One of the many things my trainer buddies and I agree on is that Eddie Hall boasts some of the best shoulders.
As a personal fitness and strength coach, I've carefully followed his career, and I always watch out for any new training material he shares.
What particularly impresses me about Hall, other than his titles, is his shoulder workout routine, which has won him many contests.
So, our team spent a few days examining all the workouts he does, and we also tested some of them out with clients for two months.
Let’s dive in.
Eddie Hall Stats
- Born: January 15, 1988
- Height: 6'2"
- Weight: 430 lbs.
- Waist: 36"
- Chest: 63"
Eddie Hall's Shoulder Workout Routine
Eddie Hall's workout on shoulder days is all about compound exercises that come close to the movements he does in different competitions.
Unlike most bodybuilders, he does 15 or more reps in each set, so keep that in mind when choosing your weights.
Here's a typical shoulder routine he would go through with three sets of 15 to 20 reps:
- Overhead Press: For the overhead press, you want to set up a barbell with a decent weight load and balance it on your chest. Make a slow movement to increase time under tension for better results [1].
- Incline Bench Press: With a wide grip and an incline position, a lot of the resistance will transfer upwards to your chest and shoulders.
- Rear Delt Raises: Here's another great compound movement where you hold a dumbbell in each hand and lean forward. You then pull them up perpendicularly and keep your arms as straight as possible.
- Lateral Raises: These lateral movements will help to fully target your side delts and allow you to get those wide and rounded-out shoulders.
- Log Press: This is a unique form of lifting that powerlifters will be very familiar with. If your gym doesn't have the right equipment, then you could do a beneficial clean-and-jerk movement instead.
I wouldn't recommend this workout for anyone who hasn't lifted for more than six months to a year.
However, we do have something for the beginners.
Eddie Hall’s 20-Minute Shoulder Workout
The good news for beginners is that Eddie Hall has posted a quick shoulder workout on his YouTube channel.
We recommend this workout if you're either a beginner or strapped for time.
Here's how you do it:
- Warm-up
- 2 Minutes lightweight circles in various directions for 10 reps each
- Dumbell overhead press (fast): 5 sets x 8 reps
- Lateral raises: 3 sets x 10–12 reps
- Wide reverse flyes: 3 sets x 10–12 reps
Eddie recommends taking 1– 2 minutes of rest between each set and going fast on the concentric (muscle contraction) and slow on the eccentric (muscle stretching).
A 2022 study from the European Journal of Applied Physiology showed that focusing on the eccentric part of your lift can build muscle and strength more efficiently than the concentric [2].
Pre and Post Workout Safety Tips
As someone who's helped many clients recover from workout-related injuries, I can say for sure that the number one cause of a shoulder injury in the gym is either not warming up or cooling down after a workout.
So, if you want to train shoulders like Eddie Hall, here's what you need to know to keep those shoulders strong and injury-free.
Pre-workout Warm-ups
To optimize shoulder workouts like those of Eddie Hall, incorporating mobility and flexibility exercises is crucial.
These exercises improve the range of motion and reduce the risk of injury, which is especially important in strongman training.
Key exercises include:
- Dynamic shoulder stretches: Arm circles and cross-body arm stretches warm up the shoulder joints effectively.
- Band pull-aparts: Use resistance bands to enhance shoulder mobility and activate the rear deltoids.
- Yoga poses: Poses like the downward dog and cow face poses are excellent for increasing shoulder flexibility and reducing tension.
Post-workout Recovery
Effective post-workout recovery is essential for shoulder training, particularly in strongman routines.
Recovery techniques include:
- Cool-down stretches: Performing static stretches targeting the shoulders, triceps, and upper back to reduce muscle tension.
- Ice or heat therapy: Applying ice packs to reduce inflammation or heat therapy to relax muscles and improve blood circulation.
- Adequate rest: Ensuring sufficient rest between shoulder workout sessions to allow muscles to repair and grow.
By including these points in your article, you can provide readers with a more holistic approach to shoulder workouts, emphasizing the importance of mobility, nutrition, and recovery in achieving optimal results.
What's His Diet Plan?
Eddie Hall has a diet plan where he eats about six meals a day that heavily focuses on carbs and protein.
Each meal is probably portion-controlled to the size of a standard meal, and doing it this way allows him not to have to deal with huge portions multiple times a day.
As a professional strongman, Eddie Hall's daily training involves a lot of weight lifting and practicing competitive lifts to get the technique right.
And that translates into more than 5,000 calories on a typical day.
"No event in strongman competitions lasts longer than 40 seconds, so by swimming in fast bursts, my body is conditioned for the level of speed and power it needs."
- Eddie Hall
Does He Take Supplements To Enhance His Delt?
Yes, Eddie Hall takes supplements to enhance his delts.
While Hall's supplement list is quite diverse, we found two important supplements in his stack that can boost your shoulder gains.
Firstly, taking a high-quality protein powder can help your muscles recover and rebuild quickly after a heavy workout.
Secondly, a trusted creatine supplement can boost your energy levels during a shoulder workout, allowing you make maximum gains.
FAQs
What Does Eddie Hall Shoulder Press?
Eddie Hall can shoulder press over 150 pounds. And that is with one dumbbell in one hand, which is an incredible achievement even for a strongman used to such loads in competitive events.
How Often Does Eddie Hall Work Out His Shoulders?
Eddie Hall aims to train his shoulders once a week. Because his shoulders play a significant role in competitions, this is an important area for him to ensure he achieves maximum strength.
References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3285070/
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00421-022-05035-w
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