The Men’s Physique bodybuilding division places great importance on well-developed shoulders to accent an aesthetic V-taper. Four-time Men’s Physique Olympia champion (2014-17) Jeremy Buendia is known for his exceptional shoulder-to-waist ratio.

After a four-year hiatus from the competitive stage, Buendia took advantage of his lifetime Olympia invite to compete at the 2023 Olympia to an eighth-place finish. He is set on ascending the ranks to claim a fifth title at the 2024 Olympia.

Buendia’s strategy to reclaim the Olympia throne is maximizing his delt development. On Feb. 13, 2024, he published a video on his YouTube channel showcasing the 10 exercises programmed for his off-season shoulder training. Check it out below:

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Buendia’s Shoulder Programming

Below are the exercises — reps and sets — of Buendia’s shoulder day:

Machine Shoulder Press — 4 x 10-12 (two warm-up sets)

Superset: Cable Lateral Raise & Incline Dumbbell Lateral Raise — 3 x 10-12 (one warm-up set each)

Superset: Incline Cable Front Raise & Kettlebell Front Raise — 3 x 10-12 

Superset: Cable Upright Row & Seated Reverse Dumbbell Flye — 3 x 10-12

Unilateral Rear Delt Cable Flye — 3 x 12-15

Superset: Dumbbell Lateral Raise & Push-Ups — 7 x 10

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Machine Shoulder Press

Buendia starts his shoulder training with machine shoulder presses. He moves each rep through his full range of motion by lowering his shoulders past parallel. He gets a complete lockout at the top of the concentric.

The machine variation isolates the deltoids more than free-weight shoulder press alternatives, like the dumbbell shoulder press or barbell overhead press, since machines do not demand the same stability requirements as free weights. As a result, athletes can typically load more weight when training on machines and better isolate a target muscle group.

Superset: Cable Lateral Raise & Incline Dumbbell Lateral Raise

Buendia holds the cable post for added stability during cable lateral raises. Doing so allows him to keep the tension on his medial delts without using any momentum.

Buendia rests one shoulder on the weight bench laterally for stability while lifting a dumbbell with the other arm. He raises the dumbbell slightly above parallel with the ground.

Superset: Incline Front Cable Raise & Kettlebell Front Raise 

Buendia uses a straight bar for the cable raises. He lifts past his chest with straight arms while supported on an incline bench. The incline allows Buendia to better target his anterior delts and achieve a greater range of motion than if he were seated upright or standing. He supersets them with kettlebell front raises with a fast tempo. 

Superset: Cable Upright Row & Seated Reverse Dumbbell Flye 

The cable upright row targets the medial deltoids and upper back, including as the rhomboids and traps. A study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that using a wide grip during an upright row is more effective for building deltoids and traps as it limits biceps involvement. (1) 

Buendia brings his elbows parallel to his shoulders during seated bent-over dumbbell flyes to effectively hit his rear delts. 

Unilateral Rear Delt Cable Flye, Dumbbell Lateral Raise, Push-Up

Buendia keeps his arm straight while performing the single-arm rear delt flye. He attacks his medial deltoids via dumbbell lateral raises. He holds the dumbbells slightly in front of his body with a slight bend in his elbows to protect his shoulders. He burns out with sets of push-ups.

Buendia plans to return to the stage for his first pro show of 2024 in August. He will have three months to bulk before beginning his contest prep to cut weight.

Reference

McAllister MJ, Schilling BK, Hammond KG, Weiss LW, Farney TM. Effect of grip width on electromyographic activity during the upright row. J Strength Cond Res. 2013 Jan;27(1):181-7. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e31824f23ad. PMID: 22362088.

Featured image: @jeremy_buendia on Instagram

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