Build “Hoss” Shoulders w/ Fouad Abiad’s Shoulder Workout

Last week we traveled up to Toronto to visit Kaged Muscle athlete, Fouad Abiad.

Fouad, a 20 year veteran in the sport of bodybuilding, knows a thing or two about packing on muscle.

And he is just a few days out from starting his 2018 contest prep.

Check out this pre contest shoulder workout he walked us through.

Fouad Abiad’s Shoulder Workout Program

Below you will find the workout table for Fouad Abiad’s shoulder workout.

This workout incorporates both high volume and heavy weight to maximize shoulder muscle growth. You’ll start off by warming up the target area, then move to your main push movement.

After your first overhead press, you’ll perform a couple of lateral raises, followed by a rep hacking method known as a partial. Then, you’ll perform a second overhead press variation. To finish things up, you’ll hit the rear delts on the reverse pec dec.

Keep rest periods between sets and exercises to 60-90 seconds.

Fouad generally likes to mix up things during each workout. This allows him to have a more instinctual approach in the gym.

With that said, you can utilize this shoulder workout once per week by incorporating it into your own workout routine.

*On the last set, Fouad performs these using a rest pause intensity technique taking the muscle to complete failure.

Fouad’s Technique Tips on Each Shoulder Exercise

Throughout the video, Fouad provides us with some insight into his exercise selection and how he performs the exercises to get the most out of them.

By incorporating these exercises and techniques, Fouad ensures he completely works every part of his shoulders.

Exercise 1: Incline Chest Machine Press

Fouad already knows what you’re thinking, “incline chest presses as a shoulder warm up?”

Yea, it is a chest press. But, if you set the seat low enough, you’ll actually get a great stretch in your shoulders.

Fouad uses this machine to warm up his shoulders before moving on to something heavier.

Exercise 2: Seated Dumbbell Press

For Fouad’s first movement, he opts for a shoulder press. Today, his first pressing movement is the dumbbell shoulder press.

Fouad generally starts with a shoulder press movement every time he works his shoulders. Then, he’ll move on to a few isolation exercises and finish up with another shoulder press variation.

Exercise 3: Dumbbell Lateral Raises

There’s a few ways you can perform the lateral raise. However, Fouad feels the way he performs them is the best way to fully isolate the medial deltoid.

You want to begin by pulling your shoulders back instead of hunching forward. Keep your shoulder girdle depressed and your arms straight while bringing the weight parallel to the floor.

Doing so keeps the traps out of the movement and completely isolates the deltoid.

Exercise 4: Partial Side Lateral Raises

Partial side lateral raises are something Fouad picked up from John Meadows.

The trick is starting light and performing just a single portion of the rep to activate the muscle. As your sets go on, you’ll go as heavy as possible on the movement to build the muscle.

The exercise looks weird, because it’s not perfect form. But executing this lift heavily and with perfect partial form will absolutely fry your delts.

Exercise 5: Smith Machine Behind the Neck Press

Next up for Fouad is the Smith machine behind the neck press. Fouad usually likes to incorporate two heavy press movements in his shoulder workouts. It feels natural for him to do so.

Fouad mentions there’s a common belief out there that behind the neck exercises will jack up your shoulders. However, using the range of motion Fouad does and stopping right at parallel (90* angle) doesn’t place any undue strain on the joint that a normal press variation would.

Exercise 6: Rear Delt Machine Fly

Fouad finishes up his heavy shoulder day by performing reverse pec dec flys to target the rear deltoid.

There are several rear delt fly variations you can choose to perform. However, Fouad feels this exercise particularly targets his rear deltoids best.

When performing this exercise, make sure to keep your shoulder girdle decompressed and your elbows at the angle in which you start the exercise with.

Fouad finishes up with a double rest pause and takes the muscle to complete failure. To do this, take your muscle to failure, rest for 5 seconds, take them to failure again, rest for 5 more seconds, and then complete the set by taking the exercise to failure.