Ben Pakulski presents…

The Pakulski
Precision Delts
Exercise Execution
Guide
Legal Disclaimer
The information presented in this work is by no way intended as medical advice or as a
substitute for medical counseling. The information should be used in conjunction with
the guidance and care of your physician. Consult your physician before beginning this
program as you would with any exercise and nutrition program. If you choose not to obtain
the consent of your physician and/or work with your physician throughout the duration
of your time using the recommendations in the program, you are agreeing to accept full
responsibility for your actions.

By continuing with the program you recognize that despite all precautions on the part of
Pakulski Fitness International, there are risks of injury or illness which can occur because of
your use of the aforementioned information and you expressly assume such risks and waive,
relinquish and release any claim which you may have against Pakulski Fitness International,
or its affiliates as a result of any future physical injury or illness incurred in connection with, or
as a result of, the use or misuse of the program.
General Exercise Principles Shoulders / Delts INDEX

Index

SECTION 1:
GENERAL EXERCISE PRINCIPLES
Exercise Principles.......................................5 & 6

SECTION 2: SHOULDERS / DELTS

1. Overhead Pressing Movements...............page 7
2. Side Lateral Movements (excluding bent lateral
movements)..................................pages 8 & 9
3. Bent Over Lateral Movements...............page 10
4. Front Raise Movements..............pages 11 & 12
5. Upright Rows...................................... page 13
6. Reverse Pec Fly...................................page 14
General Exercise Principles Shoulders / Delts INDEX

General Exercise Principles

(review frequently)

Posture (unless stated otherwise):

• keep head neutral (inline with spine relative to torso), shoulders back and depressed,
scapula contracted (allow zero internal / external rotation of shoulders or any arching), abs
/ core-tight (spine stable), chest proud and torso tall

• when upright, your torso should be vertical or ‘very slightly’ forward (approx. 30º) pivoting
from the hips, NOT from the spine (stick butt back a little so hips move behind shoulders)

• when standing, contract glutes and hams to prevent hip sway (shove feet into the floor)

Execution:

• hold the weight(s) with an ‘even’ firm grip of the hand (though not too tightly)

• wrists should remain neutral or back (unless stated specifically), never forward

• always initiate from the working muscle (try to build tension prior to even executing)

• aim to fully lengthen and fully shorten the muscle (unless otherwise stated)

• a muscle is fully lengthened when its antagonist is fully contracted (be conscious of this)

• contract through the entire range of available motion (full flexion and full extension)

• keep constant tension on the working muscle (no pause at the top / bottom unless stated)

• no extraneous movement / body English

• aim to always work in straight lines (unless otherwise stated)

Additional:

* the tempo and reps dictate the load (aim to keep perfect form throughout, adjust the load
accordingly to reach desired reps, do not adjust the form)

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General Exercise Principles Shoulders / Delts INDEX

• for strength-based training (less than 8 reps), a brief pause to ‘reset’ at the top and
bottom of the movement is acceptable

• when aiming for 8+ reps in a set, focus on avoiding rest at any point (unless otherwise
stated); keep the motion smooth / almost rhythmic throughout

• only allow a spotter to assist in pushing past complete failure (AKA forced reps) if you’re
an advanced bodybuilder (unless specifically stated to do so); beginners or people
learning proper execution should not attempt forced reps

• incline / decline bench angles are variable unless specifically stated; change them up
frequently if equipment availability allows, every 2 to 4 weeks or so, aiming to hit the
muscle from as many different angles as possible over time

• partial reps are acceptable at the end of a set, just so long as tension remains on the
working muscle and form / tempo remains intact (within the range that can be achieved)

• using a rest / pause scheme (taking 3 seconds rest between reps) is acceptable in order
to complete desired rep target if close when rep target is less then 8 (i.e strength training)

