Remember when George Bush Jr. referred to America’s enemies as the “Axis of Evil?” Well, I’m calling the shoulders, triceps, and glutes the”Axis of Sexiness.” Yes, these three muscle groups are so vital that they are the focus of all my programs and should be the focus of yours.
Your shoulders are the pack horses, allowing you to pull, carry, and push. Your triceps are involved in every push—think of opening and closing doors and doing push-ups. The glutes are the glue of your lower body. They stabilize your hips, keep your lower back happy, and make you look great in jeans.
However, if left untrained, these muscles lose strength faster than others.
Here, I’ll explain why these muscles lose strength, explain their anatomy, and share a 3-day full-body program to keep your shoulders, triceps, and glutes strong and sexy.
Why The Shoulders, Triceps, And Glutes?
According to Dr. Vladimir Janda, the shoulders, triceps, and glutes often lose strength due to weakness and imbalance patterns.
This weakness is part of what he called Upper- and Lower-Crossed Syndrome, where poor posture, prolonged sitting, and lack of movement cause these three muscle groups to weaken.
For example, too much sitting can cause the glutes to become “lazy,” leading to overcompensation by other muscles due to poor glute strength. Similarly, the shoulders round forward, and the triceps lose strength as the upper back and rear shoulder muscles weaken, affecting good posture.
Janda emphasized that these issues aren’t just about strength—they’re neurologically driven, meaning your brain needs to be reminded of how to strengthen these muscles.
Don’t worry—it doesn’t take long. Here are three more reasons to hit the shoulders, glutes, and triceps.
Sarcopenia
Your muscle mass declines starting in your 30s and picking up speed when you hit your 50s and beyond. Without strength training, you can easily lose up to 1-2% of muscle annually. The shoulders, triceps, and glutes take the biggest hit because they’re heavily involved in movements we use less often as we age.
Hormonal Changes
Essential hormones like testosterone and growth hormone, which play a significant role in muscle repair and growth, begin to decline. This hormonal shift makes it harder to maintain muscle and strength. Again, that is why strength training is so necessary.
Mirror Muscles
Some people, mostly men (guilty as charged), gravitate toward the “show muscles”—chest, biceps, and quads—while neglecting the muscles like glutes, triceps, and rear delts. Over time, this can impact strength, posture, and injury risk.
Now, let’s move on to their anatomy so you can get a better idea of what you’re working on.
Shoulder, Triceps And Glutes Anatomy
Knowing the anatomy of these muscles isn’t just for anatomy geeks—it helps you understand why they’re so important, how they work, and what exercises target them best. Besides the three muscles below, here is an explanation to aid your understanding.
Muscle Origin: This is the fixed point where the muscle begins. It’s typically on a bone that doesn’t move much during the muscle’s contraction. Think of it as the muscle’s anchor.
Muscle Insertion: This is where the muscle attaches to a bone that drives the muscle contraction.
For instance, the gluteus maximus originates in the pelvis and sacrum and inserts in the femur. This is why it extends the hip—contraction pulls the femur backward.
For the triceps, you need exercises where the insertion (on the forearm) moves away from the origin (on the shoulder blade and arm). Overhead triceps extensions are a great example. Understanding the muscle’s origin and insertion allows you to pick exercises that maximize a muscle’s sexiness.
Shoulders
The Shoulder is a skeletal muscle divided into three heads: anterior (front), lateral (side), and posterior (rear).
Origin: Clavicle (collarbone) and scapula (shoulder blade).
Insertion: Humerus (upper arm bone).
Functions:
Anterior Delt: Helps lift the arm forward (flexion).
Lateral Delt: Moves the arm out to the side (abduction).
Posterior Delt: Pulls the arm back (extension) and aids in shoulder rotation.
Exercise Examples:
Anterior Head: Dumbbell front raises, overhead press.
Lateral Head: Lateral raises, Arnold Press.
Posterior Head: Rear delt flys, reverse pec deck machine.
Triceps
The triceps are a muscle with three heads: long, lateral, and medial.
Origin: The shoulder blade (long head) and upper arm bone (lateral and medial heads).
