion. Going down then back to the locked out position. Try to develop a rhythm.

2.) Get Your ASS up!: I stopped doing presses sitting down completley once I could go heavy enough standing. By standing up you activate so much more of your body especially your abs. A lot of guys will have some sharp back pain, try squeezing your butt to activate strong spinal support. Your back is probably not the issue but more of your form. 

-Also don't forget to try variations with no bounce/help from the legs and with a little bounce from the legs.

3.) Incorporate into a Complex: I don't usually do regular military presses with the barbell since suffering from some shoulder problems unless it's put into a complex. The basics of a complex is simple. Choose 5-8 exercises that can be performed with a barbell, complete all exercises before dropping the bar with the same amount of reps for all movements, repeat for desired sets.

Sample Complex with Military Press
1. Front Squat
2. Military Press
3. Bent over Row
4. Dead lift
5. Back squat

All for 8 reps, repeat for 3-5 sets, rest 1-2 min in between sets

Timed Shrugs
          Most guys shrug heavy and get to a point where they can't see any new results or lift any more weight. Some call this dreaded point a plateau. Do you know what I have to say about Plateua's? Fu*k Plateau's.

            This is an awesome exercise to use with the barbell or dumbbells for shurgs. I prefer dumbbells because it allows a more complex motion by trying to get your shoulders to touch your ears. Don't take that as an excuse to lift lighter, still go spine crushing weight here.

           Start off with 20-30 seconds on the clock, have your training partner time you, it's easier to stay honest and push yourself this way. For the entire time you are going to perform perfect from shrugs as fast as you can. We are working the idea of time under tension, meaning the time your muscles will stay under tension even when they aren't fully contracting. Also fast twitch fibers will be worked in the traps, something not done very often.

Ex.
2-3 sets of 20-40 sec dumbbell shrugs. (Perfect Form)

Plate raise superset with lateral fly

            This is a great finisher to help fully exhaust the shoulders to promote increased muscle growth, so don't do this in the beginning of training your shoulders. With a 45 plb, sit down. Yeah I said it sit down, on the edge of a bench and with a straight back and locked out arms raise from the down position until the plate is directylin front of your face. The plate should be falling between your legs. Perform 10-12 reps here.

             As soon as you get done, drop the plate and grab some dumbbells to perform lateral flys. Maintain a straight back with now bouncing motion and perform for again 10-12 reps. It is important to have no rest between these two movements as it will increase exhaustion.

 Closing:
               Big shoulders can help you complete your Bad Ass look. No we're not meat heads, we are the few individuals out there trying to improve ourselves everyday. If that means Big Ass Shoulders and Monster Traps, so be it. Let them talk. At least they will be talking about YOU! Until next time, stay focused, train hard, reap the rewards.