One important part of bodybuilding is the development of the shoulders. You will look great just standing there, and you will look even better when you strike a double-back bicep pose. If you develop your side deltoids in proportion to the biceps, the arms and biceps look large and well defined.

The shoulder region includes the posterior, medial, and anterior deltoid muscles. If you are including the whole shoulder girdle, then the rotator cuff muscles as well as the upper trapezius are included.

The deep muscles of the rotator cuff attach different sections of the thoracic area to different parts of the humerus. Upper trapezius muscles are the muscles that run from the back of the neck; extend to the medial deltoid, then downward to intersect with the middle trapezius. Toward the back of the shoulder, you will find the posterior deltoid muscle, beneath the lower region of the upper trapezius. The outer part of the shoulder is a where the medial deltoid lies, with the anterior deltoid muscle being visible outside of the pectoral muscles.

When lifting the arm, each shoulder performs a different, and specific, function. The anterior deltoid is responsible for bringing the arm forward, inward and for rotating the arm. The medial deltoid allows the arm to move away from the side. When the arm goes back the posterior deltoid will come into play. When the scapula is moved upward toward the ears, like shrugging your shoulders, the upper trapezius muscle does the job. Finally, the rotator cuff muscles secure the arm as it moves and permit its rotation.

There are a number of exercises that will effectively build the shoulder area such as the military press, lateral raises, lying lateral raises, the Arnold press, behind the neck press, and bent-over lateral raises. The upright row in addition to bent-over rows will also help you build the shoulder area to magnificent proportions.

Indicative to building massive shoulders is the knowlege of how they work and are kept healthy. Injuries can quickly slam the brakes on any progress you are making, so take extra care to avoid them. One of the most common injuries is to the rotator cuff muscles. Rotator cuff muscles are not particularly large or strong muscles. Try to prevent injuries by including some band work into your shoulder exercises.

In order to reduce the risk of injury double check that you're using the proper weights. You should be able to have control of the weight through the entire movement. If you can't do a complete set of repetitions, or you have to adjust the position of the weight, then you need to lower the weight. Using too much weight puts too much stress on the shoulder and is likely to cause injury. The success to this is all in you using the proper technique using the full range of motion, prior to increasing the weight.

While developing the muscles in the shoulder does require some work, bodybuilders agree that the payoff is worth the effort. Everybody's body will develop at a different rate, so experimentation and determination is important.