How should I train my shoulders better?

If I were you I'd definately do combination work..... try one workout light and high reps, burn the shit out of them.... lots of sets.... then next lower reps not less that 8 though as I have been through some shit shoulder injuries from going to heavy... Alternate for 3 months light one day heavy the next..... Or 3 light workouts and then 1 heavy shock workout.... try some combination of this bro... I find I get great growth from lighter weights with shoulders in particular... Just be real strict in all your movements, and you'll start growing again.... peace I'm sure you already know most of this, but shocking each muscle group is the best way to train, wether it be higher reps, or higher weights...

Thanks. Do you think that my genetics might also have a lot to do with recuperative ability between workouts?

im sure yrs of swimming has increased your capacity for higher rep stuff. Not sure on the genetic thing, but having an athletic backround especially involving repetitive motion for long duration no doubt aids in your ability to recover.... I wish I'd done something like that before I got into this game...

not swimming bro. I have really loose tendons (not exactly good for strength) and a higher chance of having shoulder injuries (have had one). It did start me with a pretty good v-taper, though.

Combination work sounds a good idea like TornPex said. See how that goes - try after a month adding more endurance work and seeing what effect it has - it's the only surefire way to find out. I am naturally a long distance runner so my calves ONLY grow when I do a load of volume and endurance on them I think you might be the same. As well as combination work on different workouts, try it in the same workout. Omni rep drop sets are great for this. You do 6-8 reps, drop the weight, do 10-12, drop the weight do 15 reps. Rest 90 seconds and repeat. If you do 12 straight sets currently, try 2 sets double dropped like this on 3 exercises. Build up the volume slowly from there, until you do 4 double drops on 3 exercises twice a week and rest only 60 seconds between each set. Creatine helps a great deal here with your strength endurance

thanks for the tips bros keep em coming. Durabolin those drop sets sound hard as hell. Might give em a try tonight.

Cool, but like I said ease into it volume wise, count each double drop as 3 sets and do as much volume as usual therefore, and build up slowly. They are great yeah, when you add them to a mass phase with legs, the vascularity you get in your quads is freaky

For those that were helping me, this is what I ended up doing for my shoulder workout last night..... Hammer BTN press - 1 plate each side x 15 - 1 plate + 25 each side x15 - 2 plates each side x 12 - 2 plates + 25 each side x 9 - 3 plates each side x 6 One Arm Dumbbell Laterals - 35lbs, 4 sets of 12 each arm strict Wide-Grip Upright rows - 135 x 12 - 185 x 10 for 3 sets Cybex Machine Press - 3 double drop sets - 200lb, 140, 80 - could manage 12, 12, 10 the first set, but quickly faded to more of a 8,6,6 range for the last two, resting very little here Seated straight arm dumbbell laterals 3 drop sets - 25lbs to 15lbs. Going very slow and strict here to failure. Resting very little Reverse Pec Dec - 3 sets of 20 with 120lbs Seated Front Military Press (going for broke here) 2 Double drop sets - 145, 85, 45 (yes the bar). This about kicked my ass, had no strength left at this point. Last thing was shoulder raise combos 12/12/12 side/front/rear raises with 15lbs dumbbells twice in a row no rest. did some abs and called it a day. As you can see I started off kind of heavy (for me) and then moved into a lot of drop set-style training. My weights went down considerably towards the middle and end of the workout, but the pump was insane, so I just kept on going. Had a shake, ate dinner a little later, had another shake before bed. I woke up this morning feeling fine. Not even the slight bit of soreness or lethargy. In fact, I feel like I could train them again today. Is this weird? My shoulders have been this way forever.

I agree drop sets are killer..... try ending your shoulder routine with really light weight laterals in really slow strict form.... squeeze and hold at the top of everything for a second or even two...... Use 15-20lbs for laterals as light as that is, it'll burn if you do em right.... let us know how it goes.... Sometimes after all shoulder exercises are done I'll grab the smith machine and put moderate weight on it and do some really wide grip shrugs, almost an upright row but just bring your elbows up and out a little...... Great finisher..... and good stretch peace

if you aren't sore something is wrong in my opinion.... shoulders are one of the harder groups to make sore the following days. But when you're working them in the gym they feel like you're burning the shit out of them.... Try doing both side and front laterals really really strict and slow form holding at the top of the movement for a second... Also for front raises try bending your torso forward 20-30degrees.... and squeeze at the top of the front raise movement..... Do these for as many sets as you can hammer out, even if it means 20 sets..... see if you're sore after that..... they real key to shoulders is strict form and extreme concentration on proper form as its very easy to do shoulders wrong... ie. your traps will take over a lot in lateral movements.... Also try low to moderate weight on a seated shoulder press machine of whatever kind you have in your gym, and do each rep very slowly and don't lock out a the top.... continous tension is key

i dont really like to recommend magazines but this months issue of flex, with ronnie, gunter and cutler on the front, has a great section on shoulder workouts by dennis james if u want to take a look

Shoulder's are my best bodypart, in terms of size, shape, and how they respond to training. I hit front delts 2x a week (once on chest day, and once on a delt/arms day), I hit rear delts only on back day, and I hit side delts on the delt/arms day. After training chest, I'll do about 3-4 sets of seated military presses in the smith-machine for about 8 reps, followed by 2-3 sets of front db raises for about 10-12 reps. (keeping the db handles verticle) Side delts are hit on thursday or saturday (whichever day my arms/delts day falls on), with 4 sets of db lateral raises, and 3-4 sets of seated machine lateral's. After hitting side delts, then I'll go back to front delts with 3-5 more sets of front db raises for 10-12 reps. (again, keeping the db handles verticle) Rear delts are hit after all my after lats, and between traps. Using the rear delt machine (seated with arms SLIGHTLY slanted down when grabbing the handles). 3 sets of about 10-12 reps going kinda heavy (170-190ish), then 3 light sets of 15 reps and squeezing the shit out of the rear delts and rhomboids. After that, I do seated bent laterals. Only I keep my arms bent, not straight or semi-str8 like with reg laterals. I try to get a gooooood squeeze between my rhomboids/traps.