E. 114 Why Your Shoulders Aren't Growing (7 Biggest Mistakes)

In this episode of the Self Selecting Podcast, I dive into the 7 most common mistakes people make when trying to build 3D delts. For years, upper body training—especially shoulders—has been an area where so many athletes overcomplicate things, cut corners, or waste time on ineffective movements.

I break down exactly why your shoulders aren’t growing the way you want, covering everything from training volume, exercise selection, and getting close enough to failure, to trap recruitment, ipsilateral support, and the balance between delt and arm training.

Whether you’re chasing that bikini pro look, the fit model aesthetic, or simply want toned, sculpted shoulders, this episode gives you actionable strategies to level up your training.

Timestamps:

- [00:00 – 02:16] – Why upper body training is overlooked & intro to 3D delts

- [02:16 – 04:53] – The look I built & common traps in female shoulder training

- [04:53 – 10:13] – Mistake #1: Underestimating how long it takes to build delts

- [10:13 – 16:41] – Mistake #2: Underestimating the training volume needed

- [16:41 – 19:39] – Mistake #3: Overcomplicating exercise selection

- [19:39 – 26:49] – Mistake #4: Not training close enough to failure & scapular stability

- [26:49 – 33:21] – Mistake #5: Worrying too much about traps & stability solutions

- [33:21 – 35:51] – Mistake #6: Externally rotating to compensate (why it kills delt growth)

- [35:51 – 39:46] – Mistake #7: Building bi’s & tri’s at the same rate as delts

- [39:46 – 40:36] – Final thoughts & why clarity in your goals is key

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