With his super wide and well-rounded shoulders, it’s no wonder that Simeon Panda is one of the world’s biggest fitness influencers, and fortunately this model and bodybuilding judge is all about passing on his well-earned wisdom. Recently, the social media star, who has more than 17 million followers across his various platforms took to Instagram to share a simple but effective plan for pumping up the shoulders.
“Crazy volume,” touted Panda when discussing the results of this four-move shoulder session. “Get the biggest shoulder pump with this routine.”
Are you ready? Great! Let’s press on!
Simeon Panda’s 4-Move Shoulder Workout for Massive Delts
- Seated Smith Machine Shoulder Press — 6 sets of 6-10 reps
- Standing Dumbbell Press — 6 sets of 6-10 reps
- Dumbbell Lateral Raise — 6 sets of 8-10 reps
- Reverse Pec Dec — 6 sets of 8-10 reps
Simeon Panda’s Pro Tips to Maximize Shoulder Growth and Prevent Injury
Starting from a seated position, Panda pounds the smith machine to execute shoulder presses, primarily targeting the deltoids: the large muscles know as the “shoulder caps.” The smith machine shoulder press variation offers more stability than a raw standing military press, meaning that the shoulders do more because the core is needed less.
Second up, Panda picks up a pair of dumbbells for his standing shoulder presses, once again focusing on his deltoids. And, just like the smith machine shoulder presses that he just completed, the triceps are also recruited on a secondary basis, along with the upper chest and traps. Unlike the smith machine, however, this is a unilateral exercise, meaning that each arm is required to move the same amount of weight — a great way to work on muscle symmetry and fix any strength imbalances.
For his penultimate exercise, Panda doubles down with the dumbbells to make lateral raises, an isolation move that exhausts the deltoids from every angle. You’ll also ignite the upper back in the process, building the traps and rhomboids, and helping to craft the much-coveted V-shape appearance that comes from a wider upper body.
To round out his simple but effective shoulder session, Panda performs his final reps on the reverse pec dec, taxing the rear delts: positioned at the back of his shoulders. You’ll also be working the upper back, including the middle trapezius, not to mention reworking those triceps.
As evidenced by Simeon Panda’s own 3D shoulders, this plan includes all the major features of a super shoulder workout, because the pressing movements target the front delts, while the reverse pec dec brings up the rear. To replicate these reps for yourself, exhaust the muscles with multiple sets, starting out with 2 to 3, and working up to Panda’s six-set plan. You’ll also want to work towards failure, so find that sweet spot somewhere in the 6 to 10 rep range, but focus on your form and the mind-to-muscle connection, and be sensible enough to drop the weight to feel the full range of motion while making slow and controlled reps utilizing time under tension.