• between exercises, take the same rest period prescribed for the previous set

• if the weight selected is evidently a little too light, rather than stopping the set and
increasing the load, slow the tempo and squeeze the working muscle as hard as possible
in order to create maximum tension

• inhale deeply through the nose on the negative, explosively exhale through the mouth
while pushing through the positive

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General Exercise Principles Shoulders / Delts INDEX

SHOULDERS / DELTS
Overhead Pressing Movements

Common execution guidelines for exercises below (unless otherwise stated):

• always assess your active range of motion prior to overhead pressing movements (even
from set to set); keeping hands slightly outside of shoulder-width, the goal is to maintain a
position of 90º external rotation (a vertical forearm) throughout where you’ll be strongest
in the range. This is not as common as you think, if necessary, bring butt forward slightly
to help achieve

• stabilize weight in-between the chest & back ideally (neutral, no retraction / protraction)

• big stretch at the bottom just as long as scapula / shoulder girdle depression is maintained
(keep the abs shortened to find the bottom position)

• really reach for the ceiling at the top

Dumbbell Overhead Press:

• think about squeezing the elbows together on the ascent (not about bringing the
dumbbells together)

Standing Barbell Push Press:

* place one foot slightly in front of the other for stability if desired
• no push / bounce from the knees
* pull shoulders back on the negative, no arching / minimize extending the back

* lower bar only as far as can be actively controlled while maintaining scapula retraction and
depression (below chin ideally)

Machine Shoulder Press (hammer-strength or otherwise):

* ‘shove’ elbows inwards throughout (‘intent’)

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General Exercise Principles Shoulders / Delts INDEX

Side Lateral Movements

(exc. bent lateral movements)

Common execution guidelines for exercises below (unless otherwise stated):

• bring feet together

• ‘shove’ shoulders / hands down before beginning the movement each rep

• hold DB’s only with the delts (consciously try to relax biceps, triceps, forearms & traps)

• side delts should remain on top throughout (palms down, perpendicular to ground); slightly
internally rotate shoulders at the top (though wrists should remain straight)

• avoid ‘shrugging’ the weights up, keep them as far away as possible while maintaining a
very slight and consistent ridged bend in the elbows (relax traps, especially at the bottom)

• on the way up, initiate through the elbows (as opposed to the hands), plus think about
‘dragging’ the weights parallel to the ground for as long as possible before then reaching
for the side walls for the reminder of the movement; only come up until the arms ar
perpendicular to the torso once at the top, no higher

Dumbbell Lateral Raises:

• start / end about 30º from the body (just short of where tension is removed from the delts)

• as an advanced technique and intensifier, this movement may also be done with fully
locked out elbows (squeeze triceps); perform with minimal weight and very strict form

Cable Lateral Raises:

(holding opposite cable with opposite hand)

• come across the body at the bottom as far as a ridged arm (which should be maintained
throughout) will allow

• if the minimum cable machine weight is not appropriate to hit goals reps, use ‘rest /pause’
training, for example; perform as many reps as possible, then take 10 seconds rest and
repeat through to completion

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General Exercise Principles Shoulders / Delts INDEX

Prone Supported Lateral Raises:

• push chest into pad and keep torso tall throughout

Supported Lying One-Arm Lateral Raises:

- perform lying sideways on an incline bench set at a relatively high incline (75º or so)

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General Exercise Principles Shoulders / Delts INDEX

Bent Over Lateral Movements

Common execution guidelines for exercises below (unless otherwise stated):

• bring feet together

• bend over to 90º, head facing the ground, chest up, elbows slightly bent and ridged

(optional: to assist in eradicating extraneous movement, perhaps rest head on the top of a
bench set at around a 30º incline (depending on height); if performing seated, bend forward
until trunk is parallel to ground / chest is resting on thighs)

• keep shoulders protracted forward, hands inline with chin and arms ridged throughout

• minimize scapula (shoulder blade) movement, raise weights only until scapula fires