Insertion: Ulna (forearm bone).
Functions:
Extends the elbow (straightens the arm).
Assists with shoulder stability during pushing and pulling exercises.
Exercise Examples:
There are triceps pushdowns, overhead triceps extensions, close-grip bench presses, push-ups, and shoulder press variations for elbow extension and shoulder strength.
Glutes (Gluteus Maximus, Medius, and Minimus)
The glutes are the largest and most powerful in the body.
Origin: Pelvis (hip bone) and sacrum (lower spine).
Insertion: Femur (thigh bone) and iliotibial band (IT band).
Functions:
Gluteus Maximus: Extends the hip.
Gluteus Medius and Minimus: Stabilize the pelvis and assist with leg abduction (moving the leg out to the side).
Exercise Examples:
Maximus: Hip thrusts, deadlifts, split squats.
Medius and Minimus: Side-lying clamshells, lateral band walks, single-leg RDLs.
3-Day Shoulders, Triceps, and Glutes Program
Begin with five minutes of using the cardio machine or walking before performing the warm-up. With the strength triset and the accessory superset, rest as much as needed between exercises and two to three minutes after completing the triset and superset. Rest 24-48 hours between training, do this for six weeks and then admire your handiwork.
Day 1: Glutes
Warm-Up
Bodyweight Hip Extension 2 Sets of 10 reps, with a 10-second hold at the top
Half Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch 1 Set 30 seconds per side.
Bodyweight Prying Squat 1 Set 20-30 seconds
Hollow Hold 1 Set 20-30 seconds
Strength Triset
1A. Hip Thrust: 3 sets of 12 reps.
1B. Goblet Split Squat: 3 sets of 8 reps per leg.
1C. Romanian Deadlift (Dumbbell or Barbell): 3 sets of 8-12 reps.
Accessory Superset
2A. Push-Up Variation 2-3 Sets 8-16 reps
2B. Band Pull Aparts 2-3 Sets 16-20 reps
Day 2: Shoulders
Warm-Up (One Set Of Each)
Chin-Hang 15-30 seconds
Band Shoulder Dislocates 10 reps.
Shoulder circles: 20 reps going forward and backward
Breathing Side Plank 3 breathes on each side.
Strength Triset
1A. Unilateral Landmine Press: 3 sets of 12 reps per side
1B. Stability Bent Over Rear Delt Fly 3 sets of 12-15 reps.
1C. Dumbbell Lateral Raise Variation 3 sets of 12-15 reps.
Accessory Superset
2A, Face Pull (band or cable): 2-3 sets of 15 reps.
2B. Bodyweight Walking Lunge 2-3 Sets of 12 reps per side
Day 3: Triceps
Warm-Up (One Set Of Each)
Chin-Up Hang 15-30 seconds
Overhead Triceps Stretch 15 seconds per side
Med Ball Chest Press 8 reps
Front Plank With Shoulder Tap 8 per side
Strength Triset
1A. Dumbbell Squeeze Press 3 sets of 8-12 reps.
1B. Incline Close Grip Push-up 3 Sets 8-15 reps
1C. Band Overhead Triceps Extension 3 Sets of 15-25 reps.
Accessory Superset
2A. Unilateral Dumbbell Row Variation 2-3 Sets of 12-15 reps
2B. Goblet Squat 2-3 Sets of 8-12 reps
Download the program here with videos.
Shoulders, Triceps, and Glutes Progression Tips
Just a quick word on progression. Ensure your form is good before adding weight, reps, or intensity. If you’re not being challenged, you’re just going through the motions, and it’s time to increase the intensity. You’ll do this by
1. Adding weight. 5-10 pounds is more than enough.
2. If there is a rep range, increase the reps to the upper range.
3. Slow your roll. By slowing down the lowering of the exercise, you’ll increase muscle time under tension and your gains.
Those three things should keep you busy for a while.
Wrapping Up
Well, that was fun. Now you know why these three muscle groups are so important, it’s time to focus on them and keep them strong for life. Contact me here if you need assistance or have questions about this program.
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