Pain Free Shoulder Finisher Giant Set

By Dr. John Rusin

Stronger, Leaner, Healtier, FOREVER

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The Monthly Membership Training Solution For People Who Want To Look, Feel And Function Their Very Best, Forever.

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Stronger, Leaner, Healtier, FOREVER

Introducing Functional Strength Training: 
The Monthly Membership Training Solution For People Who Want To Look, Feel And Function Their Very Best, Forever.

Join FST NOw

Want To End Your Training Week Strong? Do THIS!

Sure, we all want to add a little pain free volume on top of a heavy and challenging training week, am I right? But many times, we end up broken down after pushing too much volume and intensity with little to no results to show for it. One of the most effective and efficient ways to build pain free volume into your routine is by the strategic programming of a giant set into your end of the week workouts. This method works especially well when used as workout finishers to test your mental and physical fortitude, but also tap into some metabolic stress in lagging muscle groups that is most commonly lacking from many training programs.

Here’s the exact blueprint of one of my favorite pain free shoulder finisher giant sets that will light a torch to all three aspects of the deltoid muscle while also incorporating the chest and the rhomboids and lats for the pump of your life. Lets be honest, who doesn’t need a little extra attention on the old shoulders!? Are you ready to jump into one of the most challenging shoulder giant sets of your life?

RELATED ARTICLE: Lower Body Finisher Superset For Hypertrophy

Before we get into the exact details of this giant set, you can enjoy watching a full and uncut set of this notoriously brutal pain free shoulder finisher that I completed a few weeks ago. Man, this was one of the first rounds, and those five pound dumbbells felt like 50’s by the time I got to that last movement. Enjoy as you bask in my sorrow and burn, but before you forget…remember, you’re up next!

The Exercises and Prescription

3A. Cable Reverse Fly 2×12@15

3B. Dumbbell Hex Press 2×10@15

3C. Seated Dumbbell 6-Way 2×10@15

Giant Set Coaching Notes

We are saving the accessory shoulder work for last in this training day when you’re most likely ready to call it a day. So be sure to train hard and train heavy before you implement this giant set, but that should go without saying!

These are quick in and out, and only two working sets of shoulder dominant movements to finish off your upper body training with a bang. Are you tough enough to endure the metabolic burn of this finisher? Here’s how to do it, breaking down each of the three movements individually for your movement comprehension. The brutal beauty is in the acute movement execution details so pay attention!

Cable Reverse Fly

Starting with the dual cable rack set at about shoulder height, the first movement will be the Cable Reverse Fly to target again the posterior deltoids along with the scapular retractors like the rhomboids. Execute these pulls in a slow and controlled fashion, as we want to hit the shoulders with tension and metabolic fatigue. For most cable setups, you will have to go one arm over the other, so make sure to switch which arm is positioned on top for all your sets.

Dumbbell Hex Press

As we just targeted posterior shoulder tension, we are going to flip the movement and go into building a huge amount of tension in the anterior shoulders and chest with the Dumbbell Hex Press. This movement is more dependent on internal tension development, meaning you won’t have to load up super heavy to “feel” the tension. So determine a load that will allow you to contract hard. Tension at the top of the movement for a half of a second, and let the dumbbells down slow pressing them together throughout. These should light up your anterior delts and upper chest.

6-Way Shoulder Raise

The last movement in the giant set is a global shoulder movement, the 6-Way. Moving through many planes of motion on this movement, your shoulders will fatigue quickly, especially at 10 reps. Go extremely light to ensure you complete all your reps. Remember, we are targeting metabolic stress here not trying to set PR’s on shoulder specific work. For many, you will have to start with just bodyweight, especially this late in the training day. Execute these with smooth transitions between movements and control your core and shoulder position throughout.

Programming Considerations

This giant set finisher is the perfect way to end a tough week of training. By challenging smaller muscle groups that are most often lacking in the general population that is sedentary during the day chained to desks for hours on end, we blast what needs the extra attention in record time.

So if you are training on body part splits, place this giant set as the last set of movements on your chest or back emphasis days. Or for all you overly functional athletes out there, implementing this challenge set at the end of any big compound movement day incorporating total body or upper body targeted movement works extremely well.

If you love this type of programming with the pairing of specific movements together in an intlligently designed and results driven format, you will love my FHT. Want to take your training to the next level with custom developed and intelligently designed workouts that produce all the results with none of the aches and pains? Join the hundreds of FHT Members that have been revolutionizing the way they look, feel and function with Dr. John’s 12-Week FHT Program!

The Functional Hypertrophy Training Program includes multiple methods of strategic movement pairing to tap into muscle growth, metabolic stress, fat-loss, and of course, post activation potentiation techniques to generate every drop of performance out of your big movements. You ready? Click the image below to check out the testimonials, success stories and of course more details and program features!

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About The Author

Dr. John Rusin

Meet Dr. John Rusin | The Strength Doc

Dr. John Rusin is an internationally recognized coach, physical therapist, speaker, and writer, whose published over 200 articles in some of the most widely regarded media outlets in the industry like Men’s FitnessTestosterone NationMountain Dog DietBodybuilding.com, and Muscle and Strength, to name a few.

Along with an impressive laundry list of publications, Dr. John works with some of the world’s most elite athletes, including Gold Medalist Olympians, NFL All-Pro Quarterbacks, MLB All-Star Pitchers, Professional Bodybuilders and World Class IronMan Triathletes.

He takes pride in offering uniquely customized programming to clients of all walks of life in the exact same detail and passion as the Pros! Dr. John’s 12-Week Functional Hypertrophy Training Program is now available to you.

RELATED ARTICLE: Lower Body Finisher Superset For Hypertrophy

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One Comment

  1. Brodie Schroeder March 24, 2016 at 2:23 pm - Reply

    Dr. Rusin,

    My roommate and workout partner was in a motorcycle accident and injured his shoulder quite badly. We will definitely be trying some of these our next shoulder day!

    Love your posts and the site!

    Brodie

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