• reach for the ground at the bottom and the side walls on the way up

• think about pulling from the elbows (as opposed to the wrists / hands)

• elbows should face the side wall (turned out, inline with the angle of force)

• as an intensifier, lock the arms / triceps out and raise; take a lighter weight for these and
be meticulous with form

Bent Over Dumbbell Lateral Raises:

• start / end only to the point at which tension is removed from the rear delts (approx. 30º
from torso)

• really focus on resisting against gravity during the descent

Bent Over Cable Lateral Raises:

(remove handles, position cables at the bottom, hold opposite cable with opposite hand)

• with ‘slightly’ bent arms (though keeping them ridged), come right across the body as far
as possible (wrists can and should cross each other given that the angle of force from the
cables maintains tension beyond a perpendicular plane (unlike when using dumbbells))

• if the minimum cable machine weight is not appropriate to hit goals reps, use ‘rest
pause’ training, i.e; perform as many reps as possible, then take 10 seconds rest and
repeat through to completion

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General Exercise Principles Shoulders / Delts INDEX

Front Raise Movements

Common execution guidelines for all exercises below (unless otherwise stated):

• feet together, arms locked-out, shoulder-width grip

• on the way up, ‘drag’ weights as close to the ground as possible for as long as possible

• squeeze front delts throughout (no swing)

• raise to eye line at the top and stop just short of vertical at the bottom (30º or so)

• when performing on an incline bench, come up to just short of perpendicular at the top
and right down momentarily touching the thighs at the bottom

• if performing ‘prone’ (facing forward) on an incline bench, set the incline relatively high (e.g
75º) and avoid any slouching

• when using dumbbells or cables, you may choose to bring the weights together in front of
the eyes at the top in order to improve activation of the front delt and pec

Dumbbell Front Raises (including incline ‘supine’ and ‘prone supported’):

• when using dumbbells, squeeze them together at the top

• when performing with a barbell, ‘shove’ inwards throughout (‘intent’)

From a vertical body position:

• raise to eye-line

• stop just short of vertical at the bottom (30º or so)

Supine on an incline bench (facing away from the bench):

• set incline relatively high (75º or so)

• raise only to eye-line, just short of perpendicular to the floor

• bring right down, momentarily touching the thighs at the bottom

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General Exercise Principles Shoulders / Delts INDEX

Prone on incline bench (facing bench):

• high incline (75º approx.) ane avoid slouching

• raise to just short of parallel to the ground

• lower to just short of perpendicular at the bottom

Cable Front Raises:

• big step forward so that cables are pulling the body backwards, not arms out to the sides

• at the bottom hands should be neutral (palms facing) and slightly behind the torso

• keep shoulders in the same position throughout

• bring the weights up ‘under’ the pecs, not over the top / outside them

• twist hands into an internally rotated position at the top

• keep arms straight and triceps locked

•come across the body and squeeze front delts / pecs (everything across the front)

(if unable to complete goal reps, perhaps step back a little to reduce the ‘pull’ from the
cables and / or perform final reps with a neutral-grip throughout

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General Exercise Principles Shoulders / Delts INDEX

Upright Rows

* wide grip (keep forearms perpendicular to the ground)

* stand tall and aim to bring elbows up as high as possible (aim to the ceiling though in
reality it wont be particularly high, perhaps to nipple line)

• keep the wrists as neutral / straight as possible throughout

• a ‘little’ body English is okay with this exercise, just so long as forearms stay perpendicular
to the ground

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General Exercise Principles Shoulders / Delts INDEX

Reverse Pec Fly

Reverse Pec Fly (for rear delts, not the back):

• keep hips behind shoulders slightly / more chest against the pad and less stomach

• keep a slight bend in the elbows but arms ridged (‘intensifier’ = straight locked-out arms)

• protract shoulders forward as much as possible throughout; minimize scapula movement

• bring weight back only until scapula begins to fire (a fairly short range of movement)

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