How to Get Broad Shoulders and Small Waist


The all-important V shape or Adonis look is something every bodybuilder seeks because when you stand onstage with low body-fat the judges are looking for size, proportion, symmetry and muscle depth. Obviously your genetic structure is important but you can work muscles to get the V shape you want.

Getting your calves the same size as your arms or getting your neck that fits the size of your head is all about proportion, symmetry and balance. But none of these will have a more profound impact on the judges than an impressive V shape. The V shape indicates strength and eating correctly, it makes the muscles that you do have, look bigger than they are.

The movements listed below are the recommended movements to increase the V shape illusion you are trying to achieve. Training back and shoulders twice a week, you will do chest and arms the next day, cardio on the third day and legs on the fourth day, with back and shoulders again on the fifth day.

The objective is to broaden the back and extend the shoulder girdle which is done by training the lats on a vertical plane. There are two movements listed below on the horizontal plane but most of your back movements will be vertical. Please note that sets and reps have not been included as it will depend on how advanced you are.

Wide-grip pull-ups
Hammer-grip pull-ups
Wide-grip lat pull-downs
M-bar pull-downs
Behind the neck pull-down
Shrugs

The following movements will increase the thickness of your back muscles.

Bent-over barbell rows
Seated cable rows
Dumbbell rows
Deadlifts

You need to concentrate on the mind-muscle connection when training your back. It takes focus and dedication but when you are able to specifically tense your lats when you pull a weight down you will get the pump and know. When training for the V shape you need to forget about training traps as big traps will make your shoulders look narrow.

The following movements should be trained with back twice a week so that you are maxing out on training back and shoulders to see results. Here is a list of recommended deltoid movements without the sets and reps. When you are training deltoids try not to think of your traps, you are looking for the pump in your shoulders and nothing else.

Machine overhead press, Hang clean and press, dumbbell military press, behind the neck barbell press, Arnold dumbbell press, lateral raises, side dumbbell raises, bent-over low-pulley side lateral raises, rear dumbbell lateral raises, front dumbbell lateral raises and seated side lateral raises.

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