How to do 21's Properly

Continuing from my previous post, which dismissed the notion of 21's for Biceps as popularized by aspiring Fitness Influencers and so-called "Master Trainers," I'm now going to explain how 21's should truly be utilized.

What are REAL 21's?

21's are attributed to Vince Gironda, an American Bodybuilder and PT from the 1950's as the ideal Tri-Set or Pre Exhaust for SHOULDERS!

As the Shoulders have 3 Heads - Anterior, Lateral and Posterior, 21's involve hitting each of these heads with 7 Reps consecutively for ultimate high intensity.

Begin with Front Raises using either a Barbell or Dumbbell, then proceed to Lateral Raises, and finish with Bent Over Lateral Raises from a seated position to effectively target all three heads.

Shoulders improve and adapt more efficiently with extended time under tension, higher repetitions, and respond well to metabolic stress. The 21's technique facilitates all of these aspects.

Not only this but shoulders adapt better with lighter loads with a controlled tempo.

Why use 21's for the Shoulders?

If you were looking to improve your Shoulder Press add 21's into your program prior to pressing (Pre Exhausting) for a meso cycle of 4-6 weeks. You will have to drop your pressing weight by up to half but in 6 weeks when you then drop the 21's and revert straight back to pressing (with the relevant warming up) your numbers will shoot up and the gains will be insane.