Pavol Jablonicky on how pyramids built his delts.

He won three IFBB Pro League contests between 1999 and 2004 and finished fourth in the 2008 Atlantic City Pro Masters. Though he didn’t compete last year, the Czech Republic’s Pavol Jablonicky, who turned 48 on January 24, may not be through yet, as he contemplates returning to the stage at the Pro Florida World Masters on December 10. His back has always been a liability, and yet Jablonicky is able to overcome this in most poses due to his tremendously capped delts, giving him a winning edge in upper body breadth despite a scarcity of lat width. We caught up with the ageless Czech to get his typical, low-volume delt routine and the key technique that made it work.

JABLONICKY ON PYRAMIDS

“I like to pyramid the compound exercises, so for shoulders the behind-the-neck presses and cable upright rows are pryamided from 15 reps to 6 reps. This lets me warm up first before doing the lower reps, which is especially important as you get older.”